Unless someone in the office pool actually picked either Connecticut (31-8) or Kentucky (29-10) to win it all, the NCAA Tournament championship game offers little excitement for those folks who only care about college hoops as it pertains to their bracket.
But hoops fans in general should check out the final game of the season. Here are a few reasons why.
Top talent
Kentucky’s lineup is loaded with future NBA draft picks, who figure to be playing professionally seven months from now. There’s double-double machine Julius Randle, 3-point threat James Young, twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison and 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, who has been hurt but may play tonight. On the UConn side, Shabazz Napier is the small point guard who has played big all tournament.
Underseeded elites
While UConn is a No. 7 seed and Kentucky is an 8, these teams were neglected by the tournament committee. The Huskies were ranked 18th in the most recent AP poll on March 17, which translates to about a No. 5 seed. The Wildcats began the year ranked No. 1 and never lost more than two in a row all year. History will remember the winner as the lowest-seeded champ since the 1980s, but these teams are legit.
Fab Five 2.0
Michigan’s 1992 team of all-freshmen made it all the way to the title game before losing. The Wildcats have a chance to do the Fab Five one better. This frosh five consists of Randle, Young, the Harrisons and Brooklyn-born Dakari Johnson. If they win the championship, they could become the first of many such teams to claim an NCAA crown.
