NCAA Championship Preview

#7 Connecticut Huskies vs. #8 Kentucky Wildcats

CBS 9:10 ET

These two basketball power houses came into the tournament ranked much lower than their former experiences but they both have found the same success as their prior teams. Neither one of these teams was even in the tournament last year but now they find themselves playing for the National Championship. This article will give you everything you need to know about the game tonight as well as a prediction of the winner.

UCONN

Starting Lineup

Shabazz Napier-G

Ryan Boatright-G

Niels Giffey-G/F

DeAndre Daniels-F

Phillip Nolan-F

Other important players:

Amida Brimah-F

Tyler Olander-F

Terrance Samuel-G

Lasan Kromah-G

The Huskies are coached by Kevin Ollie who brings an incredible amount of NBA experience and techniques to this Uconn team. 

Starting from the top is the Huskies best player in Shabazz Napier. He is a do it all guard who can rebound the ball, pass very well, but most importantly score the ball. If this game comes down to a last shot situation, expect the ball to be in the senior's hands. His backcourt mate is Ryan Boatright, a junior. Boatright compliments Napier perfectly as he is a strong defender who can pick up the scoring slack if need be. Boatright doesn't do anything special but he is one of the most consistent players in the NCAA. Boatright and Napier show how much the NCAA has transformed from years past. The deadly two guard combination is what has carried the Huskies to the championship game and will be a mold for future teams looking to find success in the tournament. Niels Giffey is an international player who is a great three point shooter. With solid size, defenders must respect Giffey's ability to drive but his end game is shooting the perimeter shot. He opens up driving lanes for all the Connecticut players. DeAndre Daniels is the MVP of the tournament for the Huskies. While UCONN would be nothing without Napier, Daniels has elevated his game to a whole new level. Daniels scored 20 points and snagged 10 rebounds in a game where Napier really struggled to get it going. Daniels ability to stretch the floor, similar to that of Giffey, also opens up driving lanes. Daniels hit two huge threes in their Final Four matchup with Florida that completely changed a game that could have gotten away from them. The fifth starter is big man, Phillip Nolan. Nolan only averages around 20 minutes per game and is a defensive specialist.

The other important players for the Huskies are most notably the cavalry of Olander, Brimah, and Nolan. While Nolan starts, it really depends on the flow of the game and more importantly foul trouble. The UCONN bigs have no trouble spending their fouls. Brimah and Nolan both had 4 fouls in a combined 27 minutes and Olander grabbed 2 fouls in 5 minutes. Brimah is the most talented of the three but he struggles to stay on the floor. Kentucky's bigs should be able to get the UCONN big men in foul trouble but this doesn't usually affect Connecticut as they'll just throw in one of the 3 without foul trouble. Lasan Kromah is the Huskies guard defensive specialist as he is excellent at reading passing lanes and coming up with steals. The final man that the Huskies use and who will probably get a lot of run again tonight is Terrance Samuel. Samuel becomes the 3rd guard when Coach Kevin Ollie decides to go small. This was the effective strategy that he utilized against Florida and will probably be the similar strategy tonight against Kentucky's three guard lineup. Samuel is an average player who takes care of the ball and helps the team win.

Kentucky

Starting Lineup

Aaron Harrison-G

Andrew Harrison-G

James Young-G

Julius Randle-F

Dakari Johnson-F

Other important players:

Alex Poythress-F

Marcus Lee-F

Dominique Hawkins-G

The Wildcats are coached by John Calipari arguably the best recruiter in the country who profiles as a solid coach. Calipari won the National Championship two years ago at Kentucky and lost to Kansas back in 2008 in heartbreaking fashion.

