Warrior Staffers Take Second Shot At Picking National Champion

After going a combined 5/20 in Final Four picks (four of which were the same team), Warrior staffers will now take a second attempt at picking the Final Four winners and this year’s National Champion.

Kyle Melnick

Syracuse vs. Michigan- Coming into the tournament, neither team was showing promise of a long postseason run. Both teams finished the season 5-5, during which Penn State upset the Wolverines and the Orange scored a measly 39 points in a loss against Georgetown. However, both teams have played their best basketball of the year; both defeating a #1 seed on their journey to Atlanta. Syracuse has been shutting down teams and making them look disorderly through their 2-3 zone defense. However, Michigan has all the abilities of breaking the zone. Wolverine guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. will be able to transition from defense to offensive quickly off the rebound and push the ball for an easy basket before the zone can be set up. These guards will also be able to collapse the zone by penetrating and kicking the ball out to shooter Nik Stauskas, who hit six three point field goals in the elite eight matchup against Florida. When the three is not open, forward Mitch McGary will be open in the paint for an easy basket. Michigan will win 58-50.

Louisville vs. Wichita State- Good guards win championships, and Louisville has two of the best in the country. Guards Peyton Siva and Russ Smith combine for an average of 29 points and 9 assists per game. Coming off a ten game win streak and big east championship at the end of the season, the Cardinals have won their four tournament games by an average of 22 points. On defense, the two guards combine for 4.2 steals per game and center Gorgui Dieng blocks 2.5 shots a game. The Cardinals are hot at the right time and are too hard to stop on both sides of the ball. Louisville will win 85-69. Louisville will leave Atlanta with Rick Pitino’s first championship for the Cardinals.

Joey Lavoie

We have finally arrived in the Georgia Dome, with the heavy favorite being Louisville, two four seeds battling it out, and the Cinderella Wichita State hooping the clock will never strike. As previously said, I believe Louisville will end the Shockers run. Playing behind the injury of Kevin Ware, the cardinals come into this game with a ton of emotion, which will help their overall one seed in taking Wichita down. Final score: 68-59 Louisville. In the other final four game between Michigan, and Syracuse, four seed vs. four seed. I think Michigan, who was a much better team earlier in the season behind Alec Burks should be able to figure out the Syracuse 2-3 zone. After running up a 22 point lead at half time vs. Florida en route to their elite eight victory, there no defense that can slow them down with their inside and outside game. Final Score: 62-56 Michigan.

So that sets the big stage, the Cardinals of Louisville will meet the Wolverines of Michigan for the final dance in 2013. This will be a great game of two extremely high powered offenses, but I believe that Louisville will be playing with too much emotion behind Ware and will be able to pull this out in a long close game. Final Score: 69-65 Louisville.

Brendan Cudd

The teams that are in the Final Four were not anywhere near predicted to make it their with the exception of Louisville. Louisville plays Wichita State which weren’t predicted to make it past the 3^rd round when they played number one Gonzaga and upset them then in the Elite eight they pulled the upset over Ohio State. This team has proven they are not a team to mess with. Louisville has also recently had the injury of Kevin Ware which was a devastation emotionally and physically to the team because he was a good player for them and they have to be able to bounce back not having him in the lineup. Overall I believe that Louisville will take the win in this game because they have the more skilled set of players.

Michigan plays Syracuse and neither of them were chosen to be one of the final four prospects. Michigan was expected to lose against number one Kansas in the Elite Eight game but ended up pulling the win. Syracuse has a good team and is not a team to be underestimated. They have many talented players which made me believe they would go far in this tournament. I think the winner of this game will be Syracuse but this game will be a close game.

The Championship game will be between Syracuse and Louisville which is going to be a very tight game all the way through. Both teams are very skilled and have a very talented team. For my prediction I’m going with the upset that Syracuse will win over Louisville.

Andrew Wasik

Well who would have seen this Final Four coming? Although I thought this was the year I finally pick the perfect bracket, like all plans of mice and men my dreams fell through. But really, who saw Wichita State making it? Or two four seeds playing each other? Not I.

But now to get to my picks, I am thinking that Louisville is going to beat Wichita State. Even after losing Kevin Ware, to the most gruesome sports injury quite possibly of all time, Louisville still crushed Duke by over 20 points. Maybe Ware’s injury is the inspiration and the fire the team needs to succeed and take home their first national championship since 1986. I also see Michigan blowing Syracuse out of the water behind the newly named all American Trey Burke. Burke was unstoppable vs Florida and with a supporting cast including Hardaway Jr, Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III, I see them being the team to beat.

If my predictions are correct and it is Michigan vs. Louisville I see this being one of the best NCAA championship games in recent memory. Michigan seems too hot to lose though and I see the Michigan Wolverines being the new national champions.

Dylan Craig

Post Views: 783