NCAA Basketball: Mock 2020 NCAA Tournament Final 4 predictions
Jason Belt – @JasonBelt12
What a big time matchup we have here in the Final Four. The Kentucky Wildcats facing off with the Gonzaga Bulldogs for a spot in the National Championship game.
This game will feature it all. Freshman phenoms, veteran stars, good depth, and great coaching. What more could you ask for with a title on the line?
For Kentucky, their success starts with Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey.
Quickley, the SEC Player of the Year, has had a great sophomore season, scoring just over 16 points a game and chipping in about 4 rebounds and 2 assists. He bounced back after a somewhat disappointing freshman campaign where he had to sit behind guys like Keldon Johnson, Tyler Herro, and Ashton Hagans.
With Johnson and Herro out of the picture, Quickley has taken over the bulk of the scoring for John Calipari’s Wildcats, becoming the go-to guy throughout SEC play.
Tyrese Maxey, the true freshman stud, made an immediate impact for Kentucky in their season opener this year by scoring 26 points and hitting a dagger three-pointer to seal a win over No. 1 Michigan State in the Champions Classic.
He didn’t stop there, as the projected lottery pick scored in double figures in 22 out of Kentucky’s 31 games this season, which is very hard to do in general, let alone your first season at a blue blood school.
On the other side, we have the experienced and battle-tested Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Another year, another WCC title for the Zags, losing only two games all season. One loss coming to Michigan at the Battle for Atlantis (where Michigan looked unstoppable), and one on the road to BYU in front of a raucous crowd.
Gonzaga had six players average double digits in scoring this season, proving their depth and ability to win in different ways.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs are Filip Petrusev and Killian Tillie.
Petrusev averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds a game and was just a man amongst boys some games.
Tillie, on the other hand, dealt with injuries throughout the season, but still averaged nearly 14 points and 5 rebounds a game. Despite his absence, Gonzaga has been able to find ways to win without him, and will only be better with him in the lineup.
This matchup is one that has the ability to be an all-time classic game. Two very different teams, play styles, and coaches going head to head in the Final Four.
I think in this game Kentucky has more firepower and overall raw talent. Besides Quickley and Maxey who I’ve mentioned, the Wildcats also have Ashton Hagans, one of the best defenders in the country, and Nick Richards, who has blossomed into a go-to guy in the frontcourt. They also have the likes of E.J Montgomery and Nate Sestina who will bring some scoring and interior presence to the table.
In the end, I think this will be too much for Gonzaga to handle, given they haven’t played many teams with as much talent and ability as Kentucky.
Big Blue Nation to the title game.