The Wildcats starting five is all Freshmen, the first team to do so since Michgan's Fab Five. Aaron Harrison. My oh my. This kid has hit game winning 3 pointers in their past 3 games. The most recently coming against Wisconsin a mere two days ago. Harrison, not known as a great 3 point shooter, has come up huge for the Wildcats and has carried them in clutch situations. Kentucky while being ranked as the #8 seed probably should not have been overlooked. They were the pre-season #1 and have grown incredibly over the season. This includes Aaron's brother, Andrew. Both brothers use their extra size for a Guard to overpower and overmatch the backcourt counterparts. They use their size to get in the lane and make shots over their shorter defenders. Their 3rd backcourt mate is James Young. A slashing 3 point shooter who is not afraid to let it rip from outside but also isn't afraid to put it on the deck and drive to his left hand. Young probably profiles as the most "freshmen" out of the 5 starters as he can become erratic at times but nonetheless he is a great player. The Wildcats best player is their big man, Julius Randle. Randle, a projected top 5 pick, is a huge presence down low and his performance will most likely determine the game. On a night like tonight, Randle has the ability to go for 30 points. You will rarely see him take a layup with his right hand, his weak hand, but he is so strong that it doesn't even matter. To round out the starting lineup is Dakari Johnson who is filling in for the injured Willy Cauley-Stein. Cauley-Stein hurt his ankle a couple games ago and will not be playing in the Title Game. Dakari Johnson brings his 7 foot body and decent rebounding skills to the table. He can finish layups but besides that his offensive game is raw.

The other Wildcats that will have an impact on this game are Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress, and Dominique Hawkins. Hawkins is a defensive guard who will play spotty minutes to give one of the Harrisons or James Young a break. He is relied on to not turn the ball over and play defense. Hawkins will most likely find himself matched up against Boatright or Napier for a few minutes at a time. Moving on to Dakari Johnson's replacement, Marcus Lee. Marcus Lee wasn't seeing any time on the court a few weeks ago. Now he has become the greatest put back dunker in the game. A bit of hyperbole but all joking aside Lee has become a presence on both ends of the court. He cleans up the boards and is excellent at protecting the rim. In 10-15 minutes, Lee can have a huge presence in this game. Finally, the Wildcats 6th man. Alex Poythress was a highly touted Freshman coming out of High school 2 years ago. Unfortunately, he did not turn out as great as projected but he has come back with a great attitude as a Sophomore and has been invaluable for Kentucky. Poythress actually injured his knee in the post game celebration following the victory over Wisconsin but will be fine to play. Poythress is another important factor in this ball game.

X-Factor

Julius Randle vs. DeAndre Daniels

While I cannot exactly predict how both coaches will approach this matchup, I can try and predict how important this matchup will turn out. Not to confuse anyone, Randle is far and away a better player than Daniels. But in this matchup we are looking at who has more success in terms of expectations. Randle must play like Kentucky's best player tonight while Daniels must limit Randle as best he can. The fun in this matchup is the two's opposing style of game. Randle likes to bang down low while Daniels is an effective 3 point shooter. This leaves the question for both coaches as how to defend each player. Will Kevin Ollie put Daniels on the bigger Dakari Johnson and place his big men on Randle or will he let Daniels guard Randle straight up. The same goes for Calipari. Will he let the quicker Daniels exploit Randle on the wing or have Alex Poythress play the majority of the minutes as he is a better matchup for Daniels. This 2nd option would put Kentucky in a size disadvantage down low. Whatever the coaches choose to do, the performances of these two players will determine the game.

Prediction

UCONN-68

Kentucky-64

I believe the senior presence of Napier and the experience of Boatright will be too much to handle for the Kentucky guards. In my x-factor matchup, I think Daniels will continue his incredible tournament run and propel the Huskies to the 2014 National Championship.

My NCAA Bracket- Regrets and Predictions for the Thursday Games of the Sweet 16

Today we are going to take a look at my NCAA bracket as the Sweet 16 schedule has been set. It has been such an amazing tournament so far with wonderful upsets and a bunch of overtimes. The great thing about the tournament is that we get to see the heart and passion of these under dogs beat the wonderfully skilled teams. We get the upsets in the early rounds and a premier brand of basketball from this point on. Enjoy!

My entry into the the ESPN Tournament challenge is currently ranked 195th out of the some 11 million entries. I have 550 points, 40 behind the leader. Below is a look at my bracket.

Looking at my bracket, I can't say I have many regrets so far. If I had to choose one, it would probably be the against the grain mindset. This may seem ironic since I picked 3 of the 4 favorites to make the final four but picks like KSU over Kentucky and GW over Memphis were selections that I chose to go against the greater population. While these were simply first round match ups, with my impeccable 20-20 vision, they were obvious picks. 

