2008 Woodie Awards
Columnist versus sports editor on March Madness
Straight from the sports editor
Matt Linden
Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: Sports
With the Madness already one week in and brackets being busted, I thought I would share my predictions and which teams to look out for in this week's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.
Playing and watching sports at a young age, I always heard the phrase "defense wins championships." Not sure if it will win you championships, but in Texas A&M's case, it will certainly earn the Aggies a trip to Atlanta. Billy Gillespie's club gave up only 59.2 points per game against the opposition this year and is led by Mr. Clutch, also known as Acie Law IV. Whether it's hitting 3's from the corner or driving the lane and making plays, Law can carry this team past freshman sensation Greg Oden and Ohio State.
Are we getting another dose of Hoya Paranoia? Georgetown struggled a bit against Boston College, but the dominant inside duo of 7-footer Roy Hibbert and junior Jeff Green continues to be too tough to contain. Green, the Big East Player of the Year, is a big-man who can score in the paint or knock them down from behind the 3-point line. The experience is there and coach John Thompson III's Princeton-style offense (using the shot clock, running backdoor plays, constant pick-and-rolls) creates match up problems for opposing teams. The East region is very strong and UNC is playing quality basketball, but Georgetown would run them over in a potential Elite Eight meeting.
The popular pick would be to have Florida repeat as champions, but the most dangerous team in the tourney is Oregon. The Ducks are riding the wave after winning the Pac-10 tournament and have the best guard-play in the country. Coach Ernie Kent has done a great job this season and Aaron Brooks went from "the guy who punched Ryan Appleby in the face" to "elite clutch performer." The team's X-factor is 5-foot-6 freshman Tajuan Porter; if you haven't seen this kid play, you are definitely missing out on something special. Porter is a gunner from beyond the arc and can create shot opportunities with his ball-handling skills. So my message to Billy Donovan and Florida is to take notice, or these Ducks might just quack their way into the Final Four.
But the team that will win it all is…………UCLA.
The Bruins are well balanced on both ends of the floor and do not make many mistakes. With the opportunity to watch them throughout the season (thank you DirecTV), I am convinced UCLA has what it takes to garner an unprecedented 12th national championship. There's no shortage of scoring with this team, as they have three players averaging in double figures. Arron Afflalo, the Pac-10's Player of the Year, leads UCLA with 16.7 points per game, but more importantly seems to find ways to hit the big shot from anywhere on the court. Point guard Darren Collison has been a pleasant surprise and continues to control the pace of games despite recurring ankle injuries. John Wooden must be proud.
Elite 8: Georgetown over UNC
Texas A&M over Ohio State
Oregon over Florida
UCLA over Southern Illinois
Final 4: UCLA over Oregon, Georgetown over Texas A&M
Championship: UCLA over Georgetown
Playing and watching sports at a young age, I always heard the phrase "defense wins championships." Not sure if it will win you championships, but in Texas A&M's case, it will certainly earn the Aggies a trip to Atlanta. Billy Gillespie's club gave up only 59.2 points per game against the opposition this year and is led by Mr. Clutch, also known as Acie Law IV. Whether it's hitting 3's from the corner or driving the lane and making plays, Law can carry this team past freshman sensation Greg Oden and Ohio State.
Are we getting another dose of Hoya Paranoia? Georgetown struggled a bit against Boston College, but the dominant inside duo of 7-footer Roy Hibbert and junior Jeff Green continues to be too tough to contain. Green, the Big East Player of the Year, is a big-man who can score in the paint or knock them down from behind the 3-point line. The experience is there and coach John Thompson III's Princeton-style offense (using the shot clock, running backdoor plays, constant pick-and-rolls) creates match up problems for opposing teams. The East region is very strong and UNC is playing quality basketball, but Georgetown would run them over in a potential Elite Eight meeting.
The popular pick would be to have Florida repeat as champions, but the most dangerous team in the tourney is Oregon. The Ducks are riding the wave after winning the Pac-10 tournament and have the best guard-play in the country. Coach Ernie Kent has done a great job this season and Aaron Brooks went from "the guy who punched Ryan Appleby in the face" to "elite clutch performer." The team's X-factor is 5-foot-6 freshman Tajuan Porter; if you haven't seen this kid play, you are definitely missing out on something special. Porter is a gunner from beyond the arc and can create shot opportunities with his ball-handling skills. So my message to Billy Donovan and Florida is to take notice, or these Ducks might just quack their way into the Final Four.
But the team that will win it all is…………UCLA.
The Bruins are well balanced on both ends of the floor and do not make many mistakes. With the opportunity to watch them throughout the season (thank you DirecTV), I am convinced UCLA has what it takes to garner an unprecedented 12th national championship. There's no shortage of scoring with this team, as they have three players averaging in double figures. Arron Afflalo, the Pac-10's Player of the Year, leads UCLA with 16.7 points per game, but more importantly seems to find ways to hit the big shot from anywhere on the court. Point guard Darren Collison has been a pleasant surprise and continues to control the pace of games despite recurring ankle injuries. John Wooden must be proud.
Elite 8: Georgetown over UNC
Texas A&M over Ohio State
Oregon over Florida
UCLA over Southern Illinois
Final 4: UCLA over Oregon, Georgetown over Texas A&M
Championship: UCLA over Georgetown
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