Well this is the first in what will be a fun, new and exciting adventure in my life. I want you all to read and enjoy! I will try and keep this first one short and not bore all of you reading. If you don't like the post or the blog, comment and let me know. Any who...this first one I will keep it simple and will give you MY analysis of the Final Four about to kick off this weekend in Houston. I will give you some key match ups, some stats that stick out, predictions, and my prediction to win it all.
First I will go through the match up of UConn and UK. This is a great game with plenty of basketball-rich tradition behind it. It also has a lot of controversy swirling around it with the NCAA now going after Jim Calhoun and his recruiting process and the already closely watched by the NCAA, John Calipari. With all that aside though I see this being an extremely great match up, especially the battle between Kemba Walker (my player of the year) and Brandon Knight. Two explosive guards that both can take over a game in an instant. The most important battle in mind for this game will be the battle down low though. Can Alex Oriakhi of UConn hold off the two monsters down low of Josh Harrellson and Terrence Jones? This will be the true measure to me as to if UConn can pull this game out. I believe that UK is the favorite (someone can correct me if I am wrong...) and I see this being a great game between two good teams. I give you just one player to think about in this game, sorta as my X-Factor as you could call it, and that's Jeremy Lamb of UConn. Lamb has come on strong as of late and could be that x-factor late in the game. My pick: UConn 65 UK 62
Alright now to the match up I think the whole country is waiting on, the Rams of Virgina Commonwealth U. against them scrappy Bulldogs of Butler. This game is intriguing on so many levels. You have two young, great energy coaches in Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens (and who couldn't love a coach named Shaka Smart, come on now). This game I believe will come down to defense, defense, defense! The Rams came in to this tourney ranked 238th in field goal defense, 134th in scoring defense, and 298th in rebounding margin. Yet, on their way to their first final four in school history they have held opponents to 39% shooting and an average of 62 points a game. Everyone says they have rode the 3 ball all tourney (which they have in part shooting just over 44% in the tourney) but they have been able to shut down opposing teams offenses like they have been doing it all year or something. Now on to the Bulldogs. This team is probably the hottest under the radar teams in the final four since they are currently on a 13 game winning streak better then any other final four team. In that stretch they have held opponents to just under 60 points a game. The first game of the tourney that out rebounded statistically the best rebounding team in the country in Old Dominion. Defense, defense, defense....that is all I have talked about, but I am pretty sure both these teams can stroke it too. I look for the match up of Joey Rodriguez of VCU and Shelvin Mack of Butler to be critical. Rodriguez has been lights out for this tourney and Mack has been able to get the big shots when his team needs it. I think though that the match up of Jamie Skeen and Matt Howard is going to be really fun to watch. Howard is just scrappy and will do anything to get the ball and Skeen being athletic as he is will cause problems. I have two x-factors for this game, Bradford Burgess of VCU and Shawn Vanzant of Butler. I think which ever one of them gets hot from behind the arc will give their team the victory. My pick : Butler 75 VCU 70. I love VCU and I think the easily could win but unless they pull away early Butler will find away to win this game.
So I have got Butler vs. UConn in my finals. Lets see if this happens, either way though I will be back on Sunday or Monday with my thoughts on the title game. Thanks, enjoy, and comment with your thoughts!