Predictions for Thursday

Stanford #10 vs. Dayton #11

Let's start with the double digit seed Sweet 16 matchup. Stanford versus Dayton deems two of the the three cinderellas remaining in the tourney. For me the selection is simple, I believe Stanford moves on based on their inability to stop Chasson Randle and Dwight Powell. The Flyers, I'm anticipating, are spent and their magic has run out. As amazing of a run as Dayton has put together my instincts tell me that Stanford's talent will overcome the heart of the Flyers. This may seem ridiculous as the Flyers have defeated Syracuse and Ohio State, two teams who arguably sport much more talent than the Cardinals but one must remember that both squads struggled a lot down the stretch. Therefore, I believe Stanford wins 70-64.

Wisconsin #2 vs. Baylor #6

The streaking Bears take on a Wisconsin team that is back in their best form. What people forget is that the Badgers began the year on a tear ranked among the top 3 teams in the country. They hit a rough stretch during the Big Ten slate of games but found themselves during the tournament. Their counterparts have struggled all year despite having NBA caliber talent and high expectations. They are finally beginning to show their true potential. Wisconsin needed a huge 2nd half to escape the 7 seed Oregon Ducks while the Bears coasted past Creighton and McDermott. Baylor's newly implemented zone has posed problems with their superior length. Wisconsin, though, has the shooters to stretch the zone and cause problems. On the other side, Baylor should be able to crush the Badgers down low. Wisconsin does have Frank Kaminsky, a 6' 11 big man, but he does not compare to both Isaiah Austin and Corey Jefferson. I believe both teams will be able to score the ball tonight and this game will come down to getting defensive stops. In the tournament, I'm going to roll with the team that is going to force their opponent to shoot 3s. This team is Baylor. Baylor takes down Wisconsin by 5 and advances to the Elite 8.  70-65 Bears.

Florida #1 vs. UCLA #4

The other game in the South region pits Florida vs. UCLA in what I believe is the one team stopping Florida from winning a National Championship. Call me crazy but if Florida beats UCLA they have a  relative cake walk into the final four. Many will argue that Michigan State and Arizona/Louisville could pose problems in Texas but I truly believe the Gators, if they surpass UCLA, win will it all. But hold on. The Bruins pose major match up problems for Florida. Everyone knows about the senior experience of the Gators especially their Point Guard, Scotty Wilbekin, but UCLA has their own 6 foot 9 point guard who is a walking triple double. Wilbekin will have trouble guarding Kyle Anderson all day long. In addition, the Bruins best wing player, Jordan Adams, is a flat out scorer who could overcome Florida's tough defense. Finally, the Wear twins, the two big men for the Bruins,   have the ability to stretch the floor with their excellent mid range game. This could pull Patric Young away from the basket opening up driving lanes for Anderson and Adams. As much as I'm touting the Bruins, I cannot pick against my Gators. They simply have the experience and coaching to counter anything the Bruins can do. I think the Gators win 70-68.

Arizona #1 vs. SDSU #4

The last game of the night touts the best defensive team in the country against the remaining power house from not one of the Power 6 conferences. SDSU's best player is a Guard, Xavier Thames. Thames is an unbelievable senior player and the Aztecs sport a tough inside game but this simply isn't a good matchup for them. SDSU goes through stretches where they struggle to score which against Arizona is not a good flaw to have. If Thames is struggling, the entire team struggles. Because of this problem, Arizona will end up reeling off a huge run that they will be able to hang on to for the game. The Wildcats match up pretty evenly down low with Kaleb Tarczeswki and freshman phenom Aaron Gordon but on the perimeter is where the Wildcats will overmatch San Diego State. Nick Johnson is a Wooden Award Candidate for player of the year in the NCAA and his back court mate T.J. McConnell will be too much for the aforementioned Thames to handle in a solid victory by the Wildcats. Arizona wins 61-52. 

All-NCAA Team. The best 5 compilation of college basketball players in 2014

ALL-NCAA TEAM
Today I thought I would write an interesting article inspired by Bill Simmons "Book of Basketball"  in honor of the upcoming Conference and March Madness Tournaments. I am going to create my All-NCAA team, key word team. This is different than the All-Americans or simply the 5 best players in college basketball. For example, the 3 best players in college could all be Small Forwards but the 2nd or 3rd may not make the team. In addition, this is a winner take all, Space Jam kind of game. This team is defending our country from aliens. I am choosing the team that will work well together and will defeat any other combination of 5 college basketball players.

