Who can take down Kentucky?
Let蘑菇视频 face it, there is only one real question as everyone fills out their NCAA men蘑菇视频 basketball bracket this year: Will Kentucky win it all and be the first team to go undefeated since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers 鈥� or not?
There is actually one other question if you believe the latter: Who can beat the Wildcats?
Well, let蘑菇视频 delve into this year蘑菇视频 NCAA tournament and find out.
The NCAA has put some interesting possible roadblocks in the Wildcats鈥� way in the Midwest regional with Buffalo (which will beat WVU in the first round), Wichita State and Indiana.
Buffalo actually led the Wildcats by five points at halftime in an early-season meeting and are coached by Bobby Hurley, who helped lead Duke to its stunning upset of UNLV 24 years ago. Wichita State was unbeaten last year when Kentucky ended the Shockers鈥� dream season, so now they may get a chance to turn the tables. And, of course, the Hoosiers were the last school to go undefeated so why not perhaps give them a shot to stop Kentucky from doing the same?
Maryland, despite a lack of height, is also a threat, as is Notre Dame, even though you may think a team that Pitt beat couldn鈥檛 possibly top Kentucky.
The Wildcats are very formidable, though. It won鈥檛 be as easy as everyone thinks, but they鈥檒l advance to the Final Four.
Who will join them?
We鈥檒l get to that, but here are a few teams to NOT put the Final Four of your bracket: Villanova (over-rated just like last year), Nothern Iowa (not used to this stage), Virginia (great defensively but can鈥檛 score enough), Gonzaga (perennial tournament underachievers), Arizona (not tough enough coming out of a weak Pac 12) and Kansas (Kentucky beat them by 32 points early in the season).
When you look at John Calipari蘑菇视频 Wildcats, I know some think they weren鈥檛 nearly as good last year and made the championship game (a loss to Connecticut), so how can this much better squad which some consider the most talented in college basketball history, not win it all?
It doesn鈥檛 always work like that in sports. Here蘑菇视频 a pair of examples that Pittsburgh fans can relate to.
The Steelers won Super Bowls in the 1974 and 1975 seasons but what most think was their best team of that era, the 1976 team, lost in the AFC title game to the Raiders, granted after both of their 1,000-yard rushers, Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, went down with injuries the week before.
The Penguins won Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992 but what most think was their best team of that era, the 1993 team, was upset by the Islanders in the second round of the playoffs, losing Game 7 in overtime.
And, of course, there are several examples in past NCAA tournaments.
In the 1991 semifinals, Hurley, Christian Laettner and Duke upended an unbeaten UNLV team that had pounded the Blue Devils by 30 points in the final a year earlier.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has been on the other side, too, having lost in the championship to UConn with arguably his greatest team in 1999 thanks to a pair of late turnovers by All-American guard Trajan Langdon.
Some may argue that it would take a super-human effort to beat this year蘑菇视频 Kentucky team.
Well, that蘑菇视频 been done, too. Just ask the 1985 Georgetown Hoyas.
Coach John Thompson蘑菇视频 group was heavily favored over Villanova in the final, but the Wildcats shot an incredible 78.6 percent, missing only six shots the entire game, and pulled the upset.
So it can be done, Kentucky can be beaten. But will they?
The feeling here is 鈥� yes.
Joining Kentucky in the Final Four will be Wisconsin in the West after a tough battle with Baylor, a resurgent Louisville in the East and Duke in the South.
Which of these teams will beat Kentucky?
It would be awfully intriguing to see Rick Pitino蘑菇视频 Cardinals match up against their cross-state rivals, and Wisconsin, with Frank Kaminsky should put up a good fight in the semifinals, but it鈥檒l take not only a great coach but a very disciplined, talented all-around team to knock off the Wildcats.
Krzyzewski and Duke fit the bill.
While Kentucky fans would love to get revenge for Laettner蘑菇视频 buzzer-beating shot in the 1992 East regional final, the Wildcats will come up just short in a thrilling championship game to the Blue Devils on April 6.
You heard it here, so go ahead, show some guts. Pick someone besides Kentucky.