One crown, four dreams, only one champion. The long road to the Final Four has reached its end in New Orleans and the stage is set for what has the makings of an exciting tournament.
With every bracket in the country officially out of whack, it is tough for even the experts to get a grasp on who will cut down the nets. Experts are so confused that they have predicted the Kansas Jayhawks to \actually do it."" Sure, it would be a storybook ending if Kansas Head Coach Roy Williams won his first title and then jetted over to North Carolina, but Kansas shouldn't get too excited. These ""experts"" are the same people who picked Mississippi State to dance to the Final Four. After all, the only Bulldog dancing was Butler after ousting Mississippi State from the first round. So who will it be? Will it be Texas led by Naismith award winner junior guard T.J. Ford and the only No. 1 seed left? Will it be Marquette who played maybe the two most impressive back-to-back games ever in the tournament? Will it be the Jayhawks who beat the likes of Duke and Arizona? Or will freshman phenom forward Carmelo Anthony steal the spotlight and the glory? Here is a breakdown of Saturday's matchups.
No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 2 Kansas
Why Kansas will win: Kansas has the one ingredient that most past champions have had: senior leadership. The two seniors, forward Nick Collison and guard Kirk Hinrich have been sensational all tourney. Collison carried the Jayhawks against Duke scoring 33 points, while Hinrich struggled with his shot. Against Arizona, it was Hinrich who valiantly lifted Kansas to the Final Four as Collison was bottled up in Arizona's zone defense. If Hinrich is hitting his shots from well beyond the three-point line Marquette will be forced to stretch its defense, which should open driving lanes for the slashing sophomore guard Keith Langford and post room for Collison. Also, Kansas plays exceptional team defense, which leads to their explosive transition game. Kansas made Arizona look average by forcing 19 turnovers. Against MU, Hinrich's defensive ability will be the key. With the game on the line against Arizona, Hinrich blocked senior guard Jason Gardner's first attempt at a game winner.
X-Factor-The X-factor for Kansas will be junior forward Jeff Graves. Graves has filled in admirably for sophomore forward Wayne Simien and has been getting better each game. If Graves can grab 18 rebounds and put up 13 points like he did against Arizona, Kansas will be tough to beat.
Why Marquette will win: Marquette has looked unstoppable the last two games and junior guard Dwayne Wade has appeared invincible. Wade will create matchup problems for Kansas because of his size and athletic ability. He has an uncanny ability of getting to the rim and finishing. Wade produced his first career triple double against Kentucky as he man handled a very well-coached defensive team. If Wade is hitting jump shots and creating for his teammates Kansas may not have enough firepower. In addition, Marquette is able to go nine players deep without slowing. Senior center Robert Jackson and junior forward Scott Merritt are both aggressive and athletic big men that could cause havoc for Collison. Sophomore point guard Travis Diener is as solid as they come and freshman forward Steve Novak can light it up. Marquette plays pressure defense that took both Pittsburgh and Kentucky out of their game and they will look to do the same against the Jayhawks.
X-Factor-Novak hit five three-pointers against Kentucky and can get hot. If he is able to get good looks, it could be a big night for the freshman.
Prediction: No Rock-Chalk-Jayhawk this time. Marquette's athleticism and depth is too much for Kansas.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Syracuse
Why Texas will win: Ford. Ford has swept the national player of the year awards and may be the most dominant point guard ever in college basketball. Ford penetrates and passes better than anyone and is also an outstanding finisher. If Ford is able to break down the Syracuse 2-3 zone and create for his teammates, this game could get ugly. Junior guards Brandon Mouton and Royal Ivey have been very consistent players all year and thrive off of great looks from Ford. Junior forward Brian Boddicker also has shot the ball well as of late. Texas has the inside presence to compete with Syracuse's high fliers. Junior center James Thomas is a monster on the boards and both sophomore center Jason Klotz and freshman forward Brad Buckman can pull their weight inside.
X-Factor-Mouton. He's listed at 6'4"" and is capable of shooting over the zone. Ford will create open looks for Mouton and if he hits shots he could score in the mid 20s.
Why Syracuse will win: As exciting as Syracuse is on offense this game will be won on defense. The 2-3 zone completely took a well-coached Oklahoma team out of sync and has been the catalyst for Syracuse all year. If Syracuse can take Ford out of his game and keep him from the paint they have a chance. Syracuse also must be physical. Against Oklahoma Syracuse took a much more physical approach and they will need to maintain that intensity against Texas. And then of course there is Anthony. Anthony can be unstoppable if he gives the effort. He has been relentless on the offensive glass and has shot the ball well the last few games. He can do everything, but he is young and needs help from his role players: freshman guard Gerry McNamara, sophomore forward Hakim Warrick, freshman guard Billy Edelin, et al.
X-Factor-Warrick. Warrick is second on the team in rebounds and points to Anthony. If he can continue his success on the offensive rebounds a lot of pressure will be taken of the Syracuse gunslingers. Warrick is quick and athletic and will have to be aggressive against Thomas. If Warrick can stay out of foul trouble and get Thomas to pick up early fouls Syracuse has a great chance.
Prediction: Syracuse has loads of talent, but they are too young and inexperienced. Ford will lead Texas to the championship in a very physical and exciting game.
