SPORTS
No. 1 seeds make up Final Four
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Also by Jonah Braun:
- Top seeds hope to finish strong (March 13, 2008)
- Last chance for teams on bubble (March 6, 2008)
- UW, UI square off in 1st round (March 6, 2008)
- Freshmen pick up slack (March 3, 2008)
- Despite loss, Memphis passes test (February 28, 2008)
Related Stories:
- Last chance for teams on bubble (March 6, 2008)
- Conference crowns are up in air (January 21, 2008)
- Top seeds hope to finish strong (March 13, 2008)
- Point-counterpoint: Biggest surprise of Tourney (March 26, 2008)
- Point-counterpoint: No. 1 of the No. 1s (April 2, 2008)
by Jonah Braun
Thursday, April 3, 2008
It is only fitting that in a year filled with upsets and
surprises, something expected should happen. Well, the Final Four can attest to
that, displaying all four No. 1 seeds in the tournament that have overcome
those surprises better than any other team. North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas and
Memphis have not necessarily shocked the nation, but have certainly turned
heads in their quests for the national championship.
UCLA has made the Final Four for the third straight year — a
remarkable feat for any team. North Carolina opened the season as the top seed
and flirted with being No. 1 all year long before ending the season where it
began. Kansas was one of the last undefeated teams in the country and stayed
atop the strong Big 12 throughout the season. Memphis went undefeated in
Conference USA and had only one loss to No. 2 Tennessee on their schedule.
Nevertheless, some are surprised at the outcome of the
tournament so far, and that is a valid argument — for the first time in NCAA
history, all four top seeds reached the Final Four. But is that really
surprising? Well, if you look at history, yes. Looking at the pool of teams
this year, though, it’s hard to argue that any of the remaining teams do not
deserve to be in the Final Four.
When you look at all the rosters left, your jaw will simply
drop at the level of talent that these teams boast. There were no upsets for
any of these teams — they all played as well as they did all season long.
UCLA has freshman star Kevin Love leading the way
offensively, and the Bruins also have established leaders like Josh Shipp and
Darren Collison.
Kansas has five players who average more than nine points
per game, including sharpshooters Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers.
Memphis boasts the best record in the country and has
players like Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts to pave the way for the
Tigers’ success.
Finally, North Carolina has Player of the Year candidate
Tyler Hansbrough as a team leader and offensive machine. Beyond that, they have
Ty Lawson alongside Hansbrough to add on to the scoring attack.
Aside from the players, look at the coaches. John Calipari
of Memphis, Ben Howland of UCLA, Bill Self of Kansas and Roy Williams of North
Carolina have all established their organizations as among the best in the
country.
So now that the matchups are set, who will be able to play
in the championship game? Every team has talented rosters, and every team is
well-coached. So what will push a team over the top?
In the Memphis-UCLA match, the game will be decided by the
two teams’ post play. With the Bruins’ Kevin Love dominating every team in the
tournament so far, Memphis forward Robert Dozier will have to do his best to
contain the freshman center. If Love is not contained, then the Bruins will
dominate the key on offense and defense, and the Tigers will have no chance to
fight back with the strong inside presence.
On the other hand, John Calipari’s Tigers are one of the
most athletic teams, and everyone in their starting lineup is capable of
scoring big. That being said, UCLA will have to play strong team defense
against Memphis in order to win the game.
When all is said and done, UCLA’s inside presence will be
too much for Memphis to handle. Memphis can compete with some of the most athletic
teams in the country, but the Bruins’ size and inside presence will be enough
for UCLA to make it to the national championship game.
When North Carolina takes on Kansas, the Tar Heels will be
forced to respect Kansas’ perimeter shooting. Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers
will light up the court beyond the 3-point line if the Tar Heels’ defense isn’t
preventing Rush and Chalmers from getting open looks. Furthermore, what will
make Kansas so difficult for North Carolina to guard is that any one of its
starters can get the job done offensively.
Kansas will have to deal with a completely healthy Tar Heels
team. Now with Lawson at full strength along with Hansbrough, North Carolina
boasts a repertoire that features threats from both the inside and outside. Not
to mention guard Wayne Ellington averages 16.6 points per game and will have to
be guarded tightly as well.
With North Carolina completely healthy, it is on paper the
best team in the nation. Furthermore, with Roy Williams as their coach, the Tar
Heels should be able to stop Kansas in its tracks. UNC dominated nearly every
team they have played in the tournament, and though that probably will not be
the case with Kansas, North Carolina has a clear advantage over the Jayhawks.
Regardless, since all the teams in the Final Four have been
the best throughout the course of the season, these picks should be taken with
a grain of salt. All at No. 1 seeds, any of these rosters has a good chance to
win.
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