Last Saturday, you and 15 million other people watched Notre Dame fall to Kentucky in the Elite Eight. It was the most watched basketball game ever and a heartbreaking loss for the Irish after a great season. Despite Notre Dame’s crushing defeat (we should have won!), March Madness is not over yet.
Michigan State will play Duke at 6:09pm in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 4 followed by Wisconsin taking on Kentucky at 8:49pm. The games will air on TBS, will the winner of each game advancing to the National Championship (the Top Two, I’m only kidding, that’s not actually a basketball term – I know). The final game will air on Monday, April 6 at 9:10pm.
Connecticut won last year (beating out Kentucky), Louisville won in 2013, and Kentucky took home the title in 2012. If I had to make predictions, Duke will beat Michigan State to play Kentucky in the NCAA Final and Kentucky will take home the title. You can also consult the puppies on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon if you would like a second opinion.
So what should you know about this year’s Final Four?
1. Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Duke ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 in the preseason AP poll.
2. Wisconsin has the most efficient offense in the County with a 127.4 rating according to KenPom.com (Michigan held the record for the 2013-14 season with a rating of 1241.).
3. Wisconsin was the No. 1 seed in West Region with a 35-3 record.
4. Wisconsin’s Achilles’ heel is their three-point defense which they manage 37.4% of the time.
5. Kentucky was the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region with a 38-0 record.
6. Kentucky has the highest rated defensive efficiency in the country according to KenPoms.com.
7. Kentucky’s Achilles’ heel is their defensive rebounding which they only managed 31.6% of the time.
8. Michigan State is the underdog, with a 27-11 record coming in as a No. 7 seed in the East Region.
9. Michigan State’s biggest strength is their assist rate at 64.1% for which they are ranked No. 7 in the country.
10. Michigan State’s biggest Achilles’ heel is their free-throw percentage for which they are ranked No. 338 with a 63.2% success rate.
11. Michigan State is the unexpected underdog with their biggest win during the regular season coming against No. 10 seed Ohio State.
12. Duke was the No. 1 seed in the South Region with a 33-4 record.
13. Duke is ranked No. 3 in the country for their offensive efficiency according to KenPom.com.
14. Duke’s Achilles’ heel is allowing opponents to score 61.4% of points from two-pointers.
15. Kentucky has more consecutive wins to open a season than any other team in history with 38, the record was formerly held by Wichita State last season who had 35.
16. There hasn’t been an undefeated team since Indiana went 32-0 in the 1975-76 season.
17. Kentucky’s coach, John Calipari, has won 83.7% of his games as the head coach of Kentucky. He has been to four Final Fours in five years.
18. The Big Ten hasn’t won a national championship since Michigan State won in 2000.
19. Kentucky is favored by 5 points against Wisconsin.
20. Duke is favored by 5 points against Michigan State.
Enjoy the March Madness!
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