2014 NCAA Tourney Handicapping
Besides undefeated Wichita State, which flamed out in the Big Dance 3rd round, the Florida Gators ended the season with the nation’s longest winning streak.
Besides undefeated Wichita State, which flamed out in the Big Dance 3rd round, the Florida Gators ended the season with the nation’s longest winning streak.
After bringing in arguably the greatest recruiting class ever and being named the top team in the country in the preseason AP poll, the expectations placed on the Kentucky Wildcats were high.
Even though the Huskies are not the highest seed left in the field (they are a #7 while Kentucky is a #8) it seems like everyone is looking at them like they are a cinderella story.
The Wisconsin Badgers are headed to the Final Four for the first time since 2000, on Saturday, and the only thing stands between them and their second NCAA Tournament title is Kentucky.
Both Louisville and Michigan have had impressive runs to the title game and overall the Cardinals have not lost since early February Louisville had to come back in their last game using their great pressure defense to come back to win by 4 points.
Louisville is coming off a huge win over Duke in the Elite 8 and they have a huge lift for this game after one of their key bench players Kevin Ware was lost for the season with a terrible injury.
In a match up of a couple of #4 seeds Michigan faces Syracuse where the winner will head to the National Championship game. The Orange have played stellar D in their last 2 Big Dance games and they will be facing a great Michigan squad that has knocked off Kansas and Florida, who are a couple of top 10 teams, in advancing to the Final 4.
Michigan scored an upset in the Sweet 16 in their OT win over Kansas and while they have one of the best backcourts in the nation their frontcourt stepped up big in their last game.
The East Region championship game is an all Big East affair where Syracuse will take on Marquette and the winner will advance to the Final 4. When these 2 teams met in conference play this season Marquette was at home and beat Syracuse 76-71.
Florida Gulf Coast has become the first ever 15th seed to make it to the Sweet 16 and they have nothing to lose with all the pressure on Florida, who should win this game.
In a sweet match up in the South Region the top seed Kansas Jayhawks face the 4th seed Michigan Wolverines where the winner will advance to the Elite 8.
The last time Indiana won the National Championship they beat Syracuse in the 1987 title game. Both of these teams in the Sweet 16 East Region match up had blowout wins in their Big Dance openers, but each was tested in their last game.
Marquette has played 2 close games to advance to the Sweet 16 only winning those games by a combined 3 points. After an easy win in their first Big Dance game the Hurricanes struggled on offense in their last win only winning by 4 points.
Illinois did not end the season well losing 3 of their last 4 games, but they beat Colorado in their opening Big Dance game. NCAAB lines have Miami as 7.5-point favorites with a total of 128.5.
Indiana had no problem winning their opening round game in the Big Dance and to advance to the Sweet 16 they will need to beat a Temple team that is coming off a great win over NC State.
In the 2nd round of the Big Dance and in the opening game for each of these teams the South Region’s 9th seed Villanova faces 8th seed North Carolina.