2015 NCAA Tournament East Region: Who WIll Make Final 4?
By Jacob Rude
March 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers forward
Seth Tuttle(10) is defended by Louisville Cardinals forward
Montrezl Harrell(24) during the second half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
2. Louisville
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Cincy on the Prowl
We’ve seen some pretty fierce defenses under Rick Pitino, but this year they are power by the most intense player in college basketball in Montrezl Harrell, and boy do they take on his personality. This team will get after you and overwhelm you, which is exactly what happened to the Northern Iowa Panthers, and by the time they figured out the Cardinals’ defense, it was too late.
Working against them in their Sweet 16 match-up is the fact that NC State won’t be overwhelmed or unfamiliar with their defense. However, despite having lost to them earlier in the season, the Cardinals should be favored coming into this match-up. They match up favorably inside with NC State, but the Cardinals are going to have to continue to rely too heavily on freshman Quentin Snider, who has been a revelation since Chris Jones‘ dismissal. However, he’s due for a bad performance, and if timed badly, that could sink the Cardinals’ ship.
However, if they get past NC State, they’re matching up with a team in Oklahoma or Michigan State that is unfamiliar with the defense of Louisville’s. They’ll be able to attack in a similar manner that they did against Northern Iowa and can overwhelm them from the start, which is why they’re so highly ranked on this list.
Next: Michigan State