NCAA Championship-Michigan Wolverines vs. Louisville Cardinals

The National Title game has been set! With that being said, Sportacular Sports will analyze and predict Monday Night's game.

Background:
CBS
9:23 PM ET
#4 Michigan Wolverines vs. #1 Louisville Cardinals

Final Four Recap:
In case you missed the two National Semi-finals, here is a quick recap.

Louisville-72
Wichita State-68

At one point in this game, the Shockers actually held a 12 point game. Unlike the Ohio State, Elite 8 game, this WSU lead slipped away. It was not the constant Louisville pressure that spurred a 15-0 crazy run (this did not happen), it was a more gradual comeback by the Cardinals. One you would expect from the Number 1 overall seed. The Shockers played a great game but the Louisville bench, led by Luke Hancock's 20 points, were the main reason the Cards play Monday night. The pivotal play of the game came after a missed Hancock free throw in which the ball was corralled by Wichita State. Unfortunately for WSU fans, Hancock clasped onto the ball and forced a jump ball. The rest is as they say history because Louisville owned the possession arrow and then the National Championship berth.

Michigan-61
Syracuse-56

The matchup between Michael Carter-Williams and Trey Burke could have been the greatest matchup of the Tourney, instead it was the role players who put on the show. Freshmen Spike Albrecht and Caris LeVert both hit important threes and the other freshmen big man Mitch McGary tallied his 3rd double double of the Tournament. With all those Freshman superstars, the MVP should truly go to Jordan Morgan. As McGary's play has improved, Morgan's minutes have diminished to the point where he didn't record a minute in their opening round game. After being a starter for most of the past two seasons, it is fitting Morgan owns MVP honors of the Semi-Final game. While it might not seem that he played a large part in the box score (3 points) it was his two charges taken that really won the game for the Wolverines. Michigan couldn't hit a Free Throw down the stretch connecting on only 3 of their Final 11 attempts but it was Morgan's charges that got them those extra possessions to save the game. He fittingly ended the game with a Monster slam to put Michigan in the Finals.

Now for the National Championship prediction!

To think that this is the National Championship matchup is a Hard Core fan's dream. The casual fan understands the Guard play matchup between Burke/Hardaway Jr. and Smith/Siva and that's a great storyline but for someone like me, sports lunatic, we see the real storyline. 

Michigan ranks #1 in Offensive efficiency while Louisville ranks #1 in Defensive efficiency. 
For a National title to have the top ranked offenses and defenses is hardly a reality. Fortunately for us that's what we have. Throw in that Louisville loves to force turnovers (2nd to VCU) and Michigan doesn't cough the ball up (2nd to none) and we have two amazing story lines. 

These two teams matchup as evenly as can be. For example, Russ Smith and Trey Burke. Both sporadic shot takers at time, can instantaneously take over and win their school a National Title. Hardaway Jr. and Peyton Siva. Both have amazing leadership and will will their to victory. Chane Behanan and Glenn Robinson Jr. Both slash the lane but have the ability to stretch the floor. 

Louisville has the edge in the experience department. Michigan has 5 Freshamn in their rotation, a Sophomore, a Junior, and a Senior (see above-Jordan Morgan). Louisville went to the Final Four last year and have plenty of Senior leadership. While people say experience doesn't really matter, check Louisville vs. Michigan's free throw shooting down the stretch. 

With the equality of both these teams, I am waffling a ton on my pick. I picked the Cardinals pre-season (I'm impressed with myself) but my favorite College Basketball team happens to be Michigan. Seeing both teams in action this weekend, I can't point out one thing that will separate one from the other.

With ALL this being said, I'm going with the...Wolverines...no Cardinals... tie?...OK

Michigan Wolverines!!!

I think the difference in the game is Mitch McGary down low and Trey Burke being the best player in the Nation. 


Wolverines-67
Cardinals-66

The Final Four is set! Early predictions

The extended tournament weekend started out excellent with another Ohio State buzzer beater, Syracuse's stifling defense taking down Number 1 Indiana, and Trey Burke and Michigan's improbable comeback. If you missed any of those games you truly missed out because the Regional Finals were a bit of a disappointment. I'll explain below.

