If you’re team is still playing in the Final Four, congratulations for making it this far. What a crazy tournament it’s been for Men’s college basketball. It’s the beauty of college basketball, where we watch the unknown players become feel-good stories or programs play with grit and grind to make new fans. As we near the end of a fantastic tournament, the final four have punched their tickets to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Let’s get to the preview shall we.
(11) North Carolina State Wolfpack vs (1) Purdue Boilermakers
The unknown team in North Carolina State find themselves back in the Final Four since 1983; where legendary head coach Jimmy Valvano led the 6th seed Wolfpack to the national championship game with an upset over the Houston Cougars. This version of the Wolfpack have been on a run since the ACC Tournament. Their 14 losses is the most for a Final Four team, while being overlooked by opponents. Led by DJ Burns, the Wolfpack will have their hands full with Purdue. NC State is the one team nobody wants to play; ask Duke and my fellow team North
Carolina Tar Heels.
Purdue boils their way into Glendale for the first final four since 1980. The Boilermakers boiled and bullied their way past Tennessee in Sunday’s matchup. Led by future NBA pick Zach Edey, scoring 40 points and 16 rebounds. The Boilermakers have been solid but can be taken advantage of by forcing Edey to guard the perimeter play of NC State. With a lot on the line and a trip to play in the National Championship game Monday night, look for this first matchup to be filled with drama.
(4) Alabama Crimson Tide vs (1) Connecticut Huskies
You want excitement for the Crimson Tide in their first ever Final Four in school history? This is worth waiting for as Alabama looks to keep rolling and stomping opponents. Not known for basketball, the Tide have slowly built a winning program to keep fans interested in basketball. Led by guard Mark Sears, the Tide will have to score points
on every possession to keep pace with UConn. Playing at a slower pace is doable but when you’re on this stage with a chance to play for a National Championship, you must manage without getting too far out of reach. Alabama can make it a game early, but can a gritty defense stop the defending champions UConn from a potential repeat? UConn Huskies are the best team left in this tournament; no lies or “cap.” The defending champions can score in bunches and run away early in the game. As the number one seed and heavy favorite, there’s no room to fall short of repeating. As we seen against Illinois, they can run you off the court and win by 30 or more with their balanced attack.
Either way, these two games with four teams playing for a national championship, expect it to be filled with drama, chaos, and whistle galore.
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Stai tuned.
