Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Final Four
San Antonio ready for the maddest of Marches to keep on rolling.
The maddest of Marches is winding down, the college basketball season now headed into April. All those upsets, crazy finishes and stellar performances have brought us to San Antonio, where a Cinderella and its telegenic nun join three power programs in the Final Four.
Loyola vs. Michigan
Offense: Loyola is the best shooting team in the Final Four, hitting 50.9 percent of its field goals. The Ramblers hit an astounding 40 percent of 3-pointers. Every player on the court is capable of making a big shot as we have seen with game-winners from three of them in the tournament. The Wolverines are similar with their ball movement and multiple scoring options. They take better care of the ball, ranked second nationally in turning it over only 9.2 times per game.
Edge: Michigan.
Defense: Both teams rank in the top 20 in Kenpom.com’s defensive efficiency rating, Michigan fourth and Loyola 19th. The Ramblers have limited their last 10 opponents to 68 or fewer points. On the season, opponents have averaged 62.4 points per game. Michigan’s opponents have scored 63.1 points per game, shooting 42.4 percent. The Ramblers haven’t had to defend a stretch-five player like Michigan 6-foot-11 forward Moe Wagner. Edge: Michigan.
Bench: This is another close one. Center Jon Teske and guard/ forward Duncan Robinson come off the bench for Michigan to combine for 13 points per game. Loyola forward Aundre Jackson, last season’s Missouri Valley Conference sixth man of the year, has averaged 11 points per game this season. He has been the Ramblers’ leading scorer in the tournament, averaging 12.3. He was crucial against Nevada, starting the second half, and could be used more instead of Cameron Krutwig against Michigan. Edge: Loyola.
Intangibles: That underdog status makes a difference. Everyone from the Thunder to rapper Drake to former President Barack Obama is rooting for the lowest seed left in the Final Four. The Ramblers have to feel like a team of destiny. Edge: Loyola.
Coaches: Michigan coach John Beilein is making his second trip in five seasons to the Final Four. This is Loyola coach Porter Moser’s first NCAA tournament appearance. Edge: Michigan. Prediction: Michigan 75-68.
Kansas vs. Villanova
Offense: While both teams like to get out and run, they have shown they can win gritty games as well. ’Nova’s Mikal Bridges and Kansas’ Lagerald Vick are both at their best in transition, and nobody has been as clutch during the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments as Malik Newman for the Jayhawks. Both teams share the ball well and hit their outside shots, with 16.9 assists per game and 40.3 percent 3-point shooting for Kansas and 16.5 assists and 40.0 percent 3point shooting for Villanova.
Edge: Even
Defense: Villanova and Kansas boast talented big men who can be forces around the rim. For the Wildcats, 6-foot-9 Eric Paschall and 6-10 Omari Spellman blossomed last weekend. Paschall grabbed 14 rebounds in the Elite Eight win over Texas Tech for his first career double-double. For Kansas, Udoka Azubuike’s biggest issue is staying on the court — the 7-foot, 280-pound sophomore fouled out of the Jayhawks’ last two games. When he stays on the court, he is a difference-maker above the rim with his ability to crash the glass and swat shots.
Edge: Villanova
Bench: The teams are somewhat similar in that they do not go very deep and get mostly minimal production from the bench. Villanova sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo is an athletic wing who can spell guard Phil Booth and give a boost offensively. He is third on the Wildcats in scoring at 12.9 points, second in assists at 3.5 a game and adds 4.7 rebounds in his 29.1 minutes. They also have Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Collin Gillespie in reserve. Kansas goes about three deep off the bench, with Silvio De Sousa becoming a key contributor after being cleared by the NCAA in January and Mitch Lightfoot giving more size. Freshman Marcus Garrett is a 6-5 do-it-all guard who can spell the other perimeter players. Edge: Villanova
Intangibles: In a battle of veteran teams, the Wildcats have the Final Four experience from 2016, with 10 players still around who were on the roster (though DiVincenzo and Paschall sat out that year). The Jayhawks, in their first Final Four appearance since 2012, should have a decided crowd advantage. Both teams have shown the ability to play varying styles of games, though Kansas has had its share of struggles this season while Villanova has been perhaps the nation’s most consistent team. Edge: Villanova
Coaching: Jay Wright has been one of the nation’s best coaches in his 17 years at the school, adding this Final Four berth to the 2016 title. But Bill Self led the Jayhawks to the 2008 championship and a 2012 runner-up finish. Edge: Even. Prediction: Villanova 77-71.