National Championship Prediction?

I am going with Pitt after seeing the way they beat UConn. As long as DeJaun Blair stays out of foul trouble, I do not see any other team beating the Panthers.

Buggers Bunny wrote:I'm not completely sure but I would go with Carolina right
now. With Oklahoma right behind them. But you cannot forget about
Louiseville, who can come back from behind big, or Kansas, looking for
double championships.

I agree with you on that, but Kansas is so weak on the road, yet their so much beter then i thought they would be. But my favorite two are Carolina & Oklahoma. Then Uconn has a shot to.

Carolina will be in there for sure.

Pitt never seems to be well in the tournament, too physical a team. Once a Pac-10 ref does their tourney game you can basically count them out. They always get eliminated a lot sooner than I thought.

I know NOTHING about Oklahoma's guards. However if they have any skill/depth there, I've got to think they'll be there in the end.

I hate to count out Uconn, but I think the Dyson loss is too much to overcome. Stanley Robinson does not seem ready to step up, and Kemba Walker just doesn't bring the same value to the court as Dyson (right now anyway).

So yeah, Carolina and Oklahoma.

I know I am a PITT fan so I won't pick them but for everybody that is saying they always lose early.....this isn't the same team as those teams. Last year PITT wasn't healthy, Fields was still hurt and not 100% and they had nobody to replace Cook when he went out earlier in the year so they were playing a ton of freshman, and the teams that were getting 2-4 seed earlier this decade didn't have the athletes to compete with the top teams. Anybody who watched them on a consistent basis knew that they would struggle once they had to play superior athletes (Think D-Wade when Marq upset them).

that being said PITT has to be one of the favorites because they take care of business against teams they should beat and have the athletes to compete with anybody

UNC - I have a hard time believing they are going to commit to defense enough to win, if they have an off night in the tourney on offense they will lose.
OU - I really need them to actually play somebody good! No games against top 10 teams and their best win is against Purdue, so idk what to make of them.

SO without picking PITT...

Uconn vs Memphis (they might be a year away though)

As long as Blair can stay out of foul trouble (Pitt's losses this year have come when Blair had to spend a lot of time on the bench) I do not see any teams being capable of beating them. Pitt has too much muscle inside for UConn, Thabeet cannot handle Blair and Young they are too physical. Oklahoma will need their young and inexperienced backcourt if they want to win the championship. UNC as codelltaylor said is not good enough on defense and I feel like Pitt could dominate them physically as well.

yeah the problem for a lot of teams is Young. He came to PITT as a PF, but now is more of a SF/SG in shooting and skill but still is strong and can bang in the post so it is hard to find somebody to guard him.

If your Orange ever decided to play some defense they could do some damage come tourney time......they are basically UNC without Hansborough. Good scoring guards but nobody wants to play defense.

codelltaylor wrote:If your Orange ever decided to play some defense they could do some damage come tourney time......they are basically UNC without Hansborough. Good scoring guards but nobody wants to play defense.

Agreed. If Rautins is on from three and Flynn and Devendorf are on their game I think we can be dangerous. Onuaku is a beast down low, but teams are beginning to send him to the line more which is basically an automatic turnover. Paul Harris has been a major disappointment this season, he needs to step it up. He keeps shooting bricks from three point land.

Im was picking Duke before, but now there falling out of it. I think in the end i think the Tar Heels or the Panthers. Who knows, if not them im picking Davidson

imevil wrote:Im was picking Duke before, but now there falling out of it. I think in the end i think the Tar Heels or the Panthers. Who knows, if not them im picking Davidson

haha I've seen possible choices. C'mon now. you gotta pick one. Don't pick Duke.
If you wanna lose your bracket. Pick Duke. They have no inside game and their 3 point shooting is streaky. Just like last years squad. I'm rollin' with UNC and I do think they will tighten their D up this postseason. They will be the hungriest team out there after that embarrassing L last season.

North Carolina vs. Pittburgh

Pittsburgh

I got Pitt and the opponent i can't nail down.

I wanna say UNC, but I just don't think the ACC is going to be reppin the National Champ game this year.

Maybe a surprise like Louisville or Memphis making it.

I was thinking about something today......

- I know PITT's physical style has been a sticking point for a lot of people picking them to go far in the tournament but I was thinking about something today and considering they will most likely be a #1 seed and maybe #1 overall, don't the refs usually call the tournament games (especially #1 seeds) like they play? Physical teams they let play physical and finesse teams they call a lot of fouls. I was just wondering what you guys thought about this?

I can't pick Pitt past the Elite 8. At some point some lousy Pac-10 ref will be involved in one of their games, and they will get hurt by their physical brand of basketball.

I always LOVE Pitt's chances, and always watch them get bounced way too early. Not again, I know better this time. Their physicality is their strength, and the tourney officiating is going to turn that into a weakness at some point.