2010 NCAA Tournament Final Four Predictions

The 2010 NCAA Tournament keeps getting more and more wild. Higher seeds are dropping like flies, and although the double digit seeds have all been eliminated, how many people predicted Butler making it this far? How about West Virginia beating Kentucky despite missing their starting point guard? Of all the number one seeds, Duke is the last one standing?

Yet, for all the surprises we've had, we still have perennial powers Michigan State and Duke in the Final Four, and West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is also no stranger to NCAA Tournament success.

Coming off an 0-4 performance in the Elite Eight (you can check out my backwards Elite Eight picks here), I figure the only way to go from here is up. Here are my 2010 NCAA Tournament Final Four predictions (all times provided are Eastern Standard Time):

(5) Michigan State Vs. (5) Butler

Saturday, April 3, 6:07 P.M.

Michigan State's win over Tennessee was about as close as they come. The teams had the same number of rebounds, free throw attempts, and made field goals, and were almost even in turnovers, assists, and, perhaps most importantly, points. Now, after beating Tennessee 70-69, Michigan State finds itself once again in the Final Four. Even with a squad that has underachieved all year and missing starting point guard Kalin Lucas, coach Tom Izzo has excelled in finding success in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The biggest question now is: Can the Spartans find a way to solve Butler's suffocating defense without Lucas?

The Butler Bulldogs. I'm pretty sure there are even fans of the Butler program didn't fully expect to be in the Final Four. They had to face a very strong Syracuse team and a Kansas State team that has exceeded expectations all year long. Now, Butler finds itself in its first ever Final Four. Perhaps their biggest advantage in the upcoming game will be home court advantage. The 2010 Final Four is taking place in Indianapolis, which also happens to be where Butler University is located. Coming into a home game with a 24 game winning streak, it's going to be tough for anyone to beat the Bulldogs the way they've been playing in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

No matter who I pick in this matchup, I'll be choosing one of these teams to lose for the third straight round. The way things have been going lately, it's the Michigan State Spartans that I once again think will come up short in this game. Butler's defense and home court advantage will be too much for the shorthanded Michigan State to handle, but it's going to be close.

Final Four Prediction: Butler 64, Michigan State 58

(2) West Virginia vs. (1) Duke

Sunday, April 3, 8:47 P.M.

Since "Truck" Bryant suffered an injury during practice following the Missouri game, people have counted West Virginia out. Now, following a double digit thrashing of Washington and a surprisingly easy win versus Kentucky (they never trailed in the second half of the game against the Wildcats), is it finally time to start giving the Mountaineers some respect? I think yes. The one thing that's been underplayed all year with this West Virginia squad is their overall toughness. They aren't the best shooting team in the world, but they play hard all game, and if you sleep on them, they'll make you pay. They've seemingly looked better in each successive tournament game on the way to the Final Four, and if that trend continues, we'll see the Mountaineers in the title game.

Duke, on the other hand, had a fairly easy time with their first three games in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, but had to dominate the offensive rebound category in order to sneak by an extremely talented and strong Baylor team. The Blue Devils have snuck up on me this season. They don't seem to be as talented as some of the other teams in the field, but they are a mindboggling consistent team, and the fact that they haven't been taken seriously as a title contender by many has worked in their advantage.

If there's one team who won't sleep on the Duke Blue Devils, it's the West Virginia Mountaineers. They're coming off a win against a Kentucky team that many had already penciled into the title game, so don't expect them to slow down against Duke. The Blue Devils will keep it close and might even be able to pull it out, but West Virginia just seems too tough and determined to be stopped.

Elite Eight Prediction: West Virginia 71, Duke 69

Source(s):

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/tournament/bracket

All statistics retrieved from ESPN.com