Final Four Picks

4 Michigan vs. 4 Syracuse

Tim Hardaway

Trey Burke will have his hands full dealing with the Syracuse zone in this one. Burke, who has struggled with turnovers against strong defense hopes he can dish out the ball to sharpshooters Nik Stauskas and Tim Hardaway. With the Syracuse zone forced to move out to cover Stauskas and Hardaway, it may open up opportunities for Mitch McGary in the paint. Meanwhile, the 'Cuse offense will rely heavily on Michael Carter-Williams and C.J. Fair to beat Michigan. Carter-Williams has the size advantage on Burke and he should use it all to attack the rim because he is not as agile as Burke. Even if the Wolverines are able to shoot the ball the way they did against Florida, depth could be an issue late in the game. Other than forwards Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford and guard Spike Albrecht, Michigan does not go very deep into their bench. On the other, the Orange have a ton of players who can contribute in big ways. Brandon Triche, a four-year starter, is in his first Final Four. He can shoot if given the opportunity and gives the team an important leader.  They have also explosive forwards including James Southerland and Rakeem Christmas. A worrying fact for the Wolverines? John Bellein is 0-9 against Jim Boeheim in his career including an 0-1 mark at Michigan. Even with possibly one of his most talented teams he still should have serious issues against Syracuse's zone. This one could come down to the point guard war between Carter-Williams and Burke. The sophomore who performs better should give his team a spot in the national championship. My prediction: Carter-Williams. He doesn't have to deal with the most difficult zone in the nation.
Syracuse, 66 Michigan,62

1 Louisville vs. 9 Wichita State

Peyton Siva

The hottest team in the nation entering the tournament meets up with Cinderella in a very interesting match up in Atlanta. Wichita has beat squads thanks to a gritty, efficient offense. They have relied heavily on big men Cleanthony Early and Carl Hall who haven't been intimidated no matter who they face. Early, particularly has been dominant, scoring effectively and rebounding at an incredible rate. Though, he won't have an easy task against Gorguei Dieng. Dieng won't score a lot but he is one of the best defenders in the nation. Although, the Shockers are great in the paint they could have some issues against Louisville with their aggressive press. Even with great senior guard Malcolm Armstead, turnovers could come often for Wichita. He has too be smart on offense but defense should also be very important. He has too shut down speedy guard Peyton Siva and Russ Smith, who is on fire this tournament. With the paint filled with dueling forwards shooting should be key for the Cardinals. Smith and Siva both are good shooters but they also need some contributions from Luke Hancock and Wayne Blackshear on the perimeter. If they continue their hot shooting and force the Shockers' to make mistakes this one could turn into a very comfortable victory. But, never underestimate Gregg Marshall and the rest of these Shockers. They could easily shock Louisville if Ron Baker and Early keep up their level of play.
Louisville, 70 Wichita State, 60

Thursday's Sweet 16 Picks

6 Arizona vs. 2 Ohio State
These two teams roar into the Sweet 16, despite different expectations when the tournament began. Many had the Wildcats getting upset by Belmont, while Ohio State was a popular Elite Eight/Final Four selection. Though it was the Buckeyes who struggled to get past the 10 seed Iowa State, as they needed a buzzer beater from Aaron Craft to beat the Cyclones. This one has an interesting point guard battle as Craft and his playmaking ability face Xavier transfer Mark Lyons, who can score on a dime. Both have been on fire, Craft hitting shots and showing his dominant defense as well, while Lyons scored 50 combined in Arizona's first two games. Both of these teams have stretch forwards as Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas takes shot after shot, and Arizona's Solomon Hill plays aggressive defense and has a good mid range game. Whoever has the better game should lead their squad to a victory and the Elite Eight. My money is on Thomas who always plays even better in the tournament.
Ohio State, 68 Arizona, 62

