The Final Four forecast: Robbins Rants

The chaos, the buyer has the dust cleared, and later for two weeks and 60 games, we are now back with the four best college basketball teams in America: Michigan State, Butler, West Virginia, and Duke.




We have two teams, led by renowned prospects Hall of Fame coach at Michigan State Tom Izzo and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, we have Butler, in the great feel-good story to be the first home-court advantage in Indy. We have West Virginia, led by star forward Da'Sean Butler, who has redefined the word "clutch" by difficult six buzzer-beaters this season. So which of these stories will win this weekend?

It would be a contrast in coaching experience as MSU's Tom Izzo takes his 364-145 record and six Final Fours from Butler coach Brad Steven and his lifetime 88-14 record. None of these 5-seeded team was likely to move ahead as far as who can pull off another great win and play for the championship?

The Spartans led by experienced upperclassmen Raymer Morgan and Durrell Summers, the latter has gone wrong in the tournament, averaging 20 points in Michigan State four victories. Chris Allen, Draymond Green and Delvinë Roe is also a chief contributor in the Spartans, who were ranked No. 2 in the preparation phase polls. Although MSU does not perform to expectations in the regular season, there is no doubt that they have talent and coaching to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.

The Bulldogs have reeled from a ridiculous 24 straight wins since December 22, 2009. They are completely unblemished in the new year. Led by sophomore stars Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, the Bulldogs are no strangers to the event in universal, has made appearances in each of the last three years, but it will be the first time they have played in April.

For the past five years, Duke had a reputation for choking in the NCAA tournament, including getting run out of the gym at Villanova last year in a 77-54 Sweet Sixteen loss. But this year's Blue Devils emerge to have shaken the precarious past reputation, and looks ready to bring the Duke and Coach K returns to the glory days of the 1990s.

The team is led by a 3-man core of upperclassmen Kyle singles, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith. This trio represents 54 of the Devils 77 points per game, and all regular for more than 35 minutes. But the big three, count on the Duke big man Brian Zoubek to muscle down low and use a rotation to fill the rest of his crew.


source:vaildaily.com