Let the Madness begin!
Written by The Go-To-Man Mattie T. on March 18, 2010
The NCAA Tournament will kick off today as Florida & BYU officially get things underway at 11:20am CST.
Now it’s time for me to reveal my Final Four picks by region, and explain why i picked that particular team.
Midwest Region:
Kansas.
Looking at the Jayhawks’ lineup, it’s clear to see that all five of their starters will be NBA bound following the NCAA Tournament. They have an excellent floor leader in Sherron Collins, plus one of the deepest benches in the country. Ohio State, Georgetown or Maryland could provide a tough challenge, but i expect Kansas to survive all the tests & wind up in Indianapolis on April 3rd.
West Region:
Syracuse.
There are some people questioning whether Syracuse can even make it this far without the services of forward Arinze Onuaku, but let’s not forget that the Orange were the #1 team in the country just 3 weeks ago & has a 7-1 record against the top 25 this season. Kansas State, Pittsburgh or Butler could get in the way, but i look for Jim Boeheim’s squad to make it into the Final Four.
East Region:
West Virginia.
This could be the best chance Bob Huggins has to get his Mountaineers to just their 2nd Final Four appearence in school history. They boast a strong rebounding team that ranks among the best in the country along with ever-so-clutch Da’Sean Butler, who’s nailed 6 game-winners this season (let’s just say he’s the NCAA version of Kobe Bryant!) They are bound to run into Kentucky at some point, but i think West Virginia’s experience from their Sweet 16 run in 2008 will come in handy.
South Region:
Baylor.
This team boasts one of the strongest backcourt duos in the country with guards Tweety Carter & LaceDarius Dunn plus an offense that’s top five in all of Division One. Throw in the lethal shotblocking of Ekpe Udoh (4 per game) and i think this will be the surprise team to reach the Regionals, much like Villanova did last season. Look for Baylor to win their first tournament game since 1950, which was also the last year they reached the Final Four.
