NCAA Tournament Picks: Final Four

Atlanta Region
Oakland Region
Washington Region
Minneapolis Region
Final Four

All right, now that we've made it this far, let's take a quick look at how we got here.

Atlanta: Texas over LSU
Oakland: UCLA over Memphis
Washington: Connecticut over Michigan St.
Minneapolis: Villanova over Georgetown

That being said, let's dive into the matchups:

Texas vs. UCLA
This would be an interesting matchup. Texas has the better frontcout with PJ Tucker, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Brad Buckman, whereas UCLA's backcourt of Jordan Farmar and Aaron Afflalo reigns supreme. I think this would be a relatively low scoring game, because both teams are solid defensively. I think Afflalo would do a good jon blanketing Gibson, and I think Farmar would take control offensively for the Bruins. However, I think Texas has a little too much muscle inside. PJ Tucker would be able to score on Bozeman, and Alrdridge would do well on freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. I like Texas to head to the Title game, mostly on the back of PJ Tucker.

Connecticut vs. Villanova
The rematch that everyone thought we'd see in the Big East Tourney Game. Well, you know what they say, better late than never. I think that these are the two best teams in the NCAA this year. The first two meeting give a pretty good indication of how this one will go as well. Connecticut will dominate in the paint, but Villanova will stay close with the great guard play, and very good rebounding from the guards. In the end, I like Rudy Gay to actually play up to his potential, and lead Connecticut back to the National Title game.


NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Texas vs. Connecticut
Not quite everyone's dream matchup, but still a lot of good players. They key is whether or not the talented big men of Texas can score on the shot blockers (Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, and Jeff Adrien) of UConn. The key matchup would seem to be Rudy Gay vs. PJ Tucker, but I think it's how Texas' guards play. The Longhorns need a big game from Daniel Gibson, but in game 6 of the Tourney with not much of a bench, he doesn't quite have it in him. The bigs keep it close, but in the end, Connecticut captures their 2nd NCAA Tourney in 3 years, as they just have too much talent to be denied.

NATIONAL CHAMPION: CONNECTICUT



And there you have it. I have to say, I'm not real confident in these picks. I think this year there will be lots of uncertainty in the first three rounds of the tourney, which will wreak havoc on most brackets. I am fairly confident in Connecticut winning it all, however. Either way, enjoy the games, because as a sports fan, it just doesn't get any better than this.