【】

  发布时间:2025-09-16 09:10:00   作者:玩站小弟   我要评论
The Oklahoma Sooners, North Carolina Tar Heels, Villanova Wildcats and Syracuse Orange -- they've al 。

The Oklahoma Sooners, North Carolina Tar Heels, Villanova Wildcats and Syracuse Orange -- they've all landed in Houston for Saturday's Final Four. Two winners will advance to Monday's national championship game; the victor there will bask in March Madness glory until the end of time. 

That much we know for certain. Now, by way of a Final Four preview, here are 10 more things that will definitely, probablyhappen in Houston this weekend. 

SEE ALSO:Jay Bilas on the exploitation of college athletes and Young Jeezy's teeth

10. Buddy Hield gets revenge after Valentine's day 

Mashable ImageWhoa, Buddy.Credit: Alonzo Adams/AP

Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield has been a scoring machine all season, to the tune of 25.4 points per game. He's also come up huge on gigantic stages. But the college hoops world reacted with surprise on Thursday when Michigan State's Denzel Valentine -- a fantastic player, but no Buddy Hield -- was named player of the year by the Associated Press in a close vote. 

Hield now has two games left in his college career to prove Valentine's voters wrong. Look for the Bahamian bomber to go out with a bang. 

9. Jay Wright's suit game is on point

Mashable ImageSharp-dressed man.Credit: Christopher Szagola/CSM/AP

Probably the one true lock on this entire list. The Villanova head coach's predilection for fine haberdashery is so legendary his players call him "GQ Jay." Win or lose, Wright will do it in style. 

8. Oklahoma beats Villanova to advance

Mashable ImageOklahoma head coach Lon Kruger.Credit: David J. Phillip/AP

Fans of the Wildcats and impeccable suits, however, will be let down by Saturday's first game, when Oklahoma finally ends Villanova's run. The Sooners already won a December matchup by 23 points; expect a closer result here. Villanova features a well-rounded attack with Ryan Arcidiacono, Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, Phil Booth and Daniel Ochefu. Oklahoma, too, is much more than just one player -- but Hield's star power will probably put the Sooners over the top. 

7. Misanthropes whine about college hoops

Mashable ImageNorth Carolina forward Brice Johnson might beg to differ.Credit: Gerry Broome/AP

Yes. We get it. College basketball can look constipated and elementary compared to the NBA. Ragging on college hoops is fashionable these days, and it's justified by offenses nationwide sputtering in recent years. But save the whining for another day. Enjoy what's in front of you as best you can. 

6. Ramses gets well-deserved love

Mashable Top StoriesStay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletterBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!

The same week that North Carolina reached the final four, its ram mascot, Ramses XXII, became a father to twin lambs, Ollie and Marvin. The university put out the adorable video below to celebrate on Thursday. 

Expect the new dad to get more media love this weekend as long as the Tar Heels stick around. Ramses and his lamb-momma, Stella, deserve it.  

5. Carolina takes down Syracuse

Mashable ImageJoel Berry, left, and Theo Pinson are key parts of a stacked Carolina team.Credit: Gerry Broome/AP

Speaking of the Heels, look for them to have a relatively easy time dispatching Syracuse in Saturday's nightcap. Carolina has teased fans with its potential all year, but the team's been flat-out excellent for weeks now. Brice Johnson became a powerhouse as a senior, and Marcus Paige is arguably the nation's best point guard. Syracuse has enjoyed a magical run, and there's no shame in it ending here against a team that's just more talented. 

4. Syracuse will be scrutinized like no other team

Mashable ImageSyracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.Credit: David J. Phillip/AP

First, everyone expressed shock when the Orange snuck into the March Madness field with a 19-13 record. The common consensus: They didn't deserve it. Now they're the first 10-seed to reach a Final Four.

