PREVIEW: FINAL FOUR FIELD SET FOR ATLANTA
March 30, 2007
Jeff, SCS.com Staff Writer	Contact Jeff

This year's Final Four is stacked with rematches from last season’s NCAA Tournament. Georgetown faced Ohio State in the second round in 2006, and the Hoyas came out on top, upsetting the second-seeded Buckeyes. Basketball fans, whether you like the college game or the pro game, are looking forward to this game. That is because of the battle of the big men — Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert vs. Ohio State’s Greg Oden. That is just one of the many storylines heading into the first game of the Final Four.

Ohio State, a #1 seed, had not been overly impressive so far in the NCAA Tournament prior to their Elite Eight game. They dominated Central Connecticut State in the opening round, but needed overtime to beat Xavier — and probably should have lost in regulation. OSU survived due to missed free throws by Justin Cage (and a possible intentional foul by Greg Oden) and a deep three by Ron Lewis at the end of regulation. Against Tennessee, the Buckeyes came back from down by 20 to beat the Volunteers by one on two Mike Conley free throws. However, against Memphis in the regional final, the Buckeyes got off to a good start and hit their free throws down the stretch to win going away.

Georgetown has had struggles in every game thus far, but their play late in games has been the difference. Belmont jumped out to an early lead on the Hoyas in the first round, but Georgetown dominated the second half en route to an easy win. In the second round against Boston College, it was a back-and-forth contest for much of the game before the big men for Georgetown took over late in the battle. Vanderbilt was up big early on in the Sweet Sixteen, but the Hoyas chipped away and put themselves in position to win. Down one with the clock winding down, Jeff Green hit a shot to give the Hoyas to win. They needed more late-game heroics to beat North Carolina in the Elite Eight. The Hoyas overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half, capped by a Jonathan Wallace three in regulation, and dominated the overtime period for the win.

Ohio State was one of the best teams in the country all year, and only lost three games — at North Carolina, at Florida, and at Wisconsin. The Buckeyes are very young, but they have two of the best freshmen in the country in Mike Conley and Greg Oden. Conley is a terrific distributor and is very quick, while Oden has the potential to dominate in the paint. Conley has developed into the go-to-guy late in games for the Buckeyes. Another freshman, Daequan Cook, and Ron Lewis provide wing scoring, while Jamar Butler is a very good long-range shooter next to Conley. Lewis has been very clutch late in games with his ability to score and get to the foul line. Ivan Harris provides a match-up problem with his ability to draw bigger defenders away from the goal due to his shooting prowess. Matt Terwilliger and Othello Hunter give solid minutes off the bench inside, backing up Oden. David Lighty is athletic and strong on the perimeter.

Georgetown had a rough start to the season, but turned it around near the beginning of Big East play, winning both the regular-season and conference tournament championships. Their size and efficient offensive system make them difficult to defend. They are mostly a half-court team that beats teams on the glass and in the paint. If their perimeter players are taking some of the pressure off the big guys, they are tough to defend. The Hoyas are led by one of the best frontcourt tandems in the country in forward Jeff Green and center Roy Hibbert. Green is an excellent all-around player, while Hibbert has developed into a terrific big man. Dajuan Summers is another solid performer up front. Their perimeter is their weakness, but Jonathan Wallace has been a good point guard this year, and Jessie Sapp has been a do-it-all type of player for the Hoyas. Patrick Ewing, Jr. is an athletic energy player off the bench.

If you like top-notch big men going at each other, this is the game for you. If you like athletic, versatile forwards, this is the game for you. If you like clutch, fundamentally-sound guards, this is the game for you. In other words, Saturday’s game between Ohio State and Georgetown should be a must-see for any college basketball fan.

Both teams are very good in the half-court offensively, but they can also get out and run to score points in transition. Defensively, both the Hoyas and the Buckeyes are very solid and limit opportunities for their opponents. It should be a terrific contest.

Obviously, the key match-up is in the paint between Ohio State’s spectacular freshman Greg Oden and Georgetown’s future lottery pick Roy Hibbert. Neither player has faced someone that can match-up with them, size-wise. Whoever wins the battle in the post will give their respective team an edge overall.

If Ohio State is going to advance to the title game, they will need to take advantege of their superior perimeter group. Mike Conley is a terrific point guard, and he is quicker than Jonathan Wallace. Ron Lewis is more athletic and should have the edge over Georgetown’s DaJuan Summers. Furthermore, they have to try to get Hibbert in foul trouble. Defensively, Oden has to stay out of foul trouble, but he needs to control Hibbert in the post. Ivan Harris has to do a good job on Jeff Green — don’t be surprised if Othello Hunter gets some minutes on Green because of his height and athleticism.

For Georgetown to get the victory, the Hoyas need to attack Oden right away. Memphis constantly penetrated the line for points, and the Hoyas have some players that can attack the basket. Jeff Green needs to dominate. He has a huge edge on Ivan Harris and the rest of the Ohio State forwards. Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp will also need to take care of the ball in the half-court. Mike Conley loves to play the passing lanes, igniting the Buckeyes’ fastbreaks. Defensively, Wallace and Sapp have to control Conley at the point of attack, and DaJuan Summers will need to defend Ron Lewis well. They can’t allow Lewis to get hot.

In the end, I think that Ohio State’s advantage on the perimeter will be the difference. Oden should control Hibbert, and if the Buckeyes can contain Green offensively, Thad Matta and co. will get to the title game.