Vander Blue

2 Miami vs. 3 Marquette

The Miami Hurricanes, a very popular championship pick didn't dominate Illinois in the third round and they have an even tougher match up against the Marquette Golden Eagles. Miami will use ball screens to free up their leading scorer, point guard Shane Larkin who can nail the three and has improved his passing in his sophomore year. Marquette has a number of guards who can score including Vander Blue and Arizona State transfer Trent Lockett but their defense may have troubles containing Larkin and Durand Scott. The key could be in the low post where the Hurricanes will be without leading rebounder Reggie Johnson who is a lot to handle. This means Jim Larranaga's club must get huge contributions from Kenny Kadji and the rest of their frontcourt. If they do, the 'Canes should be able to beat Marquette.
Miami, 73 Marquette, 65

9 Wichita State vs. 13 La Salle
Two Cinderella's square off in this one, with a chance in the Elite Eight on the line. La Salle has relied heavily on explosive guard Ramon Galloway to beat Kansas State and then Ole Miss, busting a ton of brackets. The Explorers must shut down the Wichita State Shockers who has handled Pitt and Gonzaga in the first rounds thanks to junior Cleanthony Early who is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding in this tournament. Neither of these teams are very flashy, the Shockers win games by playing tough and stingy defense. The Explorers can score with players other than Galloway, like Tyrone Garland but even that dynamic combo could have some struggles putting up points against a Shockers that only allows 60 points a game. If Early gets some help from his teammates and they don't let Galloway become a factor, Wichita State should dance into the Elite Eight.
Wichita State, 68 La Salle, 61

1 Indiana vs. 4 Syracuse

Cody Zeller and Yogi Ferrell

Two of college basketball's perennial powers meet in DC, both playing great basketball. The Hoosiers were eliminated by Kentucky in last year's Sweet 16, but they didn't have Victor Oladipo playing the way he is, and Cody Zeller consistently dominating down low. Oladipo continues to be the key for Indiana, when he struggles the team struggles, but when he plays well the team usually wins games. His ability to attack the rim, hit shots on the perimeter and play psychical defense always give Indiana a good shot. Meanwhile, the Orange spread the ball around on offense and can shut teams down with their great zone defense. The X-factor for Syracuse is point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who is fantastic when he is on his game, but at times he turns the ball over at an incredible rate and struggles to find his shot. He must also be a factor on the defensive end, as he must force Indiana's freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell to turn the ball over.
Indiana, 76 Syracuse, 66

Who's In and Who's Not

We're in Ferbruary now and the season is beginning to wind down. With teams trying to make moves to get into the NCAA tournament I'll give you who's in and who's not:

New Mexico 16-7, 5th in Mountain West
The Mountain West is a tougher conference than given credit for and New Mexico has stayed in contention even without Roman Martinez. The Lobos have a decent record at 16-7 and have beat BYU this season notching an important. Led by Dairese Gray if New Mexico can gain an above conference record and a good record they could sneak in.
Maryland 15-8, 4th in ACC
The ACC has been the worst it's ever been in recent memory making four teams getting in an amazing feat. The odds are against the Terps but their mark is decent. They haven't got any major wins which may end up hurting them.
Missouri State 18-7, 2nd in Missouri Valley
It's been a surprising year for the Bears notching second in an okay MVC conference. The Missouri Valley is usually a conference that only puts in one team but even that might be okay for the Bears if they can make a run.
Michigan State 13-10, 5th in Big Ten
The Number 2 preseason squad? The team trying to make a three-peat in the Final Four? Yes, that team has a horrid 13-10 mark now. The Spartans had tough non-conference schedule but I expected them to come alive when Big Ten play happened. It didn't happen. If the Spartans can find something anything they have a chance. But it's sure not going to be easy.
UCLA 16-7, 2nd in Pac 10
The Bruins are very underrated. They have a fantastic shooter in Malcolm Lee and a good all-around player in Tyler Honeycutt. They're won 16 and the Pac 10 is a pretty high profile conference which helps them. A good end could mean a lot for UCLA.