PG- Kyle Anderson (UCLA) 14.9 PPG, 8.6 REB, 6.8 AST, 49% FG, 1.8 STL, 3.2 TO (Sophomore)
Others receiving consideration: Russ Smith (Louisville), Shabazz Napier (UCONN), Marcus Paige (UNC)

A 6' 7 facilitating Point Guard was just too good to pass up. His 3.2 TO per game worry me a little as I want my team taking care of the ball to maximize my shots but his ability to rebound and spread the ball around is just unmatched by any other point guard in the country. There's not much to say about Anderson besides his facilitation and his length. These two things were more important to me than the other 3 guards ability to score. Finally, if we decide to press, play a pressure style defense, or even a zone, I love his length and his defensive capability.

SG- Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) 20.3 PPG, 4.5 REB, 2.6 AST, 43% FG, 85%, 2.1 TO (Senior)
Others receiving consideration: Gary Harris (Michigan State), Juwan Staten (West Virginia)

While Kilpatrick is a true Small Forward, he gets bumped up to the Shooting Guard position for the sake of McDermott. Don't worry, Kilpatrick can definitely handle this. In fact, I'm pretty sure he'd play Center if I asked him to. If you ever have a chance to read about Kilpatrick, take the opportunity. I've never heard a bad thing said about him and he is talked about as an uncanny leader. Throw in the fact that he can get you 20 points, rebound the ball, and even facilitate a little and I'm thrilled. Also, Kilpatrick can lock down your best player at about every position besides the Center. I love everything about Kilpatrick which is why he is the Team Captain of the this squad. Late game, we can throw the ball to him  to either hit the big shot or ice the game with Free Throws. Kilpatrick is the real deal and the fact that he got left off the Wooden Award Candidates is a sick joke. His Bearcats are ranked 15th in the country and are very capable of a late tourney run.

SF- Doug McDermott (Creighton) 26 PPG, 7.0 REB, 52% FG, 89% FT, 1.9 TO (Senior)
Others receiving consideration: CJ Fair (Syracuse), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), TJ Warren (NC State), Melvin Ejim (Iowa State)

When I first thought of the idea to create an All-NCAA team, McDermott didn't make my team. You must be thinking, what was I thinking. This dude is the best player in College Basketball, he scores 26 points per game, and has Creighton, who would be no better than .500 in the league, ranked 13th in the country. Why didn't he make my initial team? I've seen McDermott play and he is truly unbelievable but two things bothered me. He seemed to get his points by volume shooting. This was my original thought that turned me away from him. Just like Carmelo Anthony, I thought that McDermott was just shooting 20 times a game to get his points. But after the research, I saw that his 52% Field Goal percentage was the highest on my list of players besides the center position. This really changed my opinion. The other thing that worried me was that the entire offense runs through McDermott. Now you are questioning me again. Doesn't the offense always run through the best player? Yes, but for McDermott it usually consists of him posting up or holding the ball for extended periods of time. I didn't like that in the college game especially on this team where I am preaching unselfishness and team play. At the end of the day though, I figured the best player in the game deserved to make my team and his 26 points aren't going to hurt us in the end. Oh, and by the way, McDermott is a 4 year starter. That doesn't hurt given all the late game experience he has gained from that.

PF- Jabari Parker (Duke) 18.8 PPG, 8.9 REB, 48% FG, 2.4 TO (Freshman)
Others receiving consideration: NONE

Jabari Parker is the best power forward in the country but am I saying that no one is close. There are players that could have garnered consideration but to be honest none really contested with Parker. McDermott could qualify as a PF so I guess him but ultimately Parker is far and away the best power forward in the country. He is going to bring the effort, the rebounding, and can add on a little scoring if needed. On this team, I don't need everyone to score their 20. Rather, I'm looking for the little extra and that is exactly what this Freshman adds on. His presence down low and his ability to stretch the floor when needed in addition to his great rebounding are all factors that led to Jabari receiving the PF spot on this team.

