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Posted (edited)

BasketballEdition_FinalFourSanAntonio_16

Saturday, April 5

  • Game 1: Auburn vs. Florida | 6:09 p.m. ET | CBS (Fubo)
  • Game 2: Duke vs. Houston | 8:49 p.m. ET | CBS (Fubo)

Monday, April 7

  • National Championship: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | 8:50 p.m. ET | CBS (Fubo)

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQgnXS5wX-91RfVnQSm_Fl  

Also, future locations:
Mens%20All%20Cities%20Graphic_FINAL_v16x

Edited by Iceman
  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted

History of the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four

YEAR NAME CLASS SCHOOL
2024 Tristen Newton Senior UConn
2023 Adama Sanogo Junior UConn
2022 Ochai Agbaji Senior Kansas
2021 Jared Butler Junior Baylor
2019 Kyle Guy Junior Virginia
2018 Donte DiVincenzo Junior Villanova
2017 Joel Berry II Junior North Carolina
2016 Ryan Arcidiacono Senior Villanova
2015 Tyus Jones Freshman Duke
2014 Shabazz Napier Senior UConn
2013 Luke Hancock Senior Louisville*
2012 Anthony Davis Freshman Kentucky
2011 Kemba Walker Junior UConn
2010 Kyler Singler Junior Duke
2009 Wayne Ellington Junior North Carolina
2008 Mario Chalmers Junior Kansas
2007 Corey Brewer Junior Florida
2006 Joakim Noah Sophomore Florida
2005 Sean May Junior North Carolina
2004 Emeka Okafor Junior UConn
2003 Carmelo Anthony Freshman Syracuse
2002 Juan Dixon Senior Maryland
2001 Shane Battier Senior Duke
2000 Mateen Cleaves Senior Michigan State
1999 Richard Hamilton Junior UConn
1998 Jeff Sheppard Senior Kentucky
1997 Miles Simon Junior Arizona
1996 Tony Delk Senior Kentucky
1995 Ed O'Bannon Senior UCLA
1994 Corliss Williamson Junior Arkansas
1993 Donald Williams Sophomore North Carolina
1992 Bobby Hurley Junior Duke
1991 Christian Laettner Junior Duke
1990 Anderson Hunt Sophomore UNLV
1989 Glen Rice Senior Michigan
1988 Danny Manning Senior Kansas
1987 Keith Smart Junior Indiana
1986 Pervis Ellison Freshman Louisville
1985 Ed Pinckney Senior Villanova
1984 Patrick Ewing Junior Georgetown
1983 Akeem Olajuwon** Sophomore Houston
1982 James Worthy Junior North Carolina
1981 Isiah Thomas Sophomore Indiana
1980 Darrell Griffith Senior Louisville
1979 Magic Johnson Sophomore Michigan State
1978 Jack Givens Senior Kentucky
1977 Butch Lee Junior Marquette
1976 Kent Benson Junior Indiana
1975 Richard Washington Sophomore UCLA
1974 David Thompson Sophomore NC State
1973 Bill Walton % Junior UCLA
1972 Bill Walton N/A UCLA
1971 Vacated N/A N/A
1970 Sidney Wicks N/A UCLA
1969 Lew Alcindor % N/A UCLA
1968 Lew Alcindor % N/A UCLA
1967 Lew Alcindor N/A UCLA
1966 Jerry Chambers ** N/A Utah
1965 Bill Bradley ** N/A Princeton
1964 Walt Hazzard N/A UCLA
1963 Art Heyman ** N/A Duke
1962 Paul Hogue  N/A Cincinnati
1961 Jerry Lucas **% N/A Ohio State
1960 Jerry Lucas N/A Ohio State
1959 Jerry West ** N/A West Virginia
1958 Elgin Baylor ** N/A Seattle
1957 Wilt Chamberlain ** N/A Kansas
1956 Hal Lear ** N/A Temple
1955 Bill Russell N/A San Francisco
1954 Tom Gola N/A La Salle
1953 B.H. Born** N/A Kansas
1952 Clyde Lovellette N/A Kansas
1951 Bill Spivey N/A Kentucky
1950 Irwin Dambrot N/A CCNY
1949 Alex Groza % N/A Kentucky 
1948 Alex Groza N/A Kentucky
1947 George Kaftan N/A Holy Cross
1946 Bob Kurland % N/A Oklahoma A&M***
1945 Bob Kurland N/A Oklahoma A&M***
1944 Arnie Ferrin N/A Utah
1943 Ken Sailors N/A Wyoming
1942 Howie Dallmar N/A Stanford
1941 John Kotz N/A Wisconsin
1940 Marvin Huffman N/A Indiana
1939 Jimmy Hull** N/A Ohio State
Posted

Saturday

No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 1 Florida (-2.5, 159.5)

6:09 p.m. ET (CBS)

Bookmaker quote from Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City: "Florida opened as 2.5-point favorites with a total of 162.5. Obviously, the injury to Johni Broome is looming over this game. The spread has stayed steady at -2.5 with good two-way action but the total has come down to 159.5. That was very quick line movement upon opening the number. I don’t believe we are going to hear any real news on the health of Broome, so this is really whether you think he is going to be close to 100% or will be compromised after a week of rest and minimal to no practicing."

