Can Wichita State “Shock” the World with an NCAA Tournament Championship?

The best college basketball team isn’t supposed to be a squad from the Missouri Valley conference.  Not when there are major college athletic programs that invest millions of dollars in state of the art facilities and recruit all the potential NBA talent from around the country.  Perhaps that’s why the Wichita State Shockers remain ranked just number 2 in the country, despite being the only undefeated regular season team since 1991!  Yes, their schedule was softer than most major conference basketball teams, but wasn’t Wichita State the Cinderella team of the 2013 NCAA tournament, who shed their number 9 seed and beat both top-ranked Gonzaga and 7^th ranked Ohio State to reach the Final Four? It’s not like the Shockers haven’t played (and beaten) anyone.  So could they actually finish the job this year and win a National Title?

Of course they can.  In fact, they should be coming into this tournament as definite favorites and a number 1 seed!  But that seed really means little once the games begin, especially for title contenders.  All that matters in the next game, and winning it.  And as we have seen over the last four months, the Shockers are really good at doing that.

Railing off 34 wins this season, the team is led by the same core group that performed that tremendous March run last year.  Ron Baker, Cleanthony Early, Fred VanVleet, and Tekele Cotton are each producing over 10 points per game, and have the talent and awareness to beat anyone.  Rebounds and assists are spread out amongst the team who click better than most, even those major conference teams laden with NBA prospects.  What is most inspiring, however, is the their ability to generate turnovers and steals on defense, and their ability to turn those plays into points.  With their defensive fortitude, Wichita State can handle anyone.

But it will definitely be interesting to see how they fare in the tournament.  They haven’t played a nationally ranked team all year, and have yet to really be put to the test.  They’ve hardly even played any close games, especially in the last few months of the season!  What will happen when they face a Duke or a Syracuse or a Florida?  Can they handle the pressure of a tight game?  Will they be able to adapt from playing against teams they can breeze past, or will the tough opponents send the Shockers into, dare I say, shock?

Needless to say, the incredible Final Four run of 2013 should be a major point of strength and experience for this team.  They clearly learned that they could handle anyone, and they still have that burning desire to win, as evidenced by their impressive 34-0 record.  Whether or not they complete the miracle and earn a shocking National Title for Wichita State, the team has competed at the top level for the past 2 seasons and is fully deserving of whatever glory comes their way.  While predicting a champion is always a tough and tricky science, especially with 68 teams to choose from, I think that if there’s a strong bet in this event that will surely have the casual fans rooting for them, it’s Wichita State.  Let’s see if these guys can shock the world once again!

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2013 NCAA Final Four Prediction: Who Wants it Most?

At this stage of the NCAA tournament, every team is riding the emotional high that only a serious Final Four tournament run can produce. Having already won four straight games against quality opponents, the combined teams of Louisville Cardinals, Syracuse Orangemen, Michigan Wolverines, and Wichita State Shockers must truly believe that they have a golden chance at tournament glory. But belief isn’t everything, and only one team can actually win it all. So which of these teams has that all-empowering “it” factor this year? My money is on the Orange of Syracuse.

All the experts are picking Louisville, the only remaining number 1 seed, and some of the more risk-loving fellows have chosen Michigan and their high-flying offense led by sensational point guard, Trey Burke. But for me there is something special about Syracuse and their zone defense that held Marquette to just 39 points in the Elite 8 round. Coach Jim Boeheim finally has this Syracuse team playing defense to its full potential and the results in the NCAA tournament have been impressive.

 

Opposing teams simply cannot find a way through the zone marking, and the guards have been stout in defending the 3-point shots, limiting opponents’ offensive production in the tournament.

 

Guard Michael Carter-Williams has been sensational in the NCAA tournament, and scored 24 points against the Indian Hoosiers, another number 1 seed. Also, forward C.J. Fair has been a solid performer and has averaged over 14 points per game. One of Syracuse’s strong points is that they have four players averaging over 10 points per game, making them a threatening side all over the court. With their stingy defense, they will stay close in the Final Four games, and this will give them every opportunity to win.

 

Standing in their way is mighty Michigan though. The Wolverines have a very dangerous offense, and it will be curious to see how they match up against the zone defense of Syracuse. Although they are just a 4 seed in this tournament, Michigan was undefeated and ranked number 1 in the nation back in January. The team probably has the best player in Trey Burke, who distributes well and scores lots of points. The defensive play of Syracuse’s guards in defending him will be an intriguing matchup in their semifinal fixture.

 

Chances are that the final match will feature Louisville, as they are too talented to be upended by Wichita State. Louisville is reeling from the heartbreaking injury to Kevin Ware, whose leg was snapped in the Elite 8 game against Duke. However, Ware was mostly a role player, and so although Louisville is rallying around this injury they still have most of their talent on the court, which makes them a quite dangerous side indeed.

 

Guards Peyton Siva and Russ Smith have been excellent recently and are talented at generating turnovers by the opposition while finding points as well. Although Louisville is not that great of a 3-point shooting team, their defensive work is the best in the country, and they will give the other team headaches all night long.

 

For Syracuse, which also prides itself on strong defense, this matchup could be tense and low scoring in the final. Although fans would probably like to see more points scored, the match will likely come down to the wire and maybe even a last second shot. I simply feel that Syracuse will become the heroes and will win another NCAA tournament, their first since Carmelo Anthony helped the Orange cut the nets in 2003.

 

Whoever comes out on top, the 2013 Final Four will surely be exciting. No matter which team you root for, AAA Sports Memorabilia has a large collegiate memorabilia collection. Once the top team is determined, we will be adding Final Four championship collectibles for that team. All of our collectibles are officially licensed and all of our autographed memorabilia is guaranteed for life to be authentic.