Four thoughts for Final Four: Expect Wisconsin to win it all

Most teams are already looking ahead to the 2015-16 season with the college basketball coaching carousel in full swing, but a possibly historic season isn’t over just yet.

Kentucky needs two more wins to cap a 40-0 season, the first in NCAA Division I since Indiana went 32-0 in 1975-76. But can the Wildcats do it?

Wisconsin is an experienced team that isn’t going to back down. The Badgers are the biggest obstacle standing in the way of the Wildcats’ pursuit of perfection.

If UK gets past Wisconsin in the semifinal, the Wildcats should go on to win it all. Yes, Duke has a roster that will pose problems for Kentucky and we’ve learned again to never count a Tom Izzo-led team out in March.

In the end, you never know how the Final Four is going to shake out. Nobody saw seventh-seeded UConn emerging as the champion last year.

So what’s going to be this year’s unforeseen factor that will play out, or what role player is going to steal the spotlight?

Here are four thoughts going into the Final Four:

1. Wisconsin upsets Kentucky

It’s too late to back off this prediction made at the start of the tournament. If the Wildcats play their best game, they’ll win it all. But after surviving a scare from Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, it’s clear that they aren’t playing their best and are certainly beatable. And the Badgers have to have been craving this game after Aaron Harrison’s game-winning 3-pointer broke their hearts in the Final Four a year ago in Arlington. Wisconsin has one of the most efficient offenses in the country and is sound enough to end Kentucky’s streak.

2. Michigan State’s run ends

Tom Izzo is remarkable in March. Until last year’s narrow loss to UConn, every one of his senior classes had been to a Final Four. But Izzo magic runs out Saturday against Mike Krzyzewski and Duke, who are 8-1 against Izzo. And the Blue Devils are simply the better team and peaking at the right time. They showed that in Houston when they overcame subpar performances by Jahlil Okafor to punch their ticket to Indy. Freshman wing Justise Winslow took over, and Tyus Jones showed he’s wise beyond his years as a point guard in knowing when to push it and when to go into half-court sets.

3. Wisconsin wins it all

If they end Kentucky’s run, it’s easy to assume that the Badgers might be poised for a letdown game in the championship. But it’s hard to see that happening to a Bo Ryan team. They expect to win, after all, so it won’t be viewed as much of an upset in their eyes. And the experience will prevail in the championship game. For as good and talented as Duke has been, Wisconsin is going to be the last team standing and become another veteran-laden team to win in this one-and-done era.

4. Sam Dekker is MOP

Frank Kaminsky gets the majority of the headlines for the Badgers. He’s a goofy, funny 7-footer who shoots 3-pointers as well as anyone in the game, coupled with having an inside game with a wide array of moves. But Sam Dekker will prove to be the difference in the Final Four. He’s among the most gifted players in the game, and has taken his game to another level in the tournament. Dekker provides just as difficult of a matchup as Kaminsky, and becomes more of a household name if he isn’t already.

This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Four thoughts for Final Four: Expect Wisconsin to win it all."