Georgetown will win the national championship. No wait, Florida. No, no, it’s Georgetown. I think.
OK, I don’t know. It’s that close. Ohio State could take it, too. UCLA is the only one I’m tossing and the Bruins could still win it all.
It wasn’t this hard filling out the full bracket three weeks ago. Now we’re down to four teams and I have four different matchups and three winners.
The only sure bet — Georgetown soon reworks coach John Thompson III’s contract that barely equals a congressman’s fun money (sorry, discretionary funds.) If the Hoyas let Thompson get away over money, then Hoyas is really Latin for “dumb people living on the hill in old buildings.”
Georgetown gets the nod over Ohio State in Saturday’s first Final Four semifinal through its collective strength. Center Roy Hibbert versus Ohio State’s Greg Oden is a sexy matchup between 7-footers, but Hoyas’ top scorer Jeff Green will have more to say about the outcome. The Hoyas can go deeper down the roster and rotate defenses to keep the Buckeyes from scoring outside if Oden is neutralized.
Florida beats UCLA in the other semifinal. The defending national champs not only have everyone returning (which doesn’t always mean anything — ask Maryland’s women) but all five starters are capable of scoring 20 points. Shutting the Gators down seems impossible.
Georgetown-Florida is the matchup everyone really wants. The old power returning under the son of the former national championship coach and the son of its greatest player — Patrick Ewing — meeting a champion trying to become a dynasty.
If Florida wins, how great is life in Gainesville? Two basketball and a football national crown in 16 months? Also, how weird would it be to have a Florida-Ohio State final just four months after the same schools met in the BCS championship?
Georgetown can save all the karma questioners their trouble by knocking off both teams. It’s not like the Hoyas don’t have a little destiny on their side, too. Beating Vanderbilt on a last-second shot and an overtime victory over North Carolina within three days means someone’s wearing horse shoes instead of Nikes.
What would be the difference in a Georgetown-Florida final? Foul trouble. Expect Florida to go at Hibbert, who has struggled with fouls in the tourney. However, Florida’s Joakim Noah and Al Horford are foul-prone, too. Both teams have good reserves, but the Hoyas may fare better at the foul line.
Monday night may be a long one on M Street.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
