NCAA Tournament 2019: 5 best potential Final Four matchups

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils drives to the basket during the finals of the Maui Invitational college basketball game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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TULSA, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 24: Corey Davis Jr. #5 of the Houston Cougars reacts to his foul during the first half of the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Ohio State Buckeyes at BOK Center on March 24, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

5. Virginia Cavaliers vs. Houston Cougars

If there was any team that could come of the Midwest Region not named North Carolina to face the Virginia Cavaliers in the Final Four (we’ll get to that), most college basketball fans would likely pick the Kentucky Wildcats off the top of their head. Having said that, the better pick and ultimately the more entertaining game would be a clash between the Cavaliers and Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars.

When you look at Houston’s roster, especially in terms of their lack of size, you might be inclined to think that they want to move at a fast pace. However, though they don’t move quite as slow and methodically as Tony Bennett’s team, Houston is actually one of the slower-paced teams in college hoops. Thus, Virginia’s grinding style wouldn’t be that much of a shock to the system for the Cougars.

Where this matchup gets fascinating, though, is with the lack of size for Houston and with how they win. Corey Davis Jr. can take over a game with his outside shooting, and we’ve already seen in many instances that Virginia can be susceptible to ball-movement and long-range shooting, especially with Kyle Guy slumping from 3-point range right now.

Furthermore, it would be fascinating to see how Houston would match up with the likes of De’Andre Hunter and Mamadi Diakite, two bigger guys that Houston doesn’t have much size to account for with. Between these matchups of styles, personnel and where each team is vulnerable, this would be a phenomenal game to watch with tons of punches and counter-punches from start to finish.

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