JetsJetsJets' Crystal Ball Elite Eight Predictions
The Crystal Ball went 6-2 in his Sweet 16 Picks. There were four 2-seed vs. 3-seed games this week, and we went 2-2 (.500) in those games. We didn't forecast the Missouri upset of Memphis, and we were surprised at how Oklahoma easily handled the surging Syracuse Orange. The Top 4 seeds in the tournament all won their games which helped our record. Now...let's move on to the four games which decide who goes to the Motor City & the Final Four next weekend:
West -- UConn 76 Missouri 68 -- We look for UConn to slow down the tempo against the full-court pressing Tigers. UConn should have an edge in the half-court with Price & Thabeet. The Huskies have been the most consistent team in the tournament so far, and the Crystal Ball thinks they will advance to Detroit.
East -- Nova 74 Pitt 69 -- Pitt was the Crystal Ball's National Championship selection when the brackets came out. However, we just haven't seen Pitt play at a Championship level in their first 3 games. They could turn it up a notch vs. the Wildcats, but Villanova has looked extremely impressive vs. UCLA & Duke. I believe the Wildcats have a few more scoring options & their athletes can get Blair in foul trouble as they did in January when these teams met earlier. In that game, Nova won the final college game played in the Spectrum by 10 points. We look for them to complete the sweep here.
Midwest -- Louisville 68 Mich St. 63 -- It all finally came together for Louisville in their romp vs. Arizona. We think the Cardinals will ride this momentum in a hard-fought victory over a tough Spartan squad. Michigan State sometimes has trouble putting the ball in the basket in stretches. The Crystal Ball thinks Louisville will take advantage in a key second-half spurt leading them to victory.
South -- UNC 81 Oklahoma 75 -- Blake Griffin is a stud, and he has a good-enough supporting cast to hang with any team. He will get his 25 pts. & 13 rebounds. However, UNC's backcourt is playing too well to be denied in this one. Lawson looks fully recovered from his toe injury, & Wayne Ellington is playing the best ball of his college career. These guys decided to stay in school to win a title, and they will move one step closer in what should be a great game in Memphis.
Enjoy the games everyone!
Comments
That Crystal Ball was humming along with the UConn pick and then the Nova upset. The Big East looked primed to land three of the Final Four spots however Michigan State refused to cooperate. The Spartans surprised many people, myself included, with a huge 64-52 win over Louisville, who had led the way in the Big East. Now it's down to UNC-Oklahoma for that last spot. Good luck to my man Jets' Tarheels.
My Heels came through! It was a hard-fought victory. Blake Griffin is a stud, but he didn't get enough help.
Crystal Ball goes 3-1...not too bad. The Mich St.-Louisville game really surprised me.
The Final Four should be awesome next week.