This marks the first time since 2010 that we've had only one top seed in the final four (North Carolina this year). Syracuse is the 10 seed, the first time ever that a 10 seed has gotten here. Syracuse makes its 6th apperance in the final four (first final four appearance since 2013). North Carolina tastes the final four for the 19th time ever (first time since their national title win in 2009). Villanova playing in the final four for the 5th time (first time since 2009). Oklahoma is playing in its 5th final four as well (first time since 2002). That's some of the raw numbers, now lets see how these teams matchup against each other.
As for the Syracuse Orange, they had a different route to the final four. This marks the 6th final four appearance by the Orange in the final four, their first since 2013. Syracuse got here by beatind Dayton, Middle Tennessee, Gonzaga and Virginia They have become the first 10th seed ever to make the final four. The Orange come in with a 23-13 record, getting here on the strength of wins over Dayton, Middle Tennessee, Gonzaga, and a huge 68-62 over No. 1 Virginia. Syracuse dropped both of its games against North Carolina this season, losing 84-73 on Jan. 9 and 75-70 on Feb. 29.
So there's a lot to look forward to in this basketball game. Syracuse got lucky against Virginia in the elite eight, as it has been well documented how bad a choke job it was by Virginia. very few people had Cuse going this far in the dance, but coach Jim Boeheim had his boys believing in eachother and the system, and here they stand in Houston. The Orange have shown great resolve all year, and in the tournament they have held the opposition to a .408 shooting percentage from the floor. Michael Gbinije has been one of the biggest reasons that Cuse is where they are. Case in point, Cuse was down nine to Gonzaga late in the second half. Michael hit a go-ahead layup against Gonzaga to help them move on. Then, down 16 points to No. 1 seed Virginia, he came through again with an 11-point, six-assist, two-steal performance. He has been clutch when called apon in the big dance. So to has been Malachi Richardson, who dropped 23 points against Virginia. So the Orange have some talented big men to run their offense through. But this is going to be their toughest test to date.
North Carolina is a number one seed for a reason. They have scored at least 86 points in every game they've played so far in the tournament and the Tar Heels. North Carolina has shot .482 percent from the floor in the tournament, which bests that of Cuse (who shoots .413 percent as a team). Brice Johnson, who's the big scoring star for the Tar Heels, dropped 23 points in the elite eight win over Notre Dame. Oh and Johnson's double-double against Notre Dame was his 23rd this season, setting a new Tar Heel record. If he records a few more in Houston, the Tar Heels will be hard to beat.
Carolina has played lock down defense all year, which would explain their double digit wins over every opponent so far in the tournament. Cuse has shorter players than the Tar Heels, which may make it harder for the Orange to keep pace. We saw what happened against Virginia, but this is a different test against the Heels. North Carolina has already beaten Cuse twices this year, but Cuse is playing with more confidence this time around. Syracuse managed to shoot below 30 percent from three-point land in both games, so look for the Tar Heels to use the same formula, because if it ain't broke don't fix it. It will be hard for the Orange to duplicate their impressive second half performance against the Cavaliers. North Carolina's size and quickness will be too much for Syracuse to handle for 40 minutes.
Pick: North Carolina
Oklahoma has gotten here for the 5th time as well, this being their first trip since 2009. To get here, the Sooners had to get through the regular season by going 25-7 on the year and 12-6 in conference. Once in the tournament, the Sooners had to get past CSU Bakersfield, VCU, Texas A&M and Oregon in order to face Nova for the right to play for a National Title. Part of what makes this game so interesting is the fact that both teams, on defense, hold the opposition to a .408 shooting percentage from the floor.
For VIllanova to stay in this game, one of the big keys for them is going to be Josh Hart. Hart has long been the team's best defender, and this season he's taking on more of the shooting responsibility. Now he's averaged just over 15 points and six rebounds a game this year, which makes him a versatile threat all over the court. Once the tournament rolled around, he's averaged 14 points a game. He's not the only one on this team who has to step his game up. NovA need to bomb away, from deep, early to keep Oklahoma honest and on its heels. Daniel Ochefu also has to win the battle inside with Ryan Spangler and Khadeem Lattin because when he's involved, the offense clicks a lot better. Kris Jenkins really needs to be able to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor for the entire 40 minutes in this game. Don't believe me about the foul trouble? He's racked up three or more in all but one of the games in this tournament. Jenkins is instant offense, but if he's on the bench, that instant offense goes bye bye.
When talking about the Sooners, the first name that has come to mind this year has been Buddy Hield, and for good reason. It's tough to list all the accomplishments Buddy Hield set in a 37-point effort against Oregon. For example, those 37 points in an Elite Eight game since 1990. His eight three-pointers are the most by an Oklahoma player in the NCAA tournament. Hield's shooting has been on display all season, the fact that he's shooting 50.4 percent and leads all of the NCAA with 146 made 3-pointers, should say it all right there. Oh by the way, the only player with more points in a four-game NCAA tournament run? Some guy you might have heard of. His name is Steph Curry. If he wants to have an impact in the final four, The Sooners Heild is going to have to find open lanes and spaces for shots against Villanova’s suffocating defense. He may be able to do so if Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard are able to get hot early.
These two teams are playing some great basketball right now, having been lighting it up so far in the Tournament. These teams are close in matchup, so its going to be a back and forth basketball game. In this case, at the end of the day, its going to be Villanova’s defense will win out. I'm really concerned with Oklahoma's ability to make jump shots in the dome. Hield has had an incredible season, but he may struggle out of the gate. The Sooners’ defense will keep them in this, but the Wildcats get the win and the chance for a national title on Monday.
Pick: Villanova
(Thanks to ESPN and Athlon Sports and Information for providing stats for this story)
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