Experts’ March Madness Updated Final Four Picks and Predictions for 2014

And just like that, we’re down to just four teams: Florida, UConn, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. After a wild set of Elite 8 games, the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats have emerged from the fray that was the Midwest region, and are now priced at +240 to win the national title, second behind only No. 1 Florida.

But Kentucky provided just one of several surprises in a memorable Elite 8 that also featured No. 2 Wisconsin knocking off No. 1 Arizona, and No. 7 UConn edging No. 4 Michigan State.

With such a diverse range of seeds making the Final Four, let’s check in with the experts prognosticators and see how they’ve predicted the final three games of the 2014 March Madness tournament will play out.
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Updated 2014 Final Four Expert Predictions

[sc:finalfour240 ]Now, after a round as wild as the one we just saw–with no fewer than three of the four games being won by the lower seed–you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who called all four games correctly, experts included. For example, nearly every pundit covering college basketball had Michigan State to beat UConn, before the Spartans proceeded to get Shabazz-ed right out of the tournament on Sunday.

As such, even the professional commentators who’ve spent the entire season watching these teams are left with thoroughly busted brackets. With that in mind, it is with a grain of salt that we look at which teams the expert prognosticators of the college basketball world have tapped to cut down the nets in Arlington.

ESPN

Expert | Final
Jay Williams | No. 7 UConn vs. No. 2 Wisconsin
Jay Bilas | No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 Kentucky
Seth Greenberg | No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 Kentucky
Dick Vitale | No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 Kentucky

The go-to pundits in ESPN’s college basketball department went two starkly different directions with their national championship picks. Former Chicago Bull and Duke Blue Devil Jay Williams likes Shabazz Napier to sneak by Florida for a second time this season, and likes the spacing of Wisconsin to get them through to the final.

All three of his Williams’ partners on the panel, however, see a fire in the eyes of Kentucky’s players, and simply don’t want to pick against a team shooting better than 50% in the tournament. While none of them had Kentucky making it this far, they’re on board now. In the meantime, the consensus between Bilas, Greenberg, and Vitale was that the defense of Florida would simply be too much even for Napier. As such, they agree on an all-SEC final for the 2014 NCAA basketball tournament.

CBS Sports

Expert | Final
Gary Parrish | No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 Kentucky
Doug Gottllieb | No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 Kentucky
Matt Norlander | No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Wisconsin

Jeff Borzello

No. 1 Florida vs. No. 8 Kentucky

The team at CBS Sports has led the way in the coverage of college basketball all season long, but their picks for the 2014 tournament have been, well, lacklustre at best. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander had a Wichita State vs. Duke Midwest final, and all major CBS experts had Creighton and Kansas in the Elite 8. Nonetheless, they are nearly unanimous in their breakdown of the Final Four, with all them liking Florida to lock down UConn and Kentucky to continue to roll.

What the gentlemen at CBS Sports may not be considering is the No. 7 Huskies’ ability to put up points down the stretch. While Florida has proven their defense is elite–they have not allowed 60 points in this year’s tournament–it seems inevitable that Shabazz Napier will get his no matter how he is covered, as he has all tournament long. If he does, will the Gators have a response offensively? Outside of putting up 79 against an all-offense UCLA team, Florida has averaged just 63.5 points per game in the tournament.

Bleacher Report

Expert | Final
Adam Wells | UConn, Wisconsin
David Daniels | Florida, Kentucky
Kerry Miller | Florida, Wisconsin

Over at Bleacher Report, Adam Wells thinks that Florida is a complete team, but that their few flaws, including their free throw shooting, will cost the Gators a spot in the national finals. Meanwhile, David Daniels was keen to reiterate that while UConn beat Florida ealier in the season (way back in early December), that this is a different Florida team playing today.

Top Bet

Expert | Final
Top Bet Sportsbook | No. 7 UConn vs. No. 8 Kentucky

As may or may not have become evident, we’re big fans of Shabazz Napier here at Top Bet. The man has 93 points in the tournament so far, and seems unwilling to lose to anyone. Napier will not be intimidated by the Gators, who he has beaten once this season, and down the stretch we like the Huskies’ superior free throw shooting to prevail.

Keeping with the trend of picking teams that have had tough roads to get to where they are now, we like the Wildcats to top Wisconsin in the other Final Four match up. John Calipari’s team has cleared out the region with the toughest competition, and will finally have an answer inside for the Badgers’ Frank Kaminsky.

Who do you like to cut down the nets? Will Napier and company overcome the Gators? Can Wisconsin buck the hype and top Calipari’s Wildcats? Make your voice heard in our poll below.

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