March Madness: Final Four

     Because I have been watching college basketball religiously all season, I thought I had my bracket knowledge down. I thought I would be able to predict winners of games using what I had been watching all season. Boy, was I wrong. It's to be expected though, I guess. It's all about match-ups, or at least that's what I stick to since my Spartans were beat out in the Sweet Sixteen by Duke. (Insert incredibly sad face here).
     Let's talk about the Final Four. First, there's Louisville, besides gaining my heart string vote with the injury to Kevin Ware, they are the strongest team in the final four. With the combination of Peyton Siva, Russ Smith, and Luke Hancock, they have a strong shooting team and their full-court pressure seems to do them proud. They are talented, fun to watch and show how strong their brotherhood is as a team each and every time they step onto the court.
    Next up, Wichita St. Even though they just lost (giving the strong Louisville Cardinals a serious run for their money), they have been an unnoticed strong team all season. I have watched many of their games throughout the season, marveling at their strength and aggression. They deserved their spot in the final four and deserve a lot of recognition for a great regular and post-season.
    And now, the Syracuse Orange. Although having ups and downs throughout the season, they have never looked stronger than they have in these first rounds of the tournament. With Triche, Carter Williams, Fair and Christmas on their game, they seem to be on fire (and not just because their uniforms are ungodly bright orange).
   Last, and definitely least, are the Walmart...I mean University of Michigan Wolverines. Despite my burning hatred for anything that comes out of Ann Arbor, their team has shown some great strengths in the post season. McGary's massive presence in the paint has done Michigan well and with the Wooden Award winner Trey Burke on their side, they are a strong team. However, when their shooters like Hardaway Jr. and Stauskas are off, the whole teams suffers since many of their points come from beyond the arc.
   With all of this being said, I am pulling for Louisville as the 2013 National Champions. They are the most well-rounded and consistent team and their passion will take them far. I am hoping for a Syracuse-Louisville match-up. This is partially due to the fact that I'd like to see a rematch of this regular season pairing and I'd also like to see Syracuse wipe the floor with the ugly Wolverines. But who knows? This is Madness in March after all, where heroes are made.

Go Green! (and Go Orange!)