The Gods ARE Crazy!: Final Four Preview

"SI's preseason pick to win it all justifies the hype by shutting down Hoyas linchpin Green and raining threes to clinch KU's third title."
 
—Grant Wahl and Luke Winn, Sports Illustrated, March 19, 2007
 
Before the Sweet 16, Dick Vitale said that Kansas and North Carolina would stroll into the Final Four.
 
Not quite, Dickie.
 
The semifinalists are set, and neither the Jayhawks nor the Tar Heels are heading to Atlanta—living proof that you can't script the playoffs. Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try...and so here's the lowdown on this year's Final Four.

East vs. South

The Ohio State Buckeyes had a sports angel watching over them last weekend—and let's just say he earned his wings.

For the record, Greg Oden is overrated. He's the Troy Smith of the Buckeyes basketball team. That said, he did deliver in the Elite Eight. Following call-out comments from Memphis center Joey Dorsey, Oden needed to put up or shut up.

The result: 17-0 Oden.

Hi Greg. Nice of you to finally show up. But you're still overrated, and I'll stick by that.

The Buckeyes got one step closer to silencing their critics on Saturday night by destroying a dangerous Memphis team 92-76. Now, they've got a huge obstacle to overcome in second-seeded Georgetown.

In a previous column, I predicted an overtime thriller to settle the East Region. Sure enough, it took an extra period for the Hoyas to exorcise the demons of Michael Jordan and James Worthy against North Carolina.

Georgetown also survived tough challenges from Boston College and Vanderbilt. Though everyone will want to talk about the supposed travel, the replays speak for themselves. So quit whining people. Drexel still has the biggest gripe...and they aren't complaining.

As for the winner here, I have a theory. The Buckeyes said they were on a mission to live up to expectations, but they didn't play like it until this weekend. My message to OSU fans: Too little, too late.

Georgetown is ready, and they'll bring the pain. It's going to take more than Ohio State's version of Shaq and D-Wade (Oden and Mike Conley Jr.) to get the job done in Atlanta.

Pick: Georgetown over Ohio State

 

 

Midwest vs. West

 

Kansas got the hype from everybody and their momma...and it worked for awhile. The Jayhawks had everyone in the West region fooled: Kentucky, Southern Illinois,  and even Pitt were all beaten by the time they stepped on the court.

 

Too bad UCLA didn't take the bait.

 

The Bruins didn't just eliminate Kansas—they straight up demolished them, 68-55. So what do the lucky winners have waiting for them when they reach Atlanta?

 

The team with the ultimate home-court advantage, the University of Florida.

 

One month ago, Joakim Noah and the Gators danced their way to a third-straight SEC Championship in the Georgia Dome. How fitting that Florida now finds itself back in Atlanta with a second-consecutive national title on the line.

 

By the way, three is still the Gators' lucky number: three SEC Championships in a row; wins over three non-conference powerhouses during the regular season (Ohio State, Kansas, UCLA); and, with two more victories, the school's third national championship in a year.

 

The Bruins had their biggest win of the tournament against Kansas. Against Florida, they have everything to gain and everything to lose. A win would propel them back to the title game and avenge last year's loss to the Gators.

 

That said, Noah and teammate Al Horford still don't care who they face: They're not going to be denied. And after watching Lee Humphrey rain threes all day long, including one that literally scorched the net...I don't think the Bruins will be the team to end the run.

 

Get ready, Gator Nation: Two is the magic number, and the world is ready to celebrate.

 

Pick: Florida over UCLA