2012 Final 4 – Jayhawks vs Buckeyes Handicapping Pick
This year’s Final Four field is set as the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks and the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes meet for only the ninth time in their history but for the second time this season in the second NCAA Tournament semifinal on Saturday in New Orleans.
No. 2 Kansas (31-6, Big 12) v No. 2 Ohio State (31-7, Big 10)
Date/Time: 8:45 PM ET, Saturday, March 31, 2012
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Broadcast: CBS
Spread: Ohio -2.5
Over/Under: 137
The Jayhawks won the first meeting this season–the first time the teams had met since 2000–78-67 in Lawrence, back on Dec. 10. But Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger sat out of that game with back spasms.
Now Kansas, will make their first appearance in the Final Four since 2008, when they won another national championship.
It was the Jayhawks third, but adding a fourth is just as significant, and it was obvious in St. Louis, as Tyshawn Taylor put up 22 points, leading Kansas back to the Final Four with an 80-67 victory over former coach Roy Williams and the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Taylor led five Jayhawks in double figures, including Player of the year candidate Thomas Robinson who contributed with 18 points and nine big rebounds.
Kansas went on a 12-0 run to close out the Tar Heels, who played without injured star point guard Kendall Marshall.
The Jayhawks will now face their toughest test of this year’s tourney when they play a tough Ohio State squad who won its lone title in 1960 and is making its third trip to the Final Four since 1999.
The Buckeyes have been impressive, and after finishing in a three-way tie for first in the Big Ten, settled for a No. 2 seed in this year’s tourney after losing the conference tournament final to Michigan State.
The team is led by Sullinger, who decided to return to Ohio State for his sophomore year, and now is on the brink of a trip to this year’s Finals after scoring a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds on Saturday in Ohio State’s 77-70 win over Syracuse to make the Final Four.
Prediction- Kansas —
Kansas and Ohio State are both extremely physical teams, and have big that play well inside. So it will all come down to the team that hits the most outside shots.
And since the Jayhawks get strong shooting from their guard combo of Taylor and Elijah Johnson, who combine for around 3.5 3-pointers per game, they will obviously have the best chance to win this one.
