Acpevans' BLE 4 Blog: Sweet 16 2012 Bracket: Why Kansas Is Perfectly Set Up for Final Four Run

2012年3月20日火曜日

Sweet 16 2012 Bracket: Why Kansas Is Perfectly Set Up for Final Four Run

Of all the factors that can lead to a team making the Final Four—overall talent, momentum carried over from the regular season and conference tournaments, an elite player carrying the team on his back—the factor that is often least discussed is how the bracket shapes up around a team.

For Kansas, that bracket has shaped up rather nicely.

Now, it would be pure folly to take any teams lightly that make the Sweet 16. Surviving the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament is an accomplishment in and of itself, and teams that do so are to be feared.

But if the Kansas Jayhawks were told before the tournament began that their road to the Final Four would go through 11-seed NC State and then either 13-seed Ohio or a North Carolina team, likely without Kendall Marshall (who fractured the scaphoid bone in his right, non-shooting wrist), well, I'd say Kansas would take that draw.

NC State's front line and balance should pose some problems for Kansas, though I don't think the Wolf Pack will win the battle inside against Thomas Robinson or Jeff Withey inside.

If we're being honest, an Ohio upset of either North Carolina or Kansas would probably be the most shocking upset in tournament history.

It's awesome what the Bobcats have accomplished thus far, but I think their glorious run has reached its rather inglorious end.

That brings us to North Carolina.

I have always thought the Tar Heels were a tough matchup for Kansas, namely given how strong North Carolina's front court is with Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Harrison Barnes and James Michael McAdoo coming off the bench.

But if you take away Kendall Marshall, North Carolina becomes a very different team.

Gone is the player who averaged 9.7 assists per game this year. Gone is the floor general who so perfectly orchestrated the team's up-tempo, transition attack. Gone is arguably the best pure point guard in the nation.

To me, that's a loss—if in fact Marshall doesn't play—that tilts the advantage toward Rock Chalk Jayhawk in a possible meeting between North Carolina and Kansas.

There is one final thing that I haven't forgotten about in this discussion of how favorably the bracket has turned for Kansas.

It is important to recall that last year, the one-seeded Jayhawks were upset in the Elite Eight by 11-seed VCU.

History could repeat itself, though that doesn't mean well.

For Kansas, the Red Sea of opportunity has parted.

It's up to them not to blow it.

Hit me up on Twitter—I've tweeted from Lehigh's campus before. Seriously.