The 2019 NCAA Tournament has been one of the more interesting in recent memory. It didn’t feature many upsets, but it did feature Texas Tech and Auburn both reaching their first Final Four appearances ever and Virginia reaching for the first time since 1984.
Even with people complaining about the matchup, I believe it has the potential to be one of the better games we’ve seen in some time. With that being said, let’s take a look at some numbers that could change the outcome of tonight’s matchup.
0
That’s right. Starting with a big, fat zero. That’s the
5,6
Two numbers coming at you here. Both represent draft projections. According to Bleacher Report’s latest NBA mock draft, Jarret Culver from Texas Tech and De’Andre Hunter of Virginia are seen going fifth and sixth, respectively. For all the talk of “no star power” in this national championship game, feast your eyes on these two. Not to mention, the likes of Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and Matt Mooney (I could go on and on), make this a very compelling game. Expect a very high level of basketball and basketball IQs on display.
12
The average margin of victory for Texas Tech in the tournament thus far. Besides a late comeback by Gonzaga and some life from Michigan State, the Red Raiders have been cruising through this tournament. Their only single-digit win came against Gonzaga, and we’ve seen them handle two solid teams in Michigan and Buffalo with ease. On the other side, Virginia has played their last three games extremely tight and down to the wire. Virginia opening up as a favorite is expected as a 1 seed, but don’t sleep on Texas Tech hanging around.
30
That’s the number of turnovers Jarrett Culver has combined for in Texas Tech’s six losses this season. He only had three last
43.6
The average point per game totals of Kyle Guy, De’Andre Hunter, and Ty Jerome combined. The three went for 50 points in the win over Auburn, highlighted by 21 from Jerome and three clutch free throws from Kyle Guy to send the Hoos to the title game. Virginia will once again need big games from their big three tonight.
117.5
For all you gamblers, this is an interesting number. It represents the point total over/under for the game tonight. Both teams have been fantastic defensively, but Virginia is also the 7th rated offense in terms of efficiency. Texas Tech ranks 78th in this category. If the phrase “defense wins championships” is true, then expect the under. But this is a low, low under to hit. I might advise sprinkling a little on the over.
With all these numbers being thrown out there, time for me to put together some numbers of my own. 65-60. That’s my prediction of the score with Virginia coming out as national champions. From losing to UMBC last season to hoisting a national championship trophy this year, the job Tony Bennett has done with this veteran squad has been unbelievable. Expect the most well-rounded team in the nation to pull away late tonight in Minneapolis.
