After an exciting few months of hoops, the best of the best have surfaced to the top and the most highly anticipated set of games in college basketball are finally upon us. We have a Cinderella, a couple of perennial powerhouses, and just one No. 1 seed left from a field of 68. And with that, here's our take on the 2013 Final Four:
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 9 Wichita St.
Almost every year, one unexpected team shocks the nation and is able to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Fittingly, this year's Final Four Cinderella squad is none other than the Shockers from Wichita St.
A No. 9 seed in this year's tournament, the Shockers came into March with a relatively unknown resume, as AP first-team All-American Doug McDermott and his fellow Creighton Bluejays soaked up much of the attention in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. The Bluejays defeated the Shockers in two out of their three head-to-head meetings, including one in the conference title game by three points, 68-65.
Despite the heartbreaker, coach Gregg Marshall's group has nonetheless looked like a title contender since the opening round, during which they took down No. 8 Pitt by 18 points. Since then, the Shockers have also taken down controversial No. 1 seeded Gonzaga in the Round of 32, as well as No. 13 La Salle in the Sweet 16 and No. 2 Ohio St. in the Elite Eight.
Strong rebounding was the main reason for such strong play in the tournament has unquestionably been rebounding, as Wichita St. ranks 27th in total boards across all Div. I teams, averaging 38.4 per game. Marshall features a very balanced offense when it comes to scoring, but senior forward Carl Hall certainly leads the charge on the glass, grabbing 6.9 per game.
Although the Shockers have performed extremely well against some of the nation's best in this tournament, they'll have to get through the overwhelming favorite and No. 1-overall seed Louisville Cardinals in order to reach the championship game.
The first thing to know about future Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino and his Cardinals is that they haven't lost since a five-overtime, three-point loss to Notre Dame back on Feb. 9. They've been outstanding since, first cruising to a second-straight Big East Tournament title, outscoring Syracuse by 30 points in the second half of the championship game to win by 17. And by the way, in four tournament games thus far, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents by 87 points.
Another reason for Wichita St. to fear Pitino and company: sophomore guard Kevin Ware, who gruesomely broke his right leg against Duke on Sunday in an attempt to block a 3-pointer. Though the unfortunate injury brought tears to those both on the court and at home, Ware has since undergone successful surgery and will be with the team in Atlanta as the Cardinals chase their first NCAA title since 1986.
The Shockers might be on a roll, but there isn't a worse possible time for a meet-up against these emotionally charged Cardinals. As they have done all season, experienced guards Russ Smth and Peyton Siva will look to control the tempo, with junior center and Senegal native GorguiDieng ready to pounce on the offensive glass and seal a ticket to Monday's championship game.
The Pick: Louisville Cardinals
No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 4 Michigan
On the other half of the bracket, the face-off between South Region champions Michigan and East Region champions Syracuse will be an explosive affair following extremely impressive victories from both teams within their regions.
Syracuse has been a dominant defensive force over the course of the past two games, allowing just 89 points to No. 1 Indiana and No. 3 Marquette combined in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively. Sophomore big man Cody Zeller of Indiana was practically ineffective up against the zone defense of the Orange, scoring just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field.
And against Marquette, the Orange held the Golden Eagles to the lowest number of points in an NCAA tournament regional final since 1986 in their clash last Saturday. The length and speed of the Orange 2-3 zone has really hurt teams, especially when the opposition is unable to shoot the long ball well. In addition, the backcourt tandem of sophomore Michael Carter-Williams and senior Brandon Triche has not only shut down smaller guards who try to penetrate the zone, but has also contributed heavily to coach Jim Boeheim's offensive attack. Carter-Williams scored 24 against Indiana and 12 against Marquette, while Triche added 14 and nine to the respective contests.
While 'Cuse may be rolling as a defensive unit, the Orange may face problems against an unpredictable and high-energy Michigan offense on Saturday. Much like the 1993 Final Four team that featured five freshmen in the starting lineup, the Wolverines' current squad excels due to its strong recent recruiting classes. This is Michigan's deepest run into the tournament since the Fab Five, and they've survived largely due to remarkable play from sophomore guard Trey Burke and freshman forward Mitch McGary.
Down by five with 21 seconds to go in the Sweet 16 matchup against No. 1 Kansas, Burke and the Wolverines fought back to within three points before the sophomore drained a triple from well beyond the arc to send the game to overtime.
The Wolverines stunned the Jayhawks in the extra period as Burke, recently crowned AP National Player of the Year, dished out 10 assists to add to his 23 points, all of which were scored in either the second half or overtime period. McGary also recorded a double-double in the matchup, scoring a game-high 25 points and snatching 14 rebounds.
A strong offensive presence, both down low from McGary and from the 3-point line with Burke and freshman guard Nik Stauskas will be necessary to break down the Syracuse zone and keep the game on-edge.
Clearly, both teams are hot coming in ? the Orange have been frustrating opponents with the defensive prowess, while Michigan is playing like the AP No. 1 team it was back in February. But the game will ultimately be decided by whether the offensive threats of Michigan or the lockdown defense of Syracuse prevail. In a close call, we have to give the edge to the experience and consistency of Boeheim's squad over the raw talent of Michigan.
The Pick: Syracuse Orange
