Syracuse +190
Under 158 ( go Higher!)
Take a shot on the moneyline as picking the winner seems the way to go in the NCAA ( and Super Bowl) as point spread usually does not come into play.
I see kansas as the team who will have to play SU game as opposed to SU changing things around. SU will settle in 2-3 zone and Kansas will have to take time to figure it out. Put alot of pressure on 3 point shooters to hit some early or else SU will pack it in tight.
Respect Hinrich and his 41.5 % avg on 3's but after that you have Miles (25%) and Langford ( 29%) as the main threats. If those two miss a few early, I can see them tightening up. SU will try to push Hinrich out and take his 3's from down downtown while letting Miles and Langford have room to shoot. Lee off the bench has shown the ability to shoot the 3 but only avg 1 attempt a game. He may need to step it up.
Collision is money on the post but SU has been very good at denying entry pass in tournament. Long arms and active defenders in Anthony, Warrick, Duany, and McNeil should help to neutralize Collision. No doubt he will get his points but Kansas will have to be patient and work the ball to get it in to him. SU has six players who can play the baseline in the zone so that is alot of fouls to give.
Teams have been trying to beat the Cuse down the floor all season and only UConn has been successful. Hinrich will get it done on a few occasions but I think that Kansas will be forced to slow it down and explore the zone a majority of the time. Also of note, as mentioned by Tom, is SU shooting percentage. Shooting 47% limits the opportunities for Kansas to break out and with majority of SU shots coming in the paint, long rebounds are minimized, which are condusive to Kansas getting down the floor before zone sets up.
Anthony has played so well on both sides of the court in last two games. Shooting, rebounding, forcing turnovers, etc. He is playing as better then any freshman I can recall when you look at his total game. Kansas has no one who can stop him one-on-one. I am so impressed with his ability to put himself in position with his footwork to either get a clean shot in the paint or draw the foul. His ability to get to the line also limits Kansas ability to break down the court.
Warrick has certainly stepped up his game after suffering through the flu the first round. The move he put on in the paint for the first points of the Texas game was a masterpiece. His bread and butter is a turn around jumper at the top of the box and when it is falling, it opens up the box for Anthony to operate underneath. Look for SU to get him some looks early in the game.
GMac continues to play very steady basketball. He will be the main man in slowing down Henrich and he can be a very pesty defender. All season long he has been hitting clutch 3's. Key for him is to shoot within the flow of the offense. At times he gets ahead of himself and presses the long ball. Many have made statement about SU frshman lacking big game experience and IMHO that is baloney. GMac and Anthony has both started every game this year, playing in the TOUGHEST conference in NCAA. He went head to head with Ford, Knight, Chris Thomas, Hollis Price, and Luis Flores and he held his own with everyone of them. He has limitations to his game but he is not going to be bothered by the spotlight and he will not back down to Henrich.
Syracuse will not blow out Kansas. Will not happen but they will not get blown out either. Syracuse is too athletic for that and Boehiem has instilled a confidence in them that no deficiet is too much. He has pushed all the right buttons this year and think he deserving of this win tonite. (Can anyone believe he only got 1 friggin vote for coach of the year!!! A disgrace but tonite he gets the bigger prize)
I have little respect for Roy Williams and would like nothing better then see him get his ass handed to him tonite. Can not understand why he did not call off the dogs vs. Marqutte. Last five minutes of the game he has a 40 point lead and he continues to have his team pushing the ball up the court, taking shots in under 10 seconds, grabbing offensive rebounds and throwing it right back up instead of kicking it out, throwing up threes, etc. Hope he gets his payback tonite and then ends up in NC with all the ungrateful crybaby TarHeels players.
This is a special Syracuse team and tonite they wear the crown.
SU 76 Kansas 74
Under 158 ( go Higher!)
Take a shot on the moneyline as picking the winner seems the way to go in the NCAA ( and Super Bowl) as point spread usually does not come into play.
I see kansas as the team who will have to play SU game as opposed to SU changing things around. SU will settle in 2-3 zone and Kansas will have to take time to figure it out. Put alot of pressure on 3 point shooters to hit some early or else SU will pack it in tight.
Respect Hinrich and his 41.5 % avg on 3's but after that you have Miles (25%) and Langford ( 29%) as the main threats. If those two miss a few early, I can see them tightening up. SU will try to push Hinrich out and take his 3's from down downtown while letting Miles and Langford have room to shoot. Lee off the bench has shown the ability to shoot the 3 but only avg 1 attempt a game. He may need to step it up.
Collision is money on the post but SU has been very good at denying entry pass in tournament. Long arms and active defenders in Anthony, Warrick, Duany, and McNeil should help to neutralize Collision. No doubt he will get his points but Kansas will have to be patient and work the ball to get it in to him. SU has six players who can play the baseline in the zone so that is alot of fouls to give.
Teams have been trying to beat the Cuse down the floor all season and only UConn has been successful. Hinrich will get it done on a few occasions but I think that Kansas will be forced to slow it down and explore the zone a majority of the time. Also of note, as mentioned by Tom, is SU shooting percentage. Shooting 47% limits the opportunities for Kansas to break out and with majority of SU shots coming in the paint, long rebounds are minimized, which are condusive to Kansas getting down the floor before zone sets up.
Anthony has played so well on both sides of the court in last two games. Shooting, rebounding, forcing turnovers, etc. He is playing as better then any freshman I can recall when you look at his total game. Kansas has no one who can stop him one-on-one. I am so impressed with his ability to put himself in position with his footwork to either get a clean shot in the paint or draw the foul. His ability to get to the line also limits Kansas ability to break down the court.
Warrick has certainly stepped up his game after suffering through the flu the first round. The move he put on in the paint for the first points of the Texas game was a masterpiece. His bread and butter is a turn around jumper at the top of the box and when it is falling, it opens up the box for Anthony to operate underneath. Look for SU to get him some looks early in the game.
GMac continues to play very steady basketball. He will be the main man in slowing down Henrich and he can be a very pesty defender. All season long he has been hitting clutch 3's. Key for him is to shoot within the flow of the offense. At times he gets ahead of himself and presses the long ball. Many have made statement about SU frshman lacking big game experience and IMHO that is baloney. GMac and Anthony has both started every game this year, playing in the TOUGHEST conference in NCAA. He went head to head with Ford, Knight, Chris Thomas, Hollis Price, and Luis Flores and he held his own with everyone of them. He has limitations to his game but he is not going to be bothered by the spotlight and he will not back down to Henrich.
Syracuse will not blow out Kansas. Will not happen but they will not get blown out either. Syracuse is too athletic for that and Boehiem has instilled a confidence in them that no deficiet is too much. He has pushed all the right buttons this year and think he deserving of this win tonite. (Can anyone believe he only got 1 friggin vote for coach of the year!!! A disgrace but tonite he gets the bigger prize)
I have little respect for Roy Williams and would like nothing better then see him get his ass handed to him tonite. Can not understand why he did not call off the dogs vs. Marqutte. Last five minutes of the game he has a 40 point lead and he continues to have his team pushing the ball up the court, taking shots in under 10 seconds, grabbing offensive rebounds and throwing it right back up instead of kicking it out, throwing up threes, etc. Hope he gets his payback tonite and then ends up in NC with all the ungrateful crybaby TarHeels players.
This is a special Syracuse team and tonite they wear the crown.
SU 76 Kansas 74
