March Madness: Samo’s Final Four

By: Jordan Steigelfest & Dylan OllivierMarch Madness is a name for the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament that takes place from the second week of March to the first week of April (3/14- 4/3). 68 Division One teams across the country are selected and seeded into a single elimination tournament in which they will compete for the national title.Often times, viewers of the tournament fill out a bracket, predicting what they think will be the outcome of each game. While some people will predict with their brains, others will with their hearts. When creating a bracket, there are a few things to keep in mind: to not pick the outcome of the championship game right off the bat–take some time and look at all the teams competing. There are always upsets that ruin brackets because people think that the teams’ seedings correlate to the likelihood of them winning. Here, at the The Samohi, we filled out a bracket and present to you our Final Four picks. Writer’s picksEAST - FLORIDAWhile a couple days ago, the place in the Final Four from the eastern conference seemed to be sure to go to two tournament favorites, Villanova or Duke. But with their elimination in the second round, the spot in the Final Four has become completely up for grabs. Because of many early upsets, the eastern region has shown that March Madness can be very unpredictable, and thanks to possibly one more upset, the place in the Final Four could very well go to fourth seeded Florida Gators. While the Gators aren’t known to be particularly strong in offense, for the moment, they have shown a prowess in defense. They have only allowed 65 points in their win against East Tennessee State University on Thursday, March 16 and a whopping 39 against University of Virginia on Saturday, March 18 in the round of 32. This could be an asset to them in their next game against Wisconsin, the team which eliminated Villanova. The Gators still have some tough opposition ahead and must beware of third-seeded Baylor who wish for a place in the Final Four just as much as Florida.SOUTH - UCLA While the road to the Final Four is still long for the UCLA Bruins, considering the difficulty of their region with Kentucky and North Carolina, anything seems possible after this year’s miraculous season. This year, the Bruins have a talented and rejuvenated roster with freshman TJ Leaf and potential number one draft prospect, Lonzo Ball. The team, which managed to qualify for the NCAA tournament with a 29-4 record, has a lethal offense which averages 90.6 points a game mainly thanks to Leaf, who averages 16.2 points per game, and Lonzo Ball who averages a monstrous 7.7 assists per game. UCLA often leads rapid breakaways and any team which plays against them must be quick on their toes after scoring or turning the ball over. Although their offense is strong, the Bruins have a slightly weak defense, posing an issue for them against tough opponents like Malik Monk’s Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels. However, if UCLA manages to make it to the Final Four, despite their tough schedule, they will be serious title contenders.MIDWEST - KANSASUndoubtedly, the Kansas Jayhawks are one of the strongest teams in this tournament. The Big-12 conference regular-season champions have all the reasons to have the odds on their side; with second-seeded Louisville out, the Jayhawks should easily own the Midwest Region. The first seed team has breezed through the tournament, scoring 100 against UC Davis in the first round and 90 against Michigan State in the round of 32. Kansas has some of the most talented players: Josh Jackson averages 16.8 points a game while senior Frank Mason III is one of the only players in the tournament to average above 20 points a game. The Jayhawks have a very strong offense which averages 83.2 points per a game, a number largely above the NCAA average of 76.9. The team’s next game in the Sweet Sixteen will oppose them to fourth seeded Purdue which should be a walk in the park. Afterward, they will face the winner of the Michigan-Oregon game, their first real test in the tournament. WEST - ARIZONAThe Arizona Wildcats are a very popular choice to win it all in a lot of people’s brackets; the PAC-12 champions qualified for the tourney thanks to a 32-4 record and have had a really strong start to the tournament, notably featuring 100 points scored against North Dakota and a comeback against St. Mary to win by nine. The second seeded team have a very strong lineup featuring players who average more than ten points per game. To take the team to the Final Four, coach Sean Miller will be counting on sophomore guard Allonzo Trier and Freshman center Lauri Markkanen to maintain their good stats. Although Arizona’s offense is just average, scoring just 76.7 points per game, their defense, which was ranked third in the PAC-12, is efficient, only allowing 65.9 points per game. Before hoping to reach the Final Four, the Wildcats will have to rid themselves of 11th seed Xavier, who after two upsets will definitely give Arizona a run for their money, to possibly face the 32-1 Gonzaga Bulldogs. Teacher Quotes: Fazio“Ever since I was a kid, March Madness has been a special couple weeks of the year where I can enjoy one of my favorite things, college hoops. Growing up in Syracuse, New York, I have been a die-hard college basketball fan. I love the idea that there are 64 teams that come together and battle it out for the championship; win or go home. Overall, it is something that I have been entertained by since I was a kid and I enjoy watching the excitement and joy of a Cinderella team win.” Radford “I was born the son of a basketball coach, played basketball, and coach basketball myself.  So March Madness is the pinnacle of the season at all levels.  Every coach and player works all season to be continuing to play in March.  I love college basketball and the competition.  As a basketball fan, it doesn’t get any better than basketball in March.” Boyd“I love march madness because it is a fun culmination to the basketball season. Same for the football pool and playoffs. I have grown up with sports as a large part of my childhood, especially basketball. My dad was the high school basketball coach in my hometown and I pretty much grew up on the basketball court. Watching basketball with my dad is one of my favorite things, because it is our thing. The text messages between us during close games are comical. We love to pick the underdog, like Middle Tennessee. We are huge Kansas fans so they always advance in our bracket. And when one shining moment plays we both cry! My final four is still looking good aside from Nova.”