Elite Eight
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Midwest Region
8:49 PM EST-TBS
32-5 (24-4) #3 Notre Dame
37-0 (18-0) #1 Kentucky
(In Cleveland)
(Winner moves on to play winner of Wisconsin/Arizona)
37-0 (18-0) #1 Kentucky
---SEC Regular Season Champions
---SEC Tournament Champions
Great Wins:
-#5 Kansas 72-40 in Champions Classic (in Indianapolis)
-#6 Texas 63-51 (Home)
-#21 North Carolina (Home)
-UCLA 83-44 in CBS Classic (in Chicago)
-#4 Louisville 58-50 (Road)
-#18 Arkansas 84-67 (Home)
-#21 Arkansas 78-63 in SEC Tournament Championship (in Nashville)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#16 Hampton 79-56 in Round of 64 (in Louisville)
-#8 Cincinnati 64-51 in Round of 32 (in Louisville)
-#5 West Virginia 78-39 in Sweet Sixteen (in Cleveland)
Key Contributors:
---#2 Aaron Harrison (SO)
-11.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, & 1.2 APG.
---#1 Devin Booker (FR)
-10.1 PPG & 2.0 RPG.
---#12 Karl-Anthony Towns (FR)
-9.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, & 2.3 BPG.
---#5 Andrew Harrison (SO)
-9.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#15 Willie Cauley-Stein (JR)
-9.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#41 Trey Lyles (FR)
-8.7 PPG & 5.4 RPG.
---#44 Dakari Johnson (SO)
-6.7 PPG & 4.8 RPG.
---#3 Tyler Ulis (FR)
-5.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
32-5 (14-4) #3 Notre Dame
---ACC Tournament Champions
Great Wins:
-#19 Michigan State 79-78 in Overtime of ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Home)
-#18 North Carolina 71-70 (Road)
-#4 Duke 77-73 (Home)
-#16 Louisville 71-59 (Road)
-#2 Duke 74-64 in Semi-Final of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)
-#19 North Carolina 90-82 in ACC Tournament Championsip (in Greensboro)
Losses:
-Providence 75-74 in Semi-Final of Hall of Fame Tip-Off (in Uncasville, CT)
-#3 Virginia 62-56 (Home)
-Pittsburgh 76-72 (Road)
-#4 Duke 90-60 (Road)
-Syracuse 65-60 (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#14 Northeastern 69-65 in Round of 64 (in Pittsburgh)
-#6 Butler 67-64 in Overtime in Round of 32 (in Pittsburgh)
-#7 Wichita State 81-70 in Sweet Sixteen (in Cleveland)
Key Contributors:
---#22 Jerian Grant (SR)
-16.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.7 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#30 Zach Auguste (JR)
-12.7 PPG & 6.4 RPG.
---#24 Pat Connaughton (SR)
-12.6 PPG, 7.4 RPG, & 1.0 BPG.
---#11 Demetrius Jackson (SO)
-12.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG.
---#32 Steve Vasturia (SO)
-9.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#3 V.J. Beachem (SO)
-6.1 PPG.
---#35 Bonzie Colson (FR)
-5.6 PPG & 2.7 RPG.
