Elite 8 Sunday Showdowns

Both of yesterday's match-ups were fantastic, down to the wire, drama filled basketball games. They were everything that makes the tournament one of the greatest sporting events year after year. Unfortunately I'm not sure we will be able to say the same about today's games.

Game 1: Louisville vs Michigan State

I said it in Friday's preview, and I'll say it again.  Louisville is a complete enigma to me, a team that keeps surprising me at how well they are able to play without a key piece of their team. This is a clash of two great tournament coaches, Rick Pitino and Tom Izzo.  Every year both these coaches lead their teams deeper in the tournament than expected and everyone acts surprised.  Maybe it is time for the committee to wisen up and seed these teams a little higher.

Why Louisville Can Win: The script stays the same.  The team plays frantic excellent defense, Harrell is a monster on the boards, they shoot just well enough, and they pull out the W.  I don't think Harrell can replicate his Friday performance today, so if Louisville wins look for it to be because of Blackshear. He seems to have big games in big moments and today could be his day.

Why Michigan St Can Win: The script is the same every year. Tom Izzo has put together another fantastic tourney team. One that will lock you down on defense and has enough scoring to get by.  If Dawson shows up and Trice keeps scoring, its hard to see this team losing to a relatively average Louisville squad.

The Pick: Tom Izzo beats Rick Pitino to grab yet another final four. The game isn't particularly close as Louisville struggles to score consistently and Trice stays hot.  Sparty 72-60.

Game 2: Duke vs Gonzaga

After an extremely easy first three games Gonzaga gets a serious jump in the level on competition here. I think this probably works to their disadvantage as they haven't been pushed in quite some time.  This is their big opportunity though, their chance to prove everyone wrong (including me).  On the flip side, its another chance for Duke to get back to the Final Four and win another championship. I think that somehow Duke has slipped under the radar throughout this tournament.  They are really really good and have been playing very well.

Why Gonzaga Can Win: The doubters are wrong, they are legit.  Their bigs go toe to toe with Okafor and limit that advantage while Wiltjer and company get hot from the outside. I think we will know early on whether or not Sabonis and Karnowski can hang down low. and that's what the game will hinge on. If so, Gonzaga will play through those guys and will be able to score with Duke and rely on Pangos to hit a big one at the end.

Why Duke Can Win:  Winslow, Winslow, Winslow.  He has been improving all season long, but has kicked it into another gear during the tournament.  The beauty of Duke though, is that if Gonzaga pays extra attention to him - it just results in extra space for Jones and Cook.  Duke has a serious talent advantage across the board and barring foul trouble they should be able to exploit it.

The Pick: Duke stays out of foul trouble, Gonzaga's bigs are a bit overwhelmed and Duke cruises to victory 80-65.