NCAA Tournament 2019: 3 bold predictions for second weekend

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 24: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates with his teammates after defeating the UCF Knights in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 24: Louis King #2 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates after a basket in the second half against the UC Irvine Anteaters during the second round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 24, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) /

1. Oregon’s Cinderella Story comes to an end…

…But not without a fight.

The No. 12 seed Oregon Ducks have easily been the best story of the NCAA Tournament thus far, knocking off No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the first round, and dismantling UC Irvine in the Round of 32. The Ducks ran the table in the Pac-12 Tournament to earn a bid, and are arguably the hottest team in the field. However, they might have met their fate against Virginia.

The Cavaliers have seemingly shaken off last year’s disaster, winning their first two games of the tournament by double-digits. Additionally, the Cavs look good. Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome are playing excellent basketball, and Virginia is in good shape to make their first Final Four in a long, long time. I don’t expect Oregon to win. They probably have the best draw in terms of facing off against one of the No. 1 seeds, though. But this one is going to be close. Really close. Maybe we’ll get our first buzzer beater here. Let’s hope so.

I think that we’ll get a showdown for the ages between Ty Jerome and Payton Pritchard, two of the most under-appreciated players in the country. I’ll just go on the record and say–not only will this be a close game, but we’ll get our first buzzer beater of the tournament in this one. Virginia will come out on top in an absolute classic, but Oregon will go out in admirable fashion.

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