Is this the Maddest March ever?
It could have been had Duke fallen to Baylor on Sunday, which looked quite possible up until about five minutes remained in the contest.
Still, this year’s improbable Final Four will see two
No. 5 seeds, Michigan State and Butler squaring off, while the other game will feature No. 1 Duke against No. 2 West Virginia.
This is the lowest combination of seeds making the Final Four since the 2006 tourney came down to a two, three, four and 11.
This is just the seventh time since 1979 that the final group hasn’t had either two No. 1’s or a pair of No. 2’s.
When the Blue Devils received a top seed prior to the tournament, the selection was roundly criticized. But Duke has had the last laugh, powering through while favourites Kansas and Kentucky, along with steady Syracuse, have all gone home.
The tourney remains wide open, but the Mountaineers will emerge victorious for a number of reasons.
Like Duke, West Virginia is a big team, but Duke is not nearly as tough. Duke shoots the ball better and it is never a good idea to bet against legendary Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski, but Bob Huggins is no slouch either.
Huggins is 670-240 as an NCAA head coach and always gets the most out of his players.
Plus, destiny might be on West Virginia’s side.
The Mountaineers are led by forwards Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler, both NBA-level talents who can fill it up and dominate on the boards.
Butler’s shooting stroke has left him lately, but he’s due for a big game.
It was Butler who nailed a jumper with 4.2 seconds left in the final of the Big East tournament, handing his school its first conference title.
The Mountaineers (31-6), trailed only Syracuse in the ultra-tough Big East’s regular-season standings and frazzled Kentucky — loaded with potential NBA stars — into missing its first 20 three-point attempts in a 73-66 Elite Eight victory on Saturday.
Getting by Duke will be another challenge and whoever wins will be the heavy favourites to win the championship game next Monday.
In addition to great size and coaching, Duke succeeds thanks to a deadly offence that can shoot the lights out.
Usually.
Star forward Kyle Singler went 0-for-10 from the field — the first time in his career he has failed to hit a field goal — in Sunday’s win.
The other matchup is where the true madness comes into play. Butler, the team, not the West Virginia standout, is the first member of the Horizon Conference to reach the Final Four.
It has won 24 games in a row and finished the season eighth in the polls.
It’s a Cinderella scenario for sure, but this is no miracle team and it certainly is good enough to take out Michigan State.
In the regular season, Butler defeated eventual Sweet 16 teams Ohio State and Xavier, before continuing to play giant-killer by knocking off Syracuse and Kansas State in its two most recent outings.
Butler will be playing just eight kilometres from its home, the storied Hinkle Fieldhouse, site of the championship game in the classic movie Hoosiers.
The support it will receive will give it the edge over the Spartans, coached by the great Tom Izzo.
Michigan State has won its tournament games by three, two, seven and one-point margins.
Minus its top player, star point guard Kalin Lucas, the team simply won’t have enough offence.
So Butler-West Virginia it will be, in one of the most unusual championship matches ever.
ryan.wolstat@sunmedia.ca
