It's the Final Countdown

As one of the most unpredictable and historic NCAA tournaments of all times is nearing its close, only four teams remain. Who will come on top?

We are in the final stretch. Four Teams. An 11 seed. A 3 seed. And two 1 seeds. All competing for the ultimate prize in San Antonio. Will we continue the chaos that's been so predominant thus far? Here's how we're fairing in predictions to this point and our full analysis of each of the four teams remaining.

---

How'd We do in the Elite Eight?

Loyola-Chicago not only defeated the Kansas State Wildcats, but did so in dominant fashion in a 78-62 victory in which they led by double digits for about half of the first half and the whole second half. This is a monumental figure for the Ramblers' success because to this point they had only won by two points or less and each victory literally came down to the wire as they were each decided by ridiculous clutch threes with six-or-less seconds left. Now Loyola-Chicago has not only proven they can stick in it down the stretch, but also that they can be just as dominant as a top seed; asserting their place in the Final Four with this blowout against the squad that bested Kentucky. Not only did the 11 seed dominate the score and pace of the game, but they also dominated nearly every statistical category, including FG%, 3P%, rebounds, and assists. Both shooting 50% and three while limiting to their opponent to 34.8% from the field and 23.1% from deep exemplify this squads two-way prowess and reaffirms that the college basketball landscape is much more even than it has been in past years.

Michigan continued their reign of dominance, having not lost since February 6, as they overcame the surging Seminoles who had started the tournament with three convincing upsets over eight seed Missouri, one seed Xavier, and four seed Gonzaga. Unlike the Wolverines' past several wins, this past one really was not all that decisive and revealed several weak points in their all around game. Although we all love the heart of Mo Wagner, the clutch play of Jordan Poole, and the excellent shooting of Charles Matthews and Duncan Robinson, Michigan simply has yet to put it all together and set themselves apart as a contender. In their close 58-54 victory over Florida State, they only shot 18.2% from down town, were outrebounded, and getting outshot considerably at the foul stripe, nailing only 66.7% of their freebees. Michigan has several stars, a strong defense, a modern stretch offense; they have all the tools to be a title contender and if they manage to put it all together for good they could become the most dominant team in the tourney. That's a big if however as they've been surviving on scrambling mediocrity to this point and simply can't rely on this inconsistency to overcome the bustling Ramblers, let alone the powerhouses of Villanova and Kansas.

Wow, Villanova. Just wow. The Wildcats have proven time and time again that they are simply the strongest two-way team in the entire tournament. Led by AP Player of the Year Jalen Brunson, two-time Naismith Coach of the Year Jay Wright, and supported by a plethora of gritty, determined players that never give up and all contain extremely efficient skill sets, Villanova has the the deepest and most proficient team in college basketball. Fair warning however, the Wildcats' offense was extremely hampered and restricted by the 7th rated defensively efficient Texas Tech. Being limited to only 16.7%, 33.3% from the floor, and turning the ball over 12 times, Villanova instead had to rely on their rebounding rebounding and foul shooting to carry them over the Red Raiders, as they won the rebounding battle 51-38 and shooting 82.9% from the charity stripe. To be completely honest it was a poorly officiated game which had its pace tampered with by the ridiculous amount of foul calls called, and had fans getting riled up with both questionable calls and no-calls. Villanova capitalized on the refs calls landing more often in their favor and made up for their deficiencies by getting second chance buckets and taking advantage of their free point opportunities. The Wildcats sh32 ould be able to operate much more like they're used to offensively against the Jayhawks, who are the 90th ratedW defense in efficiency in college basketball. If Villanova can play more to form going forward, while playing to their strengths and compensating for any weaknesses, they absolutely have what it takes to win it all.

Kansas! You did it. You proved me wrong. You spoiled what was set to be my perfect round. In an intensely close matchup between two of the unarguably greatest college coaches of all time, Bill Self led the Jayhawks over the Blue Devils for the fifth time in history. Kansas had a more convincing Elite Eight win than their next opponent, as they managed a narrow 85-81 victory but still bested Duke in both FG% and 3P%, rebounds, assists, and FT%. With an incredible 32 point outing from Malik Newman, who's had the hot hand of late, as well as a clutch fill-in performance by Silvio De Sousa, who played significantly more than usual since his counterpart Udoka Azubuike fouled out with considerable time remaining in the second half. I think it's fair to say that the Jayhawks have finally put it all together after struggling in their first three matchups against considerably weaker teams in Penn, Seton Hall, and Clemson. Edging out the dominant Blue Devils with both strong team play with an impressive 20 assists and extreme hustle to make up for mistakes with 47 rebounds. Duke, who's been clicking on all cylinders, even overcoming the literal giant Syracuse defense, was a daunting opponent and served as the true test as to whether Kansas deserved to be the one seed or not. They've now proved themselves a gritty and team-oriented squad and are ready to compete tooth and nail in the Final Four to win Bill Self his second D1 title.

Elite Eight Score: 3/4

Overall Score: 42/60

---

Predictions For the Final Four:

Loyola-Chicago will upset Michigan and fully capture America's collective heart. Did I pick them because I want them to win? Maybe. Did I pick them because it would be one of the greatest sports stories of all time? A bit more likely. Did I pick the Ramblers because I wanted Sister Jean to enjoy a win for her team? Okay yeah, you caught me. But you know what? The Loyola-Chicago Rambler shave everything, and I mean everything, that it'll take to overcome the recently struggling Wolverines. Loyola has finally put it all together and has both one of the best and most versatile defenses, as well as an extremely efficient offense. They have limited their opponents to 63.5 points per game in the tournament, restricting three of the four to only 62 points. As their offense is now clicking with their adept ball movement and balanced scoring, the Ramblers literally have but one weak spot; Cameron Krutwig, while glueing the offense together, simply is a defensive liability who has slow feet, poor defensive awareness, and lacks the athleticism to protect the rim.

Villanova, who's set themselves apart as the top team in college basketball, will rediscover their mojo, get their act together, and advance over the Jayhawks. Despite shooting so poorly against Texas Tech, the Wildcats really have nothing to be scared of as they're going from the 7th rated defense to the 98th rated defense. So really Jay Wright's squad should have nowhere near as much trouble this time around as this will end up as a battle of offenses. Despite both squads having incredible rebounding performances in the previous round, both are rated outside the top 100 in rebounds per game so the battle on the glass will come down to who wants it more. In a battle of two coaching legends, skill, heart, and defensive effort will be tested, but simply Villanova is in every way the best team; they pass the eye test; they check out on paper; they excel in advanced statistics. Additionally Nova won two years ago with a less talented overall team that had more emphasis on rebounding, but what's truly special about this team is every single player can shoot, especially Freshman PF Omari Spellman who has been clutch the last two rounds and is set to lead them to another win with the help of AP Player of the Year Jalen Brunson.