By: Jeff Arnold
Two weeks and 64 teams ago the NCAA Tournament started with a bang. Now, after countless upsets, collapses, incredible comebacks, and more than a few buzzer beaters, just four teams remain: Florida, UConn, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. The first of the the two games played to decide who will advance to the National Championship Game pits the Florida Gators against the UConn Huskies.
Florida and UConn is probably my favorite match-up this tournament. Obviously both teams are talented, but the road each had to take to get to this point are extremely different and that is the intrigue in this match-up lies; Florida has been dominant behind the play of Scottie Wilbekin and Patric Young, while UConn has relied on close victories at the hands of Shabazz Napier and, to a lesser extent, Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels, Florida has won every game by double digits, while UConn has won all but one game by single digits and one of those was in overtime in the first round, and Florida was the no. 1 overall seed in the tournament, while UConn was a nondescript no. 7 seed who struggled to survive the first weekend. Despite these differences, both are just one win away from a shot at a national title.
As much as Florida should win (they really are the better team), it is impossible to deny that what Shabazz Napier and the Huskies are doing is special. Much like the 2011 UConn team that won a title on the back of Kemba Walker, this team came in under the radar but hot, and is now running the table behind a dynamic point guard. In 2011 it was Walker, now it is Napier. Napier’s play has been phenomenal this entire tournament and he has proven time and time again that he is the guy who should, and will, take a shot with a lot on the line. He is the most clutch player in the tournament, despite his small stature, and most likely will play a pivotal role in their game against Florida. On top of Napier, Ryan Boatright is another athletic guard who can attack the rim extremely well, DeAndre Daniels is versatile enough as a big man to stretch defenses and create gaps, and Amida Brimah, despite his underdeveloped offensive skill set, is an extremely good shot blocker that can cause opposing offenses to shy away from attacking the basket. When you add it all together, they look like a national title caliber team.
As for Florida, there isn’t much to say. They are the best team in the country and have a type of team chemistry that can only be achieved with seniors and upperclassmen. Scottie Wilbekin is everything you could want in a point guard and, despite past character issues, is the leader of that team when they are on the floor. Patric Young is arguably the best defender in the country and could create a match-up problem with Daniels. Forwards Will Yeguete, Casey Prather, and Dorian Finney-Smith also could overload UConn with their size and athleticism. Really, Florida is a more complete team, they have more depth and have a type of defense that could stymie the Huskies, but that isn’t to say that it is anywhere close to a definite that they will win. Despite Billy Donovan’s back to back titles in 2006 and 2007, this is the first time that this group of players have been past the Elite Eight. Even though the team is mostly comprised of upper classmen, they could easily fold under the pressure of the Final Four. Is this a huge concern? No, but it is something to think about.
UConn is also not without flaws; DeAndre Daniels can force shots when Napier and Boatright don’t immediately get something going, Brimah is a liability offensively and is basically useless when in the halfcourt, and Niels Giffey frankly isn’t that good. Also, different than the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, the Final Four is not in Madison Square Garden. When UConn plays at MSG, special things happen. Who knows if that magic will carry over to Dallas?
All in all, it should be a great game. In terms of picking a winner, I’ll go with Florida. The match-up problems that they can create are too much for UConn to overcome and I’ll take Billy Donovan everyday and twice on a Sunday when it comes to coaching teams to championships. I also think that Patric Young can shut down DeAndre Daniels and/or Niels Giffey which will force Napier and Boatright to try to do too much. This could work for Napier, but I don’t think that Boatright has the capability to take over a game when he has to. On top of that, the triple threat of Yeguete, Finney-Smith, and Prather could give UConn trouble because of their size and speed. It will be close, but Florida has too much depth and size for UConn.
