Kev's NCAA Championship Prediction

March Madness finally comes to a conclusion tonight. It's April 3rd by the way, but that's a pointless argument for another day.

Today's pointless debate is simple: who will win tonight's NCAA Championship game? Here's how I'm looking at it:

What UNC needs to do
     Berry needs to have a better game tonight. Two sprained ankles are no joke, but if you aren't able to help the team contend, take a seat next to coach. Obviously Berry is healthy enough to play, however, based on his performance on Saturday, it's safe to say he's not health enough to take fourteen shots from the floor. He'll need to cut that in half if the Tar Heels wish to avoid a repeat of last seasons heartbreak.
    Jackson will of course be a huge factor should UNC pull this out. As will Theo Pinson. Not a name you expect to see atop the box score, but if he can lock down Nigel Williams-Goss, he may tip the scales towards Carolina. Last and certainly not least, the Heels will need to get a maximum effort from Kennedy Meeks. This is one of the few times UNC's front court won't be its advantage, but if Meeks can get one of the Zags twin towers in early foul trouble, or contain them on the glass, then Roy's boys may end the night cutting twine.

What Gonzaga needs to do

   Take smart shots. If the Zags can work the high low attack with Collins & Karnowski the way they did in moments on Saturday, look out. Forcing the Heels to collapse on the bigs will open up shots for Matthews, Goss, & Co. Gonzaga is the superior team in regards to the half court offense. UNC needs to get out and run, so if the Zags can force them to walk, they will be the ones dancing tonight.

Who wins?

  If I were a betting man, I would stay the hell away from this game. I could sit here all evening breaking down these match ups, but the reality is, we have a group of twelve adolescents on each side. In games of this magnitude, who will shy away from the big moment? Who will get over those early game jitters first? And who is better at adapting on the fly?

I see this as a grind it out, tight game from beginning to end. And in that type of game, I'm taking Gonzaga as my 2017 NCAA Men's National Champion.

-Kev