- There are a ton of Kansas fans on the Riverwalk. I believe they will have the most fans and it could give them the advantage. Jayhawks probably occupied 50% of the total fans.
- Great BBQ here in San Antonio and the beef jerky is excellent. Not much else though.
- I would like to write about more, but there isn’t a whole lot here. The Final Four atmosphere is great, and you can feel the anticipation in the air.
On to the prediction……Most experts and most of the country are picking Memphis to win it, with the main reason being their recent demolishing of MSU and Texas. Combine that with UCLA’s close victories and style of play, and it’s pretty understandable. However, there are a few important factors that are in UCLA’s favor:
- UCLA is NOT happy to be here. Kansas, UNC, and Memphis are. All 3 teams lost in the Elite 8 last year and they wanted to get over the hump and into the Final Four. In college basketball, making the Final Four is a huge deal. In other sports, winning the championship is the main goal, but if you notice, coaches and players will state their main goal before the season is to reach the Final Four. These teams are just happy to be here. The Bruins feel no satisfaction at this point. Motivation edge - UCLA.
- The Memphis hype can’t get any higher. They have blown out fools. If the Tigers are behind in the game, they could panic.
- Memphis played with a chip on their shoulder in the previous round. Slimeball Calipari used this as leverage to motivate his players. The media and experts picked them to be the most likely #1 seed to be upset, and they played pissed off and dominated. This Dorito is no longer there now that they are here (that was pretty lame I know).
- UCLA is very, very athletic. Everyone yaps about how athletic and long Memphis is. And this is true. But, i will say it again and again….UCLA is a very athletic team. It’s not as evident because of the system that Howland employs, but Memphis will be very surprised. UCLA will show the country tonight.
- UCLA defense. Memphis is not used to being punched in the face. They will be punched tonight. I am not sure if they are mentally strong enough to handle it. We shall see.
- My rule of thumb - the team with the most NBA talent wins. UCLA, NOT Memphis, has the most NBA talent. Factor that in with the fact that UCLA is much more mentally tough, and you have this outcome that nobody is predicting.
BRUINS MOVE ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME in a not so close game
UCLA - 73
Memphis - 61
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