Hoops Hysteria is here. For three weekends in March, the entirety of our community will be sneaking in peeks at the scores at the office. Husbands will beg their wives to eat in the TV room. Laptops everywhere will be streaming March Madness On Demand, and a college kid will skip out on beach time in 80-degree weather to catch a couple games.
There is nothing like March Madness.
Louisville has a tough draw in the first round. The Thursday match-up with Morehead State is no cupcake. The Eagles have a strong defense and Kenneth Faried, the most prolific rebounder in the tourney. Faried averages 14. 5 rebounds a game. Morehead’s deliberate tempo will challenge U of L’s attempts to run. Rebounding has been a soft spot all year for the Cardinals, but expect monster performances for Peyton Siva and Preston Knowles who will want to start the big dance off on the right foot. The game tips off Friday at 1:40 on TBS.With a win against the Eagles, the Cards get the Vanderbilt/Richmond winner. Vandy is a great three-point shooting squad,creating a potential shoot-out with U of L’s three-point trio of Kyle Kuric, Knowles, and Siva. If the opponent is Richmond, the Cards will face lockdown defensive powerhouse with NCAA tournament experience. Things don’t get easier in the next round.
While Rick Pitino will promise you that he is taking the tournament one game at a time, some can’t avoid considering a match-up with fantastic 1-seed Kansas in the Sweet 16. The Jayhawks are a solid choice to win the whole tournament. To pull off that upset, Louisville will need to be at peak form, though Kansas does have some exploitable weaknesses. And remember what happened the last time a 4th-seeded Louisville outfit took on a 1-seed. The year was 2005, and U of L knocked off a strong Washington team on its way to the Final Four.
Kentucky has a much easier path early on. The Cats get Princeton Friday at 2:45 on CBS. The Ivy League champs won the Ivy League with a last-second win against Harvard, and have a huge momentum surge going into the tourney. The Cats have their own momentum, coming off a dominant performance in the SEC Tournament, and should have little trouble against the over-matched Tigers.
The Cats should face off against West Virginia in a rematch of their 2010 Elite Eight battle, when the Mountaineers sent John Wall and company packing. This West Virginia team isn’t what that one was, but neither is John Calipari’s team. Still, the Cats should prevail.
The real challenge for Kentucky will be in the Sweet 16, where they could face the overall #1 seed Ohio State. The Buckeyes will be in top form, and Jared Sullinger will be trying to seal the envelope on his Player of the Year award. The Wildcats’ small bench will hurt them against OSU, which can run teams up and down the court. Don’t expect an upset in this one.
Three Games You Won’t Want to Miss
Washington Vs Georgia Friday 9:45 CBS
Washington point guard Isiah Thomas is one of the most exciting players in the big dance. He has provided many top moments and has led the Huskies to the third-best offense in the nation at 83.5 points a game. The Huskies will meet a Georgia team led by two prolific juniors, Trey Thomkins and Travis Leslie.
Michigan Vs Tennessee Friday 12:40 TruTV
Michigan is considered one of the least deserving teams in the field of 68. The Wolverines have only two marquee wins, both against a subpar Michigan State. Their perimeter shooting has been fantastic. Bruce Pearl’s Tennessee Volunteers are always tough, despite not performing up to expectations this year. Former Kentucky Mr. Basketball Scotty Hopson leads the Vols.
Kansas State Vs Utah State Thursday 9:57
Kansas State was widely expected to be a contender in March, but it took the Wildcats a long time to set their season in motion. After a win against Kansas, All-American Jacob Pullen and company were able to salvage their year and made a strong run to the end of the season. The main attraction for views should be “Wild Bill” a rabid Utah State fan who is known for stuffing his slightly large body into small costumes of female Disney characters. It’s something that every sports fan must see.
Predictions – Cards in Houston
In terms of Final Four I have Ohio State, Louisville, UConn, and Pitt reaching Houston. I really believe that this Cardinal team will be able to play together and defeat Kansas, but I can’t see the Cats defeating the Buckeyes, who are destined to win it all.
It may be a reach to put Louisville in the Final Four, but so much has to be said about the spirit of this team. It really is a special group that has been exceeding expectations all year.
