Jeff Arnold: Pick-Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker is the difference maker. He is a matchup nightmare who takes advantage of his defenders and can score with ease. In Saturday’s Final Four game against Kentucky he seemingly had a pretty quiet game (minus his dagger three), yet still finished with 16 points on 9 shots. Bottom line, considering he is the secondary scoring option on his team, Dekker is the biggest difference maker in college basketball. Frank Kaminsky and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor will both most likely go for big games, but Dekker will push the Badgers over the top and propel Bo Ryan into the upper echelon of coaching.

Zach Smith-Duke

I had Kentucky going all the way and winning the Big Dance, until Wisconsin pulled off the upset Saturday night.  I’m not sure who I want to win.  Both Wisconsin and Duke are two tough teams that are hard to bring down.  Since Wisconsin ruined my pick for the national champion, I’m going to root against them and say that Duke will be the national champions.  Frank Kaminsky is going to be all over the court for Wisconsin, but I feel Duke has a stronger powerhouse with players such as Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Quinn Cook, and Tyrus Jones.  Go Blue Devils!

Zach Chason’s Pick – Wisconsin

Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers look to be on mission. Their past two games, against Arizona and Kentucky, seem to be their most impressive performances of the season. This team is playing its best basketball at the right time. The emergence of Sam Dekker alongside Frank Kaminsky as an elite scorer has helped this team turn themselves into an offensive juggernaut. However, what this team has most over Duke is experience. After reaching the Final Four last year, all five starters have experience going deep in the tournament. This has been evident this year, with at least 3 starters scoring double figures in every tournament game. Experience has also translated into poise down the stretch. Wisconsin outscored a young but dominant Kentucky team 13-4  in the last three minutes of the game, all while committing no turnovers. Despite the fact that Duke shot 65% from the floor and got the better of this match up early in the season, I like the Badgers to win it on the bigger stage. This team is too experienced, too poised, too talented, and too determined to lose. Bo Ryan will win his well-deserved first Division I championship and Frank “The Tank” Kaminsky will be am NCAA legend.