Former Xavier and Virginia coach Pete Gillen, a New York native and CBS Sports Network college basketball analyst, shares some of his March Madness thoughts and predictions with The Post. As told to Steve Serby.
I just finished studying, so I'm wired now for the Final Four.
SEMIFINALS
SYRACUSE-MICHIGAN:
Syracuse beware.
Michigan can win because they have the best player in the United States (Trey Burke) at the most important position. He's like Bobby Hurley except he's a better shooter. They play a lot of freshmen, sometimes ignorance is bliss, maybe they don't know they're supposed to be nervous. And they've got some momentum after beating Kansas the way they did.
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C.J. Fair
It's a matchup of contrasting styles —Michigan's perimeter shooting against Syracuse's active 2-3 zone. Teams have been so worried about Burke that they leave Mitch McGary rolling . . . I think the zone will negate the pick and roll for McGary little bit.
Michael Carter-Williams is playing like a man possessed, and I don't think Michigan can guard C.J. Fair.
John Beilein is kinda like a scientist from New England. Very intelligent. Shooting is his thing. He was at Richmond when I was at Virginia. Terrific gameday coach, he's got a good feel. He recruits shooters for his system. It's a little like the Princeton offense, a little more high octane, a lot of backdoors, a lot of pick and rolls.
It's a coin toss. I think Syracuse can slow down Michigan a little bit. Syracuse is a better defensive team, in a nutshell.
SYRACUSE 70, MICHIGAN 68
LOUISVILLE-WICHITA STATE:
There's no pressure on Wichita State, they're a bunch of junkyard dogs. Malcolm Armstead, the point guard, is the heart and soul of that team. They're a streaky 3-point shooting team.
Gregg Marshall ought to be in the mix for National Coach of the Year. I don't know if he has it in his arsenal, but I would play a triangle and two on Peyton Siva and Russ Smith and pack it in. When Luke Hancock comes in, play a triangle and two on him and Smith. To beat Louisville, you've gotta change Ds. You don't press 'em, you don't want to open the court up for those quick guards. Louisville doesn't shoot great from the perimeter. Wichita State is a terrific offensive rebounding team, and it must get out in transition before Louisville's defense gets set.
Playing for the injured Kevin Ware gives Louisville an emotional edge. Anything is possible, but Wichita State almost has to play a perfect game.
LOUISVILLE 72, WICHITA STATE 62
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
SYRACUSE-LOUISVILLE:
Rick Pitino and I were assistants together at the University of Hawaii. We used to play one-on-one at 7:00 in the morning on a playground by the beach. He used to beat me like a rented rug. I was like the 15th-and-a-half man on our college team, I only got half a uniform when I was there (Fairfield) — I had the sweatpants. After getting my bell rung 15-2, 14-1, I made believe I had a bad hamstring . . . I faked a hamstring injury. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer — I'm not even in the drawer — but I had enough of that.
It's gonna be a low-scoring game because neither team shoots well from the perimeter. It's gonna be a physical, knock 'em down, drag 'em out game. Gorgui Dieng will control the paint, but he can't get in foul trouble. I saw Rick at St. Elmo's Steakhouse Sunday night in Indy — he was eating ribeye, I was eating peanut butter with some Ritz crackers, my budget's a little different than his. He likes Hancock's courage — He's the X-factor because he can shoot the 3.
The fact that Louisville is playing for Ware is a plus, but in this game, not having him there on the court for Rick's full-court press negates it.
But coming back the way they did in the Big East Tournament championship game will give Louisville a psychological edge. Syracuse's collapse could have left a mental scar. And Carter-Williams hates when these little Roadrunner guys get under him.
If Rick doesn't get in the Hall of Fame this time, it's a miscarriage of justice.
I was at the Meadowlands with my son when Rick and Kentucky beat his pal Jim Boeheim. I coached against friends — Rollie Massimino, Skip Prosser, Dino Gaudio — and it's no fun. You want to win, of course, but you don't feel better when you beat somebody like that. You know how much he's hurting, or you're hurting after the game. It's harder in a lot of ways.
I have no life after basketball season is over. I judge chili cook-offs in Virginia, take my wife's cats, who hate me, to the vet to get their nails clipped, and clip dandruff coupons out of the paper — I have a big head, I gotta get a lot of coupons. I'll be hanging on to this last week for dear life.
LOUISVILLE 60, SYRACUSE 57
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