Who Will Earn a Trip To the Final Four?

The 2014 NCAA basketball tournament has proved to be yet another wild ride to cap off the collegiate basketball season.  Just like every other year, there have been enthralling matches, buzzer beater finishes, and dramatic upsets as 64 was whittled down to our current Sweet Sixteen.  But all the fun is going to kick off again this weekend, and by Sunday we will know whose season has culminated in a trip to the fabled lands of the NCAA Final Four!  All the Cinderella teams and upsets aside, now is the time for the big boys to make their mark, and I fully expect several of the top ranked sides to make the trip to Arlington, Texas.  Here is your predicted 2014 Final Four:

Florida Gators – Not only do the Gators have one of the nation’s top defenses and well-rounded scoring options, but they also have the easiest roads to the Final Four.  Both Kansas and Syracuse have been eliminated, leaving their first match against UCLA as the stiffest test ahead.  With Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson playing great, Florida will be challenged, but the combined efforts of Scottie Wilbekin, Casey Prather, Michael Frazier II, and Patric Young should be able to see Florida through.  In fact, this team is so strong that they are considered by many to be the favorites to go the distance and cut down the nets!

Arizona Wildcats – Their first game against San Diego State should be a defensive battle, with both teams’ defenses ranked in the top 5 nationally (San Diego State actually is actually 2^nd, though their schedule was far easier…).  However, Arizona has supreme talent and has been the most consistent team in the nation all year.  Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon have both been very productive and they should progress.  The next matchup against either Baylor or Wisconsin should also figure to be a great contest, but I think this Arizona team call pull it through.  They were awarded the number 1 seed for a reason, and I expect them to battle on to the Final Four!

Louisville Cardinals – I didn’t expect this team to do so well before the tournament started, but their play last weekend has brought back echoes of 2013!  With many of the same stars of last year’s triumph like Luke Hancock and Russ Smith, the school also brought in 3-point specialist Chris Jones.  This team has the best potential to repeat as any I’ve ever seen and will certainly return to the Final Four.  With a young Kentucky and either Michigan or Tennessee standing in their way, I feel that Louisville has all the merits of a nationally contending force once again!

Virginia Cavaliers – Disrespected by all the experts, no one thinks this 1-seed will progress past the Spartans of Michigan State, but I disagree.  Virginia is the ultimate basketball “team”, and while they lack a dominant star NBA prospect, their duo of Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris can shoot the 3-ball consistently while their squad can all chip in to help score.  But what makes Virginia so strong is their top-ranked defense that won not only the ACC regular season but the ACC tournament as well.  An NCAA title may be beyond them, but I foresee the Cavaliers putting the MSU bandwagon to bed and progressing past Iowa State or Connecticut and right into the Final Four!

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Who Will Win the NCAA Basketball Tournament This Year?

As we head down the home stretch of the NCAA men’s basketball season and into late February, the wonders of March Madness awaits!  Who will be the Cinderella team that stuns the world in the NCAA tournament with a deep run?  Which strong teams right now will stutter down the stretch and fail to make an impact on this season?  And most importantly, who will rise against all the odds and take the NCAA basketball national championship in 2014?  Let’s discuss this last question right now with the 5 favorites at this point of the season:

Syracuse Orangemen – Ranked at the top of the polls for quite some time, the Orange is the only undefeated team from a major conference.  It seems they were well prepared for their first foray into the ACC!  They’ve handled everyone and always come out on top, including heavyweight teams Duke and North Carolina.  While they have 4 very capable scoring threats including Tyler Ennis and C.J. Fair, creating for a very balanced attack, their defense is among the nation’s best.  Until they lose, they will be ranked number 1 and be the favorites heading into March.  I like their chances!

Florida Gators – Although they have lost twice already this season, they have yet to lose in 2014, and both losses were closely contested against nationally ranked teams: Connecticut and Wisconsin.  They also have a balanced attack led by Casey Prather and a strong defense highlighted by Patric Young.  They have been beaten, but they have been dominating the SEC (including Kentucky) and are looking quite capable of going all the way!

Wichita State – Another undefeated program, this team feels unbeatable and are now ranked 3^rd in the nation.  While they’ve beaten a couple of SEC teams in Alabama and Tennessee, their schedule has been extremely soft.  However, one must praise the fact that they are undefeated, no matter who they have or haven’t played.  27-0 is a massive accomplishment and guys like Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker can ball!  But what happens when they play a major contender late in the tournament or even just another ranked team?  I think they will be stopped at some point fairly early in the NCAA tournament.

Arizona Wildcats – One of the season’s early bloomers, Arizona was set to be the dominant team in the nation, led by Nick Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Brandon Ashley.  Defensively, they are also a very stout team.  However, after beginning the season with 21 straight wins they have now gone 2-2, and have lost to California and Arizona State, neither of which is ranked.  While every team experiences some misfortune during a season, these losses have been embarrassing and suggest Arizona isn’t ready to win a championship.  However, if they can right the ship and get going again, the Wildcats surely are a contender!

Duke Blue Devils – Though they have 5 losses on the season, the Blue Devils are always a force in the NCAA tournament.  It is also worth mentioning that several of their losses have come at the hands of fellow contenders Arizona, Kansas, and Syracuse.  Behind the soon-to-be-NBA star Jabari Parker, the team’s hopes rest on him and his team’s ability to hit 3-pointers.  While such potent scoring can give the team a major lift, what will happen when those long shots don’t fall?  While I do not foresee this Duke team winning the title, Parker is the type of player that can take over the tournament and lead his team to glory all by himself.

So who of these 5 contenders do I predict will win the 2014 NCAA basketball tournament?  Until they are beaten, I have to go with Syracuse!  Let’s go Orange!

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