C- Jordan Bachynski (Arizona State) 11.2 PPG, 8.4 REB, 55% FG, 4.2 BLK (Senior)
Others receiving consideration: Joel Embiid (Kansas), Julius Randle (Kentucky)

To be honest, the casual college basketball fan has probably never heard of the big man from ASU but now you have. Is Bach the best center in college basketball? Absolutely not, but he is going to complete my team by doing what I believe is most important, protecting the rim. Looking at the numbers, he is on average with Embiid for points and rebounds but clearly surpasses him at the rim. Randle's scoring and rebounding are better but once again his defense does not match that of Bachynski.  In addition, Jordan can finish at the rim so he is not an offensive liability. Besides the shot blocking ability, the second most important factor that I considered was Bachynski, a senior, versus the two Freshmen, Randle and Embiid. If Bachynski picks up two early fouls, I trust him to not foul and I can keep him in the game. I feel much differently with Randle and Embiid who will play with the same reckless abandon whether they have 0 or 4 fouls.

Coach: Mike Krzyzewksi (Duke)
Others receiving consideration: Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), John Calipari (Kentucky)

Who else would you want coaching this team besides Coack K. His 4 national championships and 11 final fours are a great number but more importantly all this guy does is win. It was a pretty simple decision and throw in the fact that he already coaches the only freshmen on this team and you have icing on the cake. Boeheim received consideration because he is of equal ability as a coach but I would rather have this team in man to man than a 2-3 zone. For me a hot shooting team can beat any zone no matter how good the players, I'm not going to take that risk. And finally, John Calipari. Personally, I don't think Calipari is that great of a coach but he has actually had a team built with a bunch of superstars so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt of knowing how to coach with 5 superstars. In the long run though, Coach K is leading my All-NCAA team to victory.

Post-Game analysis:
What scares me about this team is that only one of them, Jabari Parker, is ranked in the top 10 and both UCLA and ASU aren't ranked. What brings me back down to earth is that I have a nice balance of 3 seniors, a sophomore, and a freshman. I know that I'm getting scoring from somewhere and I can rebound the ball as well as protect the rim. The only issue my team has is distribution. While I have some solid passers, I don't have an excellent assist man at the 2 spot because of Kilpatrick's shift to the shooting guard position. Nonetheless, I'm confident that my team would beat any grouping of 5 men in college basketball

Toughest decision/Biggest regrets:
The point guard and center position were the hardest positions for me to choose from. Kilpatrick, McDermott, and Parker as the core 3 were simple selections but passing up two national champions at the PG spot (Napier, Smith) was tough but they just didn't fit the mold of the team. They are some times erratic with the ball turning it over and shooting bad shots. I couldn't risk that when this team should be getting the highest quality of shot every time down the floor. The Center spot was tough because I love Randle and Embiid but the freshman aspect and inability to be as supreme defenders as Bachynski were too much to keep them off the team. My final regret or decision was not including anyone from the top 3 teams in the country. I need winners on my team and those guys simply win. The thing is that those top 3 teams are built as a team where each player compliments the other which is exactly the mold that I attempted to build with my All-NCAA team.

ALL-NCAA TEAM:
PG Kyle Anderson
SG Sean Kilpatrick (Captain)
SF Doug McDermott
PF Jabari Parker
C Kyle Anderson
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski

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!!

#1 Michigan at #3 Indiana

Headline:
The #1 Michigan Wolverines travel to Assembly Hall to face the #3 Indiana Hoosiers
Michigan Wolverines:
Trey Burke and company have withstand the curse of the 1 for a long run of 1 games. They easily defeated Northwestern in only turning the ball twice in that game. The curse of number 1 might rear its head again tonight. While Michigan could possibly fall from the top rank tonight or in their next 4 games, (Indiana, Michigan St, Wisconsin, and Ohio State) the Wolverines long term goal is a National Championship. These are the games that truly show who the top teams in the nation are. If Michigan comes away from this grueling stretch in a positive way, the Wolverines can consider themselves a contender. Freshman Nik Stauskas and Junior Tim Hardaway Jr. will look to lead the Wolverines to their first title since 1989.

Indiana Hoosiers:
The Hoosiers were pre-season ranked #1 and show they nearly deserve that title. Indiana seemed to return to relevancy last season most notably against the top ranked Wildcats. Each of those teams have gone in opposite directions. The Wildcats have fallen out of the ranks after a National Championship but the Hoosiers have jumped into the top 5 for most of this season. The Hoosiers run with big man Cody Zeller and get excellent guard play from Victor Oladipo.

