Those are my picks for Saturday. I’d like to go with George Mason, but… I think Florida combines an organized, multiple-option offense that’s difficult to defend, with disciplined, poised, play, and freakish athletes. I don’t think they’ve played a team yet with that kind of combination. Wichita State lacked the freakish athletes. UConn and Michigan State lacked the organized, disciplined play. UNC lacked experience, poise, and focus.
It wouldn’t shock me if Mason won, though… they are that good. I could envision them really slowing the game down, feeding the post, getting Noah and Horford in foul trouble and taking their chances with some big-balls plays down the stretch. That’s going to be hard to execute, though.
It’s not that I don’t think Mason is good, I just think Florida’s better. I feel bad about it… I do want them to win. I’ll be rooting for them. I just don’t think it’ll happen.
And by the way, it would be a real nice change of pace for a team to win a tournament, and then take the microphone and say, “Hey, no one thought we could do it, no one believed in us,” and have it not be complete horseshit. I don’t think that’s happened since the 2004 NBA Finals.
On the other side, I like LSU. And again, it’s not because I think there’s anything particularly wrong with UCLA, but LSU has just mowed through everyone, teams who play a variety of styles. They’re peaking at the right time, they’re getting good decision-making from their guards, and their post players are just buck nasty. I think they’re beating UCLA by 10 or more. I like LSU on Monday night, too.
You?
The Big Picture
ucla over florida. i hate ucla, but they’re just sooo hot. and with the balance of afflalo and farmar in the backcourt, and ryan hollins finally proving his worth up front, they may have the best combo of talent left.
but hey, my Dawgs beat UCLA twice. that doesn’t make UW co-champs, does it?
March 31, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Insomniac
Hollins injured in practice today.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5461934
March 31, 2006 at 5:29 pm
chris
Oh man, you can’t bet against GM
March 31, 2006 at 6:50 pm
tony
I think you’re about right. UCLA is hot about now, but LSU is hotter, I’m thinkin’. Florida seems to have everything rolling, which means they win the next two by 20+ each, or GMU shocks ‘em.
The way they’ve been going the past coupla weeks, LSU-Florida could be a ridiculous title game.
I’m still pulling for Coach L and GMU.
March 31, 2006 at 7:07 pm
elm tree
Florida over LSU. Joakim shuts down Tyrus and is the mvp
March 31, 2006 at 10:30 pm
CheeseheadPete
Florida rolls over George Mason, and UCLA crushes LSU, reducing “Big Baby” to a quivering mass of goo. Am I supposed to make these predictions before the game?
Oh yes, Billy Packer will have trouble with somebodies nickname. :)
April 2, 2006 at 2:26 am
Sean
You bastard! You killed GMU!
Really though, from the small portion of the GMU tourny games that I saw the Patriots lost mostly because they couldn’t come up with the same amazing 3′s they hit against UConn. The loss hurt bad, and the last 2:30 was terrible to watch. That f-ggot Noah kept jumping up and down the last minute, while the GMU bench was crying in their mid-major jerseys. Have some damn class and wait a f-cking minute, I don’t care if you just won the lottery.
GMU was undersized at every position, and they couldn’t come up with a way to compensate that game, I think.
Anyway, Joakim Noah is the ugliest man baller alive, including Cassell. That man should never be allowed to be on television ever again.
April 2, 2006 at 8:51 pm