Another day, another upset
- But is Tennessee knocking off Ohio St. really much of an upset? THEE Ohio St. University was ranked much higher, but we all know what UT is capable of since they've already beaten both Kentucky and Kansas this season.
Evan Turner had 31 points (and his 7 rebounds and 5 assists), but he needed 34. But his final 3 point attempt was swatted back into his face by JP Prince, and "Rocky Top" advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.
- The rest of the higher seeded teams took care of business. Baylor absolutely destroyed Saint Marys, earning their first Elite Eight appearance in the modern tournament era. They'll face Duke, who took care of Purdue, at 5:05pm on Sunday.
- The clock struck midnight for this year's Cinderella, as Tom Izzo and Sparty sent Northern Iowa back to Cedar Falls. Michigan St. has made it to the Elite Eight for the 7th time in 15 years under Izzo.
Final Four predictions!
Here we go....
- Butler vs. Kansas St.
I think momentum and motivation will be the key in this game. For those that don't know, Butler University is in Indianapolis. Getting to play in the Final Four is big enough. Playing in the Final Four when it's 6 miles from your campus would just be unreal.
Winner: Butler
- West Virginia vs. Kentucky
West Virginia committed 23 turnovers in the Sweet 16 without Truck Bryant running the point. If they even get close to that number against UK, I don't see any way they pull off the win. The Mountaineers, however, are a very good team defensively. We all know of Kentucky's inconsistency from behind the arc this season. They struggle against even the bad teams when they're cold from long range. On the other hand, they are capable of blowing out any team in the country when they knock down open jumpers. Kentucky needs to play smothering defense to force WV turnovers and get in transition. Improved free throw shooting is also a MUST. The Cats are a miserable 59% from the charity stripe in the tournament. Luckily the games haven't been close enough for it to matter up to this point. But if you shoot that poorly from the free throw line in a close game, you typically lose.
Winner: Kentucky
- Tennessee vs. Michigan State
I'm torn on this one. History tells us two things: Don't bet on Bruce Pearl in March, and don't bet against Tom Izzo in March. But something is pulling me towards UT in this one. Their style of play creates a great way to beat a team without it's star player. The Vols force roughly 17 turnovers a game so Michigan St. could really miss Kalin Lucas in that aspect. As far as coaching goes, Izzo has a huge advantage. But I give UT the advantage in both personnel since Lucas is out, and style of play.
Winner: Tennessee
- Baylor vs. Duke
Duke is a fantastic 3 point shooting team and Baylor runs a 2-3 zone. This is the primary basis for my prediction. But if Scheyer and Singler are both having an off night from long range, the Dukies could be in trouble. Duke must find a way to be physical of defense and slow down Baylor's Ekpe Udoh under the glass.
Winner: Duke
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