Prediction:
Their are two keys to this game. The guard matchup between Burke and Hardaway Jr. against Oladipo, Hulls, and Sheehey. In addition, can Michigan big men slow down Cody Zeller and Senior Christian Watford. Whoever wins these matchups wins the game.

Final Score:
Indiana-67
Michigan- 63

Line:
Indiana -5.5
Over/Under:
144.5

College Basketball- Who's Hot, Who's Not?

Hot
Syracuse Orange (18-1) #3

The Orange are rolling right now. They've not only won 35 in a row at the Carrier Dome but have been successful on the road. Last Saturday, Cuse beat then #1 Louisville on their home court in a thriller. Syracuse's primary defense is a 2-3 zone which allows open shots for long range shooters. This always leaves me with doubt come tournament time. A hot shooting night and Cuse is done but for now Syracuse has stud Point Guard Michael Carter-Williams who leads the nation in assists. MCW led the team with 16 points including the go ahead steal and thunderous slam with under 20 seconds to play. Syracuse also won on MLK Day over ranked Cincinnati. Syracuse is atop the Big East standings and shows no signs of slowing down.

Kansas Jayhawks (17-1) #3
This may seem unusual but both Syracuse and Kansas are ranked in the polls at #3. Definitely the first time I've ever seen that. Anyways, great teams are ones that can play poorly and escape with wins. This weekend the Jayhawks traveled to Austin and fell behind by 10+ points in the second half. The Longhorns couldn't hold on as freshman sensation Ben McLemore led the comeback. McLemore is the best player in college basketball right now and could take Kansas back to the Final Four come March. Kansas continued the nation's longest win streak of 16 last night defeating rival Kansas State in Manhattan.

Not
Louisville Cardinals (16-3) #5
Louisville has dropped 2 in a row with their loss to unranked Villanova last night. The Cards are still my National Championship pick but are struggling in the midst of their Big East play. The Cardinals lost to a respectable aforementioned Syracuse team but fell on the road to a down Villanova squad. Is it the curse of the #1 that is sent Louisville in the wrong direction, possibly but they need to get back on track. They simply have been turning the ball over too much in critical stretches of the game. Can Peyton Siva and Russ Smith turn this bad stretch around, certainly. They only face 1 ranked team in their next 9 and need to win at least 7 of those to have a shot at the Big East crown. If Louisville wants to make a deep run into April, they need to put themselves in position for a top seed.

Kentucky Wildcats (12-6) Unranked

The defending champions are nothing near what they were last season. Freshman Nerlens Noel has shown no resemblence of Anthony Davis and this Wildcat team lacks the Senior leadership that Darius Miller brought to the team last year. Kentucky ranks 5th in the weak SEC which is being led by Ole Miss. Let me say that again, Ole Miss. The Cats are only 2-2 in their last 4. Do I think this team has any chance to contend? Probably not. But is there a chance to turn this season around and build for next season? Definitely. Kentucky has the talent to make a run through their SEC schedule and possibly make it to a Sweet 16 finishing this season as a stepping stone for next.

Other Notable Hots: Butler #9, Oregon #16, Miami #25
Other Notable Nots: UCLA Unranked, Illinois Unranked

NCAA Men's Basketball-Louisville Cardinals-New #1

Louisville Cardinals (16-1 Overall, 4-0 Big East) #1

Recent:
Their is a new Number 1 in College Basketball and it comes by way of the Louisville Cardinals. After the curse of the undefeated and Number 1 occurred over the past week, Louisville was the first team to win their game and therefore remain atop the standings. After a tough first half, because of star Point Guard Peyton Siva's foul trouble, Louisville came out with fire in the second half and ended up crushing the Huskies. Louisville has yet to defeat a very tough opponent as they have a loss to Duke. They have beaten Missouri but the Cardinals will be tested soon in their matchup against #6 Syracuse on Saturday.

Future:
Now the question can be asked, are the Cardinals a legitimate title contender? Many people would laugh at this question but it is my job to analyze this question. First, I will start with my answer, Yes. Why though? Louisville contains the best backcourt in the nation. Speed, scoring, and facilitation comes by way of Peyton Siva and Russ Smith (23 points last night). The great thing about my pre-season pick is that the Cardinals have the ability to defend the basket as well. Shot-blocker, Gorgui Dieng, and inside presences Wayne Blackshear/Chane Behanan, possess the ability to keep Louisville in games when Siva struggles. His erratic playing style forces him to cough up turnovers but teammate Russ Smith can carry the team when needed. I believe Louisville will lose 2 or 3 games in the Big East Conference play but will obtain a Number 1 seed on their road to the Title in March.