Couple that with iconic coach Jim Boeheim doing one of the most brilliant jobs of his career in this tournament. Then, add the fact that Syracuse just wiggled out of any substantial punishment after being found in violation of NCAA rules. Syracuse is certainly the Final Four's most intriguing team in several ways. Expect hot takes to follow. 

3. That one ref looks really familiar

Mashable ImageJohn Higgins don't play.Credit: Chris Coduto/Getty Images

John Higgins was announced Thursday as one of 10 Final Four refs -- marking his seventh time working college basketball's signature event. Having called many other big games over the years, Higgins has become perhaps college hoops' most recognizable referee -- for reasons good and bad. Sports Illustrated ran an interesting profile of him in January. 

2. North Carolina wins its sixth national title

Mashable ImageCarolina, shown here celebrate its Final Four berth, will be all smiles again Monday.Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

This is it, the championship matchup we all want to see: Hield coming out armed to the teeth in a bid to slay the giants from Chapel Hill. Alas, North Carolina will be too much. Oklahoma's "core four" is nothing to discount -- Hield, Isaiah Cousins, Ryan Spangler and Jordan Woodard have started a combined 104 straight games. But the Tar Heels are just deeper overall, with Joel Berry, Justin Jackson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks flanking Paige and Johnson. 

The good news for fans with no particular allegiance is that Carolina's uptempo attack paired with Hield's individual brilliance should lead to a highly entertaining season finale. 

1. "One Shining Moment" delivers differently

Mashable ImageDuke players and coaches watch "One Shining Moment" after last year's title game.Credit: Lance King/Getty Images

"One Shining Moment" -- the ballad that plays over a tournament-capping video montage following each championship game -- is schmaltzy but irresistible. 

This year, it's also a mystery. 

A Turner executive said Tuesday that the tearjerker typically performed by Luther Vandross will be done by a new artist Monday night. But the identity of that new artist was still a secret at the time of this writing. 

After a version of "One Shining Moment" was performed by Jennifer Hudson in 2010, the switch away from Vandross got panned and the classic rendition was re-instituted the following year. Our bet is producers learned their lesson, and this year's surprise twist delivers. 

But that's not until Monday. For now, we'll leave you with last year's montage to hold you over until Saturday's Final Four doubleheader. 


  • Tag:

相关文章

  • Airbnb activates disaster response site for Louisiana flooding

    Airbnb has activated its disaster response page following the record-breaking flooding in Louisiana.
    2025-09-16
  • 粉蒸韭菜包雞蛋的做法

    同樣的一道菜 ,不同的人做出來的味道肯定是不一樣的,這除了人體的差異之外 ,更多的其實是做法上的區別 ,而每個人其實都是希望吃到好吃的菜的  。那麽 ,下麵就讓小編來為大家介紹一下有關粉蒸韭菜包雞蛋的具體做法。今
    2025-09-16
  • Peacock makes AI version of sportscaster Al Michaels for Olympic recaps

    Ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, NBC has announced that an AI version of sportscaster Al Michael
    2025-09-16
  • 拌麵(它為什麽朝你笑)^

    不管是身體健康時還是身染疾病時 ,飲食都可以說是相當重要的,合理的飲食可以促進健康,還可以進行食療 ,幫助治療疾病,拌麵它為什麽朝你笑)^_^的做法很簡單,而且還能幫助調理身體,促進身體健康。1、冷水放蛋
    2025-09-16
  • This chart shows just how high Simone Biles can jump

    American gymnast Simone Biles has dominated the Rio Olympics with five medals (four of them gold) bu
    2025-09-16
  • 金典有機奶和純牛奶區別

    牛乳是一種喝的營養保健品 ,針對大家的身心健康的益處是十分多的,盡管很多人也了解這一點  ,但如果實際說到每天喝牛奶的益處,很多人卻又不太清晰 ,那麼 ,到底每天喝牛奶能給大家產生如何的益處呢?大家如果可以堅持
    2025-09-16

最新评论