You’re invited to a dance: Freeman’s Final Four

As we settle down for the First Four this Tuesday night, we are delighted that former Worcester player and Ohio Bobcat Tommy Freeman will be sharing his picks and his thoughts for the tourney throughout. Get involved and let Tommy and us know your comments as TFree brings you his views on the Big Dance as it plays out. First up Tommy states his Final Four and names some of his potential sleepers that could cause an upset or two this March and April.

Well it’s that time of year again. The few weeks in March and early April that college basketball fans are glued to their televisions, computer screens, and mobile phones. There are plenty of studies available that attempt to calculate the lost productivity of working people all over the U.S. It is every college player’s dream to play in the “Big Dance” and be that underdog that upsets the perennial powerhouse. It’s your one chance to play your heart out on the biggest stage in college sports while the whole country watches.

I’ll start off by saying I haven’t kept up with college basketball as I once did when I was younger and had more time on my hands. But in spite of this I think that I have put together a decent bracket and as always I’m excited to see how it turns out. So with no further adieu here are my Final 4 teams:

(#1 Midwest) Louisville (29-5): Led by their guards Russ Smith and Peyton Siva, Louisville is known for their tough defense. Their full court press is among the best in the country. Rick Pitino is a hall of fame coach and has led the Cardinals to a number one seed in the Midwest regional. They will face challenges against Saint Louis and Duke if they intend on making a title run.

(#1 South) Kansas (29-5): The Jayhawks have been knocked out of the tournament prematurely in the past two seasons. The Big 12 is also a tough conference year in and year out. Kansas has been the crème of the crop under Bill Self. They have had a steady stream of NBA talent pass through Allen Fieldhouse. Their big men are coached by the great Danny Manning and look poised for a deep tournament run. We’ll see if they can handle the pressure and win the title as I have them picked to do so. This region is one of the toughest with Michigan and Georgetown whom have spent most of the year ranked in the top 5 nationally.

(#2 West) Ohio State (26-7): DeShaun Thomas is one of the most dynamic scorers in the nation. His ability to shoot the ball while also using his size and slashing capabilities makes him a tough matchup for whoever is assigned the challenge of guarding him. Thad Matta has advanced through the coaching ranks while leading his former schools all to deep runs in the tournament. He will look to do so again this year as the Buckeyes also have the likes of Gonzaga and Wisconsin as formidable foes.

(#2 East) Miami (FL) (27-6): This is my underdog to make it to the Final 4. Although they are a #2 seed in their region, they do not have the history of advancing to the latter stages of the tournament. They have been a relative surprise in the normally very strong Atlantic Coast Conference. Although this is a down year for the conference, Miami put together a very strong campaign during the regular season. They also wrapped this up by winning the ACC tournament. Look out for the Hurricanes as they look to have one of their better seasons in program history. With Marquette, Syracuse and Indiana all in the same region each round will be a test.

March is all about getting hot at the right time and all it takes is one game to throw off your entire bracket. On any given night any team can pull an upset and advance one step closer to the title. Here are a list of potential “sleepers” that could make some noise in the coming weeks:

(#11 West) Belmont (26-6): Known for their perimeter shooting, Belmont regularly makes the field of 68. Their big men are skilled and can also step outside to strike the long ball. I have only seen them play once this season but their togetherness that they compete with could prove vital if they want to be this year’s Cinderella story.

(#5 South) VCU (26-8): The Rams made it to the Final 4 two years ago and since have been able to acquire higher calibre players to the program. They are gritty defensively and try their best to speed the game up with their constant pressure and full court press. Their team mantra of “havoc” perfectly describes their style of play as they look to speed up the opponent to a frenetic pace and force them into making mistakes. They have great athletes and love to get out in the open floor to take advantage of fast break opportunities. A collision with Michigan is on their horizon; however they could be a team to watch going forward.

(#6 Midwest) Memphis (30-4): The Tigers are also a mainstay out of Conference USA. They also prefer to get the ball out of the net and let their athletes make plays. They play above the rim and could cause problems for teams that look past them towards the later stages of the tournament.

(#6 East) Butler (26-8): Although ranked in the top 25 for the majority of the year, the Bulldogs were placed at a #6 seed. With the deadliest shooter in the country, Rotnei Clarke, if they hit shots they can contend with any team in the country. Brad Stevens is one of the brightest and most successful young coaches in the college game. If the Bulldogs want to advance they will have to compile all their resources and be firing on all cylinders to survive the likes of Marquette and Miami.

Give us your thoughts on @tfreefor3 ‘s picks and your own picks in the comments section below…