A little less than five months of college basketball is going to be wrapping up next Monday night. Virginia, Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Auburn are the final teams left after a grueling season and intense obstacles. Fans and analysts seem to believe that this final weekend will be underwhelming or lacking due to the absences of the elite teams. Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Michigan are amongst the exciting teams with NBA bound talent that got bounced early. But make no mistake, if the Elite Eight is any indication, these four teams will provide an exciting final three games of the season.
Each of these teams has a certain aspect of their game that is unique to them, and each of these unique traits is the reason why they got here. For starters, they all have great coaches. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo is a sure fire Hall of Famer. Izzo emphasizes grit and physical basketball, and he has been in multiple Final Fours and has won a National Championship. Virginia’s Tony Bennett is probably the best coach in college basketball and has been firing on all cylinders. He has an elite defense and a very well-strategized offense that relies on its’ brains more than its skill. Chris Beard has done a masterful job throwing Texas Tech into the national spotlight. The Red Raiders have never been much of a basketball school but this year has been a world of difference. Texas Tech is physical and their identity is defensive. His development of Jarrett Culver is crazy given the short time they have worked together and how Culver was recruited out of high school. Bruce Pearl is also a very good coach that many have forgotten about. He was on track for the Hall of Fame at Tennessee before his 3 year ban from the NCAA, but he has rebuilt Auburn into a great program, which has translated into the school’s first ever Final Four appearance.
Now, each of these teams have proven that they deserve to be here. Yet, at the end of the day, there can only be one. Starting with Michigan State, the Spartans have dealt with adversity over the last stretch of the season. Injuries to Joshua Langford and Nick Ward seemed like setbacks but it never broke the Spartans’ spirit. This team has been consistently physical, gritty, and smart. Led by First-Team All-American point guard, Cassius Winston, Michigan State has proven time and time again that they are elite. Knocking off LSU comfortably and Duke are only a slight display of what they have done. They are probably the front runners following the stunning upset of Zion and the Blue Devils.
Virginia is probably tabbed as the number two team remaining out of the four, and that may be unappreciative of the Cavaliers. They have a stifling defense to say the least. Their offense is role driven and incredibly well scripted, following the game plan to a T. Tony Bennett is probably the best coach in the sport over the past couple seasons. The only thing missing is a national championship. The postseason struggles is what Virginia has become far too known for at this point and this year’s team is trying to remove that label. They have a great shot led by veteran guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome. Lottery pick and ACC Defensive Player of the Year De’Andre Hunter is also a great weapon to have in your back pocket. Other key role players include Mamadi Diakite, the lanky forward is problematic with his active hands and long arms. He is smart and clearly has some clutch gene in him after Saturday’s buzzer beater floater to force overtime. Virginia is a powerhouse but needs to win this year to truly be recognized for how great they are.
Texas Tech is a shocking school for this year, not just the Final Four. They have zero ESPN Top 100 recruits. They were co-winners of the Big 12 and have a great defense ranked number three in the country in scoring. They have a potential top 5 pick in Jarrett Culver who is a great scoring wing. This team is gritty, hungry, and will give their 110% every game. Coach Chris Beard is proving his worth in an intense situation. He knows how to play the role of underdog. He coached the Little Rock-Arkansas team that upset Purdue a couple years back. If Michigan State gets caught up in themselves for last week and doesn’t pay attention to what is ahead, they will lose bad because this team will win and comfortably.
Lastly there is Auburn, who is fun and hard to not root for. The veteran backcourt of Jared Harper and Bryce Brown is nothing to scoff at. They live and die by the three. If they are hitting their shots, there is nothing anyone can really do. Not even the elite defensive teams of Michigan State, Texas Tech, and Virginia can stop them. Bruce Pearl’s passion and animation for this team are the driving forces that push them to greatness. They will be fun to watch if they are hitting their stride and will give Virginia problems. That last part cannot be emphasized enough. They have two guards who have the green light from one of the most respected coaches in the league for a reason. Virginia’s defense suffocates opposing offenses from the inside. They eliminate the dribble-drive, but Auburn does not need the dribble-drive to create its shots. Auburn can win this game, and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
Overall, this will be a very intriguing Final Four with wonderful semi-final matchups. My picks on who is left are probably very bland. I pick Michigan State to win out and beat Virginia in the Championship. I am not overly confident in Texas Tech beating Michigan State based on the idea that they play similar styles and I do not foresee the Spartans losing at their own game. The Virginia game is the enticing matchup. The Cavs have had their hands full in a couple games this tournament and a scorching hot Auburn team that does not follow what the Cavs do to be stifling is concerning. The Virginia defense will be prepared and execute with intent to suffocate the Tigers’ sharpshooters, but if Brown and Harper are hot, the Cavs will be in for a long game. I have full confidence in the Spartans to bring home the title at the end of the day.
