2009 NCAA Elite Eight Predictions for March 29 Games

2009 NCAA Elite Eight Predictions. Louisville, North Carolina, and Oklahoma destroyed Arizona and Gonzaga in their respective Sweet Sixteen matchups. The Cardinals 103-64 win over Arizona was the most points ever scored by a Louisville team in post season play. Pitino's team did not show any of the rust that they had in the first two rounds of the tournament and looked like the number 1 overall seed of the tournament. North Carolina followed suit and with Ty Lawson leading the way early finishing in a 98-77 demolishing of Gonzaga. Blake Griffin led Oklahoma over Syracuse, 84-71 with 30 points and 18 rebounds setting up a great Sunday between the Sooners and Tar Heels to make the Final Four. Michigan State on the other hand had to rally from an 8 point halftime lead by defending champs, Kansas to make it to the Elite Eight. The Spartans did so by holding the high octane offense of the Jayhawks to only 26 2nd half points while their bench outscored Kansas' 23 to 7.

2009 Elite Eight Prediction - Mid-West Region

2 Michigan State (29-6)
1 Louisville (31-5)
Prediction: Louisville 92-86
Notes: Louisville was scary good in their win over the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday. They can't overlook the Spartans in the Elite Eight, however, or the Cardinals could travel home early. This game is going to come down to which team controls the transition. If the Spartans let Louisville run, then they will keep the game close, but be on the short end of the score.

2009 Elite Eight Prediction - South Region

2 Oklahoma (30-5)
1 North Carolina (31-4)
Prediction: Oklahoma 80-74
Notes: Two things go into my changing course and choosing Oklahoma over North Carolina to make the 2009 NCAA Final Four now: 1 - Watching Duke get destroyed by Villanova. I had thought that Duke was just a shade less capable than North Carolina throughout the last half of the season. Then they get killed by the fourth or fifth best Big East team in the NCAA tournament! Couple that with Blake Griffin getting significant back court help and the Tar Heels will be in trouble in this game. In order to win, Ty Lawson is going to have to have a monster game and shut down the Oklahoma guards. To win, Oklahoma needs to keep doing what they did against Syracuse on Friday.

Refs:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1601823/2009_ncaa_elite_eight_predictions_for.html?cat=14
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/Mens/NCAA/March_Madness/Final_Four/north-carolina-coasts-into-regional-final-with-98-77-win-over-gonzaga
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/Mens/NCAA/March_Madness/Final_Four/clark-lifts-louisville-to-lopsided-win-vs-arizona
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/Mens/NCAA/March_Madness/Final_Four/no-7-oklahoma-handles-no-13-syracuse-84-71-in-sweet-sixteen
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/michigan-state-spartans-basketball/
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/louisville-cardinals/
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/oklahoma-sooners/
http://www.collegehoopsvideo.com/north-carolina-tar-heels-2/