After a crazy last four days of college basketball across the country, the Final Four has been established. The two Final Four games will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, April 6th, 2019, which will lead up to the national championship game at the same location on Monday, April 8th, 2019.
The four teams left in the tournament are the Auburn Tigers, the Michigan State Spartans, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and the Virginia Cavaliers. Auburn will play Virginia while Michigan State will match up against Texas Tech. This should be an interesting end to another exciting and fun filled NCAA March Madness tournament. Let’s take a closer look at the remaining teams and the analyze the upcoming Final Four games for this weekend.
The Battle Tested Tigers of Auburn
This is the first time in NCAA history that the Auburn Tigers have made it to the Final Four, and it was not an easy road for this number 5 seeded basketball squad. The Tigers have beaten some of the most decorated college programs as they proudly represent the SEC in the big dance.
Their first game was against New Mexico State in which they won 78-77. Then they took on the Kansas Jayhawks in which they won that game easily with a final score of 89-75. Their last two wins were quite impressive. Auburn spanked the North Carolina Tar Heels 97-80 last Friday, and many people thought North Carolina had a team worthy of winning the whole thing this season. Their last win was an overtime thriller in which the Tigers prevailed 77-71 vs. the Kentucky Wildcats.
The head coach of the Auburn Tigers is Bruce Pearl, and he has done a tremendous job of turning this often ignored college athletic program around. Auburn plays a fast tempo game using the extremely speedy point guard, Jared Harper, to run the offense. Harper often distributes the rock to the Tiger’s leading scorer, Bryce Brown, who averages 15.8 points per game, and he has been raining threes over the competition so far this tournament.
Unfortunately, Auburn will have to continue playing well without the help of their dominant big man down low, Chuma Okeke who tore his ACL in the game against North Carolina, which ultimately ended his season. I thought his absence would be the downfall of the Tigers, but they were able to sneak by without him in their overtime win against Kentucky last Sunday.
One of the main reasons why Auburn has been so successful this year can be attributed to their tough brand of defense that they display. ESPN has this to say about the stout defense of the Tigers, “Defensively, however, is where the Tigers have made the most significant strides in this tournament, and really since the SEC tournament. To hold a juggernaut like Kentucky to just 71 points in an overtime game -- and worse than 24 percent from deep -- along with the same number of turnovers as assists (14) was the difference. Help defense has been great, but more important has been Auburn's individual defense, proficient enough to avoid over-helping -- and in turn avoid open triples.”
The Number One Seeded Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers of Virginia hold down a Final Four spot as they are the lone representative of the heavily favored ACC that has survived the gauntlet of the tournament thus far. Their four wins so far were against Gardner-Webb (71-56), Oklahoma (63-51), Oregon (53-49), and Purdue in overtime (80-75).
The amazing overtime game vs. the Purdue Boilermakers was a real treat. I thought Purdue out-played the Cavaliers, but Virginia shocked us all when they climbed back into the game late. The Boilermakers were led by the captivating play of Carsen Edwards who drained 10 three-point shots which is actually one short if the all-time NCAA tournament record. Edwards scored an astonishing 42 points in this dramatic battle. Virginia hit a huge game tying clutch shot by Mamadi Diakite on their last possession of regulation. This forced an overtime period in which the magic of Purdue had run out, and the Cavaliers escaped with a hard fought win.
ESPN describes Virginia perfectly by saying, “Ask any coach in the ACC and they'll say it's just draining to face the Cavaliers. Bennett's team takes any opponent out of its rhythm due to its grind-it-out, half-court style. The Cavaliers play the slowest tempo in the country. Virginia's calling card is still on the defensive end of the floor, where the Cavaliers rank in the top seven in adjusted defensive efficiency for the sixth straight season. They pack the paint, closing off driving lanes and essentially try to force opponents to take contested 3-pointers.
But this season's Virginia team is slightly different -- the Cavaliers can score. They actually rank higher in offensive efficiency than defensive efficiency. Jerome is one of the most confident guards in the country, capable of getting shots for himself or others. Guy runs relentlessly off pin downs and back screens, looking to get open for jumpers. The key is De'Andre Hunter. The future top-10 pick brings a dimension to the offensive end of the floor that Virginia hasn't had very often under Bennett. They wear teams down with their style, they take care of the ball, they make shots and they force teams to make tough jumpers. It's awfully tough to beat the Cavaliers.”
The Surprising Play of the Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders along with the Auburn Tigers have made history by making it to the Final Four for the first time ever. They have found a way to defeat some pretty good teams in order to get there. The have taken down Northern Kentucky (72-57), Buffalo (78-58), Michigan (63-44), and Gonzaga (75-69). By looking at those scores it is easy to see that Texas Tech has been a dominant force in the landscape of the college basketball playoffs as none of their wins so far were really close games.
Their best player is number 23, Jarrett Culver, who leads his team in all major statistical categories. He averages 18.9 points per game, pulls down 6.4 rebounds per game, and on average Culver has 3.8 assists per contest. Although they consistently put up 70 points in these huge games, their defense is what has got them where they are right now.
They have long lengthy players that make it difficult for their opponents to penetrate into the lane. The Red Raiders assist each other by playing superior help defense, and they make a point of defending the three-point line by contesting many long shots that have become so prevalent in basketball these days. It will be interesting to see how they match up with Michigan State this Saturday in Minneapolis.
The Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans led by their head coach, Tom Izzo, by far have the most successful track record in March Madness as they have made 10 Final Four appearances. They have won the Men’s college basketball national championship twice (1979, 2000) in their storied history as a powerhouse program in the NCAA.
They have played solid basketball thus far and have beaten Bradley (76-65), Minnesota (70-50), LSU (80-63), and surprisingly Duke (68-67). The win against Duke was their biggest accomplishment this far, and it may prove to be their toughest game of the tournament.
Their top performer is Cassius Winston. Winston leads the Spartans in scoring with an average of 18.8 points per game as well as their leading assist man with 7.5 per game. Kenny Goins leads Michigan State in rebounds with 9 boards per match, and he is also a main offensive threat for them. Xavier Tillman also provides the Spartans with big buckets, and he has emerged as a big time player and leader for them. Michigan State relies heavily on their defense especially down low in the paint. I expect that to continue that against Texas Tech’s big men and over sized team in general.
According to ESPN’s John Gasaway this is how Michigan State can be beaten, “Attack the offensive glass. The name "Izzo" is supposed to be synonymous with rebounding, but, for whatever reason, this particular group has been known to struggle on its defensive boards. Sometimes one of the best offenses against the MSU defense is a missed shot; LSU and Duke were able to pull down a combined 37 percent of their chances. When the Spartans do get a defensive board, invest early in the possession in denying Winston the ball. Don't let the Spartans' offense devote that first 10 seconds of the shot clock to Winston probing in the half court, because he's lethal at it. Never guard Tillman beyond the arc, and don't be afraid to put Aaron Henry on the line.”
Predictions
In the first match up this weekend, the Auburn Tigers will take on the Virginia Cavaliers. I think that Auburn will upset the only number one seeded team remaining in the big dance. In the second Final Four game with the Michigan State Spartans facing the Texas Tech Red Raiders, I believe that Michigan State will prevail and win in a close and contested game. In the national championship game, I predict the Michigan State Spartans to win and be crowned as the NCAA champions for their third time. It will be fun and entertaining watch the tournament unfold so enjoy the games everyone!
Source:
“First look at the 2019 Final Four”, espn.com, March 31, 2019.
