NCAA Bracket 2016: Final Four Teams, Updated Schedule and Picks

Whether the Final Four is what you expected or not even close, all of the teams are now just two wins away from a national championship.

The NCAA tournament is known for its craziness, but this year has been even more bizarre than usual. Upsets were a theme in the first round, and although all four No. 1 seeds reached the Elite Eight, only one was able to win its region. What is left are four talented teams all hoping to keep their momentum going and bring home a title.

Although making predictions has been somewhat of a futile effort this year, here are some picks for the upcoming set of games in Houston.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
April 2	No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 2 Oklahoma	6:09 p.m.	TBS
April 2	No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 10 Syracuse	8:49 p.m.	TBS

No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 2 Oklahoma

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

While there will be a lot of talent on display in this game, the spotlight will clearly be on Buddy Hield. The Oklahoma senior has been arguably the best player in college basketball this season, and he hasn't slowed down now that he is on the big stage.

Hield has averaged 29.3 points in four NCAA tournament games, including two games of at least 35 points. His season average is now up to 25.4 per game with few teams having any chance to defend him.

Seth Davis of CBS Sports made a bold statement about the shooting guard:

Role players such as Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard can put up points as well, but Oklahoma's success is based on Hield having a good game. This puts the pressure on Villanova to slow down the All-American, although the squad might be better equipped to handle it than some might expect.

ESPN's Dana O'Neil summed up the Wildcats' reputation versus reality for this year:

The defense has been impressive with a variety of players who can guard multiple positions. The entire lineup has elite quickness to defend the perimeter, limiting opponents to just 33.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc this season. 

Villanova kept Kansas' top scorer, Perry Ellis, from even touching the ball for most of their Elite Eight game, holding him to just four points. The Wildcats won't be able to completely contain Hield, but they can keep him and the rest of the top scorers from the guard position in check. With plenty of quality options offensively in Josh Hart, Ryan Arcidiacono and others, the Big East squad should continue on to the finals.

Prediction: Villanova 68, Oklahoma 64

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 10 Syracuse

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Without question, Syracuse is one of the most surprising Final Four teams in history. Sure, this isn't like George Mason or VCU coming from a small conference since the Orange are part of the ACC. This is also one of the winningest programs in NCAA history with a Hall of Fame coach in Jim Boeheim leading the way and two McDonald's All-Americans—Malachi Richardson and DaJuan Coleman—on the roster.

On the other hand, this is a team that many believed didn't even deserve a spot in the NCAA tournament field. Syracuse sneaked in as a No. 10 seed and received a fortunate draw with some upsets, but along the way, it played good basketball.

After the Orange went down big in the first half of the Elite Eight matchup against Virginia, though, even Coach Boeheim was surprised by the comeback:

The squad has ramped up its defense late in games, and it has led to an appearance in the national semifinals.

Things don't get easier with a matchup against North Carolina, although it is definitely a matchup that could work in the Orange's favor. The Tar Heels don't consistently shoot well from the outside but could end up falling in love with the three against the 2-3 zone instead of effectively pushing the ball inside. Even though North Carolina has beaten its conference rival twice already this year, this matchup should be close.

However, UNC is also playing well on both ends of the court.

"We feel like we can't be beat," guard Marcus Paige said, per Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune. "We feel that when we're playing our best, we're happy with any matchup we get."

Brice Johnson also leads an elite frontcourt that should be able to get tons of offensive rebounds and easy putbacks in this battle. The game should stay close, but North Carolina will be able to pull away and earn the win.

Prediction: North Carolina 76, Syracuse 70

Check out Bleacher Report's live updating bracket to track your picks along the road to the Final Four.

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