Daily Word: Making adjustments key to this Final Four
— -- Each weekday, our college hoops experts discuss the biggest issues, trends and themes in college basketball.
1. Oklahoma played Villanova earlier this season; Syracuse has faced North Carolina. What can we learn from those earlier matchups?
Andy Katz: Not much. Villanova is playing at such a high level and Syracuse is on an epic roll. The familiarity of personnel will help, but that's where it stops being a key factor.
C.L. Brown: Not much at all from Villanova-Oklahoma, with the exception being that Villanova isn't going to recklessly launch 32 3-pointers again. The Wildcats attempted 30 or more 3s in six of their first eight games; in the 30 games since their loss to the Sooners, it's happened only four times. Nova is much more selective now. As for North Carolina and Syracuse, the Orange ride a wave of confidence unlike anything they had in their previous two meetings.
John Gasaway: In the case of Oklahoma-Villanova, we learned that both teams allow opponents to shoot 3s, and if one team hits those shots (the way the Sooners did in December), the result can be a blowout. And even though North Carolina won at Syracuse in January, we learned that a zone can perform fairly well on its defensive glass -- even against the Tar Heels.
2. Which of the two national semifinals is more intriguing?
Katz: Villanova-Oklahoma. Buddy Hield is can't-miss TV. The Wildcats are playing their best defense of the season. And Oklahoma's offense has never looked better than it did in the two games in Anaheim.
Brown: Oklahoma-Villanova because it will have shooters galore on the court, and no range is seemingly too deep. I expect the pace of the game to be quicker than Carolina-Syracuse because of that pesky Orange zone.
Gasaway: It's unanimous: OU-Nova. Hield is the best player at this Final Four, and he's facing the team that dispatched the tournament's overall No. 1 seed.
3. Which team wins the national title?
Katz: I picked Oklahoma at one point during the season and then got off the Sooners. I'm back on. Buddy for the win.
Brown: North Carolina. Too many weapons. Marcus Paige is back hitting shots. Brice Johnson has played to his potential. And the Tar Heels have been better defensively than they have all season.
Gasaway: I agree with C.L.: Tar Heels. Roy Williams' team has now won seven consecutive neutral-floor games against NCAA tournament teams (three in the ACC tournament), and UNC prevailed in six of those contests by at least 14 points. The Heels have the look.
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