By Ryan Bologna
The NCAA Men’s Final Four is filled with blue bloods and storylines. Here are the spreads for each game and how the games should play out.
2 Seed Villanova Wildcats vs 1 Seed Kansas Jayhawks (Kansas -4.5)
The first game of the day starts with the only remaining one seed in Kansas facing off against the Big East tournament champion Villanova Wildcats. Injuries are playing a part in the line here.
Villanova’s second leading scorer Justin Moore suffered a season-ending achilles injury late in a win against Houston. For a team that was using a 6-man rotation in this tournament already, the Wildcats will need to find some minutes from others who have not participated in the tournament so far.
The Wildcats still have the talent to hang in and possibly win the game. Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie has the talent and experience to be the centerpiece of a win. Jermaine Samuels is another key contributor for Villanova and has made big shots throughout the whole season. Although he shoots around 27% from three, he seems to make some timely ones for the Wildcats. If he has an open look from deep he is not afraid to take the shot, making a few of those could go a long way.
Villanova will be methodical on offense, while the Jayhawks will try to push the pace. Dictating the pace will be a key for both teams.
Kansas is headlined by Big 12 Player of the Year Ochai Agbaji and forward David McCormack. Unlike Villanova, the Jayhawks will hope to get more depth contributions. Remy Martin has played a great tournament off the bench, and if that continues Kansas could easily win the whole thing.
Despite Villanova missing Moore, this should be a game that comes down to the wire.
8 Seed North Carolina Tar Heels vs 2 Seed Duke Blue Devils (Duke -4)
The second game of the night is filled with storylines. The next chapter in an iconic rivalry between North Carolina and Duke will take place in the final four. This is the first time the two have played in the tournament.
Just under a month ago the Tar Heels spoiled Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, so the Blue Devils will be looking for revenge in this matchup.
Duke has played some of the most entertaining games this tournament, and the theme in their wins has been performance in crunch time. On offense the Blue Devils have shown an ability to make clutch shot after clutch shot, which might be the best recipe for winning in the NCAA tournament.
Paolo Banchero will look to lead the way for the Blue Devils as he is their leading scorer. Guard Jeremy Roach will be a key for Duke as well as he looks to continue his quality play this tournament.
North Carolina’s big-man Armando Bacot has played at an elite level this tournament from a scoring and rebounding standpoint. He had 22 rebounds against St. Peter’s. Caleb Love’s shooting from deep will be an important factor in the game. If he can continue to shoot well from behind the arc the Tar Heels could pull another upset over their rivals.
This should be another close game, but Duke’s recent ability to perform at a high level late in games makes them deserving of being slight favorites.
Picture Credit: Steve Cheng, Bruin Report Online
