Every Single Damn Thing You Need To Get The Juices Flowing For Saturday's Elite Eight Games

I was thinking about it and really think this year's Sweet 16 has been the best/most memorable since at least 2000. Only 2 games were blowouts. We had upsets, ridiculous shots, game-winners and all-time individual games. That's what you want from the Sweet 16. Because of that we have one of the craziest Elite Eights ever with no No. 1 seeds. We also should have damn good games. Look at the lines. Everything is basically one possession. That's AWESOME. That's what you want for Elite Eight games. Every single game is a standalone. Can't have blowouts in standalone games. 

Want the juices flowing? Here you go

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Just a decade worth of memorable highlights. We have time to kill today, so sit back and fire it up. Play it in the background as you read this, it still counts as a click. Thank you very much. 

Bracket

Still looks batshit crazy. 

Schedule

2 Storylines/Game Preview

1. America's player vs America's team

Pretty simple here. Markquis Nowell has turned into America's player. He's dominated this Tournament, he's had the memorable games, the stories, everything. But FAU has turned into America's team. Well unless you're soft as baby shit and upset they tried dunking on FDU at the buzzer. Play to the whistle boys. Run it up, have fun, do whatever the fuck you want. Anyways, this isn't about that. This is about the fact that 1st year head coach Jerome Tang can take Kansas State to a Final Four or we're having a mid-major in FAU. 

As for the game itself, I'm looking at Keyontae Johnson. I know Nowell is the star, but Johnson is the All-American. He's also the mismatch. I'm assuming he'll likely get Johnell Davis on him and Johnson has the size on him. Kansas State wants to run its standard offense which is predicated on Nowell driving + cuts behind the defense. It's how they torched Michigan State. Get action on one side of the ball, weakside cuts. It's incredible to watch if you're looking at the basketball version of All-22. Sorry, I'm a nerd. The other main thing Kansas State does? ISO sets. That's where FAU struggles defensively. They won't play through the post, but they'll try to get some action and then ISO Nowell up top or Johnson on the wing. 

For FAU, it's all about ball screen offense. Kansas State can be exploited here a little bit. We've seen FAU take advantage of this against, well, every team they've played. They spread you out, run a high ball screen and are excellent at making the next pass typically leading to a corner or wing open three. It's typically a 4-out, 1-in offense and those guards are dynamic. I'm curious how they attack Nowell with the ankle too. Nicholas Boyd is a bigger lead guard, Nowell is shorter than me. Do you try to put Nowell on Alijah Martin? He's a little bit of a bully guard and can finish at the rim. 

2. Drew Timme's legacy

I think it's stupid to discuss whether or not Drew Timme is good. He is. People can hate him, but you gotta say he's good. It's not that hard to do. He won the game for Gonzaga against UCLA - obviously Strawther's three, but Timme is the reason they were there. Now he's facing a completely different team because UConn has two monsters to throw at him in Sanogo and Clingan. Because of those two, UConn doesn't have to send a ton of help in the post. At least not to start, Hurley can always adjust. But you have to try to make others beat you, especially from the outside. Make them shoot. Yes, Gonzaga is 10th in the country as a team shooting 39% from three, but they are just 309th in the country at 3PA/FGA. They want to play at the rim and attack. 

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For UConn's offense it's simple. Take advantage of Gonzaga's weak defense. UCLA did in the first half hunting ISO sets for Jacquez and even Bailey. Sure, Gonzaga adjusted but I still think Mick cost UCLA by slowing the tempo down way too early and getting away from the offensive sets that had them rolling. That's not to discredit Gonzaga, just what I saw happen. Jordan Hawkins has been awesome for UConn as well the team's outside shooting. They also will just crash the glass, they are 2nd in the country in offensive rebounding percentage. 

Picks

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115-95-3 (+24.78) on the year on Twitter, mind as well add it to the blog

23-12 (+12.53) in the NCAA Tournament

UConn/KSU ML +201

KSU -2

KSU/Creighton ML +220

FAU/KSU O 143.5