March Madness
It's getting close to NCAA Tournament time... so i've seen fit to make my annual Final Four predictions.
First off I want to say that even though I find the college game far more compelling than the NBA, I think the talent level is way watered down. The schools that rely more on set offenses are far more successful than the teams who try to freestyle it and rely more on one-on-one type isolation plays. I also believe that now that the NBA has imposed an age limit, you'll see a much higher talent level in the college ranks. This will benefit the college game as well as the pro game. It'll give a lot of these kids a chance to go to college and learn the fundamentals of the game. Most of the high schoolers who made the jump straight to the NBA had a bit of a learning curve before they truly started to dominate (even Garnett, Kobe and Tracy McGrady). Making these kids go to college (even if just for a year or two) should reinvigorate both the pro and college games.
Enough of that, onto the predictions. These are always a little rough because one never knows which brakctes the selection comittee will place teams in. I've been surprisingly lucky the last couple years in making my predictions. Here they are:
Duke (of course i'm slightly biased here, I love my Blue Devils) - although not the most talented team in the country (i think that distinction belongs to UConn) i think they are the best team in the country. They have the most balanced offense in the country. Seniors Sheldon Williams and J.J. Redick (my choice for NCAA POY) should both be All Americans, they work the inside-out game to perfection (Freshmen Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts do the same thing, only to a lesser degree... these two will be a fun pair to watch the next few years). They have a great blend of youth and experience, spot up shooters and penetrators and complimentary role players on offense, they also play the best team defense on the collegiate level.
Gonzaga - This team is led my All-American and POY candidate Adam Morrison and J.P Batista. Unfortunately its them and really not much else. Coach Few has done a great job with an experienced squad. Even with their faults i see them going deep in the tournament for one reason, Adam Morrison. He's the most dynamic scorer on the college level. I think he will put this team on his shoulders and carry it into the Final Four similar to the way Danny Manning carried Kansas in 1988. If he gets hot they will be a scary matchup for any of the major conference schools they face.
Michigan State - This is team that was a Pre-Season Top 5 pick, but has really slipped as of late. They have had serious trouble rebounding the ball. They have just been getting killed on the boards. That said I think Tom Izzo is one of the top coaches in basketball. He always motivates his team and has them gelling right as the tournament hits. This is Senior heavy squad, and I think all that experience is invaluable come tournament time. They are a three headed monster on offense with Maurice Ager, Paul Davis and Shannon Brown, with lots of depth from the bench. This team will gell in time for their conference tournament and be ready to step it up come March.
West Virgina - Another Senior-laden squad. I think now experience is so key at the college level. Basically you have an All-Senior starting five. They are led by their big men Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansby who score most of their points from the perimeter. They both have great range, and create matchup problems for most teams by drawing opposing big men out to the perimeter which leaves the lane open for penetration. They had success in last year's tournament which should have whet their appetite for a deeper run this year.
Here are some other teams which should make some noise in the tournament: UConn, Memphis, Florida (potential Final Four pick, but their lack of experience hurts them... same as Memphis), Illinois, UCLA, Georgetown and Bucknell (they were a sleeper in last years tournament, this year they'll be too good to sneak up on anyone, this is a scary good team)
No matter what March Madness will be one hell of a fun ride. It's my favorite sporting event of the year, you simply cannot beat the craziness of that first weekend. I'm looking forward to it. GO DUKE!!
First off I want to say that even though I find the college game far more compelling than the NBA, I think the talent level is way watered down. The schools that rely more on set offenses are far more successful than the teams who try to freestyle it and rely more on one-on-one type isolation plays. I also believe that now that the NBA has imposed an age limit, you'll see a much higher talent level in the college ranks. This will benefit the college game as well as the pro game. It'll give a lot of these kids a chance to go to college and learn the fundamentals of the game. Most of the high schoolers who made the jump straight to the NBA had a bit of a learning curve before they truly started to dominate (even Garnett, Kobe and Tracy McGrady). Making these kids go to college (even if just for a year or two) should reinvigorate both the pro and college games.
Enough of that, onto the predictions. These are always a little rough because one never knows which brakctes the selection comittee will place teams in. I've been surprisingly lucky the last couple years in making my predictions. Here they are:
Duke (of course i'm slightly biased here, I love my Blue Devils) - although not the most talented team in the country (i think that distinction belongs to UConn) i think they are the best team in the country. They have the most balanced offense in the country. Seniors Sheldon Williams and J.J. Redick (my choice for NCAA POY) should both be All Americans, they work the inside-out game to perfection (Freshmen Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts do the same thing, only to a lesser degree... these two will be a fun pair to watch the next few years). They have a great blend of youth and experience, spot up shooters and penetrators and complimentary role players on offense, they also play the best team defense on the collegiate level.
Gonzaga - This team is led my All-American and POY candidate Adam Morrison and J.P Batista. Unfortunately its them and really not much else. Coach Few has done a great job with an experienced squad. Even with their faults i see them going deep in the tournament for one reason, Adam Morrison. He's the most dynamic scorer on the college level. I think he will put this team on his shoulders and carry it into the Final Four similar to the way Danny Manning carried Kansas in 1988. If he gets hot they will be a scary matchup for any of the major conference schools they face.
Michigan State - This is team that was a Pre-Season Top 5 pick, but has really slipped as of late. They have had serious trouble rebounding the ball. They have just been getting killed on the boards. That said I think Tom Izzo is one of the top coaches in basketball. He always motivates his team and has them gelling right as the tournament hits. This is Senior heavy squad, and I think all that experience is invaluable come tournament time. They are a three headed monster on offense with Maurice Ager, Paul Davis and Shannon Brown, with lots of depth from the bench. This team will gell in time for their conference tournament and be ready to step it up come March.
West Virgina - Another Senior-laden squad. I think now experience is so key at the college level. Basically you have an All-Senior starting five. They are led by their big men Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansby who score most of their points from the perimeter. They both have great range, and create matchup problems for most teams by drawing opposing big men out to the perimeter which leaves the lane open for penetration. They had success in last year's tournament which should have whet their appetite for a deeper run this year.
Here are some other teams which should make some noise in the tournament: UConn, Memphis, Florida (potential Final Four pick, but their lack of experience hurts them... same as Memphis), Illinois, UCLA, Georgetown and Bucknell (they were a sleeper in last years tournament, this year they'll be too good to sneak up on anyone, this is a scary good team)
No matter what March Madness will be one hell of a fun ride. It's my favorite sporting event of the year, you simply cannot beat the craziness of that first weekend. I'm looking forward to it. GO DUKE!!
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posted by LEV at
11:27 AM
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