Prediction:
DON'T TALK TRASH NOTRE DAME! DO ANYTHING BUT! The Kentucky Wildcats truly mauled the West Virginia Mountaineers and when I say mauled, I mean that UK obliterated their opponent. At halftime, Kentucky had a 44-18 lead in points, NOT REBOUNDS, but points. Eventually West Virginia had a little more success scoring the ball, but the Wildcats still had their way on the offensive end and outscored the Mountianeers 34-21. The final score was 78-39 meaning Kentucky straight-up doubled West Virginia in points! In fact, West Virginia's total was the fewest in a Sweet Sixteen game since 1975 when the NCAA Tournament was expanded to thirty-two teams. In addition, Kentucky had five double-digit scorers, (Trey Lyles (14 points), Andrew Harrison (13 points), Aaron Harrison (12 points), Dakari Johnson (12 points), and Devin Booker (12 points)) while the Mountaineers had only one, Juwan Staten (13 points). How did that Freshman do that talked all the trash? Daxter Miles Jr. went 0-3 from the field with zero points. Kentucky shot 48.0% from the field on the evening and if they perform even close to how they played in their previous game on the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame is in trouble.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played on CBS Thursday. What does that have to do with anything? Connaughton Blasts Shockers...Pat Connaughton had sixteen points and ten rebounds against the team that is known for their underdog wins, the Wichita State Shockers. Notre Dame's offense on the night made one of the best defensive teams in the country look flimsy as they made 55.6% of their field goals and 47.4% of their three point attempts. While Connaughton had the best overall performance of the game, a pair of "Stud Sophomore," Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia, played like Seniors and combined for thirty-five points while making timely shots to stop Fred Van Vleet's Shockers' momentum. With the hot shooting, the defense was fantastic against First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference guard, Ron Baker, and Wichita State's best defensive player, Tekele Cotton, and contained the two to four for twenty shooting and fifteen points. But with Kentucky's offensive threats, can the Fighting Irish defend all of the Wildcats options or even put "the biscuit in the basket" on the offensive end? I guess we will find out tonight! However, when it comes to my pick this evening, I forsee UK's defense stopping Grant from penitrating and finding the open man while making Connaughton, Auguste, Jackson, and Vasturia beat them by scoring baskets. On the offensive end for Kentucky and defensive end for Notre Dame, I believe the Fighting Irish will not be able to get defensive stops when they matter allowing the Wildcats to stay up by two possessions in the final five minutes.
---Kentucky 72, Notre Dame 65
West Region
6:09 PM EST-TBS
34-3 (16-2) #2 Arizona
34-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin
(In Los Angeles)
(Winner moved on to play winner of Kentucky/Notre Dame)
34-3 (16-2) #1 Wisconsin
---Big Ten Regular Season Champions
Great Wins:
-Georgetown 68-65 in Semi-Final of Battle 4 Atlantis.
-Oklahoma 69-56 in Championship of Battle 4 Atlantis.
-#25 Iowa 82-50 (Home)
-Michigan State 68-61 (Home)
-#23 Ohio State 72-48 (Road)
-Michigan State 80-69 in Overtime in Big Ten Championship (in Chicago)
Losses:
-#4 Duke 80-70 in ACC/Big 10 Challenge (Home)
-Rutgers 67-62 (Road)
-#14 Maryland 59-53 (Road)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#16 Coastal Carolina 86-72 in Round of 64 (in Omaha)
-#8 Oregon 72-65 in Round of 32 (in Omaha)
-#4 North Carolina 79-72 in Sweet Sixteen (in Los Angeles)
Key Contributors:
---#44 Frank Kaminsky (SR)
-18.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.5 BPG.
---#15 Sam Dekker (JR)
-13.5 PPG & 5.5 RPG.
---#10 Nigel Hayes (SO)
-12.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
---#12 Traevon Jackson (SR)
(Played first game since suffering foot injury against #4 North Carolina.)
-9.1 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#24 Bronson Koenig (SO)
-8.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, & 2.4 RPG.
---#21 Josh Gasser (SR)
-6.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, & 1.8 APG.
---#13 Duje Dukan (SR)
-4.8 PPG & 2.7 RPG.
34-3 (16-2) #2 Arizona
---PAC-12 Regular Season Champions
---PAC-12 Tournament Champions
Great Wins:
-#15 San Diego State 61-59 in Championship of Maul Invitational
-#9 Gonzaga 66-63 in Overtime (Home)
-#8 Utah 69-51 (Home)
-Oregon 90-56 (Home)
-UCLA 57-47 (Home)
-#13 Utah 63-57 (Road)
-UCLA 70-64 in Semi-Final of PAC-12 Tournament (in Las Vegas).
-Oregon 80-52 in PAC-12 Championship (in Las Vegas).
Losses:
-UNLV 71-67 (Road)
-Oregon State 58-56 (Road)
-Arizona State 81-78 (Road)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#15 Texas Southern 93-72 in Round of 64 (in Portland)
-#10 Ohio State 73-58 in Round of 32 (in Portland)
-#6 Xavier 68-60 in Sweet Sixteen (in Los Angeles)
Key Contributors:
---#5 Stanley Johnson (FR)
-14.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#21 Brandon Ashley (JR)
-12.1 PPG & 5.2 RPG.
---#23 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SO)
-11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
---#4 T.J. McConnell (SR)
-10.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, & 2.2 SPG.