Louisville vs. Duke

Louisville celebrating their Final Four berth. Pay tribute to teammate Kevin Ware.

Probably the most compelling Regional Final matchup in the past decade. Coach K against Pitino, Louisville vs Duke two perennial power houses, Siva and Smith against Seth Curry and his team of sharp shooters. The game started off with great energy but then it went all down hill after Kevin Ware's injury. If you didn't see this you don't want to. Ware suffered a compound fracture in his leg on an attempted blocked shot. Thankfully his surgery was successful and he has made the trip to Atlanta to be with the team. After the injury, Louisville went on to dominate the 2nd half and won the game by 23 points. Great game on paper, not so much on the court.

Michigan vs. Florida

Nik Stauskas after one of his 6 three pointers.

If your a Michigan fan like myself, you actually enjoyed watching the Wolverines beat down on Florida. But for the rest of the nation, this was just another blowout in the Elite 8. Michigan got off to a 13-0 start and never looked back. The Gators once again fell in the Elite 8 and can't seem to get over the hump since their Titles in '05 and '06. Trey Burke earned POY honors on Friday against Kansas thanks to his domination in the 2nd half as Canadian Nik Stauskas stole the show on Sunday in a punishing performance against Florida.

Syracuse vs. Marquette

Syracuse celebrating their first Final Four berth since 2003
when they won it all with Freshman Carmelo Anthony

If your an old-timer you probably enjoyed this game. Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense embarrassed Marquette on Thursday night. Being in the Big East, you would expect the Golden Eagles to have some sort of clue of how to perform against the zone but they showed no signs of that. They were terrible shooting 28% from the field. To show their offensive struggles note that the Golden Eagles accounted for 39 points in the game while Michigan put up 47 in the first half. Marquette bad, Syracuse good.

Wichita State vs. Ohio State

In what was probably the most exciting game of the Elite 8, Wichita State continued their run as Cinderella. Leading by 20 points at one point, the Shockers almost gave the game away. The Buckeyes got back in the game by pressuring an inexperienced Wichita squad. At one point, the Shockers went 14 possessions with only 1 Field Goal. With about 3 minutes to go, OSU had cut the lead to 3 when, and this bothers me, they called off the pressure. Ohio State had cut the lead down by 17 points with constant pressure but when they finally made it one possession they stop pressuring. This let the Shockers who two enormous shot. One by Teleke Cotton a clutch 3 and then a fall away jumper by the Freshman VanVleet which closed the game for the Shockers. I think Ohio State is going to regret those last 3 minutes as they were a great matchup with Louisville. 

Now, here is my analysis of the Final Four games and my predictions.

The early game tips off at 6:09 ET between Louisville and Wichita State.

Peyton Siva (left) and Russ Smith (right) are the most dominant
duo in the entire nation right now.

While many people though Ohio state would blow out Wichita State, myself included, I honestly believe this is an extremely lopsided matchup. If you read above, which I hope you did, Wichita State started to turn the ball over when they faced some defensive pressure. Now look what they have ahead of them. Besides maybe VCU, Louisville is the best defensive team at forcing turnovers. They also have the ability to speed you up and play their up tempo style of Basketball. Louisville will cruise to the Title game with Kevin Ware heavy in their hearts.

Louisville 78

Wichita State 65

Now for the more intriguing game. Syracuse's 2-3 zone vs. Michigan's sharp shooters.

Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Wolverines to their
first Final Four berth since the Fab 5 in 1993.

If you remember back to midway through the College Basketball season both these teams at one point reigned atop the College Basketball world. While both teams struggled, Michigan deemed too young and Syracuse struggled offensively, both these squads should not have been surprising picks. For Michigan it's the emergence of Freshman Mitch McGary who gives the Wolverines an inside presence and for Syracuse it's the stifling 2-3 zone. The Cuse' defense has caused more turnovers than they've allowed field goals, that stat tells a lot. With that being said, Michigan matches up very well with the Cuse. Michigan poses outside threats Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Nik Stauskas. If the Wolverines are hot from beyond the arc, Syracuse has absolutely no chance. Yet, if they are not, Syracuse has a great chance of advancing to a rematch of the Big East Championship game. This Syracuse team is more physical than Michigan and poses a ton of matchup problems. Almost every player in the Syracuse starting line up will be a few inches taller than their respective Michigan matchup. The key to this game will be whether Michigan shoots well from outside or whether Syracuse controls the game down low. I give the edge to the Wolverines but not by much.

