2023 NCAAM Final Four Thread

[pfrduke]

Exactly what everyone predicted from the outset, right? Poll attached - prognosticate away!

[Saratoga2]

Who would have thought

Miami ACC
UCONN Big East
Fla Atl Conference USA
Saqn Diego St Mountain West

Not a team with a higher seed. SEC, Big 10, Big 12 all eliminated.

[MarkD83]

FAU...why not!!

[brlftz]

As the current possessor of third place in the DBR bracket challenge I’m pulling rank on almost all of you and declaring this tournament over. Time to accept that UCONN is about to get #5 😖

[simplyluvin]

By far and away the most crazy and unpredictable tournament that I can remember. There is so much apparent parity in college bball. Bilas said that NIL and the transfer portal has evened the playing field and the blue bloods are less dominant now. I also think COVID has done something to the talent pool, perhaps widening the gap between veteran players (read 6th seniors) and kids out of high school. For the latter it may have stunted some of their development.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Who would have thought

Miami ACC
UCONN Big East
Fla Atl Conference USA
Saqn Diego St Mountain West

Not a team with a higher seed. SEC, Big 10, Big 12 all eliminated.

I'd be more inclined to rag the pundits if my own brackets weren't totally trash.

[JetpackJesus]

I voted with my heart, not my brain.

[MarkD83]

I'd be more inclined to rag the pundits if my own brackets weren't totally trash.

Yes but they get paid and are supposed to be experts...so rag away.

[tommy]

Kind of annoying that, at least IMO, we’re better than two of the FF and even with a third (Miami).

[duke2x]

Who would have thought

Miami ACC
UCONN Big East
Fla Atl Conference USA
Saqn Diego St Mountain West

Not a team with a higher seed. SEC, Big 10, Big 12 all eliminated.

You can also add the P12 to that list. The only conference that is a surprise is the Big 12(-2) as I thought TX might be legitimate. If Mark Mitchell had only been healthy...

[kako]

I think:

SDSU over FAU.
Miami over UConn.

SDSU is a defense wins angle. I question their ability to score at times, but they seem to be able to do enough. And even though FAU has gotten this far, I just don't have confidence they can keep it going. BTW, this could be the lowest-rated FF game in a long time.
Miami over UConn is more emotional. Tough to ever pick UConn, and they have been rolling. Perhaps Larranaga's experience beats out Hurley's. Miami has just been playing so tough. It will be a battle with UConn. And I'm pretty sure the so-called experts will pick the winner of this game over the winner of the other game, regardess.

Miami over SDSU.

Again, somewhat emotional pulling for the ACC. But Miami is proving to have several weapons that get the job done. It may be an ugly game. People seem to doubt SDSU, but their defense is legit. Still, I picked Miami.

9F

[kako]

Kind of annoying that, at least IMO, we’re better than two of the FF and even with a third (Miami).

I think there are at least 16 other teams that think the same thing. Not much can be said, though. These 4 teams won their games, the other 64 teams didn't.

9F

[Neals384]

For all the heat the ACC has taken, there’s this

Final four teams, 2022 and 2023

ACC - 3
Big East - 2
Big 12 - 1
Mtn West - 1
Conf USA - 1
B1G - 0
SEC - 0
Pac 12 - 0

[dukelifer]

I think:

SDSU over FAU.
Miami over UConn.

SDSU is a defense wins angle. I question their ability to score at times, but they seem to be able to do enough. And even though FAU has gotten this far, I just don't have confidence they can keep it going. BTW, this could be the lowest-rated FF game in a long time.
Miami over UConn is more emotional. Tough to ever pick UConn, and they have been rolling. Perhaps Larranaga's experience beats out Hurley's. Miami has just been playing so tough. It will be a battle with UConn. And I'm pretty sure the so-called experts will pick the winner of this game over the winner of the other game, regardess.

Miami over SDSU.

Again, somewhat emotional pulling for the ACC. But Miami is proving to have several weapons that get the job done. It may be an ugly game. People seem to doubt SDSU, but their defense is legit. Still, I picked Miami.

9F

I think UConn wins this. Too big, D is good and shooting is very good. Miami’s D is not good enough and that will be the difference. It could be a close game though.

[Music man55]

I might pick Miami to win it all, but man, UCONN has been just killing teams. They are playing at such a high level, I don’t know if the other three final four teams really can match them. I’m not a fan of UCONN( too many bad memories regarding their past games against Duke), but unless they just have a bad game, I see no way they will lose next weekend!

[wavedukefan70s]

Can't have uconnvict Winning this thing.
Anyone else.

[brevity]

Saturday's Final Four Schedule

No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic | 6:09 p.m. | CBS
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 Miami (Fla.) | 8:49 p.m. | CBS

Announcers: Jim Nantz/Bill Raftery/Grant Hill/Tracy Wolfson

[Matches]

I am expecting an underwhelming FF. Getting here was a heckuva fun ride, but championship matchups between essentially random teams usually aren’t that compelling.

[House P]

Saturday's Final Four Schedule

No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic | 6:09 p.m. | CBS
No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 Miami (Fla.) | 8:49 p.m. | CBS

The Final Four match-ups include the best team from the Mountain West vs the best team from CUSA and the 3rd best* team from the ACC vs the 3rd best* team from the Big East.

If similarly rated teams were matched up in college football's post-season, it wouldn't be the in Final Four. Instead, it would probably be in the Duluth Trading Company Cure Bowl and the Duke's Mayo Bowl.





*Based on the tournament selection committee's pre-tourney 1-68 seed list.

[brevity]

If similarly rated teams were matched up in college football's post-season, it wouldn't be the in Final Four. Instead, it would probably be in the Duluth Trading Company Cure Bowl and the Duke's Mayo Bowl.

On the other hand, if college basketball were more like college football, the Selection Committee would just skip the first four rounds and automatically plug Alabama into the Final Four.