THE YEAR OF THE BLUE BLOODS: LOOKING AHEAD AFTER ANOTHER WILD WEEKEND OF MARCH MADNESS

NBA / Basketball

Written by Eddie Huband

First off, the magical run of the St. Peters Peacocks has sadly come to an end, as they ran out of gas against UNC, and it would be wrong not to acknowledge how special it was before moving on to the final four.

Source (Background Photo): Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Doug Edert, Shaheen Holloway, the Drame brothers, we all salute you.

But just because the most likeable team is gone doesn’t mean we don’t have some great basketball ahead. Duke, UNC, Kansas and Villanova. Quite possibly the greatest group of blue blood ever assembled in a Final Four. Not a bad outcome if you ask me.

The Tar Heel team that took down the mighty Peacocks will now look ahead to play Duke in what will be the most highly anticipated final four matchups in recent memory. A chance for the UNC to retire Coach K? You couldn’t write in any better than that if you’re a Tar Heel fan.

The Tar Heels have been impressive thus far, knocking off #1 seed Baylor as well as UCLA and the Cinderella Peacocks in convincing fashion. The combination of Guard R.J. Davis and Forward Brady Manek has been terrorizing teams. The two combined for 56 points in the Baylor win.

Caleb Love has a 30 point game under his belt so far.

Junior Forward Armando Bacot was the big performer against St. Peters with a 20 point 22 rebound performance.

UNC is big, they rebound, they’re well-coached, and they’re physical. It will be a challenge for the young Duke Blue Devils, who escaped the Elite Eight with a win over Arkansas after pulling away late.

This team has the most talent in the tournament, even if the on-court fit seems a bit off at times. Projected top-three pick Paolo Banchero has been as advertised. He made some big plays down the stretch against Arkansas, and he was 7/8 from the line, hitting some free throws in key moments as well.

Duke has gotten great production from guard Jeremy Roach, whose numbers don’t jump out at you, but he has a knack for making plays when the Devils need them most. AJ Griffin and Wendell Moore Jr. are NBA-level talents on the wing.

I haven’t even mentioned lob threat and rim protector Mark Williams who’s been outstanding in the pick and roll with Roach.

The only thing that can get in Duke’s way at this point is themselves, which is a very real possibility because of the fact that most of their core are freshmen.

This will be a game with incredibly high stakes because it’s the greatest rivalry in the game and it’s Coach K’s final run. I can’t think of a better Final Four matchup than this.

Prediction: Duke by 4

On the other side of the bracket, are two heavyweights that are each looking to win the fourth national championship in program history.

If Nova wants to get there, they’ll have to do it without second-leading scorer Justin Moore, who suffered an Achilles injury in their Elite Eight win over Houston.

Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels are both 23-year-olds with cool heads and cool hands, which is where the Wildcats will have an advantage; experience. This is a team that comes at you in waves, doesn’t make mistakes and doesn’t beat themselves.

They were 15/15 from the free-throw line against Houston, putting them away down the stretch.

Despite the key injury, this will be a tough matchup for the Kansas Jayhawks, who have defied the doubters and comfortably made their way through the first four rounds. Kansas has been solid on both ends, and they haven’t really had a major scare yet.

All-American guard Ochai Agbaji and big man David McCormack make an inside/outside one-two punch. As seniors, they play the game under control as well. Christian Braun has the capability to change a game with his offensive talent and size on the wing.

Remy Martin is the team’s emotional leader. He’s been hurt all year but has come alive during the tournament. Martin is the team’s most explosive offensive player on the team, and at the guard spot, he has a lot of the same attributes as Marcus Smart on defence. Martin will have his hands full with the Nova guard rotation, but if he can wreak havoc on both ends it will bode well for the Jayhawk’s chances.

This isn’t the most talented team in KU history, but they’ve been getting help from a lot of different sources.

This is a tough one to call, but with the injury to Moore, I just can’t get there with the Wildcats.

Prediction: Kansas by 7

Looking ahead to the finals, assuming my predictions are correct, I can’t go against the Blue Devils, and not just because they were my pick to win before the tournament began (shameless, I know).

This team is so off the charts talented, they have five starters who could all be leading scorers on almost any other team in the country. Questions about their collapse against UNC in the ACC tournament are long gone after the poise they’ve shown so far this tournament.

Then, there’s the Coach K factor. I’m not saying the game will be rigged, but if one of the most legendary coaches in NCAA history has a chance to win a title in his final game ever, don’t you think Duke would get a few calls if the game is tight down the stretch?

I certainly do.

Kansas is tough, but the supremely talented Blue Devils add another title to the program’s storied history in Coach K’s last hurrah.

Prediction: Duke by 5.