---#35 Kaleb Tarczewski (JR)
-9.2 PPG & 5.3 RPG.
---#1 Gabe York (JR)
-9.1 PPG & 2.1 RPG.
Prediction:
2.3 seconds...Arizona's ball, down one point. Nick Johnson catches the ball and starts dribbling towards the left block. He pulls up for the game-winning attempt, but the buzzer had already sounded and Wisconsin was heading to the Final Four as a two seed. Tonight, the roles are reversed and the Wildcats are the second seed while the Badgers are the number one seed in addition to the fact that Arizona's starting lineup is significantly different due to stars Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson now being in the NBA and not in college. What about Wisconsin's lineup? Well, their lineup does not look much different as the only player that graduated last year was Ben Brust. So, Wisconsin with their experience and returning playmakers should have no problem moving on to a possible matchup with Kentucky, right? Not so fast my friend! Another Freshman with NBA-talent plays in the desert now and his name is Stanley Johnson. Johnson, who's statistical averages in the NCAA Tournament are below his regular season's, comes in with the stats of 12.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game to go along with a three point percentage of 42.9% in "The Big Dance." In fact, Senior point guard T.J. McConnell has been the go-to player for Arizona in the NCAA Tournament as he averages 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Will McConnell, Johnson, in addition, to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who has played big with 13 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his last three performances, be able to play well enough to take down Wisconsin in a revenge game? The Badgers hope not! Wisconsin is also led by a "Big Three" of their own as they have Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, and Nigel Hayes. Kaminsky was truly "Klutch" down the stretch against North Carolina as he made all four of his free throws with sixteen seconds left in the game to keep the winninh margin above three. Dekker played even better than the All-American Kaminsky as he scored twenty-three points and ten rebounds on Thursday night. Tonight should be just as interesting as last year's due to both teams' recent history and them both having the same overall record. So who wins?! I really don't know! Revenge always motivates a team, which does play a factor in my pick. Also, will the Wildcats' defense actually show up today considering how they played against Xavier? Another good question! Ultimately, I am picking Arizona as I feel the Freshman, who wasn't even on the team last year during the loss, Stanley Johnson will fuel his team in points while McConnell plays another great overall game with Wisconsin's Trevon Jackson guarding him. A possible problem for the Wildcats could be Kaminsky as he is averaging 20.6 points per game to go along with 9.0 rebounds per since Selection Sunday. But with both teams evenly matched, shouldn't the odds be 50/50? Sure! But the game is in Los Angeles, which last time I checked is really close to Arizona and will provide as good of home-court advantage a team will get on a "neutral floor."
Prediction:
---#2 Arizona 67, #1 Wisconsin 66
Sunday, March 29, 2015
East Region
2:20 PM EST-CBS
26-11 (12-6) #7 Michigan State
27-8 (12-6) #4 Louisville
(In Syracuse)
26-11 (12-6) #7 Michigan State
Good Wins:
-Indiana 70-50 (Home)
-Iowa 75-61 (Road)
-#23 Ohio State 59-56 (Home)
-Purdue 72-66 (Home)
-Indiana 72-66 (Home)
-Ohio State 76-67 in Quarterfinal of Big Ten Tournament (in Chicago).
-#8 Maryland 62-58 in Semi-Final of Big Ten Tournament (in Chicago)
Questionable Losses:
-Texas Southern 71-64 in Overtime (Home)
-Nebraska 79-77 (Road)
-Illinois 59-54 (Home)
-Minnesota 96-90 in Overtime (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#10 Georgia 70-63 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).
-#2 Virginia 60-54 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).
-#3 Oklahoma 62-58 in Sweet Sixteen (in Syracuse).
Key Contributors:
---#20 Travis Trice (SR)
-15.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, & 1.1 SPG.
---#45 Denzel Valentine (JR)
-14.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, & 4.4 APG.
---#22 Branden Dawson (SR)
-11.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, & 1.6 BPG.
---#5 Bryn Forbes (JR)
-8.6 PPG.
---#10 Matt Costello (JR)
-7.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.
---#34 Gavin Schiling (SO)
-5.2 PPG & 3.9 RPG.
