| Final Four Predictions |
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| Written by Matt Foust | |||||||
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Tuesday, 31 March 2009
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The 2009 Final Four is set and it is not what most people expected when the NCAA Tournament began back on March 19th. Yes, the North Carolina Tar Heels, the favorite when the madness tipped off, are still alive, as are the UConn Huskies; however, surprising guests Villanova and Michigan State are also going to crash next weekend's party. With the field set, SBGglobal.com has released their Final Four Predictions, and, shockingly, the Tar Heels are listed as the favorite at -135 moneyline odds. Roy Williams team made quick work of almost every opponent they faced the past two weekends, suggesting that they are healthy and peaking at the right time. The Tar Heels faced overmatched foes in Radford, LSU, and Gonzaga but the Oklahoma Sooners certainly appeared capable — at least on paper — of posing a formidable challenge to UNC. They, however, could not keep up with the Heels, shooting a miserable 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. North Carolina has won their four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 22.5 points per game while averaging 88.75 points per game. The Tar Heels have given up just 66.25 per outing in route to a 8-1 neutral site record. The key player for Roy Williams, without question, has been point guard Ty Lawson. Lawson missed the first tournament game against Radford, but has paced the Tar Heels in their wins over LSU, Gonzaga, and Oklahoma. He averaged 20.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in those victories while shooting an astounding 63.6 percent from three point range. North Carolina will likely need another superior effort from Lawson to get past Villanova. The critical factor in UNC's impressive Big Dance run has been their ability to knock down the three point shot. For the tournament, they have shot 43.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Wildcats have limited their tournament opposition to a meager 29 percent from three point range. UCLA was the only Villanova foe to crack the 33 percent mark, shooting 37.5, but they negated their nine bombs by giving the ball up 20 times. SBGglobal.com's Final Four Predictions: North Carolina Tar Heels -135                        |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 March 2009 ) | |||||||
