NCAA Basketball: Mock 2020 NCAA Tournament Elite 8 predictions
1) Kansas Jayhawks vs 6) Virginia Cavaliers
Tim Miller
The two top-ranked teams in defensive efficiency square of in this one. So while both squads can lock down opposing offenses, Kansas clearly has more weapons in terms of being able to score consistently. But let’s say UVA is able to generally keep Devon Dotson and maybe even gets Azubuike in foul trouble, Tony Bennett would still need his offense get going and I don’t see it.
Mamadi Diakite would need to have an excellent game that he’s capable of, but I don’t think Virginia can get another one or two players to really produce against KU’s defense. The thing about Kansas is I believe they proved themselves to be “bad game proof.” In other words, the Jayhawks weren’t overly reliant on one particular thing (i.e. 3-point shooting or one-star player). I’m confident enough in Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji to find enough buckets to aid Kansas in edging this one out. This one could be close, but I’ll take Kansas in a vintage low-possession battle with Virginia.
Kansas 58, Virginia 51
Arden Cravalho
The Jayhawks of Kansas are arguably the best team in the nation coming into the NCAA Tournament. The combo of Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike (the only duo of All-Americans in the country) have proven to be too much to handle in the month of March (and April). That shall continue against the always solid Virginia defense. The Cavaliers are one of the hottest teams in the country with the least amount of points allowed at 52.4 per game. What makes this team different from last year’s national championship team is the fact they lack a consistent scoring threat that an opponent has to worry about each possession down (think of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome in 2019).
Virginia has one of the worst scoring offenses in the nation at 57.0 points per game (ranked 451st in all of college basketball) and that will become a major problem against the Jayhawks. I expect it to be a close battle between two of the top basketball programs in the nation but I see Kansas coming out on top over Virginia and moving on to the 2020 national championship game on Monday night in Atlanta.
Kansas 61, Virginia 56
Erik Mauro
The Cavaliers are one win away from getting back to the Final Four after winning last year’s national championship. In a year where nobody was really good, the Jayhawks stood out above the rest and were very balanced. Devon Dotson, Udoka Azubuike, and Marcus Garrett lead the Jayhawks, while Ochai Agbaji contributed 10 PPG.
Isaiah Moss and Christian Braun were the main contributors off the bench. If the Jayhawks can push the pace of this game and throw the Cavaliers off their game, which so many teams have failed to do, then they should be able to come away with the win in this one.
The Hoos don’t match up talent-wise with Kansas on paper, but Tony Bennett will do what he does and keep this game close due to the style of play. When the clock strikes zero, however, talent will win out like it usually does.