Preview: 1 Wisconsin vs 4 North Carolina

#1 – Wisconsin

In another testament to just how serious of a title contender they are, the Badgers went head-to-head with one of the best offenses in the country in the Oregon Ducks’ and managed to oust them 72-65. Oregon’s Joseph Young was electrifying, as he’s been all season long, and while the Badgers didn’t really have an answer for him they did a great job of keeping his teammates contained. They realized that Young, who poured in a game-high 30 points, couldn’t outscore the Badgers’ well-balanced offensive attack on his own, and just made sure that no other Duck got going. Outside of Jalil Abdul-Bassit’s 12, no one else scored in double figures for the Ducks. The Badgers were once again led by Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky, who had 17 and 16 points respectively. Next up is a matchup against a fellow perennial powerhouse in the North Carolina Tar Heels, who looked sharp in an 87-78 win against Arkansas after an underwhelming tournament debut against Harvard, a game that came down to the wire with UNC barely surviving. As long as the Badgers win the battle on the frontline against the Tar Heels, they should keep marching on to the Elite Eight.

– Yannis Koutroupis

#4 – North Carolina

North Carolina used a mid-second half surge to beat the Arkansas Razorbacks, 87-78. The game had a frantic pace with each team showing its ability to play in the open court and get to the offensive glass. The duel between UNC’s Marcus Paige (22 points) and Arkansas’ Michael Smalls (27 points) was fun to watch. Each player scored in a variety of ways with pro-style moves and shot making. The game featured a unique combination of on ball pressure and staying home on the shooters, leading to sloppy turnovers and playground-like shot attempts. This played into the game plan with both teams wanting to push tempo, but Roy Williams’ decision to show zone in the last 10 minutes of the second half proved to be the difference. Forward Kennedy Meeks injured his knee is a rarely seen post-play human domino, but was highly effective with nine points in 15 minutes due to foul trouble. The junior trio of Paige, JP Tokoto and Brice Johnson are leading the Tar Heels in every facet on and off the court for championship run. Meeks’ status will be important for their next matchup as they draw #1 seed Wisconsin. Justin Jackson made crucial shots and will need Nate Britt to be in double figures again for Final Four to be in reach. Roy Williams is one of the most winning NCAA tournament coaches at 32-8. He will need a great week from his athletic trainer and young players to continue what he has admitted to be “his hardest year yet.”​

– Dan Barto

Who Wins?

Yannis Koutroupis: Wisconsin wins

Cody Toppert: Wisconsin wins

Dan Barto: North Carolina wins

Dan Barto has been with the IMG Academy basketball program since 2003. Prior to becoming the Head Skills Trainer, Barto was the IMG Academy basketball program’s Developmental Head Coach. Dan has trained over 100 current or former NBA players and coached over 40 Division I players. You can follow IMG on Twitter @IMGAcademy or on Facebook here.