Final Four Staff Picks: Does anyone believe in the Orange?

The staff at theScore put on their prognosticator hats and made selections for the Final Four matchups, highlighting the reasons for their choices. The pickers are Michael Amato, Dane Belbeck, Alex Chippin, Michael deCourcy, Mike Dickson, George Halim, William Lou, Sean O'Leary, and Joe Thomson.

No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 2 Oklahoma

Belbeck: Unless you live in Philadelphia or graduated from Villanova, you will likely be rooting for Buddy Hield and Oklahoma on Saturday. The senior stud has been unstoppable through four games of the tournament, pouring in 117 combined points. The Sooners are the second-best 3-point shooting team in the country, while Villanova lags behind at 134th. With so much attention paid to Hield, look for Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard to step up and have big games seeing Oklahoma through to the final.

Chippin: Villanova is clicking on all cylinders at both ends of the floor. A team can only rely on one player, as Oklahoma relies on Hield, for so long.

Amato: Oklahoma has the best player in this game in Hield, but Villanova has the more balanced team. Expect Daniel Ochefu to make an impact inside like he did early on against Kansas and the Sooners will have a difficult time stopping him. He should be the difference-maker in this one.

Lou: Jay Wright's crew hangs their hats on defense. With a host of pesky guards at his disposal, look for the Wildcats to drag the Sooners into a halfcourt game, and to double Hield as much as possible.

Consensus: Oklahoma

No. 10 Syracuse vs. No. 1 North Carolina

Dickson: While Syracuse may be a surprise entrant into the Final Four, the Orange didn't exactly set the world on fire to get here. They beat a seven seed in Dayton, a No. 15 in Middle Tennessee, and a No. 11 in Gonzaga before finally running into top-seeded Virginia in the Midwest final. While the win was impressive, the Cavaliers didn't have their best day and the chances of North Carolina being equally off are very slim.

Halim: Twice this year these schools squared off, and twice North Carolina won the day. Although Syracuse is the de facto Cinderella in this game, it's only because the Orange are a No. 10 seed. But seeding aside, it's difficult to imagine the Tar Heels letting this one slip away when it matters most.

O'Leary: Syracuse's magical run ends in the Final Four. The Orange have stifled opponents throughout the entire tournament, but North Carolina is too much to handle. The Tar Heels' seniors get the job done, punching their ticket to the final.

Thomson: The team nobody thought should be in the tournament is going to the finals on the strength of Michael Gbinije, Malachi Richardson, and Trevor Cooney. Marcus Paige won't shoot the lights out again and the Orange have just enough inside to pull off one of the tournament's all-time great upsets.

Consensus: North Carolina