Previously on Steve Believes, I made predictions for the second half of the Elite 8 matchups. And as to how I did with those predictions, well I once again went 1-1, with an incorrect prediction for Kentucky.
And now that they’re settled, it’s time to make my predictions for the Final 4 of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The matchups are listed via the bullet points below and are each accompanied by a brief yet detailed description:
- #5 Auburn Tigers Vs. #1 Virginia Cavaliers-Auburn overcame the absence of Chuma Okeke to down their SEC rival, Kentucky, in overtime. Virginia also needed overtime, thanks to Mamadi Diakite’s game-tying buzzer beater in regulation against Purdue. They eventually pulled away in the extra session, by the score of 80-75. In addition to their Elite 8 victory, Virginia has been one of the best teams all year and they’ll be too much for Auburn, who is minus the aforementioned Chuma Okeke.
- #3 Texas Tech Red Raiders Vs. #2 Michigan State Spartans-One year after coming up short against eventful champion Villanova, Texas Tech finally broke through with a win against Gonzaga to advance to this round for the first time in school history. As for Michigan State, they upset the mighty Duke Blue Devils to give Tom Izzo his eighth career appearance in this round. Texas Tech has toppled heavy favorites in Michigan and the aforementioned Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, respectively. However, they’ll fall short against a Michigan State team that is peaking at the perfect time.
Well, that’s it for today’s edition of Steve Believes: The 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Tune in on Monday, as I will make my prediction for the National Championship. So until then, so long everybody!