Last night we were treated to a thrilling batch of games where four teams advanced to the Elite Eight. One team battled it out in the very last minute, capitalizing on a long distance three pointer while another team sealed the deal in overtime. With the East Region and West Region matchups set for tomorrow, here's what we can expect moving forward.
East Region
#3 Kansas State vs. #9 FAU
Saturday, March 25, 2023 – 6:09 P.M.
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
It was only fitting that Kansas State point guard, Markquis Nowell (whose twitter handle is @newyorkcity) broke the NCAA Tournament assists record in his home state. Nowell, a Harlem native, put up a clinic at one of the biggest arenas in sports at MSG, scoring 20 points while dishing out 19 assists—an NCAA Tournament record. Nowell also had the pivotal steal that sealed the victory for the Wildcats in overtime.
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Led by senior guard Nowell and senior forward Keyontae Johsnon, the Wildcats are certainly clicking at the right time with back-to-back gutsy wins against two experienced teams in Kentucky and Michigan State.
While they aren't the best rebounding team, they are quite efficient, having committed just 14 turnovers in the last two games. The Wildcats have also been shooting over 50% from the field in their three tournament games.
The Wildcats' opponent has been on a streak of their own.
FAU extended their win streak to 10 games after upsetting Tennessee 62-55 yesterday. Their path hasn't been easy either, as they've had to face a fierce mid-major competitor in Memphis, who has beaten the likes of Houston, a current Elite Eight team.
The Owls are led by sophomore guard Johnell Davis who has scored 44 points in his last two games.
The Owls possess a high octane offense noted by their 78.4 PPG and are a strong rebounding squad, notably outrebounding all three of their tournament opponents so far. Possessions are huge down the stretch, so this can be something to watch out for.
I'm honestly torn. While FAU is capable and has the talent to pull off the upset, it is hard for me to go against the Wildcats right now, who are playing their best basketball of the season led by superstars Nowell and Johnson. I'm thinking the Wildcats will win by 9, punching their bid to the Final Four.
Prediction: Kansas State 73 FAU 64
West Region
#3 Gonzaga vs. #4 UConn
Saturday, March 25, 2023 – 8:49 P.M.
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Last night's Sweet 16 game against UCLA ended just how I thought it would for the Gonzaga Bulldogs—and it was eerily similar to the Bulldogs defeat of the Bruins in the 2021 Final Four.
The trilogy did not disappoint. The Bulldogs saved it all for the end as junior guard Julian Strawther drained a go-ahead 3-pointer from near the logo in the final 7.2 seconds.
Gonzaga comes into this Elite Eight clash as winners of their last 12. The Bulldogs biggest strength is their offense of course, which averages 87.3 PPG. In fact, the Bulldogs put up 79 points on a UCLA defense that surrendered an average of just 60 PPG all season.
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The team on the other end of the court, the UConn Huskies, also happen to have an incredible offense.
This is a well balanced offense that averages nearly 80 PPG. Even more, they can dominate the rebound battle. They haven't been on the losing end of a board battle in over two months.
Then, there's the efficient shooting.
As had been the case in their previous two games, the Huskies once again shot well from beyond, hitting 45% of their threes.
Led by junior forward Adama Sanogo and sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins, I see the Huskies scoring just enough to outlast the Bulldogs, clinching their first Final Four berth since 2014.
Prediction: Gonzaga 77 UCONN 82
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* Originally published on March 24, 2023, by Nicholas Nathanson
