NCAA Tournament 2016: Most Intriguing Storylines to Watch in the Final Four
This Saturday marks the beginning of one of the strangest Final Fours in recent memory. If this crazy-even-by-March Madness-standards tournament stays true to form, it could also end up as one of the best.
In the first game, you have arguably the tournament's best team thus far in Villanova against arguably (although less arguably) its best player in Buddy Hield, who leads Oklahoma against its fellow No. 2 seed.
In the other contest, North Carolina, the only No. 1 seed to reach this season's Final Four, takes on Syracuse, the first No. 10 seed and fourth double-digit seed ever to make it this far.
Are there storylines? You bet your bottom dollar there are storylines. Here are the most prominent among those storylines heading into a fascinating weekend of college basketball.
Can Syracuse Break the Seed Ceiling?
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Before it reached the tourney by the skin of its teeth and metamorphosed into a house of fire, Syracuse was an afterthought, without coach Jim Boeheim because of a suspension for a significant stretch of the season and presumably buried in a talented ACC field.
Yet here they are, the fourth double-digit seed to enter a Final Four. But when the Orange face North Carolina on Saturday, they'll have a chance to set foot in uncharted territory.
Of these four ultimate Cinderellas, none has advanced to the national title game. If Syracuse can topple the Tar Heels, it'll be in a class by itself.
Villanova: Best Team Here or Just Happy to Be Here?
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After years of tournament underachievement, Villanova finally broke through.
It didn't have an easy road here, either, crushing a tough Miami team and then besting top-overall seed Kansas to cut down the regional nets.
Villanova has been flying under the radar all season, thanks to its starless lineup and aforementioned late-season ineffectiveness.
But it is a force to be reckoned with, especially on defense. According to Joe Boozell of NCAA.com, "The Wildcats held the Jayhawk bench scoreless, and Villanova super-sub Mikal Bridges wreaked havoc on Kansas’ second unit...Jay Wright and his coaching staff took Kansas out of its comfort zone by loading up on Perry Ellis and daring KU’s perimeter players to beat them, and that strategy worked."
This feat was en route to keeping the Jayhawks as a whole to just 59 points. That was after they held the Hurricanes to 69.
This is a very good unit. Have they had enough success for one season or are they primed to break through even further? Stay tuned.
Will the ACC Continue Its Hot Streak?
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Imagine if Louisville had been eligible.
The Big 12 and Big Ten got most of the regular-season love for conference depth and dominance. But the ACC showed it is still very much a force on the national stage. Sure, they've had their share of national titles lately thanks to Duke and Carolina. The top-to-bottom talent, critics said, just wasn't there.
The ACC has now set records for wins in a single tournament (19 and counting) and revenue (about $40 million) earned as a result of those wins.
As you know, 50 percent of the Final Four is ACC teams. It will inevitably be disappointing if one of those teams doesn't cut down the last net. Are they up for the challenge?
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North Carolina: The 'Best' Team Tries to Prove Itself
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When Marcus Paige is on, he's one of the best point guards in the country. Brice Johnson is certainly one of its best big men. The team's size and depth make it one of the scariest overall rotations. Head coach Roy Williams is trying to become just the sixth coach to win three NCAA men's titles.
“I'm trying to figure out how in the dickens I can get enough baskets against Syracuse's zone,” Williams said, per Bill Reiter of CBS Sports. “I've been fortunate to have great kids that make me look very good and I hope they keep doing it for a long time.”
Aw-shucks. Don't let the act fool you, though. UNC is a machine. Has it shed that "soft" label? Does it have the endurance to fend off the upsets that have come so fast and furious this postseason? We'll see.
What About Oklahoma's Supporting Cast?
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Buddy Hield, the likely Wooden Award winner, gets all the headlines. And hey, that's understandable, what with him being the leading scorer of the tournament and all.
But no one should sleep on the rest of Oklahoma's rotation, which in itself is rock solid.
After all, the team as a whole shot 43 percent from three-point land during the season. That transcends the efforts of just one player: Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins had a hand in that, and they have a hand in helping to keep defenses from loading up on Hield.
Down low, Ryan Spangler is a solid defender and rebounder, doing the grunt work for the glamour guys on the perimeter.
Yes, the Sooners are a real team. They'll have a chance to prove it when they face Villanova, the Final Four's consummate "team" team.
Seriously, Though...Buddy Hield
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The supporting cast helps him out. Lon Kruger—who should be coach of the year, by the way, not Bill Self—knows how to get him looks.
But don't overthink this one: Buddy Hield is the man.
Hield is scoring 29.3 points per game in the tourney to lead all scorers. He hits threes, sure, but he also hits clutch threes. He also hits twos, per his 46.5 percent overall field-goal shooting clip.
If the Sooners can win the title, that cements Hield alongside players like Danny Manning for all-time March Madness performances.
Can he get it done? We're about to find out.
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