My rooting interest in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament ended when Memphis exited the dance. Missouri's full court pressure was too much for my predicted champion. Michigan State and Kansas played a close one, where the Spartans zoomed past the Jayhawks with a minute to go. Pittsburgh slugged its way past Xavier. The rest of the round's games were blowouts.
With my dreams of winning a pool dashed, I can focus more on the games themselves. Half of the teams in the Elite 8 play in the Big East. Either Pitt of Villanova will represent the conference for sure. UCONN goes up against the pressure of Missouri. That should be a really interesting game because Missouri's press could force the taller Huskies' hand. But, UCONN's length could negate Missouri's press and make them pay. UCONN has another option, which is to play lockdown defense, not allowing the Tigers to set up their backcourt traps. The other Big East team, Louisville, looks like they might be too much for Michigan State.
UNC and Oklahmoa are two teams playing on top of their game heading into their contest. Hansbrough against Blake Griffin will be intriguing. There's little question who will be the better pro, but they're still in college right now. The two X-factors will be Ty Lawson for UNC and three-point shooting for Oklahoma. On to the Elite 8.
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