Separating the men from the boys!

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NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Midwest Regional-Purdue vs Kansas

It’s getting to the point where the men are separating themselves from the boys and by tonight we’ll know two of the teams heading to Phoenix. I got witness what was perhaps the manliest of all performances in the tournament thus far on Thursday night in Kansas City when the Kansas Jayhawks throttled Purdue, 98-66.

Kansas has won its last three games by an average of 30 points behind tremendous guard play. Jayhawks guard Frank Mason played an almost perfect game, shooting 9-of-11 from the field – including 4-of-5 from 3-point land. Mason finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Mason’s backcourt mate, Devonte’ Graham also had 26 points for KU in Thursday’s dominant performance. In tonight’s Midwest Regional Final in Kansas City, it’s hard for me to envision Kansas falling to Oregon, which edged Michigan 69-68 on Thursday.

In tonight’s West Regional Final No. 1 seed Gonzaga takes on No. 11 seed Xavier. The Musketeers are the highest seed remaining in the tournament after upsetting No. 2 seed Arizona, 73-71 on Thursday night. I like Xavier to keep it going tonight in San Jose – they just look like the more athletic team and are running on all cylinders.

My pick to win it all, Kentucky, dominated UCLA in the second half last night behind 39 points from guard D’Aaron Fox. Fox showcased his all-around game in the 86-75 win and outshined his freshman counterpart from UCLA, the more-hyped Lonzo Ball. Fox guarded Ball most of the game and held him to 10 points.

The Wildcats don’t have an easy path to Phoenix, as they take on North Carolina in the South Regional Final on Sunday, but I’m not changing my pick. John Calipari knows how to mold a team of talented young players into a machine each March and the Wildcats’ talented roster is unmatched. If it happens, and I predict it will, a Kentucky-Kansas semifinal in Arizona will be one for the ages.

My other Final Four pick is Florida, which won in dramatic fashion last night on a buzzer-beater over always-tough Wisconsin. My friend Rick Barry was shown dancing in the stands on TV when his son, Canyon Barry, made a huge blocked shot in overtime. Gator guard Chris Chiozza hit a running, 3-point buzzer-beater to win the first overtime game of the tournament and Florida looks like a team of destiny. I like the Gators to defeat their SEC rival, South Carolina, tomorrow in the bracket-breaking East Regional.

I like the Gators to defeat their SEC rival, South Carolina, tomorrow in the bracket-breaking East Regional. South Carolina is a newcomer to the Final 8, making its first-ever appearance in the quarterfinals. South Carolina coach Frank Martin, and Florida coach Mike White are two of the most underrated coaches in college basketball today. 

So there you have it, my Final Four is Florida vs. Xavier and Kentucky vs. Kansas. I’ll stick with the Wildcats to sneak past Kansas and then win it all in an SEC rematch vs. the Gators next Monday.