The National Championship -- who will win and why

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Check out Ryan Finn's occasional blog for CMSportsNet, where he will post his thoughts and experiences from playing high school sports in Carroll County.

Here we are. After a long and crazy March, we are on to the NCAA men's basketball national championship. The Final Four was just like the whole tournament has been -- complete chaos.

Starting off with the San Diego St. vs. Florida Atlantic. The game was a back-and-forth affair, but FAU led for most of the contest, even leading by as much as 14 at one point. For the Aztecs, that didn't matter. They completed the comeback, bringing the lead down to one with about 11 seconds left. And with good defense from the Aztecs on the last possession, guard Lamont Butler comes down and hits the biggest shot of his life at the buzzer. 

On the other side of the Final Four, UConn wiped the floor with Miami. A team game behind performances from Adama Sanogo (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Jordan Hawkins (13 points) led to a cruise of a win from the Huskies. Miami really had no answer for the size and pure talent of the Huskies. For one of the first times this March, I finally got my picks right. Now that the title game is set in Houston, let's look deeper on who will come out on top tonight. 

 

San Diego St vs. UConn

The championship is set. A battle of two different teams, two different play styles, but both with one goal: Win the national championship.

San Diego St.

Starting off with San Diego St., they have really learned to grind out wins with their defensive brand of basketball. Slowing teams down, making them uncomfortable. This is the Aztecs first time in the national championship, and are looking to capture the crown. The Aztecs have a lot of momentum from the tournament. Their deep roster and brand of basketball are testament in tonight's matchup. 

UConn

Now UConn is a jack of all trades. Their defense is great, they can beat you inside with someone like Sanogo, or beat you outside with shooters such as Hawkins and Alex Karaban. With this, the Huskies are on fire, beating every team they have faced in the tournament by over double digits. The Huskies have very little flaws all across the board.

 

My pick

In a very interesting National Championship match-up, I feel as this pick is rather easy to make. I am 100% riding with UConn. Although the Aztecs have a great defensive scheme and timely shot making, UConn is far too talented for the Aztecs to keep up. Proof of this is how dominant UConn has been the entire tournament, and this won't stop in the National Championship. 

Score Prediction

The Aztecs will keep this game close in the first half, but UConn offensive play style will be evident. I have the Huskies winning 75-66. The game will not be a blowout by any means, but I believe that UConn will have control for most of the game and earn their fifth national title. 

 

march madness

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