Sportacular Sport's NCAA Men's Basketball Predictions

College Basketball is back and who isn't excited. Even though we have tons of exciting games remaining in the NFL season, everyone gets ready for the College Basketball Season.

College Basketball Preseason Rankings

To no surprise, Indiana is the ranked #1 in the preseason. They return a ton of their main players from last season led by preseason All-American Cody Zeller. The defending-champion, Kentucky Wildcats, aren't ranked number 1 because of all the players they lost this off-season. After a trip to the Final Four and returning many players, Louisville ranks at #2. Rivals, Ohio State and Michigan, round out the top 5 containing 3 Big 10 clubs.

Indiana Hoosiers-#1, Big 10

Projected Starting Lineup:

Cody Zeller-C

Christian Watford-PF

Will Sheehey-SF

Victor Oladipo-SG

Jordan Hulls-PG

Led by Sophomore, Cody Zeller, the Hoosiers return their starting lineup from last season. All but Zeller are either a Junior or Senior. They have the leadership and the star-player. For some reason though, I don't see Inidiana winning a National Championship. Something says, Indiana's lack of athleticism will catch up to them against my projected National Championship, Louisville.

Louisville Cardinals-#2-SEC

Projected Starting Lineup:

Peyton Siva-PG

Wayne Blackshear-SG

Luke Hancock-SF

Chane Behanan-PF

Gorgui Dieng-C

After a Final Four exit last season, Louisville returns many key players from their run last season. Peyton Siva should be the most dynamic PG in all of College Basketball this season. Gorgui Dieng is an unbelievable shot-blocker and will protect the rim well for the Cardinals this season. Co-captain, Luke Hancock, can do it all while Chane Behanan was excellent off the bench in the Tournament last season. The Cardinals have all the assets to win a Championship and could clinch a 1-seed with a weaker Kentucky team this season. My early prediction is the Cardinals winning the Championship this season.

Kentucky Wildcats-#3-SEC

Projected Starting Lineup:

Ryan Harrow-PG

Archie Goodwin-SG

Alex Poythress-SF

Kyle Wiltjer-PF

Nerlens Noel-C

Kentucky looks to defend their National Championship. But look above and see how many starters they return. 0. They also lost senior, Darius Miller. Their 7th best player is finally in the starting lineup with the addition of freshman stud Nerlens Noel. While his hair is awesome, this freshman class will not be able to live up to the hype from last year's team. Expect a deep run in the tournament, only for the lack of Senior leadership to catch them this year.

Ohio State Buckeyes-#4-Big 10

Projected Starting Lineup:

Aaron Craft-PG

Shannon Scott-SG

Lenzelle Smith Jr.-SF

Deshaun Thomas-PF

Amir Williams-C

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a ton of promise this upcoming season. Even with the loss of big-man Jared Sullinger, O-H-I-O returns stud, Aaron Craft, and Deshaun Thomas. Aaro Craft can do it all for the Buckeyes which is why I believe they'll win the Big 10. He brings leadership, can spread the ball effectively, and even score buckets when necessary. Not to mention, Lenzelle Smith Jr. is an excellent player, this trio could lead the Buckeyes to a promising season.

Michigan Wolverines-#5-Big 10

Projected Starting Lineup:

Trey Burke-PG

Tim Hardaway-SG

Glen Robinson III-SF

Mitch McGary-PF

Jordan Morgan-C

The Michigan Wolverines have an excellent backcourt this upcoming season. Led by Sophomore Trey Burke and Junior Tim Hardaway. The Wolverines will play with the loss of dual-threat Evan Smotrycz but bring in Freshman Mitch McGary. The Wolverines are an excellent team in an extremely tough Big 10. I think they'll finish 3rd in the conference. Going further than their first round exit last season, the Wolverines will play in the Elite 8 but fall to eventual champions, Louisville.

The season is just beginning and much will change but everyone should get pumped for the start of another College Basketball season.