The men’s NCAA Final Four games did not disappoint — Florida took down Auburn in a comeback victory, then Houston rallied in a comeback of their own with a late 9–0 run in the final 30 seconds to beat Cooper Flagg’s Duke.
The championship game will take place on Monday, April 7 at 8:50 p.m. EST at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. In this highly anticipated, one-seed final, The Daily Princetonian Sports section gave their predictions for the game with hopes — and March Madness brackets — on the line.
Houston 68, Florida 65 – Alex Beverton-Smith, Head Sports Editor
Many expected the Final Four games to disappoint, with this year seeming to run out of the typical ‘madness’ that comes from the usual large upsets and late comebacks of years gone by. With all one-seeds in the Final Four for the first time since 2008, however, the competition was very high. Florida and Houston both played in their trademark styles and played them well.
Nevertheless, despite what my March Madness bracket says, I think Houston will go all the way this year and lift the trophy come Monday night. Their deliberate style of play, slowing down the game and forcing opponents to play to their strengths, has served them very well.
A traditionally defensive team, they’ve excelled in this field as per usual this year, but they’ve also managed to combine it with perimeter threat and strong offense. Their scorers aren’t leading the country in PPG, but players such as LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp are able to help lead the team on the court and ensure their style of play, being the only ‘defense-dependent’ team out of the last four standing.
The Cougars are No. 1 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, and I expect that to bring them the victory in an inevitably close game. They force teams to play the way they want to, and Florida, despite their many strengths, will not be able to adjust.
Florida 82, Houston 77 – Doug Schwartz, Associate Sports Editor
If you had asked me who my pick to win the men’s NCAA tournament was last week, I would’ve told you Duke without a doubt. However, after No. 1 Houston’s wild comeback win knocked out Duke in the Final Four, the final will be Houston versus Florida instead.
Despite Houston’s win, Walter Clayton Jr. has been on a tear recently, averaging 23.1 points on 49.1 percent shooting, with an impressive 49.2 percent from three since the start of the college basketball postseason — from the SEC Tournament to the NCAA Tournament. And while the Cougars were able to hold the explosive Duke offense in check, I have a hard time believing they will be able to replicate that performance.
Look for Clayton Jr. and the Gators to pull out a win in a tightly contested matchup in which Clayton Jr. will score over 25 points.
Florida 71, Houston 68 – Hayk Yengibaryan, Senior Sports Writer
The Final Four needed to deliver — and it did. Saturday night, college basketball fans across the country watched a spectacle featuring the four best teams in the nation. Duke and Auburn looked like the top contenders midway through the season. But now, it’s Florida and Houston who are left standing — and one has to go.
The Gators were my pre-tournament pick to win it all, and I’m riding with them until the final buzzer Monday night. I believe Todd Golden’s squad is the deeper and more complete team.
One of the most interesting aspects of this game will be who dictates the tempo. Florida cannot let Houston slow things down to a snail’s pace — they need to push in transition. It’s clear that Houston’s physicality was the reason Duke gave up a 14-point lead in just eight minutes. But a veteran Florida team, battle-tested from the gauntlet of the SEC, won’t be worn down.
Florida has been a live underdog in three tournament games so far: against UConn midway through the second half, against Texas Tech late in the second, and against Auburn early in the second half. Each time, they turned to one man to get them to the finish line: Walter Clayton Jr. He became the first player since 1979 to record back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and national semifinals. Houston has what it takes to challenge Clayton — and they’ll embrace the test. Will it be enough?
I think both teams will come out sluggish before the shots start to fall. Houston won’t get blown out, but in the end, the depth and shot-making ability of multiple Florida players will prevail.
Give me Walter Clayton Jr., Todd Golden, and the Florida Gators to cut the nets in San Antonio Monday night.
Houston 73, Florida 71 – JP Ohl, Staff Sports Writer
The Houston Cougars vs. Florida Gators will be deemed an instant classic when the clock strikes 0:00 in San Antonio, Texas on Monday night. Throughout this entire college basketball season, the relentless press and media coverage on Duke and Auburn eclipsed Houston and Florida, chipping both teams’ shoulders insatiably. These teams have finally seized the spotlight and are the most deserving teams to take the stage. Unfortunately, you can’t cut a trophy in half.
Grit and composure wins championships. The Houston Cougars are the epitome of the aforementioned adjectives. Overcoming a 14-point deficit in the final eight minutes against the most talented team in the nation must be respected. Houston is relentless and will not be denied this moment. Florida will find holes and hit influential shots, like any strong team, but it won’t be enough.
Kelvin Sampson’s squad does not hide from pressure; it’s sought after and recognized as a privilege. Houston embraces the highs and lows of college basketball and will continue with steadfast pressure both defensively, transitionally, and offensively. When the final horn sounds, it’ll be the Cougars standing tallest, scissors in hand, ready to cut down the nets.
Houston 78, Florida 75 – Leela Hensler, Sports Contributor
Houston, led by the legendary Kelvin Sampson, comes into this game with something to prove — and a blistering top-ranked defense which took down the likes of Cooper Flagg on Saturday. Yes, Florida may have the No. 3 offense in the country, with First Team All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. becoming the first player since Larry Bird to pull off consecutive 30-point games in the Elite Eight and Final Four, but the Cougars’ offense is the best it has ever been. Their method of grinding down their opponents to exhaustion, then coming in with people like LJ Cryer to rack up points in the last few minutes has already led to success against No. 4 Purdue and No. 2 Tennessee in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
The Cougars’ defense has held their opponents to an average of 58.5 points and will pose a strong challenge to the Gators’ Clayton Jr. and forward Alex Condon, who has been having a breakout year. However, if they can manage to hold off Clayton, the Cougars can leverage their 39.9 three-point shooting percentage — the highest in the country — to rack up points. It’s this potential for offensive success, mixed with defensive dominance that Todd Golden’s Gators lack, that makes Houston a safer bet to bring home the gold-plated NCAA trophy.
The Gators play at a fast pace, and once Clayton hits his momentum, it’s hard to stop him from scoring, with an accuracy rate of 48.7 percent from the three-point line. But Houston’s specialty is bringing teams with powerful offenses to a blistering halt and then making the most out of every opportunity they get while the ball is in their possession. Their recent success over Duke — another team which expected to bring home a win through their star offensive player — in a game that they were predicted to lose should come as a warning to anyone who wants to bet against the Cougars this time around.
Alex Beverton-Smith is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Hayk Yengibaryan is a senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.'
JP Ohl is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Leela Hensler is a staff News writer and Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please direct any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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