March Madness is down to the wire…Who will be the last team left standing?
By: Taren Vaughan
This year’s March Madness has most definitely lived up to its name as we have witnessed powerhouse programs like the Louisville Cardinals get knocked out in the first round and #11 seeds make school history by advancing far beyond even the most savviest of sports fan’s wildest imagination. After a slew of busted brackets, tear shedding and long bus rides home, we are now left with only a total of four teams to watch. And even though this tournament has deemed itself as a pure toss up when it comes to who will win, which ball club looks to be the one who will take it all? Let’s start with VCU.
VCU
A team that only two people out of the millions that did brackets this year had in their Final Four have practically shocked the world by becoming one of the four teams left. And in addition to stunning analysts and fans alike, the Rams have made school history by making it to the Elite Eight and the Final Four for the first time ever. Who would have ever thought a #11 seed would stand a chance against the Morris brothers? VCU proved yet again that they can hang with the best of them.
Butler
After falling to the Duke Blue Devils in last year’s championship game, the Butler Bulldogs have come back with much tenacity as they have made it back to a place that they were at just last year. Only this time, they are looking to cut down the nets down in Texas as the 2011 champions. Butler took out some notable teams along the way including #2 seed Florida. As Butler is drawing much similarity from 2010, they will however be facing a team out of Richmond that is bound and determined to put that final stamp on their incredible tournament run and don’t appear to be losing any steam.
UCONN
The Hall of Famer Coach Jim Calhoun and his UCONN Huskies are Final Four bound yet again to the surprise of many. Led by star guard Kemba Walker who has been a dominate force throughout this entire tournament, this team has arose out of the West defeating a physical Arizona squad that gave them a run for their money in the paint. But the Huskies’ sharp three-point shooting has kept them around much longer than many people expected and led them past Derrick Williams and the Wildcats by a bucket.
Kentucky
Knocking off #1 and #2 seeds along the way, the Kentucky Wildcats are now headed to Houston to battle it out with UCONN for a chance at the national title. This program that was once headed by the great Tubby Smith is now on the verge of playing in a championship game as freshman point guard Brandon Knight has made a huge impact on their 2nd half surges that have led them to victories. They will be going up against another team that loves to throw up shots from beyond the arc, armed with a freshman of their own that has been stepping up tremendously for his team, UCONN’s Jeremy Lamb. Be that as it may, Kentucky appears to be more than ready to dig their claws into the Huskies’ offense…This match up should be fairly interesting.
So after a mass of upsets and shocking game endings, can we truly make an accurate prediction? It’s a tough call if you ask me.
