Two defensive stalwarts will battle for a national championship tonight in Minneapolis. Virginia has survived scares and persevered in the final seconds. Texas Tech has simply suffocated opponents. It’s expected to be a tight affair, with the Cavaliers favored by a single point.
Here are four bold predictions for the national championship game because the NCAA Tournament is nothing if not easy to anticipate.
The under will hit
It’s tough to set a figure low enough here but they’ve done it. Everyone has more fun betting the over, but one should really pause here. Virginia’s held opponents to 58.6 points/game while Texas Tech has allowed 55.8. Do you really think each team is going to crack 60? I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a similar halftime score 23-21, which is what the Red Raiders and MSU combined to put up on Saturday.
Jarrett Culver leads all scorers
Arguably the best player taking the floor tonight, Culver was oddly quiet for the first 35 minutes Saturday. He woke up late, scoring six consecutive points to seal a victory. With Tariq Owens questionable, Tech needs its pillars to step up big. Look for Culver to hit his season average of 18.6 and be the focal point of the early offensive attack.
Ratings will be better than last year
Great doom has been forecasted and people are falling over each other to tell you how bad this game is for the sport and television side of things. While that may be true, the broadcast will be on CBS tonight, insuring an improvement over last year’s Michigan-Villanova affair on Turner, which drew a 9.2.
DeAndre Hunter’s production decides this one
No one’s been able to solve this defensive puzzle all tournament. Tech takes away the middle and closes out on three-point shooters. Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome will either have to take contested shots or force-feed Hunter for easier looks inside. I’m expecting Hunter to get 16 to 18 chances. If he can convert and get to the free-throw line with regularity, Virginia wins. If he struggles, Texas Tech rolls.
