NCAA Tournament: Final Four Staff Picks
The staff at theScore put on their prognosticator hats and made predictions for each of the Final Four games, highlighting reasons for their selections. The pickers are Gino Bottero, Mike Dickson, George Halim, Kimberly John and Isaac Owusu.
1 Duke Blue Devils vs. 7 Michigan State Spartans
Bottero: Tom Izzo is a wizard in the month of March. His teams are more likely to make the Final Four than get knocked off in the first weekend. But this is April, and outside of Michigan State's 2000 title run as a No. 1 seed, Izzo is 1-5 in the tournament's final weekend. He's also 1-8 against Mike Krzyzewski. Michigan State's bigs got into foul trouble against Louisville. The combination of Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow is a different animal entirely. The Spartans' lack of frontcourt depth will finally catch up with them. Duke 67, Michigan State 61
Dickson: Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Izzo are arguably the two most successful coaches of the modern era, consistently leading Duke and Michigan State back to the Final Four. The big difference between the two is how their squads perform when they arrive on the big stage. While Izzo has led the Spartans to the Final Four six other times, he's only captured the title once, while Krzyzewski's 11 previous appearances have led to seven title games and four championships. Coach K does it again as the magical Michigan State run comes to an end. Duke 77, Michigan State 71
Halim: The Spartans are the de facto Cinderella in this year's tournament, simply because they find a way to hang around with the big dogs. Speaking of big dogs, Duke has found a way to incorporate more than just Jahlil Okafor into the offense. Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow are two other Blue Devils who could shred the Spartans, so don't be surprised if Michigan State finally meets its match. Duke 58, Michigan State 52
John: The Spartans are no stranger to the Blue Devils, who defeated Michigan State in November with big man Jahlil Okafor leading the way. However, Okafor's play has been inconsistent in the tournament, and he will not get things figured out in time to upend Michigan State. Michigan State 74, Duke 66
Owusu: While Tom Izzo has once again gotten his Spartans to play over their heads, they will have trouble defending the post work of Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor, not to mention forward Justise Winslow's athleticism and guard Quinn Cook's shooting. Duke 68, Michigan State 54
1 Kentucky Wildcats vs. 1 Wisconsin Badgers
Bottero: Notre Dame showed no fear and went right at Kentucky, giving the Wildcats their toughest test of the year. Wisconsin is a better team than the Irish and won't be intimidated by a rematch against Kentucky. The Badgers will be leaning on more upperclassmen than the Wildcats on Saturday, and at this stage of the tournament, that's going to make a big difference. Wisconsin 72, Kentucky 70
Dickson: It's deja vu for Wisconsin. After downing Arizona in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row, Wisconsin again gets a chance to take out Kentucky in the Final Four. For the Badgers to reverse last year's outcome, they'll need to get a repeat of the performances Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker had against Arizona. That just doesn't seem likely against a star-studded Kentucky lineup that was put to the test but weathered the storm against Notre Dame. 39-0. Kentucky 70, Wisconsin 68
Halim: Last week's showing against Notre Dame didn't expose weakness in Kentucky, it just went to show that the Wildcats can maintain composure when it matters most. The Badgers may be the team most likely to take down the nation's overall No. 1, but in order to do that, both Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker will need to show up. If Kentucky's big men can shut down one or both of them, Wisconsin will have a tough time. Kentucky 66, Wisconsin 60
John: This will be a close game between two talented teams. While Wisconsin has star Frank Kaminsky, who is a gem from beyond the arc and at the line, and Sam Dekker, who makes knocking down threes look easy, Kentucky is undefeated for a reason. The Wildcats' overall roster boasts both versatility and talent that will continue to tip the scores in Kentucky's favor. Kentucky 63, Wisconsin 58
Owusu: John Calipari's cast has proven it has the grit to grind out competitive finishes. Expect the Wildcats to frustrate the Badgers with their size and athleticism, though Kentucky will have to again play in a back-and-forth game using half-court sets. Kentucky 72, Wisconsin 67