Final Four Teams – 2010

By James Sheldon on March 29th, 2010

What a road to the Final Four.

The 2010 NCAA tournament has truly lived up to the billing of March Madness. It’s only appropriate that there is a true Cinderella dancing all the way to Indianapolis. The irony? It’s Butler University, which is located about 20 minutes from Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Final Four begins on Saturday.

Duke

The only No. 1 seed to make the Final Four, the Duke Blue Devils are once again a threat to take it all. Coach K will have his team well prepared when Saturday rolls around, and if they get through the semis, they’ll match up well vs. any potential opponent in the the final. To get there, they’ll have to knock off a hot West Virginia squad who upset tournament favorite, Kentucky. The good news for Duke: There’s no way the Blue Devils will go 0/20 from the three point line through the first 35 minutes of the game. They should easily be able to extend the modified 1-3-1 zone of WVU.

West Virginia

Oh, Huggy Bob and the West Virginia Mountaineers. I can’t stand the guy. People call John Calipari slick, but seriously, Huggins looks like he stepped right out of La Cosa Nostra to coach basketball. Hmmm. In fact, they both do. Have to look into that.

Digressing, this WVU squad has key injuries, and players have stepped up to get the job done. They’ll be put through the ringer come Saturday vs. Duke. WVU squeaked past Kentucky with the Wildcats playing about as bad as they possibly could. Duke will hit their free throws, and stroke from three-point range. West Virginia seems to always find a way to compete, and I think they will once again. Unfortunately, for the Mountaineer faithful, it won’t be enough. I think it’ll be Duke going on to the big game on Monday.

Michigan State

How impressive is Tom Izzo? This guy can get his boys to play ball at their best, when the tim3 is right! This is Michigan State University’s sixth trip to the Final Four in the twelve years. If you’re a fan of the Spartans, you’re becoming spoiled–and you’re loving every minute of it. According to the experts, and most self-proclaimed bracketologists, Michigan State should have been knocked out over a week ago, but they just keep winning. Their toughest test will come on Saturday night when they square off vs. hometown favorite, Butler University.

Butler

Wait. Isn’t Butler University a tiny, liberal arts school, known more for their arts programs than for basketball? Not if you’ve been paying attention the last several years. Not only is Butler in it, they’re in it to win it. Yes, this Cinderella has a legitimate shot at the glass slipper. Many have made it this far in the past, but the Butler Bulldogs are one of the best defensive teams in the country. They score consistently, fill it up from long-range and they’re riding a 24-game win streak. Right now, they’re my reason to keep watching, so I’m begging them to take care of business on Saturday night.

Tip-time for the Butler vs. Michigan State game is set for 6:07 p.m. EDT, Saturday night. West Virginia vs. Duke will follow, beginning approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the first game.