By Adam Hurwitz
Sports Reporter
#2 Villanova vs. #2 Oklahoma
Saturday, April 2, 6:09 P.M. on TBS
Villanova Wildcats—
After scoring 86, 87, and 92 points in their first three games to open up this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Villanova’s powerful offense was slowed down in the Elite Eight by the number one team in the nation, the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas held the Wildcats’ hot offense to just 64 points. However, the Jayhawk’s, who averaged 81.3 points per game this season, were stifled by an unbreakable Wildcats’ defense which rotated between a deadly zone and suffocating man-to-man coverage. Senior Perry Ellis, Kansas’ top scorer and one of the country’s most elite college athletes, was held to only four points in the exciting upset.
Villanova sealed their unexpected 64-59 win with senior Ryan Arcidiacono sinking four free throws in the final 33 seconds of play. Although he has been identified as one of the best players on the team, Arcidiacono is known for being one of the least selfish stars in college basketball, after averaging 12.3 points and 4.3 assists this season as he focused on spreading the ball around the court.
6’11” senior Daniel Ochefu has also been a key player, averaging over 10 points per game this season. The towering senior forward also contributed by pulling down an average 7.6 rebounds per game, and has seriously strengthened the team’s defense with at least 50 blocks in each of the past three seasons.
This Villanova squad is an exemplary model of teamwork and unselfish play. As junior forward Kris Jenkins said in an interview with USA Today after the win against Kansas, “Every guy on this team is willing to do whatever it takes to win… Everybody on this team sacrifices.” Although they have a few star players, each and every Wildcat contributes to the team in a unique way. Whether it is shutting down an elite player, consistently scoring against great defenses, or simply having more passion than any other team, Villanova can rally and step up to any challenge.
Oklahoma Sooners—
It’s nearly impossible to write anything about the University of Oklahoma men’s basketball team without highlighting the incredible talents of senior Buddy Hield. He has averaged an amazing 25 points per game this season, equal to that of LeBron James in the NBA this year. His 46.4% three point shooting is fourth best in the nation, and his 88% free throw shooting is among the best in college basketball.
After scoring 37 points in this weekend’s win over number one seed Oregon, in the presence of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Hield commented in an interview with ESPN, “As soon as I saw Kobe was here, I knew I had to put on a show.” Though he says this jokingly, Hield can always be relied on to step up to the occasion.
Though there is no question that Hield is the pivotal weapon in the Sooner’s offense, he has a strong supporting cast. Senior guard Isaiah Cousins and junior guard Jordan Woodward averaged 12.8 and 13 points per game respectively this season, serving as great sidekicks to Hield’s dominance.
Oklahoma also relies on a strong defense. Combined with unbelievable offensive performances each game, Oklahoma shows no signs of slowing down as they enter the Final Four in Houston. If Hield continuous his staggering dominance, and his teammates continue to contribute around him, Oklahoma will continue be a very dangerous threat heading into this weekend.
Prediction: Villanova
Just as Villanova so effectively shut down Perry Ellis in their win versus Kansas, the upbeat Wildcats will hinder Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield lead offensive attack. Though they won’t be able to hold him to just four points like they did Ellis, the Wildcats defense may hold Hield under 15 points, and his supporting cast is unlikely to be able to make up for it. Villanova will get back to the ways of their high scoring offense, with Ryan Arcidiacono likely to record upwards of 10 points and 10 assists en route to the team’s third championship game appearance.
#1 North Carolina vs. #10 Syracuse
Saturday, April 2, at 8:49 P.M. on TBS
North Carolina Tar Heels—
The University of North Carolina Men’s basketball program is consistently dominant, having won the NCAA tournament five times. In recent years, they have made deep playoff runs under head coach Roy Williams.
Senior forward Brice Johnson, senior guard Marcus Paige, and sophomore guard Joel Berry II are among the country’s best players, and the three compliment each other beautifully in the Tar Heel’s offense. Johnson averaged 17.1 points and 10.5 rebounds this season, and has averaged a whopping 21 points, along with 9.8 rebounds so far in the tournament.
Paige and Berry have contributed greatly to the offense, each averaging over 13 points per game this tournament, and tallying a combined 10.3 assists per game. The depth continues with Justin Jackson, a sophomore who averaged 12.2 points this season. Finally, Junior Kennedy Meeks contributes across the board, rounding out the team’s starting five.
With so many elite scorers playing for Williams, his Tar Heels rolled through the regular season with an explosive offense. Meanwhile, defensive inconsistency is to blame for each of the UNC’s six losses this season.
Reflecting on the season in an interview with ESPN, Paige noted, “With our losses this year, a lot of times we’d go back and review the tape, and it’s a lack of concentration and effort on defense that caused the other team to get the win.”
The offense never failed to produce for the Tar Heels—though it was more abundant in some games than others— and it was lazy defense responsible for all of the losses.
UNC’s defense has gained reliability and strength during their first four March Madness games. The Tar Heels are now playing serious competitors every game, and with a single elimination format, each play matters.
Needing to perform to survive, their defensive play has stepped up to match their offensive dominance, creating a nearly unstoppable force. If the defense continues to perform at this level, and some of the nation’s best players continue to prove their value on the offensive front, there is no reason why North Carolina can’t win their sixth NCAA basketball tournament.
Syracuse Orange—
The Syracuse Orange have certainly been the biggest surprise team of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Many fans and analysts strongly believed that the Orange didn’t deserve a spot in the tournament, but Syracuse was assigned the #10 seed in their region. Jim Boeheim’s team was lucky to face #7 Dayton, #15 Middle Tennessee, and #11 Gonzaga, in the first three rounds of the tournament.
The Orange faced their real test of legitimacy when they faced #1 seed Virginia in the Elite Eight. Syracuse trailed by 14 points at the conclusion of the first half, but shocked the world with a 27-7 point scoring run that left them up by four points with just over two minutes to play. Syracuse, due to lockdown defense and clutch shooting, held on for the exciting upset win.
The glory in this thrilling Syracuse victory belongs to Malachi Richardson, a 6’6” freshman guard who scored 23 points against Virginia. Richardson made three 3-pointers, and sank eight of nine free throws, many of which came at the end of the close contest.
Backing Richardson are sophomore forward Michael Gbinje and sophomore guard Trevor Cooney, who averaged 17.6 and 12.7 points per game respectively this season, and were the driving forces behind Syracuse’s 23-13 campaign.
Richardson has benefited from playing behind these two elite scorers, and said when talking about the sophomore pair in an interview with Syracuse.com, “They’re great creators for me. When they drive, my man has to help because that’s their assignment. They have to help and I’m wide open.”
On the rare occasion that one of these three misses a shot, Syracuse is well poised with sophomore Tyler Roberson on the glass, who has averaged 11.8 rebounds per game in the tournament. However, Syracuse has struggled to get all three stars shooting well at the same time. Their defense has been consistently solid, but the Orange are yet to prove they can hold back multiple elite scorers on the same team. They have definitely shown potential, but a lot of things would have to go perfectly for Syracuse to succeed this weekend in Houston.
Prediction—North Carolina
Syracuse will be no match for North Carolina in this one. Despite a big win against Virginia, the Orange haven’t proven that they can consistently beat elite teams, and North Carolina is certainly elite. The Tar Heels are primed to expect at least 45 combined points from Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige, along with an amped defense led by Kennedy Meeks. Syracuse will ride momentum into this game, and likely to make it a close contest at the beginning, but the elite UNC depth will shut down Gbinje, Cooney, and Richardson, forcing Syracuse to rely on a weak bench which will ultimately leading to a Tar Heel victory.
