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2019 NCAA Tournament: Final Four Predictions

ByMike Marteny|
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 31: J'Von McCormick #12, Chuma Okeke #5 and Austin Wiley #50 of the Auburn Tigers celebrate after their 77-71 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at Sprint Center on March 31, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 31: J'Von McCormick #12, Chuma Okeke #5 and Austin Wiley #50 of the Auburn Tigers celebrate after their 77-71 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at Sprint Center on March 31, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
2019 NCAA Tournament
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate as the Michigan Wolverines walk off the court during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Villanova defeated Michigan 79-62. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

2019 NCAA Tournament: Final Four Predictions

After the big upsets of last year’s tournament, this year was rather boring in that respect. We had to wait until the Sweet 16 for the one seeds to start falling. Virginia, after the epic fail last year, is the only one seed in the 2019 NCAA tournament Final Four. Is this their year?

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Unlike last year, I have a clear path to second place in my office pool, and would have first locked up if I hadn’t changed my Michigan State pick at the last minute.

We have two Final Four virgins this year, so this is very exciting for a couple of fan bases! They get to face the grizzled veterans in Michigan State, and the real veterans of Virginia.

I’m still going in round by round picks though! Not that I’m doing very well. I only have 39 out of 64 games correct. This is actually one pick worse than last year, so I deserve all the trolling I get on Twitter. Enjoy it Auburn fans! You’ve earned it!

2019 NCAA Tournament
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 30: Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

(2)Michigan State vs. (3)Texas Tech:

Duke was once again involved in a nail biter, and this time the shot went down against them. I guess you can only go on like that for so long. Zion Williamson was as advertised. The best player in the game. However, Cassius Winston was almost as impressive for the Spartans. The Spartans find themselves in the Final Four for the first time in four years. That’s an eternity for them!

Texas Tech only won by six points, but they controlled this game almost from the outset. There are well over 300 division 1 NCAA basketball teams. The Red Raiders are number one out of all of them in defense, and it showed yet again. Call it ugly. Call it dominant. It’s probably a mixture of both.

This is the first Final Four team from the state of Texas since the Longhorns led by T.J. Ford crashed the party. That’s right. Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t lead their Texas squads to the Final Four.

This game is going to be a fight. Both teams are deep and both teams play really good defense. Cassius Winston and Jarrett Culver are going to be fun to watch, but this game may be decided up front. It if is, I like Tariq Owens more than anyone the Spartans have up there.

Pick: Texas Tech

2019 NCAA Tournament
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – MARCH 30: Kyle Guy #5 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 80-75 to advance to the Final Four in overtime of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

(1)Virginia vs. (5)Auburn:

Virginia’s march to redemption is going as planned. The Hoos showed off their offensive prowess against a Purdue team that was still lethal from beyond the arc. Carsen Edwards scored 42 of Purdue’s 75 points, but it wasn’t enough. Kyle Guy finally got his shots falling again, and he is really the only reason Virginia gets the trip to Minneapolis.

Most people, including myself, didn’t give Auburn much of a chance. After all, Kentucky routed them at Rupp in February. Auburn established themselves as a good team since basketball lore says you can’t beat a good team three times in the same season. Auburn dominated the overtime and is streaking to Minneapolis, winning 12 in a row.

Not even the great Charles Barkley led Auburn this deep into the tournament. Auburn took out two rungs of college basketball royalty in North Carolina and Kentucky to get themselves into their first ever Final Four. The only thing I know is that they wont go quietly.

The loss of Chuma Okeke is going to hurt more against a physical team like Virginia. Still, Purdue’s shooting from beyond the arc forced Virginia and Kyle Guy to finally get it going. Can Guy stay hot? He’s going to have to for Virginia to advance. Auburn can shoot. It wont be an all out assault from beyond the arc, but it can be if Virginia can’t stop it. Auburn is a more complete team than Purdue in that respect. The can score inside the arc if they need to.

I think Virginia is the better team, but it’s really hard to pick against Auburn the way they are playing. What wins out, the 12 game winning streak of Auburn, or the tale of redemption for the Hoos? The only way to complete the story of an epic failure is to follow it immediately with an epic win.

Pick: Virginia

This is going to be a fun weekend with two fan bases invading the great white north. Texas Tech and Auburn are going to be out in full force for their teams’ historic accomplishment. Don’t count out just what that can do for a team!