I've been hearing a lot all day about the matchups in tonight's national championship game. Can Ronald Nored shut down Kemba Walker? Who matches up with Matt Howard? Can the Huskies control the boards? Who matches up with Jeremy Lamb? Can UConn stop Shelvin Mack?
It all makes nice conversation, and certainly some of it bears watching. But in a game like this, with history on the line, I more or less throw the matchups out the window. I look at tonight's game more like this: Will Kemba be denied? And, with all due respect to Brad Stevens, is he really the coach who stands in the way of Jim Calhoun being added to college basketball's coaching Mount Rushmore?
I don't think so, on either count.
I like the Huskies tonight. I think Butler will put up a good fight, and is more than capable of winning. But I don't think it will. I think UConn wins its third national title.
There's a quiet confidence about this team right now. Not cockiness, just supreme confidence, beyond its years. I think the Huskies legitimately respect Butler as a very tough opponent. But I also think they realize that something very special is right there for the taking, and it's hard to bet against guys like Walker and Calhoun.
UConn, 67-63.
Both teams have a good shot at a title and it will likely be a close game that hinges on a certain degree of randomness. So, I don’t think one method is objectively better than the other. Therefore, I think whether UConn wins or loses has little to no bearing on how successful we can be with a similar MO.
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