West Bracket – Gators vs Cardinals Handicapping Pick
This could be the best matchup of the entire Elite 8 lineup this weekend, pitting two teams that pulled off slight upsets in the West Region semifinals on Thursday night.
No. 7 Florida (26-10, SEC) v No. 4 Louisville (29-9, Big East)
Date/Time: 4:30 PM ET, Saturday, March 24, 2012
Venue: US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Broadcast: CBS
Spread: Florida -1.5
Over/Under: 132
Buckle up your March Madness chin straps as both Louisville and Florida will meet on Saturday with a Final Four berth on the line.
The No. 4 Cardinals back in the Elite Eight for the fourth time under Rick Pitino, while the No. 7 Gators are looking for their fourth Final Four appearance since 2000 under coach one-time Pitino apprentice, Billy Donovan.
Louisville’s Sweet 16 shocker over top-seeded Michigan State was nothing short of impressive, holding the Spartans to 28 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent shooting from deep, en route to a 57-44 win.
The Cards’ D was relentless, also forcing MSU to commit 15 turnovers, and was led by sophomore center and defensive beast Gorgui Dieng, who never stepped off the court on his way to blocking seven shots –tying his season-high–while also hauling in nine rebounds and snatching three steals. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
A disappointing performance from Peyton Siva and Kyle Kuric gave way to a superb effort from Chane Behanan, who stepped up to lead the team offensively with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Gators also made up for their lack of offense with a strong defensive effort as they stymied Marquette’s stars Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom, holding them to 10-30 shooting from the field as they eliminated the third-seeded Golden Eagles, 68-58.
Freshman Brad Beal posted his third season-best performance as he led what offensive charge the Gator’s mustered, with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.
Prediction- Louisville —
Louisville’s matchup zone and high-pressure defense is driving opponents’ crazy. The Gators will be its next victim unless they can counter with some accurate long-range shooting. That’s not going to be easy against a defense that has allowed just 14-of-63 (22.2 percent) from beyond the arc in three tournament games.