Michigan 60

Syracuse 58

My title game pick will come later in the week, so keep checking back!!

Who Impressed and Who did not Impress this March Madness Weekend

Today, Sportacular Sports looks at who left the Round of 32 with a positive impression versus the others who left not looking so hot. 

Impressive
1. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 

Sherwood Brown-The Eagle's lovable Senior

This is the obvious pick for who impressed this weekend. The Eagles from Florida became the first 15 seed to ever advance to the Sweet 16 in their impressive 81-71 win over San Diego State. If you have been in a cave, FGCU also defeated Otto Porter and the #2 seeded Georgetown Hoyas on Friday. Their's not much to say about the Eagles except their so easy to love. Who doesn't love the Cinderella story and to augment to their amiable story is the fact that they are having so much fan. You constantly see the players soaking up the experience whether it be shaking hands with the Broadcast teams or dancing around in the locker room. If you aren't rooting for the Eagles, you're probably a SDSU or Georgetown fan but even in that case you've got to respect this truly unbelievable story.

Trey Burke-Sophomore Guard-Naismith Award Finalist

2. Michigan Wolverines
After I put Michigan on upset alert a few days ago, the Wolverines now find themselves on my impressed list. Michigan had a solid performance against South Dakota State on Thursday but came away as major impressers after the game against VCU. The Rams turned teams over the most in the nation at 20 times per game, while the Wolverines turned the ball over the least amount of times at 9.0. When you see this matchup, you know something's got to give. Unfortunately for Rams fans, it was their defense. The Wolverines dominated in a 78-53 win in which they only turned the ball over 12 times and were never in grave danger of losing. Even more impressive than their win, is the importance of this game. A Blue-collar Freshmen named Mitch McGary may have had his official coming out party. McGary went 10-11 for 21 points and added 14 rebounds in an excellent performance. The reason Michigan has had so many doubters is their lack of an inside presence. While this was only 1 game, if McGary plays with consistent efficiency the Wolverines have an excellent chance of knocking off the top seeded Jayhawks in the Sweet 16.

3. Close calls 

Aaron Craft's Game Winner to send the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16

While Indiana barely escaped Temple, Ohio State needed a bogus call, Miami some clutch free throw shooting, and Marquette yet another escape, what impressed me about all these teams were their ability to win tight games. In every championship run, a team must win a game they had no business in winning and I believe all of these teams may have just done that. Indiana closed out Temple on a 10-0 run in a game they could have easily lost. While people may think teams like Indiana should crush a team like this, it's the tournament and their are no easy games come the weekend. For Ohio State, even though it took a questionable call (see Bad impressions), Ohio State found away and that's what it's all about come March. While Miami got a great battle from Illinois, they showed that the pressures of the NCAA Tournament won't be getting to them down the stretch. While Illinois fell victim to a bad call as well, Miami never gave the Illini a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute nailing all 6 of their FT attempts. Finally, my Final Four pick, Marquette, once again got my heart beating in my favorite game of the weekend. The Butler and Marquette game was just a great game that Marquette found a way to win for the second straight game. Marquette won't be able to win 6 games by less than 3 points but they've shown their ability to win in tight situations.

Considered- Louisville (Blowout performance, playing like the Number 1 overall seed) La Salle (Game winner against a feisty Ole Miss team- 13th seed to the Sweet 16)

Not Impressive 

Missed Call on Aaron Craft-But really, they're supposed to get this call?

