How teams match up is the key – unsurprisingly. There are teams that do not score – Clemson; cannot shoot – all of them , with a nod to Loyola-Chicago as the best shooting team; have ball hogs – Duke [Gary Trent Jr. and Duval], West Virginia [Jevon Carter], Purdue [Carsen Edwards], Kansas [DeVonte Green]; have players that shoot even though they absolutely cannot – Michigan [all of them], Kentucky [all of them], Florida St [all of them]; and teams that cannot shoot or score – Kansas St., Syracuse; and there are teams with coaches who are brutal game coaches – Kansas St [Bruce Weber]; Syracuse [Jim Boeheim] Florida St [Leonard Hamilton]; oh, and teams with stupid and selfish players – pretty much all of them except for Loyola-Chicago; Gonzaga; Villanova; Syracuse.
That is the beginning and the setting.
Nevada vs Loyola-Chicago – too bad one of these teams has to lose. Nevada’s comeback win will give them hope that they can win regardless of the score and the time. Loyola’s two big close victories give them all the confidence they need and give them the sense that they are a team of destiny. Loyola will win
Loyola-Chicago has a chance to win two games this weekend. Get by Nevada and then they get Kentucky, which will beat Kansas St. The only way for Kansas St – and either Loyola or Nevada – can get by Kentucky is to play a zone and make them shoot. Kentucky cannot shoot at all, so pack in the zone and rebound like crazy and you win. Loyola plays the game like it should be played and that will be enough to beat the inexperienced kids on Kentucky.
If West Virginia makes a minimum of 40 % of its shots, they will beat Villanova. The Wildcats, even though they think they are, are not a good shooting team. Unless they control the tempo against West Virginia, they are cooked. Either of these teams will get by Purdue or Texas Tech. Tech is too banged up and does not have the firepower and Purdue without Isaac Haas is in trouble big time. Boilermaker guard Carsen Edwards is a ball hog and that will hurt them big time. West Virginia will win two only if they shoot great than 40 %.
Gonzaga will beat Florida St. FSU cannot shoot or score and they have a terrible record on the road. It is a wonder they are this far. Texas A&M with their big frontcourt will crush Michigan. Expect the Gonzaga vs Texas A&M game to be a very tough tilt. Would like to see the Zags get another shot at the title, but the Aggies are so big and tough that they will wear the Zags down and the Zag guards don’t have the firepower to shoot them to a win.
Clemson’s defense will shut down Kansas who are good enough offensively to win. The guards are ball hogs and their defense is suspect. The Tigers should get by the Jayhawks. Duke will defeat Syracuse as they have way too much firepower – Grayson Allen and Marvin Bagley – and frontcourt size to wear the Orange down. It will be a game of attrition and the Orange are only 7 deep – AT BEST – and they will get into foul trouble at the back line and that will be it. Duke will beat Clemson – regardless of what happened during the regular season – or Kansas.
There you have it. All the conditions for the setting up of the games and a short and to the point rundown.
