Who would have thought that a season that seemed to mean so little - a lack of stability in 'elite' teams near the top of the rankings, an insanely weak draft class with no glaring superstar - would produce a Final Four that is so intriguing?
Seventy-five percent of the teams left in the tourney have captivating story lines. And then there is Wichita State...
Michigan
Though the Wolverines are only a No. 4 seed, people forget they were a staple near the top of the rankings for much of the season - which should banish the underdog label. In fact, I picked them to win it all in a column I wrote on Feb. 11, mainly due to their explosive offense.
But their success through much of the season isn't the story line here; the story is Trey Burke, the unparalleled superstar of this year's tournament.
His performance at the end of the Kansas game was glorious. Burke's lack of top NBA prospectus because he is allegedly 'too small' for the NBA is laughable. Size is important in a league dominated by high-octane athletes, but with Burke's abilities to drive and dish, knock down threes and hit pull-ups and step-backs, he should be a top-five pick.
Syracuse
Syracuse's zone might have the best chance at stopping Burke's one-on-one playmaking ability.
The Orange's defense is quite possibly the best defensive team in the history of college basketball. Yes, I just went there.
Even Syracuse's arch nemesis, former Georgetown coach John Thompson Jr., is in awe of the organism the zone has become.
"Everybody's talking about the 2-3 zone," Thompson told Grantland. "[Syracuse] is not a 2-3 zone. The 2-3 zone has been with us since the dawn of time. It's the way it slides and moves out there, like a damn amoeba. The only time it's a 2-3 zone is when they're waiting for you to bring the ball to it. Then, it becomes something else."
Through their first four games, the Orange have held opponents to 28.9 percent shooting and have given up only 183 points - the fewest through the first four games of the NCAA Tournament ever.
Louisville
Every fan who isn't from 'Cuse, Ann Harbor or Wichita must be rooting for Louisville, right?
The Cardinals showed as much heart as anyone could have shown in their victory over Duke (with the jarring injury to Kevin Ware), winning the hearts of every fan who didn't already have a horse in the race. Additionally, most brackets that are still alive likely have the Cardinals winning it all.
They have scorers, freakishly athletic wingmen, shooters and a dominant, defensive center who can also hit mid-range shots. They entered the tournament as the best team, and they still hold that title as they attempt to erase the frequent word associated with this season: parity.
Wichita State
Saving the best for last! The Shockers are the most boring team in the last decade to reach the Final Four, which is quite an honor, considering VCU, George Mason and Butler (twice) have made appearances.
Here's the problem - they're the in-between team. Because they're a No. 9 seed, they aren't a deep sleeper or a Cinderella story team like George Mason or VCU. Yet they weren't expected to go this far because they aren't a top seed. So who are they?
They're the team that got lucky enough to be in a bracket with Gonzaga as a No. 1 seed, New Mexico as a No. 3 seed and a No. 13 seed in the Sweet 16 - I'll give the Shockers credit for the Ohio State win.
Regardless, their path has been incredibly easy and we should have just thrown a dart at that region to pick the team to get the honor of getting blown out by Louisville in the Final Four.
Now, what would a Final Four preview be without predictions?
Louisville over Wichita by 16, Syracuse over Michigan by six and then Syracuse gets its revenge over Louisville in the finals.
For those who say that's biased (I am from Syracuse), remember - 'Cuse beat the Cardinals in Louisville without James Southerland, barely lost to the Cardinals in round two amidst the worst stretch of Syracuse basketball in the last three years and then held a 16-point lead in the Big East Championship only to blow the game in the second half. I don't see that happening again.
Email: jon.gagnon@ubspectrum.com