1. I do not want to take away from both the great Ohio State-Iowa State and Miami-Illinois game but for a moment I want to talk about the refereeing. In both games, the call ultimately cost ISU and Illinois the game but to your surprise I'm more upset about the Illinois call. If you were still in your cave, Aaron Craft from Ohio State took a charge with under a minute to play which should have been an And-1 pushing the Cyclone lead to 4 or possibly 5. I am not upset at the refs for this call. The play is happening so fast and Craft is literally 2 inches over the restricted area. While the NCAA has admitted the wrong call was made, that's the toughest call of the weekend and I'd say 9 refs out of 10 call that a charge. Now for the Illinois game. This points towards the NCAA Rules Comittee. With under 30 seconds to play, Illinois trailed by 2 and missed a shot but on the rebound, a Hurricane player (Kenny Kadji) clearly knocked the ball out of bounds. While it was another bang-bang play, it was seen clearly on replay. With that being said, why can't the officials go to the monitors with under 2 minutes to play. While we all know one play doesn't determine a game, why can't we get that call right and not knock Illinois out of the tournament. Unfortunate for both teams, but I honestly believe one of these issues could be fixed. 

2. Ben McLemore-Kansas 
A projected NBA lottery pick (top 5), Big 12 player of the year, and top Freshman in the nation, Ben McLemore did not show up against North Carolina on Sunday. McLemore shot 0-9 from the field and his 2 points came from the Free Throw strike not to mention his mere 2 assists. While the Jayhawks advanced, is it possible that the Freshman superstar is afraid of the spotlights. In a poor team performance against 16th seeded Western Kentucky, McLemore shot 2-5 from the field and got most of his points from the FT line. He scored only 11, 5 points below his season average. If McLemore is the superstar that all the NBA scouts believe he is, he better put on a strong showing against an undersized Michigan size.

Considerations- MWC (only 1 of 5 teams made it to the Sweet 16), VCU (got clobbered by Michigan)

Could the road to a National Championship be easier than winning the Big Ten Tournament?

Today we will look at the question, Could the road to a National Championship be easier than a Big Ten Tournament Championship?

For this example the current BIG 10 standings will be used. Indiana ranks as the Number 1 seed because of a tie break win over Michigain State. MSU, Wisconsin, and Michigain round out the first round byes respectively. Therefore a pre-season National Championship contender, Ohio State, would not receive a first round bye in their conference tournament.

The first round matchups would be as follows (higher ranked team first)
Ohio State vs. Penn State
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
Illinois vs. Northwestern
Purdue vs. Iowa

With the unpredictability of this year's College Basketball of course any team could go down at any moment. But for example's sake let's assume the top teams take care of business in the first round.

Last years NCAA tournament was crazy with two #2 seeds falling in the opening room but the chances that one falls again this season are extremely slim. Looking past those upsets the top 4 seeds could potentially receive Number 1 or 2 seeds equaling a first round bye.

The Quarterfinal matchups in the BIG 10 tourney would then be:
Indiana vs. Purdue
Michigain State vs. Illinois
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
Michigain vs. Ohio State

The quarters are where things would get interesting. The Kentucky Wildcats were National Champions last season and I would argue that UK's second round matchup, Iowa State, is somewhat of an equal to the Boilermaker squad. Obviously, the other matchups would be a College Basketball fan's dream with games like upset ready Illinois vs a well coached Sparty squad. An underrated Badger team against Minnesota who is prone to heat up. And of course another matchup between the Buckeyes and Wolverines.

Again assuming the top seeds advance the semi-final matchups would be:
Indiana vs. Michigan
Michigain State vs. Wisconsin

Those matchups rights there could potentially be the National Semi-Final yet they could be in the Semis of a Conference. Kentucky faced a worse Indiana squad, Baylor, and Louisville on their championship run. All 4 teams remaining in the BIG 10 tournament would be better than that Baylor team and the Louisville team. To think Indiana would have to face a National Championship contender in a game not named the Championship would be unforeseeable in a conference tournament. And we aren't done.

The BIG 10 title game would be a hot Michigan State squad against projected National Champion, Indiana. I think it's a valid argument to say that Michigan State could rank amongst Duke and Miami the other top teams in the nation. As a cause of this, I definitely believe that it is a fair question to ask which title run will be tougher. While I've stated exactly all the reasons why a BIG 10 title would be harder, I'm going to stick with the Big Dance and say this. When it comes to March, you don't want to play the team that is hot. For example, Uconn 2 years ago. In addition, you are playing an extra game. And finally, the tournament is where upsets happen. The NCAA tournament is such a great event because you never know what is going to happen. So my closing decision would be the BIG 10 title run is almost equal to a National Championship run.