Final Freakin' Four
After three heart-stopping overtime games and (I'll say it) the best weekend of NCAA tournament action ever, the Final Four matchups are set. A recap:
- UNC looked unstoppable, and not just because they were the only team to win in regulation. Sean May went for 29 and 12 (!) and Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants scored at will against the overmatched Wisconsin Badgers. Final score, 88-82.
- Louisville, down 20 late in the first half, rallied against a West Virginia attack that shot a ridiculous 67% (18/27) from 3-point range to win by 8 in OT. WVU was tossing up shots from 30 feet and they were dropping in off the glass. Kevin Pittsnogle (yes, Pittsnogle--can you say coal miner?) led all scorers with 25. Pittsnogle, a 6'11" center, shot a lights-out 6 of 9 from downtown. Louisville, led by 24 from Larry O'Bannon, won 93-85.
- Michigan State held off Kentucky in double overtime. After Kentucky missed two desperation threes at the end of regulation, UK guard Patrick Sparks put up a shot from thisclose to the line, which banked off the glass, rolled around the rim, and dropped for the tie. Still tied after a back-and-forth extra time, MSU held off UK in the second OT to win 94-88.
- Despite two other thrilling finishes, Illinois and Arizona played the most exciting game since Duke-Kentucky in 1992. Channing Frye dominated the paint for the Cats, scoring 24 with 12 boards, but a "husky" Deron Williams shut down Arizona sharpshooter Salim Stoudamire, who finished 2 of 13 from the field (1 of 7 on threes). Arizona was cruising, up 13 with 2:40 to play, when Illinois went on a 17-4 run, keyed by steals from Luther Head and big shots by Williams, who were good for 20 and 22 points on the game. In extra time, Arizona stayed close despite losing all its momentum, and had possession down one with a few ticks left. Inexplicably, neither Stoudamire nor Frye touched the ball on the final play of Arizona's season, as Hassan Adams tossed up an ugly three as time expired and the Illini fans in Chicago went ballistic for a 90-89 win.
Looking ahead:
- UNC/MSU: UNC has the most raw talent in the country, and they've been playing like it. As surprising as MSU has been beating Duke and Kentucky, you'd be a fool to pick against a team that starts three lottery picks (McCants, May, Felton)... and has another coming off the bench (Williams). No way can MSU match up with UNC's firepower inside or outside. Prediction: UNC in a walk.
- Illinois/Louisville: Both teams have outstanding backcourts. Francisco Garcia will have to step up, since Deron Williams has been playing great defense and will neutralize Taquan Dean. This game will probably come down to inside presence instead of the run and gun games these teams played in the last round. Prediction: Illinois squeaks through.
- UNC looked unstoppable, and not just because they were the only team to win in regulation. Sean May went for 29 and 12 (!) and Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants scored at will against the overmatched Wisconsin Badgers. Final score, 88-82.
- Louisville, down 20 late in the first half, rallied against a West Virginia attack that shot a ridiculous 67% (18/27) from 3-point range to win by 8 in OT. WVU was tossing up shots from 30 feet and they were dropping in off the glass. Kevin Pittsnogle (yes, Pittsnogle--can you say coal miner?) led all scorers with 25. Pittsnogle, a 6'11" center, shot a lights-out 6 of 9 from downtown. Louisville, led by 24 from Larry O'Bannon, won 93-85.
- Michigan State held off Kentucky in double overtime. After Kentucky missed two desperation threes at the end of regulation, UK guard Patrick Sparks put up a shot from thisclose to the line, which banked off the glass, rolled around the rim, and dropped for the tie. Still tied after a back-and-forth extra time, MSU held off UK in the second OT to win 94-88.
- Despite two other thrilling finishes, Illinois and Arizona played the most exciting game since Duke-Kentucky in 1992. Channing Frye dominated the paint for the Cats, scoring 24 with 12 boards, but a "husky" Deron Williams shut down Arizona sharpshooter Salim Stoudamire, who finished 2 of 13 from the field (1 of 7 on threes). Arizona was cruising, up 13 with 2:40 to play, when Illinois went on a 17-4 run, keyed by steals from Luther Head and big shots by Williams, who were good for 20 and 22 points on the game. In extra time, Arizona stayed close despite losing all its momentum, and had possession down one with a few ticks left. Inexplicably, neither Stoudamire nor Frye touched the ball on the final play of Arizona's season, as Hassan Adams tossed up an ugly three as time expired and the Illini fans in Chicago went ballistic for a 90-89 win.
Looking ahead:
- UNC/MSU: UNC has the most raw talent in the country, and they've been playing like it. As surprising as MSU has been beating Duke and Kentucky, you'd be a fool to pick against a team that starts three lottery picks (McCants, May, Felton)... and has another coming off the bench (Williams). No way can MSU match up with UNC's firepower inside or outside. Prediction: UNC in a walk.
- Illinois/Louisville: Both teams have outstanding backcourts. Francisco Garcia will have to step up, since Deron Williams has been playing great defense and will neutralize Taquan Dean. This game will probably come down to inside presence instead of the run and gun games these teams played in the last round. Prediction: Illinois squeaks through.
1 Comments:
What a damned weekend. Hell, I watched the Louisville game at a bar with my brother and his girlfriend while they were fighting and I still enjoyed it.
College basketball is just fantastic. I'm glad all the selfish superstars go to the NBA straight out of high school. These amateurs really care.
By Ben Polidore, At 2:45 PM EST
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