时间:2025-03-01 00:18:03 来源:网络整理编辑:綜合
The Oklahoma Sooners, North Carolina Tar Heels, Villanova Wildcats and Syracuse Orange -- they've al
The Oklahoma Sooners, North Carolina Tar Heels, Villanova Wildcats and Syracuse Orange -- they've all landed in Houston for Saturday's Final Four. Two winners will advance to Monday's national championship game; the victor there will bask in March Madness glory until the end of time.
That much we know for certain. Now, by way of a Final Four preview, here are 10 more things that will definitely, probablyhappen in Houston this weekend.
SEE ALSO:Jay Bilas on the exploitation of college athletes and Young Jeezy's teeth10. Buddy Hield gets revenge after Valentine's day
Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield has been a scoring machine all season, to the tune of 25.4 points per game. He's also come up huge on gigantic stages. But the college hoops world reacted with surprise on Thursday when Michigan State's Denzel Valentine -- a fantastic player, but no Buddy Hield -- was named player of the year by the Associated Press in a close vote.
Failure Keeps Me Humble 🙏🏾💯🏀🔥
— Buddy Love !!!! (@buddyhield) March 31, 2016
Hield now has two games left in his college career to prove Valentine's voters wrong. Look for the Bahamian bomber to go out with a bang.
9. Jay Wright's suit game is on point
Probably the one true lock on this entire list. The Villanova head coach's predilection for fine haberdashery is so legendary his players call him "GQ Jay." Win or lose, Wright will do it in style.
8. Oklahoma beats Villanova to advance
Fans of the Wildcats and impeccable suits, however, will be let down by Saturday's first game, when Oklahoma finally ends Villanova's run. The Sooners already won a December matchup by 23 points; expect a closer result here. Villanova features a well-rounded attack with Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, Phil Booth and Daniel Ochefu. Oklahoma, too, is much more than just one player -- but Hield's star power will probably put the Sooners over the top.
7. Misanthropes whine about college hoops
Yes. We get it. College basketball can look constipated and elementary compared to the NBA. Ragging on college hoops is fashionable these days, and it's justified by offenses nationwide sputtering in recent years. But save the whining for another day. Enjoy what's in front of you as best you can.
6. Ramses gets well-deserved love
The same week that North Carolina reached the final four, its ram mascot, Ramses XXII, became a father to twin lambs, Ollie and Marvin. The university put out the adorable video below to celebrate on Thursday.
Expect the new dad to get more media love this weekend as long as the Tar Heels stick around. Ramses and his lamb-momma, Stella, deserve it.
5. Carolina takes down Syracuse
Speaking of the Heels, look for them to have a relatively easy time dispatching Syracuse in Saturday's nightcap. Carolina has teased fans with its potential all year, but the team's been flat-out excellent for weeks now. Brice Johnson became a powerhouse as a senior, and Marcus Paige is arguably the nation's best point guard. Syracuse has enjoyed a magical run, and there's no shame in it ending here against a team that's just more talented.
4. Syracuse will be scrutinized like no other team
First, everyone expressed shock when the Orange snuck into the March Madness field with a 19-13 record. The common consensus: They didn't deserve it. Now they're the first 10-seed to reach a Final Four.
Couple that with iconic coach Jim Boeheim doing one of the most brilliant jobs of his career in this tournament. Then, add the fact that Syracuse just wiggled out of any substantial punishment after being found in violation of NCAA rules. Syracuse is certainly the Final Four's most intriguing team in several ways. Expect hot takes to follow.
3. That one ref looks really familiar
John Higgins was announced Thursday as one of 10 Final Four refs -- marking his seventh time working college basketball's signature event. Having called many other big games over the years, Higgins has become perhaps college hoops' most recognizable referee -- for reasons good and bad. Sports Illustrated ran an interesting profile of him in January.
2. North Carolina wins its sixth national title
This is it, the championship matchup we all want to see: Hield coming out armed to the teeth in a bid to slay the giants from Chapel Hill. Alas, North Carolina will be too much. Oklahoma's "core four" is nothing to discount -- Hield, Isaiah Cousins, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard have started a combined 104 straight games. But the Tar Heels are just deeper overall, with Joel Berry, Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks flanking Paige and Johnson.
The good news for fans with no particular allegiance is that Carolina's uptempo attack paired with Hield's individual brilliance should lead to a highly entertaining season finale.
1. "One Shining Moment" delivers differently
"One Shining Moment" -- the ballad that plays over a tournament-capping video montage following each championship game -- is schmaltzy but irresistible.
This year, it's also a mystery.
A Turner executive said Tuesday that the tearjerker typically performed by Luther Vandross will be done by a new artist Monday night. But the identity of that new artist was still a secret at the time of this writing.
After a version of "One Shining Moment" was performed by Jennifer Hudson in 2010, the switch away from Vandross got panned and the classic rendition was re-instituted the following year. Our bet is producers learned their lesson, and this year's surprise twist delivers.
But that's not until Monday. For now, we'll leave you with last year's montage to hold you over until Saturday's Final Four doubleheader.
Florida hurricane forecast remains uncertain, but trends in state's favor2025-03-01 00:00
那不勒斯門將現卡裏烏斯式失誤 7分鍾被追3球遭絕殺2025-02-28 23:30
5國腳讓U23國足更立體 朱辰傑戴偉浚作用明顯2025-02-28 23:28
教育部:探索女子足球人才培養“一條龍”模式2025-02-28 23:10
Whyd voice2025-02-28 22:51
國足解散上海籍國腳如何安置?申花國腳留瓊海港國腳回滬2025-02-28 22:48
揭秘曼聯新帥滕哈格:最像瓜帥的光頭 訓練強迫症患者2025-02-28 22:47
李磊 :上輪複出身體沒百分百康複 但球隊需要就要付出全部2025-02-28 22:45
'Rocket League' Championship Series Season 2 offers $250,000 prize pool2025-02-28 22:39
圖赫爾親承主力鐵閘今夏離隊 曝免簽皇馬基本完成2025-02-28 21:47
Uber's $100M settlement over drivers as contractors may not be enough2025-02-28 23:56
韓喬生:中國足球改革需反思 簡單粗暴一刀切嗎?2025-02-28 23:10
張玉寧發文褒貶不一 網友:點讚第一個站出來懟營銷號的國腳2025-02-28 22:52
德轉:廣州隊鍾義浩加盟河南嵩山龍門2025-02-28 22:19
Twitter grants everyone access to quality filter for tweet notifications2025-02-28 22:10
國足管理方將慎重處理主帥去留 李霄鵬正等待匯報通知2025-02-28 21:51
曆史時刻 !越南聯賽亞洲俱樂部積分排名超越中超2025-02-28 21:44
圖赫爾親承主力鐵閘今夏離隊 曝免簽皇馬基本完成2025-02-28 21:42
Over 82,000 evacuate as Blue Cut fire rapidly spreads in southern California2025-02-28 21:35
意大利隊長自宣告別賽 捧歐洲杯之地戰美洲杯之王2025-02-28 21:34