Can anyone stop DeMarcus Cousins? I'm looking at you West Virginia.
By Jon Harris
The last round on the road to the Final Four: the Elite 8. Saturday’s two games feature East and West Regional Finals. Three of the teams were expected to reach this round. But No. 5 Butler was, in most people’s brackets, a Sweet 16 team at best. This, however, hasn’t been a typical tournament. We’ve seen a No. 14 knock off a No. 3 and a No. 9 mid-major team knock off a perennial powerhouse in Kansas, who was the heavy favorite to win the whole tournament (just ask President Obama).
The new favorite is presumably No. 1 Kentucky out of the East Region. But a big obstacle blocks a Final Four berth for the Wildcats and it isn’t the SAT. It’s No. 2 West Virginia. Da’Sean Butler and the Mountaineers are great on defense, but so is Kentucky, making this game even more intriguing. Out west in Salt Lake City, surprising Butler battles No. 2 Kansas State. The only thing more frightening to me about the Wildcats than Coach Frank Martin is Jacob Pullen’s beard. (I’m sick of all the teams who have a wildcat mascot, can we please communicate a little here and make sure that our school’s mascot isn’t already being used? I mean I’m talking about four teams and two of them have the same mascot.) So Butler, don’t play like a No. 5 seed, play like the team who shut down Syracuse. But most importantly, “fear the beard!”
West Region
#2 Kansas State (29-7) v. #5 Butler (31-4)
Salt Lake City, UT 4:30 p.m. on CBS (Yes! College basketball is finally back to normal game tip times. No more of this 9:57 p.m. tip nonsense.)
I’m hoping for Butler to pull off another upset, but I know the Bulldogs don’t see it that way. They see it as a normal win. They see themselves on an even pedestal with Jacob Pullen and Kansas State. And why not? Butler went 18-0 in the Horizon League (no surprise, they dominate that league each year) and are currently on the longest winning streak in NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball with 23 straight victories. They’ve beaten the likes of Xavier, Ohio State and Syracuse this season. Will the Wildcats be the next victim?
No, they won’t. Frank Martin (I just think he looks like a STAR officer … maybe it’s the slicked-back hair?) will have his team ready to go and what do you have to fear when you have the beard? Jacob Pullen is an absolute stud. The 6-foot junior guard is averaging 18.9 points per game through the first three rounds of the tournament. Aided by Denis Clemente and Curtis Kelly, the Wildcats defeated No. 6 Xavier in a double-overtime instant classic Sweet 16 game. Butler, however, has defeated Xavier too. They won 69-68 in late-game fashion as well. All this leads me to believe that Butler versus Kansas State is going to be a great game and probably one that will be decided with five minutes remaining in the second half of Saturday’s West Regional Final.
Prediction:
Kansas State: 71 Butler: 67
East Region
#1 Kentucky (35-2) v. #2 West Virginia (30-6)
Syracuse, NY 7:05 p.m. on CBS
When Syracuse’s loss was announced in the Carrier Dome Thursday night, there was plethora of cheers from West Virginia and Kentucky fans. With Syracuse out, both Kentucky and West Virginia know that they won’t face a No. 1 seed if they reach the NCAA Championship (Midwest No. 1 Kansas lost in the second round to Northern Iowa). They first must get by each other.
Let’s start with West Virginia. My analysis will start with the same player who starts the Mountaineers offense: Da’Sean Butler. The 6-foot-7 senior should’ve been Big East Player of the Year. Sure, Wes Johnson had a fantastic year, but Butler played consistently for the whole season while Johnson struggled in February. He’s a matchup problem for pretty much any team, but I can’t wait to see a few instances when John Wall guards him. They’re both two of the best and most athletic players in the tournament who will be playing in the NBA shortly after March Madness ends. Luckily for Butler, he doesn’t have to do to try to beat ultra-talented Kentucky all by himself. Forwards Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks corral 15.5 rebounds per game and provide West Virginia with some raw athleticism. (Like they need any more athleticism. Bob Huggins wears a track suit for God’s sake.) Both score over 12 points per game and will need to work together with 6-foot-7 senior forward Wellington Smith to limit DeMarcus Cousins’ effectiveness.
Cousins is athletic like the West Virginia guys of course, but has a little more meat on his bones. At 6-foot-11, 270 pounds, he is an absolute monster. Just give him an NBA contract now and watch him bruise with the best centers in the world. Another player with NBA-ready talent is of course the aforementioned John Wall. He’s averaging 16.9 points and 8.7 assists in the tournament and is another classic John Calipari one-and-done guard. Don’t just look at these two guys to make your prediction, however. Kentucky also has freshman sharpshooter Eric Bledsoe, who is averaging 18 points per game in the tournament due to his 29 point outburst against No. 16 East Tennessee State. Also, don’t forget about junior forward Patrick Patterson, who actually played on the Kentucky team before they were … well … good. He is big at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, and can take you inside or outside (37 percent from beyond the arc).
This game is truly a dream Elite 8 matchup. The No. 1 versus the No. 2 in the Carrier Dome. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Prediction:
Kentucky: 63 West Virginia: 59
