It is hard to deny that the current teams in the final four are the best in the country. We have two No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds, and each team has been tested throughout the tournament. UNC, Kansas, Oregon and Memphis were close, but couldn’t get the win when it mattered. If your bracket is still alive, here is what to expect heading into the weekend.
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 UCLA:
UCLA (33-5) will finally say goodbye to home fan advantage when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Florida Gators (30-5). The Bruins have not played a game outside of California in nearly a month and this could be a huge advantage for the Gators in the weekend showdown.
UCLA’s defense has been the talk of this year’s tournament. Whether they playing man-to-man or zone, the Bruins have dominated their tournament opponents on the defensive side of the ball. Since the start of the tournament, UCLA has held opponents to shooting an average of 36 percent from the field and scoring an average of 50 points per game.
UCLA hasn’t been playing any slouches in the tournament either. You can’t look past performances like holding the sharp-shooting Hoosiers to 49 points, holding Pittsburg to shooting just 36 percent from the field and most importantly, holding Kansas to just 55 points, the lowest score the Jayhawks have scored this season.
Arron Afflalo has been leading the Bruins in scoring with 17.2 points per game. Darren Collison has performed well under pressure in the point guard position throughout the year but is suspect in a game of this caliber. Remember, Farmer was the point guard who engineered the offensive sets that guided the Bruins in last year’s tournament.
Florida is hoping to have a result similar to last year’s championship performance when they punished UCLA, 73-57. The gators have had a little bit of a softer schedule as a No. 1 seed in the tournament playing teams such as Purdue, Butler and mediocre Oregon. Lee Humphrey’s shooting from Downtown helped Florida pull away from the Ducks and enter the final four. Florida’s frontcourt play with Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer has been unstoppable this season and has been improving since the tournament began.
The Gators are two wins away from being the first repeat national champion since Duke in 1992. Last year, the gators showed their ability to work together and exploit the Bruin’s defense, but this year the Bruins defense should be able to capitilize on Florida’s turnovers.
My Final Take: The Gators talent will keep the score close, but UCLA’s defense will pull it out in a tight game. UCLA 65, Florida 64
No. 1 Ohio St. vs. No. 2 G-Town:
The Buckeyes barely passed by Xavier in the second round and then escaped disaster versus Tennessee in their third-round action in the regionals. Tennessee led 49-32 at the half, but Ohio State managed to get their offense together in the second half and win the game by a point. One thing is certain, Georgetown’s defense will not let Ohio State get back into the game, and if the Hoyas can pull away with a ten or more point lead during the game, feel free to turn off the television.
Ohio State enters this matchup after a convincing win versus Memphis in a convincing way. The highly touted recruit Greg Oden has proven to be a key factor in the Buckeye’s success this season. Oden leads the team in points per game, rebounds and field goal percentage, but will definitely be tested by Georgetown.
The Hoyas defense is ranked ninth in the nation allowing only 57.8 points per game. You can expect the 7-foot-2-inch monster center Roy Hibbert to have a huge game. Hibbert versus Oden will be the match up to watch.
Georgetown’s Jonathon Wallace and Jessie Sapp both had stellar performances against UNC and should shine against Ohio State’s guards this weekend. The keys of success for Georgetown are to maintain control and utilize the combination of Hibbert and Green. Georgetown’s only area of concern is maturity. The starting five is made up of one freshman, one sophomore and three juniors. Experience is lacking on the team.
The Buckeyes’ last meeting with the Hoyas resulted in embarrassment as Georgetown won 70-52 on March 19, 2006. Historically, teams from the Big East have done well in the tournament, so the odds are in favor of the Hoyas.
My Final Take: The Hoyas defense is just too good and Georgetown is hungry for a national championship. Georgetown 72, Ohio State 65
