Final Four – West Virginia vs Duke | Preview, Predictions, Odds

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010 at 8:47 PM EST on CBS
NATIONAL SEMIFINALS AT INDIANAPOLIS

No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 1 Duke Blue Devils

Blue Devils are currently -2 ½ -point favorites.

Sixty-five teams started this year’s NCAA Tournament, all with the same aspiration of being crowned 2010 Champions on April 5. As we head down the final stretch we are down to the final four teams. This year’s tourney was defiantly a bracket buster and was not easily predicted with several number one-seeded teams being ousted by the underdog. For the first time ever there’s two five seeds along with a one and two. The field includes three of the greatest coaches in the past 20 years, along with one of the up and comers in Butler’s Brad Stevens. Here I take an in-depth look at each teams weaknesses and strengths’ to help make your Final Four wagers winners.

Duke Blue Devils (35-5, 13-3 ACC)

Path to Final Four: Defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73-44, California 68-53, Purdue 70-57 and Baylor 78-71.

Key Players: Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, and Jon Scheyer.

Overview: The Blue Devils are finally back in the Final Four for the first time since 2004, after defeating the Baylor Bears 78-71. Kyle Singler was unstoppable prior to their game against the Baylor Bears, where he was held without a field goal. But he Devils proved they have other players capable of taking over as Nolan Smith posted a career-high 29 points, including a three-pointer with 3:32 left to give the Blue Devils the lead for good, while senior guard Jon Scheyer came up big, adding five 3-pointers and scoring 20 points in the win. However, in order to move on to the Finals they will need their big three to all play well at the same time as they have for most of the season. With Coach K at the helm the Blue Devils have the benefit of having a coach who has been to the Final Four before and gotten the job done. That, along with the improved play of their low post players Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek, who grabbed nine boards apiece in the win against Baylor, make the Blue Devils the favorite heading into this weekend.

West Virginia Mountaineers (31-6, 13-5 Big East)

Path to Final Four: Defeated Morgan State 77-50, Missouri 58-59, Washington 69-56 and Kentucky 73-66.

Key Players: Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, and Joe Mazzulla.

Overview: Bob Huggins and West Virginia are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1991-1992. The Mountaineers made it to Indianapolis behind their solid defense and tough physical play. This may just be the best squad Huggins has ever had. WVU’s stingy defense forced John Calipari’s anemic shooting offense to try and win from outside en route to a 73-66 victory over the favored Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. Da’Sean Butler led the charge with 18 points while Joe Mazzulla scored a career-high 17 points in his first start this season. Butler has been stellar throughout the tournament just as he was during the regular season and Mazzulla came to form after coming in as a backup for star point guard Darryl Bryant who he broke his foot in the game against Washington. Bryant’s status remains uncertain for Saturday’s contest and getting Bryant back against a Duke team that is going to put on a lot of defensive pressure could be crucial. The team is working on finding a way to get him back on the court with a specially made shoe, but no official announcement on whether or not he will play in Saturday’s contest has been made.

By beating Kentucky West Virginia showed they can beat anybody. Don’t be surprised if the winner of this game ends up being the last team standing. I expect Duke to win this one by four.