The Final Four is set! West Virginia, Duke, Michigan State, and Butler. Finally in the last two games of the Elite 8, normalcy has finally returned with Duke and Michigan State winning today’s games.
Everyone is going to remember this tournament as the year parity returned and the year of the upsets, most notably the losses of Kansas, Syracuse, and Kentucky. People will remember Georgetown losing in the 1st round and Villanova playing horribly and losing in the 2nd. People will look at the Final Four and scratch their head to see how teams like West Virginia (1st Final Four since 1959) and Butler (1st ever appearance in the Final Four) lasted so long.
However, while it is surprising to see Michigan State, West Virginia and Butler here instead of Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse/Kansas State respectively, it should not be a shock to see these four teams here.
While Kansas and Kentucky got all the preseason hype, these 4 teams all were well regarded before the season started and all were ranked in the top 15. Michigan State was ranked #2, West Virginia #8, Duke #9, and Butler #11. Michigan State even received 5 1st place votes to start the season. Throughout the season, West Virginia, Duke and Michigan State were always ranked in the top 15. Butler fell out of the rankings for only 5 weeks, but ended the year on a 20 game win streak and the #11 team.
So yes, while there were many upsets, these 4 teams have been deserving the entire season to be in the Final Four.
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I think the most fascinating story line during this Final Four is the match ups between some great coaches.
In Michigan State, you have Tom Izzo, who might be the best coach in college basketball right now. Ever since taking over as head coach in 1995, he has coached MSU to two national title games, winning one in 2000, while also leading MSU to 6 Final Fours, the most of any team. For a team that’s been struggling with injuries, he’s been the steady hand to lead this team to the Final Four.
At Duke, you obviously have Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was also the coach of Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Coach K has led Duke to 7 NCAA Championship Games, winning 3 of them, while also leading Duke to 11 Final Fours, 2nd only to John Wooden’s 12 with UCLA.
At West Virginia, you have Bob Huggins, who originally found great success at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to 14 straight tournament appearances, including one Final Four and 2 Elite 8 berths.
And finally at Bulter, you have Brad Stevens, by far the youngest and most experienced coach out of the 4. However, he just set the record for the coaching the most wins in the first 3 seasons of a coach’s career (88).
It’ll be interesting to see how Huggins coaches vs Coach K and how Stevens will match up his Butler squad against Izzo’s Michigan State squad. It’ll be fascinating to see what game plans are drawn up.
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Prediction time. I’ve been so off this year, it’s not even funny. In my full tournament bracket, I had Kansas beating Baylor in the tournament game, and I had only 1 correct Final Four prediction (West Virginia).
In my “2nd chance bracket”, I DID EVEN WORSE! I had only 4 out of 12 picks correct. In the West and Midwest region, I picked EVERY SINGLE ELITE 8 game incorrectly. In the South and East regions, I picked all 4 Sweet 16 games correctly, but I was dead wrong on both my Elite 8 games, since I had Kentucky and Baylor winning. So pathetic.
So…my last chance at redemption…my last picks
WEST VIRGINIA over MICHIGAN STATE in the national title game.
I would absolutely LOVE to see Morgantown in flames 🙂
Obsessedsportsnut's Blog 
i originally called syracuse over duke in the title game. i still stand by my blue devils. although i doubt they’ll win it all. so i guess i predict a michigan state national title win 🙂
if i’m closer to predicting the national title outcome, then i get an extra take-home dessert for our superbowl bet dinner. if yoo’re closer, then i pay for my own dessert altogether. how does that sound?
Comment by Fish — March 28, 2010 @ 9:30 pm
Yeah. what a crazy tourney and again i know what i said early about how this tournament will suck is completely
something i would like to take back…
but anyways,
my pick will be butler vs wvu—> and BUTLER WILL WIN ITS first championship ever!!!!
ook cmon now, i love Gordon Hayward too much to go against him. The man is the whitest, baby face looking guy i have ever seen and yet he’s abusing black ghetto kids left and right. i mean… did u see what he did against KSU?? However my white rule does not extend to Duke… thats too many white people on a team and therefore the basketball gods shall strike down upon duke and they will lose to WVU.
man… what a season.
very unnattractive picks in this final four. MSU is not as flashy with Izzo’s style and u lose a great pg in Lucas but I guess they had an easier road. Not very impressed with Tennessee’s play tho it is still amazing that they got this far after a disastrous new year’s incident. o well MSU got here again, but i doubt they will achieve
a national championship. Butler i mean cmon its almost tradition that you pick butler til the 2nd round and then u pick the other team. and NOW?? what the heck? however, im hooked to my new re incarnate larry bird figure and im read to root for the Butler Bulldogs and Gordon Hayward as mvp. it’s going to happen.
WVU- they’re good… big east, beat gtown which i root for as loyalty to my sister so yeah im not too thrilled. hahaha (dad picked them all the way against gtown with gtown on top, yeah… that went well.) anyways, dasean butler, man that guy has a big mouth, but still he’s clutch and i cant say antyhing about that. you can trashtalk as long as u back it up and he’s backing it up. watching him go against john wall and cousins and handle the big stars of UK was just wow.
and finally, Duke…
they’re just a team you root against. it’s nature right? well the blue devils have done a lot, beating baylor was impressive (tho i thot it was more baylor’s fault than duke’s success) but o well. sigh… i dunno. not appealing pick. sigh.. after all the 1’s have dissapeared. u just cant pick Duke to be the last standing..
Butler over WVU
Gordon Hayward make me proud.
Comment by Howard — March 28, 2010 @ 9:53 pm
okay how, yoo little brat. if duke beats wvu, i want yoo to go up to the first white guy yoo see and apologize for hating on their race.
Comment by Fish — March 28, 2010 @ 10:24 pm
Duke over Michigan.
Howard, don’t drink the hatorade. And put down the hater tots.
Comment by Stephanie — March 28, 2010 @ 10:30 pm
ACTUALLY I recant – WVU over MSU!
Comment by Stephanie — March 28, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
Steph…
at least get the college name right…
i believe the Michigan Wolverines did not even make the NCAA or the NIT.
Hope you’re doing well.
Howard
Comment by Howard — March 29, 2010 @ 7:04 pm
WVU over MSU huh?
Butler; Gordon Hayward, make me proud!
Comment by Howard — April 3, 2010 @ 9:04 pm
[…] week, I made my predictions for the Final Four and title game: West Virginia beating Duke and Michigan State beating Butler, […]
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