NCAA Tournament 2019: 3 bold predictions for second weekend
3. Final Four: Duke, Texas Tech, Tennessee, North Carolina
At the end of the weekend, we will have the Final Four sorted out. In order to get to this point, quite a few things must happen. For Duke, the Blue Devils will need to handle Virginia Tech in the Sweet Sixteen, before facing the winner of LSU and Michigan State in the Elite Eight. Duke is easily the safest bet to advance to the Final Four, as their toughest test is behind them, for now.
As for the Red Raiders, they have a relatively tough journey. They must upset Michigan on Thursday, then likely face off against Gonzaga on Saturday. If the Red Raiders can pull off a fantastic two-game run over a course of three days, they’ll clinch a Final Four berth.
The Volunteers have easily the hardest path. They’ll need to take down the sharpshooting Purdue Boilermakers, before a likely matchup against Virginia. I don’t like Tony Bennett’s teams at all in the Elite Eight, so I like the chances of a good Tennessee team.
Finally, the Tar Heels. North Carolina should be able to handle Auburn on Friday, before having a date with either Kentucky or Houston. UNC lost to Kentucky earlier, but luckily for them, I’ve got Kentucky losing before that. The Heels match up well with Houston, and besides, I’ll take Roy Williams outright.
There’s your Final Four, folks.
Next. Reranking the Sweet 16. dark
The upcoming weekend will surely be filled with madness, even if this three bold predictions inevitably fall short. Regardless, this is what March Madness is all about, and we’ll be back to experiencing it on Thursday.