Corbie Craig, Bettor Odds: Broome’s health is a massive worry of course, but we also don’t look enough at the challenges Florida has found itself in multiple times this tourney — like when the Gators were down nine with two minutes left to a Texas Tech team playing an injured Chance McMillian. Start slow and the Tigers have all the firepower to put you away. Broome, Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford get a ton of attention, but in this matchup, I look at Miles Kelly to have a massive impact. A strong body shooting 93% from the stripe and a quick trigger from deep, if Broome isn’t at his best then the swing pass through to Kelly makes a ton of sense. In the game as a whole, the Gators have the guards to speed up Auburn, and I'm good backing the team that plays its style the most.

Bet: Florida -2.5

Sam Panayotovich, "Bet Sweats" host: The Florida infatuation is very real after a whole season of hearing that it's Duke and Auburn, then everyone else. I'm banking on Broome being healthy and will happily take a full possession with the veteran-driven Tigers.

Bet: Auburn +3

No. 1 Houston vs. No. 1 Duke (-5.5, 136.5)

8:49 p.m. ET (CBS)

Gable: "We opened this Duke -4.5 with a total of 136.5. Duke has been such a machine, I wasn’t surprised to see them bet up to as high as -5.5. We did get some buy back on Houston at +5.5 and are currently sitting at 5. A lot of the advanced metric sites make this game a lot closer than 5 but the public is believing their eyes at this point and what they have continued to see with Duke. I personally make this game Duke -4, so I would be happy to grab +5.5 or higher on Houston. The total hasn’t moved off 136.5."

Paul Stone, pro bettor: Houston is No. 1 in the country in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and the Cougars only had four opponents score 70 or more in regulation all season. The trademark of Kelvin Sampson’s teams has been tenacious defense — and this team is no different. They contest every pass and try to eliminate every angle. They’re relentless and never take their foot off the gas defensively. Duke’s arguably been the best offensive team in college basketball over the course of the season, and I think Sampson realizes the Cougars can’t get in a shootout with the Blue Devils. Houston has to turn it into a rock fight, an ugly game with a slower pace and points at a premium.

We saw what Duke did to Alabama’s 3-point attack in its Elite Eight victory, and the Crimson Tide were coming off a historic performance, hitting 25-of-51 three-pointers against BYU in the Sweet 16. Against Duke, however, Bama got very few good looks and went 8-of-32 from downtown, as the Blue Devils were clearly committed to defending the 3-point line. Duke has a lot more length than other teams, which helps the perimeter defense, taking away the sidelines and making it tough on 3-point shooting teams. I like this game to stay under the total.

Bet: Under 136.5

Craig: Alabama head coach Nate Oats' postgame presser expresses my current sentiment regarding Duke: “This is an insanely tough two-day prep.” The good news for Sampson is that he's been given the time to sift through the various backdoor lob attempts, elevator screens and other offensive sets that attempt to draw attention away from Cooper Flagg and allow him to slowly piece together an iso game. The Cougars stop backdoor lobs much better than nearly anyone in the country, and although they are small, they will be will prepped for this one. Duke has played very similarly paced teams back to back, giving a pretty easy prep and allowing the game to speed up as it slowly pulls away and runs up the score. This contrast in style should pose some tempo change. I bet the under 136.

Bet: Under 136

Mike Randle, FTN Network: We project this as a one-score game at FTN, as Houston has been atop our power rankings for most of the season. Duke has steamrolled through the second half of the season, but has yet to face the level of defensive pressure the Cougars will bring Saturday. There have been teams that defend the 3-point line well (Alabama), or guard the interior well (Louisville), but the overall physicality and rebounding ability of Houston will challenge the Blue Devils' young roster. With a healthy roster, and multiple big men (J'Wan Roberts, Ja'Vier Francis) to limit second-chance points, this line is too many points for a Houston team that is playing in its home state and is hungry for more than just a Final Four appearance.

Bet: Houston +5.5

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