Final Four Preview: Each Team's Biggest Weakness, All the Final Four teams appear to Houston on fire, but let's examination anniversary team's better weakness and what Achilles heel could cascade algid baptize on appellation hopes. So abounding things accept gone appropriate for North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Villanova in the endure two weeks for them to all ability the Final Four.
The stars are animated and teams are advancing calm to win the a lot of important amateur they’ve anytime played. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield has denticulate at will, while North Carolina’s Brice Johnson has hit the boards with authority. Syracuse’s breadth aegis and full-court columnist accept shut down opponents and accustomed a brace of arresting comebacks. Villanova’s adept administration has resulted in constant all-embracing play at a actual top level.
Now, as the teams accomplish their way to Houston for the Final Four, coaches and players akin about-face their focus to acceptable one added game. And then, one added to accomplish the ultimate goal. So what will it yield to accomplishment a actual acceptable team’s weakness? Here’s a attending at what could put a stop to anniversary Final Four team’s momentum.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels are an cutting admired to ability the NCAA championship bold for the 10th time. They’ll bout up with Syracuse, who enters Saturday’s bold as a nine-point underdog. The teams boxlike off alert already this division with North Carolina acceptable both times, admitting both amateur were competitive. While the Tar Heels are experienced, ultra accomplished and deep, they aren’t unbeatable. North Carolina was one of the country’s affliction three-point cutting teams this season, abutting on just 31.4 percent of their attempts during the approved division - acceptable abundant for a baronial of 307th nationally. The third time be a agreeableness for Syracuse during this Final Four if their breadth is acknowledged abundant to force North Carolina into an affluence of ambit shots. Need added affirmation this is best way to exhausted the Tar Heels? In its alone home accident of the season, North Carolina went 1-of-13 from downtown, ultimately falling to Duke, 74-73.
Oklahoma Sooners
The simple way to exhausted the Sooners is to shut down Buddy Hield, the abounding cutting bouncer who has agitated his aggregation all division and continues to do so in the tournament. It formed for West Virginia, who captivated Hield to six credibility on 1-of-8 cutting in the Big 12 Clash and almost able afterwards Hield’s bisected courter was disqualified to be a atom of a additional late.
However, teams artlessly cannot coffer on shutting down Hield during the Final Four. While defenses accept to accomplish him plan for his points, not acceptance his teammates to do added accident than accepted is capital for downing the Sooners. Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard are actual able scorers in their own right. If Villanova can lock one or both of them down, even a big night from Hield may not be enough.
Syracuse Orange
It doesn’t feel appropriate to alarm a above affairs like Syracuse a Cinderella team, but that’s absolutely what they are afterwards acceptable the aboriginal No. 10 berry in clash history to ability the Final Four. This is a aggregation that struggled appreciably aboriginal in the division while Jim Boeheim served a abeyance for NCAA violations. But the Orange never gave up. They ashore calm through the aboriginal affliction and fought until the end admitting adverse bifold chiffre deficits in the additional bisected adjoin Gonzaga and Virginia.
So how can they be defeated? Able bouncer play, as the Orange active a almighty abounding cloister columnist to get aback into both of the above games. Guards, added than anyone, will be counted on to absolute turnovers and advance Syracuse’s zone. Breach the columnist and you’ll breach the Orange.
Villanova Wildcats
Villanova is as counterbalanced of a aggregation as you’ll acquisition – the Wildcats accept seven players averaging added than six credibility per bold with four in bifold digits. They’re atomic offensively, and accustomed just 63 credibility per bold during the approved season.
There are a few holes in the Wildcats' defense, but airy is an breadth area they can be exploited. Villanova absent 5 times this division and didn’t win the action of the boards in any of those contests. Specific to the semifinal game: on Dec. 7, Oklahoma defeated Villanova 78-55 with a 41-33 bend on the boards. Out-toughing the Wildcats down low may be the a lot of able way to forward them home from Houston with an aboriginal Final Four exit.
The stars are animated and teams are advancing calm to win the a lot of important amateur they’ve anytime played. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield has denticulate at will, while North Carolina’s Brice Johnson has hit the boards with authority. Syracuse’s breadth aegis and full-court columnist accept shut down opponents and accustomed a brace of arresting comebacks. Villanova’s adept administration has resulted in constant all-embracing play at a actual top level.
Now, as the teams accomplish their way to Houston for the Final Four, coaches and players akin about-face their focus to acceptable one added game. And then, one added to accomplish the ultimate goal. So what will it yield to accomplishment a actual acceptable team’s weakness? Here’s a attending at what could put a stop to anniversary Final Four team’s momentum.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels are an cutting admired to ability the NCAA championship bold for the 10th time. They’ll bout up with Syracuse, who enters Saturday’s bold as a nine-point underdog. The teams boxlike off alert already this division with North Carolina acceptable both times, admitting both amateur were competitive. While the Tar Heels are experienced, ultra accomplished and deep, they aren’t unbeatable. North Carolina was one of the country’s affliction three-point cutting teams this season, abutting on just 31.4 percent of their attempts during the approved division - acceptable abundant for a baronial of 307th nationally. The third time be a agreeableness for Syracuse during this Final Four if their breadth is acknowledged abundant to force North Carolina into an affluence of ambit shots. Need added affirmation this is best way to exhausted the Tar Heels? In its alone home accident of the season, North Carolina went 1-of-13 from downtown, ultimately falling to Duke, 74-73.
Oklahoma Sooners
The simple way to exhausted the Sooners is to shut down Buddy Hield, the abounding cutting bouncer who has agitated his aggregation all division and continues to do so in the tournament. It formed for West Virginia, who captivated Hield to six credibility on 1-of-8 cutting in the Big 12 Clash and almost able afterwards Hield’s bisected courter was disqualified to be a atom of a additional late.
However, teams artlessly cannot coffer on shutting down Hield during the Final Four. While defenses accept to accomplish him plan for his points, not acceptance his teammates to do added accident than accepted is capital for downing the Sooners. Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard are actual able scorers in their own right. If Villanova can lock one or both of them down, even a big night from Hield may not be enough.
Syracuse Orange
It doesn’t feel appropriate to alarm a above affairs like Syracuse a Cinderella team, but that’s absolutely what they are afterwards acceptable the aboriginal No. 10 berry in clash history to ability the Final Four. This is a aggregation that struggled appreciably aboriginal in the division while Jim Boeheim served a abeyance for NCAA violations. But the Orange never gave up. They ashore calm through the aboriginal affliction and fought until the end admitting adverse bifold chiffre deficits in the additional bisected adjoin Gonzaga and Virginia.
So how can they be defeated? Able bouncer play, as the Orange active a almighty abounding cloister columnist to get aback into both of the above games. Guards, added than anyone, will be counted on to absolute turnovers and advance Syracuse’s zone. Breach the columnist and you’ll breach the Orange.
Villanova Wildcats
Villanova is as counterbalanced of a aggregation as you’ll acquisition – the Wildcats accept seven players averaging added than six credibility per bold with four in bifold digits. They’re atomic offensively, and accustomed just 63 credibility per bold during the approved season.
There are a few holes in the Wildcats' defense, but airy is an breadth area they can be exploited. Villanova absent 5 times this division and didn’t win the action of the boards in any of those contests. Specific to the semifinal game: on Dec. 7, Oklahoma defeated Villanova 78-55 with a 41-33 bend on the boards. Out-toughing the Wildcats down low may be the a lot of able way to forward them home from Houston with an aboriginal Final Four exit.
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