Well here we are. In October, 347 Division 1 teams tipped off the season with dreams of making it this far, and only four now remain in the hunt to be the best college basketball team in the country. We've come a long way in the past two weeks as we watched one seeds fall and Cinderellas outgrow their slippers. Only the best are left, while the John Wall Dances and the LaceDariuses watch from home. But who will bring home the title? Here's El Fuerto's take.
Most of the country wrote off Michigan St when Kalin Lucas went down, but Tom Izzo has his Spartans in yet another Final Four. The team did not even miss a beat thanks to the rest of the team stepping up teamed with exceptional coaching. Senior leader Raymar Morgan coolly nailed a game winning free throw in the Elite Eight win over Tennessee, and Super Sophomore Korie Lucious drilled a three to knock off Maryland. These two, along with Durrell Summers and Draymond Green lead the way for a Spartan squad that is more than familiar with NCAA Tourney runs. One major question is how Michigan St will potentially deal with facing an ACC power in the title game, after last year's embarrassment against the Heels.
The sentimental favorite Butler will be playing in the friendly confides of their home state, but we all know how that worked out for Michigan St last year. They are the only mid-major in the Final Four, and are also the only team whose coach gets carded when he buys alcohol. I'm not sure what that means, but it's definitely significant. Regardless, this team is not a fluke. They took out the top two seeds in their region in Syracuse and Kansas State, and also beat Ohio St, Xavier, and Siena in the regular season. Gordan Hayward is possibly the best player left in the Final Four, and Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are both capable of making plays. While they are the biggest long-shot left, these "Hoosiers" still may have 2 more wins left in their Hickory High-esque run. (Sorry, I had to.)
Some things in the world just don't go together. Lamb and tuna fish, Cleveland Browns and winning, and Bob Huggins and NCAA Tournament runs. But somehow, the last one actually happened. Now, many people on here probably hate West Virginia and Huggy Bear and are viciously rooting against them, but I have two reason to love this year's Mountaineers squad. 1)They beat Kentucky. No John Wall dancing or shady looks from Calipari thanks to the efforts of Da'Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, Joe Mazzulla, and the rest of the team. 2)Deniz Kilicli. Straight outta Istanbul, he was suspended the first 20 games because he played professionally in Turkey before coming to the mountains. He has facial hair that can only be matched by Lucas O'Rear, and also, I'm pretty sure he doubles as the mascot when he's not in, which is kind of cool.
Finally, we have El Fuerto's pick from the beginning, the Duke Blue Devils. Experienced, battle-tested, and well coached, they are finally back in the Final Four. Coach K's squad flew under the radar while the other top dogs fell like toy soldiers throughout the last two weeks. They knocked off Baylor and Purdue squads that were playing their best ball of the season. (Even though Hummell was out)Duke countered the Bears' flash and athleticism with disciplined and fundamentally sound basketball, which is always a championship recipe. Finally, remember that article about the High Energy White Guard? Well, who is an idiot now?
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