March Madness has been crazier and more enjoyable to watch than any other year in recent memory. I love seeing two mid-major teams make the Final Four. It really gives an unpredictable feel to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This is a season where it feels like anything can truly happen because of what already has happened.
My own bracket is more or less finished off at this point, so I can just sit back and have fun watching these games. Here are my thoughts on both Final Four games and my predictions on who will play for the NCAA title on Monday:
VCU vs Butler:
No one saw this historic Final Four matchup materializing. Both teams took radically different paths to get here. Butler produced one heart-stopping finish after another, with wins over Old Dominion, Pittsburgh and Florida going down to the final seconds. VCU dominated in reaching this point. The Rams beat USC, Georgetown, Purdue and Kansas by double digit margins.
So who has the edge out of this matchup of lower-seeded underdogs? I like Butler's chances in this one. The Bulldogs are good on the glass and have been solid defensively all season. VCU has been white hot from 3-point range all tournament. But it is a little harder to knock down shots from long range in a football dome like Reliant Stadium than a traditional basketball arena.
Butler 62, VCU 59
Connecticut vs Kentucky:
The run of success the Huskies have enjoyed over the past month is simply amazing. UConn won five games in five days to claim the Big East Tournament title. The Huskies kept it up with four straight NCAA Tournament victories to reach Houston. Kemba Walker is one of the best guards in the nation and his ability to completely take over a game is what makes UConn a difficult team to beat.
Kentucky is extremely young. But the Wildcat youngsters are also super talented. There has been a dose of maturity late in the season that has been the difference for UK. Once the Wildcats figured out how to finally win on the road, they have been able to win in a variety of ways against a variety of opponents. The awe factor of being in the final four could be there, but Kentucky has already taken out its fair share of tough opponents after beating West Virginia, Ohio State and North Carolina to get to Houston.
Kentucky 71, UConn 64
