However, a huge run across a small stretch of that game was the difference. It was a combination of impossible shot making, and awful decisions by the Longhorns. Texas choked!Â
Obviously, the players and coaches are completely different from that miracle run, but Larrañaga’s experience can’t be overlooked. Even though Dan Hurley’s a brilliant basketball mind, Larrañaga is the only coach here who has previously coached a Final Four game. Of the past 22 national champions, only five featured a coach making his first appearance in the Final Four.Â
Frankly, it will be an ugly first half of basketball. A 70,000-seat football stadium will be jam-packed with fans, media, and celebrities, and the jitters will be at an all-time high for both programs. The Aztecs have gotten off to slow starts a couple of times this tournament, although Brian Dutcher has done a great job of settling them down and finding a way to lock in.Â
The NCAA memories of the past had haunted SDSU and their fans, and all they wanted was a win in March Madness. This year, they got more than that, and they have now found their way to the first Final Four berth in program history.Â
This is the final four of the NIT in Las Vegas. Wisconsin is the only team from a power 5 league and getting them as an underdog is too good to pass up. Big 10 vs. American Conference. Wisconsin plays Michigan and Indiana. North Texas plays the lines of ODU.
Nate is back with an instant preview of the Final Four matchups on Saturday with his initial leans on both games from a betting perspective.
That SDSU halfcourt, grind-it-out-to-a-halt and watch the paint dry basketball, is something to behold. While I was not known as a defensive minded basketball coach, and I spent only one fourth of my average practice time on it, this Aztec defensive is something to behold.
It’s been a while since Texas failed to at least return a bet to its backers. The Longhorns have gone 5-0-1 ATS in Big 12 tournament and NCAA tournament play, and their last ATS loss came in February at Baylor. They’re an almost-perfect 7-0-1 ATS in March, and they ride a seven-game winning streak straight up.Â
But if anyone thought that Miami’s tournament run was a fluke, the team certainly silenced its critics with an 89-75 win over the top-seeded Houston Cougars on Friday night, advancing to the Elite Eight round for the second straight season.Â