NCAA Bracket Update: Final Four Preview and the Best Matchups to Watch for This Weekend
ByThe month of March always seems to fly by when you buy into all the madness and now the Final Four is upon us and we are one weekend away from crowning a new champion.
With Louisville out of eliminated in Friday's Sweet 16 matchup against Kentucky, the Cardinals' title defense is over. Along with Michigan State's loss to UConn, so is just about every remaining bracket that was not already trashed.
The Final Four is set to take place Saturday, April 5, followed by the National Championship game Monday, April 7. All three remaining games will take place in Arlington, Texas.
Florida (1) vs. UConn (7), 6:09 p.m.
Both these teams take pride in their defense and have sensational point guards leading their offense.
Scottie Wilbekin vs. Shabazz Napier will be one of the most entertaining matchups of the entire tournament. As a one-seed, Florida has enjoyed an easier trip to the Final Four, but that did not stop Wilbekin from taking over against Dayton Saturday. He played 38 minutes, scored 23 points on 6-14 shooting, assisted three other baskets and stole the ball three times as well.
Against the favored Michigan State, Napier dropped 25 points, assisted four other shots, pulled down six rebounds, made all nine free throws he attempted and knocked down four of the nine three-pointers he attempted.
This clash of determined and highly talented point guards could make for an unforgettable night.
Wisconsin (2) vs. Kentucky (8), 8:49 p.m.
Kentucky may have stumbled into the tournament after being the top ranked team preseason, but they are running on all cylinders now. For Wisconsin, the Badgers look pretty dangerous, especially after the night Frank Kaminsky had against Arizona.
John Calipari had to be pretty satisfied with himself after beating Louisville, the team of his rival coach Rick Pitino. Still, Sunday's matchup with Michigan was no easy task. The two went into halftime tied at 37, then Kentucky's Aaron Harrison hit a clutch three-pointer late in the game to seal the victory.
Kaminsky, a seven-foot forward/center, proved too much for Arizona to handle, as he scored 28 points 11-20 shooting from the floor and 3-5 from beyond the arch. He also seemed to hit every bog shot his team needed. In fact, the next highest scorer on Wisconsin only had 10 points.
It looks like Kentucky's freshman sensation Julius Randle will have his hands full with Kaminsky, who is far from the traditional low-post forward Randle is. How Kentucky guards this Dirk Nowitzki clone will be highly interesting.