I’m 78% with Sweet Sixteen and Monday’s Elite 8 picks. I’ll add to the count as the buzzer sounds for both LA-based PAC-12 teams.
UPDATE, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31: My final record for the Elite 8 was 3-1 by virtue of missing on the Wolverines. Credit the Bruins: great game plan with solid execution. I missed two picks in the Sweet 16 (Loyola and Alabama), which means my overall record (S16 + E8) drops to 73%. Going forward, two of my March 15 Final Four picks–Baylor and Gonzaga–advance to this weekend’s play. Will both win? I think one will, and one won’t. More in my next article.
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Kudos to UCLA and USC. I love the Bruins’ grit and the Trojans’ talent, but I don’t see either team advancing tonight. Michigan is too strong, and Gonzaga is arguably the best team in the land.
As I wrote a few days ago, Michigan has rediscovered its mojo after losing Isaiah Livers to injury, and the Wolverines are a very scary and determined bunch. Frosh Hunter Dickinson, a stud in the middle, leads the team in both points and rebounds. Graduate transfer and sparkplug Mike Smith leads the team in assists, and German-import Franz Wagner can get points when the team needs points. Eli Brooks fills that bill, too.
UM dismantled Florida State, just as I knew they would, shooting nearly 50% from the field and turning the ball over minimally. I don’t see any way that UCLA will be able to handle Dickinson inside or will be able to score enough from the outside to win
The ESPN Matchup Projector has UM with an 81% of winning. Vegas pegs Michigan -6.5, which I think is light…very light. Michigan advances.
UCLA’s cross-town rival, USC, has enough talent and length to stick with Gonzaga for a while, but (in the end) I think the ‘Zags will wear down the Trojans and advance to this weekend’s Final Four. ESPN’s Matchup guide has it 80% ‘Zags with a Vegas line of -8.5 Gonzaga.
The Dogs from Spokane come into the game after having dismantled Creighton–shooting a blistering 60% from the field. Corey Kispert is the points leader (19+ a game), Drew Kimme leads in rebounds (7+ a game), and Jalen Suggs is the assists man (4+ a game). All three of those guys score in double figures. Joel Ayayi does, too.
And as I wrote last week, there aren’t any apparent weaknesses on this team. A perennial door-knocker on the NCAA championship, this could be the year that the ‘Zags finally wear the crown.
Gonzaga advances.
