Final Four Features Three Top Teams and a Shocker
This Saturday and Monday, the Georgia Dome will play host to the three biggest games of the college basketball season as the Final Four is set to play out on a big stage in a huge stadium. The spectacle will begin with the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals taking on ninth-seeded Wichita State.
The Cardinals were supposed to be here and handled their business, beating their four opponents by an average of nearly 22 points, with their closest game being an eight point win over Oregon last Friday to advance to the Elite Eight. That’s where Louisville smoked Duke 85-63, despite losing guard Kevin Ware to a gruesome leg injury in the process. Now the question will be whether that impacts their chances of winning it all.
The Shockers have had an interesting road to the Final Four, opening up with a beat down of eighth-seed Pittsburgh, 73-55. From there, Wichita State pulled off a big upset against top-seeded Gonzaga, 76-70. The Zags weren’t playing well in the tournament, though and then Wichita State drew 13th-seeded La Salle and disposed of the Explorers 72-58. Most expected that to be it, but the Shockers delivered on their name and knocked out second-seeded Ohio State 70-66 to advance to the Final Four. Wichita State is a big, physical team that could match Louisville’s toughness, but will be at a talent deficiency.
The other matchup pits a pair of four-seeds against one another as the Syracuse Orange take on the Michigan Wolverines. Syracuse’s vaunted 2-3 zone defense will be pitted against one of the best offensive players in college basketball this season, Trey Burke. The guard averaged nearly 19 points, seven assists and just over two turnovers.
If any individual on Syracuse has provided a boost in the tournament, it’s Michael Carter-Williams, a lanky guard with a touch for driving to the basket and finishing inside. Carter-Williams has averaged 13 points, 5.75 rebounds, 4.75 assists, 3.25 steals and just 2.25 turnovers through four games in the NCAA tournament.
The winners of the two games meet up Monday at the Georgia Dome for the national title. Don’t miss out, get your tickets today!
Categorized in: NCAA Basketball