For the first time in this decade, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Final Four will feature four powerhouse teams. No Cinderella clubs, no George Mason-like miracles this season. The National semi-finals will be fought by the teams that were supposed to make it this far.

On Saturday we will find out who will still be alive for Monday’s finals, and we will probably have a better idea of who is favored to win it all. Until then, however, we are left with four teams, who at this moment are each just as likely to be crowned champions. Here is an attempt to clarify some of the situation, and to show each team’s strengths and weaknesses:

GEORGETOWN
The Hoyas had as tough a road to the final four as they come. They won close ones against Boston College, Vanderbilt and North Carolina, and they needed to rally back from late deficits in their last two. They shot 57.6 percent against North Carolina, which had the nation's fourth-most efficient defense, proving that the Hoyas have the most efficient offense of the Final Four participants. They play a flawless Princeton offensive scheme which they truly believe in, and do not deviate from. The Hoyas definitely have the type of athletic players that make this tactic work superbly, and with big man Roy Hibbert they also have an inside intimidator who can get you that extra stop that is needed to win the game.

Championship bid: Their backdoor plays are flawless. If they get into a groove they are nigh on impossible to stop. Someone noted in a tourney blog that against Georgetown's personnel, even the best defenders get burned, that’s how good and in sync their offense is. Jonathan Wallace probably has ice in his veins as he has hit some incredible shots throughout the season.

Why they might lose: Rebounding is an issue whenever Hibbert takes a breather. Jeff Green and DaJuan Summers do a great job on the boards, but whenever Hibbert sits Georgetown loose out on the offensive boards.

OHIO STATE
Still too young, too brash, too inexperienced. Yet throughout the tourney’s earlier rounds they have managed to find a leader in freshmen point guard Mike Conley Jr. (the MOP of the South Region), and a bona-fide go-to guy when they need a miracle shot in senior Ron Lewis. Even Jamar Butler, whom Conley forced out of position, has turned into a long-distance threat. Oh, and by the way, Ohio State has a player called Greg Oden as well, I think some people are aware of him already. It’s funny that they are meeting with the Hoyas since Oden is being compared to ex Hoya greats Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo.

Championship bid: With Oden defending the castle any opponent needs to bring their strongest onslaught ever. Oden can be nasty on the other end as well, only he has to get his emotions in the game for that to happen. If you upset him like Memphis' Joey Dorsey did in the regional finals you get those 17 points coming your way. The best part is, if Conley and Lewis have it going on, they don’t even need Oden to be dominant, they just need him to rebound in that case.

Why they might lose: Oden’s inexperience shows in his early foul problems. He tends to watch himself when on the brink of fouling out, so that will not happen too often, however his minutes can be limited by foul trouble. Whilst I have pointed out that the Buckeyes are good enough to win without him, the stats and sane thinking show that they are much better with him.

UCLA
Arron Afflalo’s game went missing for the Pac-10 Conference Tournament and the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas cannot be too happy that it returned for their West Region finals appointment. Afflalo  made himself a star on that day. He was downright unstoppable. Next to Afflalo the Bruins depend on a suffocating defense that minimises their opponent’s opportunities by denying them touches. If the defence is working it allows mistakes on the other end with no punishment.

Championship Bid: Collison and Afflalo’s pressure on defense is relentless. They forced Kansas’ established back court into countless mistakes in the regional final, and they are expected to do the same in the Final Four. Whilst the big men were unproductive on offense their swarming defense is also of the highest standards. After all that you still have the return of Afflalo to look forward to.

Why they might lose: UCLA's biggest problem is how they match up against Florida their next opponent. That low post defence is certainly going to be tested once they face Florida's Joakim Noah and Al Horford. In last year’s finals they showed that they can handle this pressure well. There is also a general concern about Afflalo going MIA again, like he did during the early rounds.

FLORIDA
Florida are the defending champions and it has been 15 years since the last repeat champions were crowned. Noah and Horford could have easily bolted to the NBA last year as both would have been top picks in the draft, but they chose to stay so they could have an opportunity to repeat. Their region was generally considered as the easiest one of the four, and the Gators were probably the least tested of the Final Four so far in this tourney. So much so that their early round performances seemed lulled.

You could swear that they slept through the first half of each game, and then took care of business in the second half. Along with this “performance” came a multitude of doubts about the team’s title hopes.The most promising development of the Gators' Elite Eight win over Oregon was the dominant play of their back court. Both Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey tended to rely on the front court duo of Noah and Horford a little too much at times. Everybody knew they were great players, but the Gators were able to win even if they had decided not to take some open looks.

Championship bid: Humphrey is a deadly shooter, Horford is the unstoppable freak of nature, Green is a true floor general who can also drill the shots, and Noah is the ultimate team player who will sacrifice any part of his game, and do anything necessary for the win. All of this makes you seemingly unable to double down on the big guys and you will have to face them one-on-one.

Why they might lose: The Gators have fallen behind in each of their tourney games in the first half. If a team can run far enough away in front, they might not have enough time to get back into the game. Also I do see this team as being overconfident at times. There were moments against some lower seeds where it seemed like they believed they could mail in the win.

SEMI-FINAL PREDICTIONS
Georgetown v Ohio State: I still feel that Hibbert in foul trouble hurts the Hoyas more than Oden in foul trouble hurts the Buckeyes, so that match-up is key mostly if Hibbert can not handle Oden. This comes down to the question of tempo. It will be really something to see whether Oden can phase out some of the Hoya scorers simply with his presence. Neither Hibbert nor Oden has yet to face a true center of equal skill. Prediction: Georgetown 82, Ohio State 86.

Florida vs. UCLA: Last year’s finals replayed. The Gators were blown out last year, but they are a vastly improved team. Afflalo has grown as a scorer and Collison has added a stronger defensive game and heady point guard play. Meanwhile Florida is having to cope with the pressure of repeating, some rightfully raised doubts, and complacency. They are now close to the prize however, and they are likely to rise to the occasion.
Prediction: Florida 78, UCLA 68.

TITLE GAME
I thought about this long and hard and every match-up would have a different prediction. If Georgetown were to reach the finals I see them beating Florida because of their offensive prowess, but succumbing to a superior UCLA defense. Meanwhile UCLA would have no answer to Oden if they were to face them in the finals.
Prediction: Florida 72, Ohio State 68

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