I pegged Kansas as a second round loser based on an inconsistent season. Some people truly believed they’d lose to Penn in the 16-1 matchup. This usually means a team like this makes the Final 4.
The Jayhawks are 5th in offensive efficiency and 45th in defense. Clemson is 43rd and 7th, so we have two opposites matching up. Did you know Kansas is 9th in the nation in 3-point shooting? Clemson is average at defending the 3. Kansas is a poor rebounding team on the defensive side but Clemson is one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the nation.
KenPom basically has this as a toss up but there’s a lot to like about KU in this game.
Kansas 71 Clemson 67
Syracuse vs. Duke
Duke handled Syracuse in their only meeting this year, 60-44. As we know Syracuse length in their zone has baffled both TCU and Michigan State. If Duke hadn’t faced them earlier in the year, I’d be a bit concerned.
Michigan State annihilated Syracuse on the offensive glass. Duke is the best offensive rebounding team in the nation. Duke is a much better shooting team than either TCU or Michigan State. On paper, this is a mismatch.
Thebgane isn’t played on paper. Syracuse can be maddening to play but given the variety weapons at Duke’s disposal, a much improved defense, up to 9th in KenPom, I only see Syracuse having a chance if Duke simply can’t score. They have too many polished weapons for that to happen.
Duke 66 Syracuse 56
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