27-8 (12-6) #4 Louisville
Good Wins:
-#14 Ohio State 64-55 (Home)
-Indiana 94-74 (in Jimmy V Classic)
-#13 North Carolina 78-68 in Overtime (Home)
-#2 Virginia 59-57 (Home)
Single-Digit Losses:
-#1 Kentucky 58-50 (Home)
-#18 North Carolina 72-71 (Road)
-#3 Virginia 52-47 (Road)
-NC State 74-65 (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#13 UC Irvine 57-55 in Round of 64 (in Seattle).
-#5 Northern Iowa 66-53 in Round of 32 (in Seattle).
-#8 NC State 65-65 in Sweet Sixteen (in Syracuse).
Key Contributors:
---#0 Terry Rozier (SO)
-17.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, & 1.9 SPG.
---#24 Montrezl Harrell (JR)
-15.7 PPG, 9.2 RPG, & 1.2 BPG.
---#3 Chris Jones (SR)
(Dismissed from team on February 22 for sexual assault allegation.)
-13.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 2.0 SPG.
---#25 Wayne Blackshear (SR)
-11.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, & 1.2 SPG.
Prediction:
---#7 Michigan State 67, #4 Louisville 64
South Region
5:05 PM EST-CBS
35-2 (17-1) #2 Gonzaga
32-4 (15-3) #1 Duke
(In Houston)
35-2 (17-1) #2 Gonzaga
Solid Wins:
-#22 SMU 72-56
-Georgia 88-76 in Semi-Final of NIT Season Tip-Off.
-St. John's 73-66 in Championship of NIT Season Tip-Off.
-UCLA 87-74 (Road)
-BYU 87-80 (Road)
Losses:
-#3 Arizona 65-63 in Overtime (Road)
-BYU 73-70 (Home)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#15 North Dakota State 86-76 in Round of 64 (in Seattle).
-#7 Iowa 87-68 in Round of 32 (in Seattle).
-#11 UCLA 74-62 in Sweet Sixteen (in Houston).
Key Contributors:
---#33 Kyle Wiltjer (JR)
-16.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, & 1.9 APG.
---#4 Kevin Pangos (SR)
-11.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#24 Przemek Karnowski (JR)
-11.1 PPG & 5.8 RPG.
---#22 Byron Wesley (SR)
-10.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#11 Domantas Sabonis (FR)
-9.7 PPG & 7.1 RPG.
---#5 Gary Bell Jr. (SR)
-8.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, & 2.0 APG.
32-4 (15-3) #1 Duke
Great Wins:
-#19 Michigan State 81-71 (Home)
-#2 Wisconsin 80-70 (Road)
-#6 Louisville 63-62 (Road)
-#2 Virginia 69-63 (Road)
-#10 Notre Dame 90-60 (Home)
-#15 North Carolina 92-90 in Overtime (Home)
-#19 North Carolina 84-77 (Road)
-NC State 77-53 in Quarterfinal of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)
Losses:
-NC State 87-75 (Road)
-Miami (FL) 90-74 (Home)
-#8 Notre Dame 77-73 (Road)
-#11 Notre Dame 74-64 in Semi-Final of ACC Tournament (in Greensboro)
NCAA Tournament Run:
-#16 Robert Morris 85-56 in Round of 64 (in Charlotte).
-#8 San Diego State 68-49 in Round of 32 (in Charlotte).
-#5 Utah 63-57 in Sweet Sixteen (in Houston).
Key Contributors:
---#15 Jahlil Okafor (FR)
-17.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, & 1.5 BPG.
---#2 Quinn Cook (SR)
-15.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
---#12 Justice Winslow (FR)
-12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
---#5 Tyus Jones (FR)
-11.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.7 APG, & 1.5 SPG.
---#14 Rasheed Sulaimon (JR)
(Dismissed from team on January 29 for sexual assault allegation.)
---#21 Amile Jefferson (JR)
-6.6 PPG & 5.8 RPG.
---#13 Matt Jones (SO)
-5.9 PPG & 2.3 RPG.
Prediction:
---#2 Gonzaga 70, #1 Duke 64
PW's NCAA Tournament Pick'em Record: 8-2
PW's Postseason Pick'em Record: 8-2
PW's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Prediction Record: 8-1
PW's Regular Season Prediction Record: 205-70 (81-18 in the MVC)
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