This Is the MOST BIZARRE Final Four in Tournament History!

NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Recap Hey , March Madness has certainly lived up to the name this year with one of the weirder Final Four matchups in recent memory. Let’s look back at how we got to this point! #9 Florida Atlantic vs #3 Kansas State  Heading into this game I knew that Markquis Nowell would play lights out for Kansas State. What I didn’t know was that his great performance would somehow not be enough. Nowell went for 30 points and 12 assists meaning he was involved in more than half of the teams 76 points. Unfortunately for Kansas State no one else really pitched in for the Wildcats. Keyontae Johnson, Nowell’s most prominent backcourt mate, had a quiet game by his standards (only 9 points and was plagued by foul trouble). On the flip side Florida Atlantic got a more balanced contribution from their starters – 4 out of 5 reached double figures. In the end the balance approach paid off with the Owls winning 79-76 and reaching the Final Four.  #4 UCONN vs #3 Gonzaga  This was a dominant performance by the Huskies from start to finish. UCONN led by 7 at the half before exploding to a 28 point win vs the Bulldogs. The theme of the game was UCONN hitting shot after shot while the Zags shot brick after brick. Connecticut looks to be the total package in terms of their team composition. They have really good guard play which is led by Jordan Hawkins, who is the best pure scorer on the team. Plus there is Andre Jackson Jr. who is the steady point guard. Furthermore, they have a dominant center in Adama Sanogo who reeled in a double double in the Elite 8 win. Perhaps the best stat of the bunch is that UCONN has won each tournament game by double digits. There first 4 games feels eerily similar to Villanova’s run in 2018 when they beat every team they faced by double digits. Of course, UCONN still has two games to go before they are crowned champions. As we have seen this tournament, anything can happen in March, but UCONN will be the overwhelming favorite to cut down the nets in Houston.  #6 Creighton vs #5 San Diego State  This game was a grind from start to finish with neither team getting much of a lead throughout. San Diego State is essentially a Virginia basketball 2.0 – they play slow and methodical on offense and play suffocating defense. Creighton tried their hardest to beat the Aztecs but down the stretch San Diego State hit big shot after big shot. Still, the game was tied with under 10 seconds left. San Diego State had the ball and drove to the basket where the refs called an EXTREMELY weak foul with 1.2 seconds left. A little rant on that – if it is the final minute of the game then the refs need to let these guys play. I think a referee deciding the outcome of a game, especially when the foul was not even all that blatant, is ridiculous. Of course, the San Diego State player was able to knock down one of the two free throws and the Aztecs escaped with a one-point victory.  #5 Miami vs #2 Texas Texas losing this game was just the latest addition of oddities to occur in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Up double digits with 9 minutes to go and seemingly in total control, the Longhorns completely fell apart. They could not stop Miami’s offense whatsoever with the Canes shooting a ridiculous 59.2% from the field and 28/32 from the free throw line. All this despite only taking 8 three pointers of which they only made 2. Meanwhile Texas had some untimely injuries and with it their Final Four dreams were shattered.  I’m curious if you are surprised by this Final Four? This seems like one of if not the most bizarre Final Fours in history, given the teams and their relatively small national stature. Besides UCONN (which let's not forget has not been to a Final Four in 9 years) did you happen to have any of these teams in your Final Four brackets? Reply to this email and let me know! Best regards, Olin G. Head of Research at Juicy Wagers       JuicyWagers.com is a publisher and the information provided through its products and services are for informational purposes only. To the extent any such information is deemed to be advice, such information is impersonal and not tailored to the needs of any specific person. JuicyWagers.com and its affiliates are not responsible for any actions taken by a user of their published information. Headley Investment Analysis, Inc., 201 West Vine Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40507, United States You may [unsubscribe]( or [change your contact details]( at any time.