It’s no secret that I hate the Kansas Jayhawks. But tonight’s NCAA Championship game versus the Kentucky Wildcats allows me one last chance to root against them in hopes of salvaging the worst college basketball postseason ever (/hyperbole)!
Despite my disdain for the Beakers, tonight’s matchup should produce an exciting ballgame. In Anthony Davis and Thomas Robinson, this final will arguably feature the two best players in college basketball matching up for all the marbles. Sure, technically Davis will likely be guarding KU’s 7-footer Jeff Whitney, but don’t think for a second that Davis and Robinson won’t make each others acquaintance early and often during the game.
For Kentucky, Davis’ help defense on Robinson will be key. If the NCAA’s leading shot blocker can neutralize his All-American foe, Kansas will be in for a long night. On the offensive end, Davis has the quickness, athleticism and length to be effective vs Whitney. The faster the Wildcats can push the ball, the more opportunities to expose Whitney’s lack of quickness. In the half-court game, the KU center can be very disruptive.
For Kansas, Bill Self’s team needs to find a way to control the glass like Louisville did in its semi-final matchup vs Kentucky. Though they are athletic, they can’t match the ‘Cats getting up and down the court and will need to slow the tempo just a tad. They’ll also need some help from Tyshawn Taylor from beyond the arc. The star guard has gone 0-for-20 from three-point range during the tourney. Futile shooting like that will get his team bounced home in a blowout loss. Expect him it dial it in from deep – or else.
The verdict
Ultimately the Wildcats are the better team. They showed it in an earlier matchup with KU en route to a 75-65 victory back in November. They’ve also shown moments of concentration lapses by allowing lesser teams to hang around for various reasons. But like the Louisville game, Kentucky will likely let their opponents hang around for much of the game before pulling away for good as they tire out their over-matched competitors.
My pick: Kentucky 76 – Kansas 68
