Gasaway: The experts were wrong! This expert didn't expect a team that had played two nail-biters within the space of a few days against Memphis to be able to handle what the field of 68 would throw its way. And they have one of the best coaches in the sport in Sampson. The fact that they had trouble against Rutgers and Oregon State doesn't totally ease my worries about them, but Quentin Grimes has been terrific offensively, DeJon Jarreau is an elite defender and they rebound better than pretty much anyone in the country. But all they could do is beat the teams in front of them, and they cruised through a couple of wins over Cleveland State and Syracuse, had a tough time with Rutgers, and needed some late shots to hang on against Oregon State. Well, through no fault of their own, they didn't have to play the best teams their region had to offer. Bottom line: Houston should have been on my Final Four list.īorzello: Given Houston's struggles against Memphis twice in a week and some other surprising hiccups over the final five or six weeks of the season, I had concerns the Cougars wouldn't be able to beat the best teams their region had to offer. Yet, the Cougars' physical dominance (19 offensive rebounds) allows them to control games. That's probably not sufficient to win a national championship. And Sampson's coaching prowess is widely recognized.īut this is still a team that missed 42 shots and made 20 against Oregon State on Monday night. That's enough to keep them in any game against any opponent. But they can really shut teams down on defense - Ethan Thompson finished 3-for-12 in the Elite Eight - when they play their aggressive style.

And the struggles against Memphis and Wichita State didn't increase my confidence in the Cougars, who also have two sub-100 KenPom losses on their résumé (Tulsa, East Carolina). Medcalf: I just didn't know if they could keep up offensively with the teams I figured Kelvin Sampson's squad would have to beat to advance to the Final Four. What was it that gave you pause about the Cougars when you filled out your bracket, and have they resolved your questions over this four-game run? Not a single one of ESPN's 38 college basketball experts picked Houston to reach the Final Four before this tournament started. Follow this link for Tuesday's NCAA tournament tip times, and visit here to check your March Madness bracket or second-chance March Madness bracket. 15 seed on the way to its first Final Four since 1984 - answer the remaining doubts about its viability in competing for a national championship? Can Baylor make the most of its first Final Four opportunity since 1950? Our team answered those March Madness questions and more as a field now standing at six teams is set to be reduced to four on Tuesday night. 's college basketball team of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi discussed what they expect of Tuesday's matchups, including their players to watch from a contest rich in projected future NBA talent, while also taking a peek ahead at this weekend's national semifinals.Ĭan Houston - which has taken down a No. Now it's on to Tuesday's NCAA tournament matchups, with the top overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs and an increasingly impressive USC Trojans squad starting things off, and the resilient Michigan Wolverines and upstart No. Half the men's Final Four was set on Monday night, as the Houston Cougars and Baylor Bears kept their national championship hopes intact.

Men's College Basketball, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Baylor Bears, Michigan Wolverines, Houston Cougars, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans Will top seeds Gonzaga and Michigan join Houston and Baylor in the Final Four? You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser

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