NCAA Final Four Predictions 2014: Who Cuts Down The Nets Monday Night In Dallas?

Semi-Final Game 2: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Kentucky Wildcats

The tale of two teams that build up their rosters in completely different ways. Kentucky relies almost entirely on top-rated recruiting classes and a boatload of freshmen to do absolutely everything. On the flip side, you’d be hard pressed to find a year Wisconsin had a recruiting class that ranked in the top 15 (I tried, you can’t).

Bo Ryan is making his first Final Four appearance with the Badgers in his 13 years at Wisconsin. Ryan likes to play his style of basketball with his style of players. They may not be top NBA prospects or top rated recruits and their style of basketball may not always be fun to watch but Wisconsin wins and wins consistently. A win for Wisconsin would be the first national title game for the Big Ten since 2000. Kentucky is making its third Final Four appearance in four years under John Calipari.

Kentucky has about six players who are expected to be top NBA draft picks in the next year or two while Wisconsin has one, maybe two depending on who you ask, so that talent gap is heavily in favor of the Wildcats. However, college basketball games aren’t predicated on who has the most pro prospects. If it were Kansas, Duke and Michigan State would all still be playing basketball right now. It’s all about how well your team plays as a whole instead of the individual parts.

For most of this season Kentucky had a real problem playing that way. They were too reliant on their individual abilities and didn’t function as a cohesive unit. Towards the end of February when they lost to Florida for the second time something seemed to click with Calipari’s bunch. All of his draft prospects started boosting their draft stocks just by playing as a team ( a marveling concept, no doubt) and they started playing the best basketball they’ve played all season.

For Wisconsin they too hit their own bumps in the road, losing five of six games in January and had many people writing them off, myself included. Much like the Wildcats, however, Wisconsin turned their season around and went on to win 13 of their last 15 games heading into their matchup with Kentucky.

Talent wise Kentucky has the clear edge, but Wisconsin has talented players of their own led by Frank Kaminsky, the 7-footer with a sweet shooting stroke from downtown. The question for Kaminsky will be whether he can help stop the double-double powerhouse known as Julius Randle for Kentucky. Also, the Wildcats have a resurgent backcourt combination in Andrew and Aaron Harrison, the latter of which hit four straight threes in the final minutes of the Elite Eight victory over Michigan, including the game-winner with about three seconds left in the game.

Can Kaminsky carry Wisconsin to another victory, or are the Wildcats too hot to handle right now?

Prediction: Kentucky 77, Wisconsin 72