Prediction: Ohio State 70, Georgetown 66

It’s not often that college basketball gets a Final Four game matching last season’s national finalists. However, that’s exactly what the country will have Saturday night. Florida, the defending champion, will take on UCLA, who rode the #2 seed in the West to the Final Four — just like last season. Can Florida keep their dreams for a repeat title alive? Moreover, can UCLA overcome last year’s loss to the Gators and make it back to the title game? It seems fitting that the greatest dynasty of all-time (UCLA) is facing off against the new “dynasty.”

Florida, the #1 seed, has not played to their potential thus far in the NCAA Tournament. However, it seems that the Gators have a switch that they turn on down the stretch to pull away. They dominated the second half against Jackson State in the opening round after trailing for most of the first half. In the second round, the Gators were down again to Purdue, but the experienced players made plays late in the game to get the victory. Against Butler in the Sweet Sixteen, Florida had an athleticism and talent advantage again, but they needed more clutch performances to advance. They faced a very hot team in the Elite Eight in Oregon. However, the Ducks got in foul trouble and essentially ran out of bullets down the stretch, enabling Florida to advance.

UCLA didn’t come into the Tournament with momentum, losing two in a row, which dropped them from a likely top seed to the #2 slot. However, it hasn’t mattered—as UCLA ended up in the Final Four for the second straight year. They dominated Weber State in the first round, but didn’t have as easy of a team with Indiana in the second round. They looked well on their way to an easy win, but they allowed the Hoosiers back in the game before pulling out the W. Against Pittsburgh in the Sweet Sixteen, the teacher vs. protégé angle was hyped up with Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon, but Howland and the Bruins used their defense to control the entire game for the victory. In the Elite Eight, the Bruins faced a more talented and more athletic team in Kansas, but UCLA’s defense frustrated the Jayhawks all day, and a dominant second half allowed UCLA to advance.

Florida came into the season as one of the favorites to win the National Championship, and, aside from a late-season slump, the Gators have been up to the task. Will the Gators be the first team since Duke to repeat, though? That remains to be seen. Florida can play multiple styles, and is never out of a game due to their talent and experience. They are one of the most complete teams in the country. Joakim Noah and Al Horford lead the way for the best frontcourt in the country. Noah is athletic and can do a variety of things. Horford is a very good rebounder and scorer in the post, while Corey Brewer is one of the best two-way players in the country. Taurean Green is an underappreciated point guard, while Lee Humphrey is one of the best three-point shooters around. Chris Richard is a banger off the bench that would start for most teams. Walter Hodge is quick on the perimeter. The Gators have all the ingredients for a title.

UCLA has been a threat to repeat their trip to the Final Four since the preseason. Like most Ben Howland teams, they play terrific defense, and will never be out of a game due to that side of the floor. Moreover, the Bruins have several weapons on the offensive end. UCLA has arguably the best backcourt in the country, at both ends of the floor. Darren Collison has developed into a terrific point guard, due to his speed and quickness. Arron Afflalo is an All-American candidate, but he has struggled somewhat in the Tournament. Throw in Josh Shipp, and the Bruins are loaded on the perimeter. Inside, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute can do a variety of things, and Lorenzo Mata provides rebounding and defense. Mbah a Moute made a name for himself last year in the Dance, but he hasn’t played well lately. Michael Roll provides shooting off the bench, and Russell Westbrook is a good combo guard. Alfred Aboya is a solid performer inside.

This rematch of last year’s national title game should be a lot closer than the previous meeting. Two of the best coaches in America will go against each other—with Billy Donovan potentially heading to Kentucky after the season an underlying story for the weekend. Will Ben Howland get back to the title game, after essentially bringing the UCLA program back to prominence? This should be a terrific contest.

Both teams are outstanding half-court defensive groups, with the Bruins being arguably the best defensive team in the country. They have plenty of quick perimeter defenders that can disrupt dribble penetration. Florida dominates the backboards and makes it tough for opponents to get points in the paint. In terms of personnel, the big key is going to be UCLA’s ability to defend Florida’s post players. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is not overly physical and Lorenzo Mata is not very athletic. Joakim Noah and Al Horford could have huge games. If that’s the case, Florida should come out on top. If the Gators are going to keep their repeat hopes alives, they will need to take advantage of their edge inside. Noah is too versatile for Mata, and Horford is far too athletic and strong for either of them. On the perimeter, Lee Humphrey needs to knock down his shots. He was terrific last year in the Final Four and last week against Oregon, and he needs to give them perimeter production again. Taurean Green also needs to take care of the ball against the quickness of UCLA’s Darren Collison. Corey Brewer has to play within the offense, and not try to force things like he did against Butler.

Defensively, they can’t allow Arron Afflalo or Josh Shipp to get hot from the wing, and they have to contain Darren Collison. For UCLA to pull off the upset, they have to control Horford and Noah down low, as mention above. They can’t allow those two to dominate. Furthermore, they have to cut off the perimeter shots for Florida. If the Gators become one-dimensional, they are easier to beat. Offensively, Darren Collison needs to set the tone immediately and outplay Green. Arron Afflalo has to be the go-to-guy that he is, and Josh Shipp has to give the Bruins the third option they desperately need offensively. Production inside from Mbah a Moute would be huge.

In the end, I think that Florida has too much balance at both ends and too many options offensively. I think that UCLA could have a lot of trouble scoring unless Afflalo or Shipp has a huge game. The Gators advance.

Prediction: Florida 68, UCLA 62