Well it is that time of year again, Final Four time, and this year I did not do well (1 out of 4- WVU) but I am going to still preview these games and pick a national champion and then discuss the almost certain move to 96 teams from 65 teams.
Butler vs. Michigan State: This is a classic matchup of david vs. Goliath as Butler playing in their first final four faces a team who has been there 6 times in 12 years in Michigan State and Tom Izzo. Butler is playing six miles from their campus and is coming off of upsets of Syracuse and Kansas State while Michigan State has overcome the loss of Star and multi-time Big Ten Player of the Year to beat Giant Killer Northern Iowa and Tennessee. I see Tom Izzo's massive coaching experience edge 0ver Butler's Brad Stevens, who looks like he is 12, deciding the game as Michigan State wins 81-74.
West Virginia vs. Duke: The featured game of the national semi-finals features two conference tournament champs and top 8 teams as the only remaining 1 seed Duke faces the team that many people feel should have been a 1 seed in Big East Tournament Champion West Virginia. This game is filled with stars both on the sidelines as Coach K faces WVU's Bob Huggins and on the court as Duke's John Schyer faces West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler. West Virginia is playing so well right now and has seemed to have not missed a beat when their PG Truck Bryant went out with an injury so I see them continuing their run to the finals as the beat Duke 79-74.
West Virginia vs. Michigan State- A great matchup for the National Title as Michigan State gets the chance to avenge last year's embarassing loss to UNC in the national title game in their home state by facing WVU in this year's final. Again a great coaching matchup exists as Tom Izzo faces Bob Huggins in this matchup. I see Michigan States depth and desire not to repeat last year being the difference in this classic final which ends with Michigan State cutting down the nets in Indy for the 2nd time in 11 years as the beat West Virginia 84-80.
EXPANSION: As many of you know the tournament is likely going to expand to 96 teams which will lead to the top 8 teams in each region getting a first round bye. The NCAA will also try to fit this tournament, which will absorb the 32 team NIT, into the same 3 week time frame that the current tourney fits into. I think there are some things that Have to be done to make this work the first is the conference's regular season champion must be ensured a bid. Also I would say if you did not finish in the top 3/5 of your conference you should not be eligible because otherwise the Big East could get 11-12 teams in. In my opinion this expansion was going to happen at some point but I would have just expanded it to 68 and have 4 play in games for the final 4 at-large births rather then the current format where two conference tourney champs from small conferences play for the right to get absolutly destroyed by a #1 seed three days later.
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