The Final Four in Houston is set. The No. 2 seed Villanova Wildcats will face off against the No. 2 seed Oklahoma Sooners, while the lone No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels will take on the No. 10 seed Syracuse Orange. Each team will be battling it out to be crowned the 2016 National Champion.
After a quick exit in round of 32 last year against NC State, the Wildcats returned to prove themselves worthy of their seeding this year. They defeated the No. 3 Miami Hurricanes and top overall No. 1 seed, Kansas Jayhawks.
Despite a poor shooting outing against Kansas, the Wildcats have been riding their hot hand throughout the tournament. They shot 63 percent from the field against the Hurricanes and 60 percent against Iowa.
Shooting a high percentage will be a key for Villanova to win the National Championship. On a team without any proven stars, Villanova relies on a balanced attack. Senior Ryan Arcidiacono has led the attack, torching the Miami defense for 21 points and four 3-pointers.
While the Wildcats typically rely on their offense to get it done, their defense may be peaking at the right time. On average, they have given up 63 points per game through four games against offensive powered teams. If the Wildcats fail to shoot a high percentage and keep up the strong defense, they won’t make it past Oklahoma.
The Sooners wiped the floor with the athletically gifted No. 1 seed Oregon Ducks and No. 3 seed Texas A&M Aggies, beating them by a combined average of 13 points. The Sooners will rely on senior Buddy Hield to take them to the final game.
Hield has been sensational this entire year, as he averaged 25 PPG during the regular season, putting him second in the nation. He scored almost half the points in an 80-68 victory over Oregon, dropping 37 points while shooting 13 of 20 from the field.
Hield returned last season on the hopes he would make a Final Four push, and the Sooners hope he stays hot as they look to make it past Villanova. The key to victory for Oklahoma will be the three-headed attack of their backcourt. Hield, senior Isaiah Cousins and junior Jordan Woodard make up one of the top scoring trios in the nation.
If the team outside of Hield forgets to show up for the game, the Sooners will be sent packing, and Hield will watch his National Championship hopes subside. Senior Ryan Spangler will be an X-factor in the game, as he can score both outside and inside, this will open up the spacing on the court if he can prove to be a threat from outside.
The biggest surprise of the tournament thus far is the Orange. In many minds, the team was not even expected to make the tournament. It is believed the committee gave the team a chance with regards to head coach Jim Boeheim missing the first nine games in which he was suspended for academic violations and other improbable benefits. In this stretch, the team went 4-5.
The Orange relies on its historic 2-3 zone to break down opponents and control 3-point shooting. The zone is highlighted by veteran leadership in senior guard Michael Gbinije and senior guard Trevor Cooney. Freshman Malachi Richardson scored 23 points in the comeback win over the Virginia Cavaliers.
If the team’s defense can limit 3-pointers made and use its length for the rebounding advantage, the team will be marching on. But if it forgets to box out on the glass and ball movement breaks the zone down, the Cinderella team of the tournament will be no more.
The Tar Heels have come trucking through to the Final Four by beating all four of their opponents by an average of 16 PPG. The best victory so far came over the No. 5 seed Indiana Hoosiers in which it was an offensive showing by the team winning 101-86.
Senior guard Marcus Paige and senior forward Brice Johnson has been one of the best one-two punches in men’s college basketball this season. After disappointments the past three seasons, the students decided to return for their final season in hopes of making a run.
The Tar Heels rely on their rebounding ability and inside presence to fuel them to victory. The X-factor for this team will be the play of the backcourt. When the Tar Heels’ backcourt is cooking, it looks impossible to stop.
With Paige and sophomore guard Joel Berry II stepping up and hitting shots, the team appears to be the best in the nation. But if the length of the Syracuse zone gives the Tar Heels trouble around the perimeter, and they can’t compete on the glass, they may be headed home earlier than what is hoped for.
The first game tips off Saturday at 6:09 p.m. between Oklahoma and Villanova. The second game tips off about 8:49 p.m. between UNC-Chapel Hill and Syracuse, with both games televised on TBS.
