ZERO DOUBT
With Mason leading way, Kansas will cut down nets
Former Xavier, Providence and Virginia coach Pete Gillen, a CBS Sports Network college analyst and NYC Basketball Hall of Famer, shares some of his March Madness thoughts and predictions with The Post. As told to Steve Serby.
Well, at least my NCAA Championship game pick is still intact, but my boss tells me if I don’t do better this week, I’ll be selling canoe rides on the Schuykill River in Philly (I lived there for two years when I was an assistant at Villanova, but I never saw a canoe. Might not be a plum job). So the pressure is really on.
Here’s how I see the rest of the tournament shaking out:
MIDWEST Regional semifinals
Kansas over Purdue: Frank Mason III and the speed of Kansas overcome the inside game of big man Caleb Swanigan. Mason looks like King Arthur of the roundtable and controls the court.
Michigan over Oregon: Michigan is on a roll and seems like a team of destiny after escaping unhurt when their plane slid off the runway before winning the Big Ten Tournament. The basket looks as big as the Atlantic Ocean for them. 6-foot10 center Mo Wagner stays hot scoring inside or outside. Derrick Walton Jr. rains down 3s and Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey can’t score enough.
Regional final
Kansas over Michigan: The best pair of guards in college hoops put on a clinic. Michigan has no answer for Josh Jackson. Big Blue goes cold from 3-point land and Walton can’t keep up with Mason and Devonte Graham.
SOUTH Regional semifinals
North Carolina over Butler: The scare against Arkansas helps the Tar Heels refocus. Arguably the best frontcourt in college basketball controls the paint on both ends. Butler is physical and efficient, but Kelan Martin and Andrew Chrabascz are overwhelmed by the size and talent.
UCLA over Kentucky: Lonzo Ball reminds me of a young Magic Johnson, but he’s a better 3-point shooter and not quite as tall. The Bruins chuck and duck and heave and leave. Bryce Alford hits a bunch of 3s and freshman T.J. Leaf has a big game to overcome freshmen De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, but the Wildcats must think big man Bam Adebayo has malaria because they never look at him or pass him the ball unless it’s a last resort.
Regional final
North Carolina over
UCLA: It’s the late Dean Smith’s point zone as North Carolina shows a 2-3 zone and switches to a 1-3-1 alignment and frustrates Ball. Carolina controls the glass and Joel Berry II gets hot from downtown. UCLA is capable of playing matador defense.
EAST Regional semifinals
Wisconsin over Florida: Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes have big games, and KeVaughn Allen doesn’t get enough help. The Badgers’ March Madness experience is invaluable.
South Carolina over Baylor: South Carolina coach Frank Martin is so emotional, he cries at Star Trek reruns. And his players play like their hair is on fire. Sindarius Thornwell takes over the game. Baylor is a conundrumum and you don’t know which Bayloror team will show up. I don’t know what the word means, but Post readersrs are very smart, so I put the wordord in there. The South Carolina 1-3--1 half-halfcourt trap and tight man defenseefense slows down Johnathan Motley.y.
Regional final
Wisconsin over Souutth Carolina: A rock fight that hat is played in the mud and in the glue and in Bloody Nosee Lane. Wisconsin’s swingg offense hurts South Carolina inside. Koenig gets hot from 3-point land and Thornwell is locked down as the Badgers reach their third Final Four in four years. The Badgers are like Rasputin — you got to put an ice pick in his temple and stick him under the water for a week to kill him. They’re tough.
WEST Regional semifinals
Gon z aga ove r West Virginia: West Virginia creates more turnovers than a bakery, and their full- court and half-court pressure defense is amazing. But Nigel Williams-Goss and Josh Perkins take good care of the ball and 7-1 Przemek Karnowski dominates the lane on offense and defense for the Zags.
Arizona over Xavier: I wish I could pick Xavier because coach Chris Mack is my former player. Arizona, with Kadeem Allen’s tenacious perimeter defense, slows down Trevon Bluiett. Fab Finnish freshman Lauri Markkanen scores inside and outside, and Allonzo Trier finishes on the fast break.
Regional final
Arizona over Gonzaga: Trier didn’t play in Arizona’s 69-62 loss to Gonzaga in December. Trier has a big game against the plodding Bulldogs, and Markkanen’s quickness gets Karnowski in foul trouble as Sean Miller beats Mark Few to the Final Four.
FINAL FOUR National semifinals
Arizona over Wisconsin: Arizona speeds up Wisconsin with ful-court pressure.sure. It’s tougher to sspeed a team up than slowslow themthem down. WiWisconsin wants to play a game in the 60s, AArizona wants to get a game in the 80s. EEthan Happ has troubleble shooting over the 7-0 Markkanen inside. Kansas over Nor t h Carolina: Mason and Graham exploit North Carolina’slina’s sieve-like defedefense with penetration and get the Tar HeeHeel’s fabulous frontline in foul trouble, and Berry goes cold in a shootout loss.
National ttitle game
Kansas over Arizona:Ari Kansas could be in trouble if Landon Lucas gets in foul troubletro because they lack depth inside, but Mason sews up Player of the Year and the Jayhawks’ transitiontion gagame is too much for ArizonArizona. And Jackson is the besbest freshman in the country. Sviatoslav Mykhailiukiuk — it’s spelled just like it’s pronounced so you take it from here — has been a nice surprise for Bill Self. I’m upping my point total because Kansas’sas’ fast break is like the IndIndianapolis 500.
KANSAS 76, ARIZONA 72