Commentary

Who will win it all? The experts take their best guesses

Originally Published: April 4, 2008
By ESPN.com

Editor's note: ESPN analysts Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis, Fran Fraschilla, Doug Gottlieb and Reggie Rankin offer their opinions about the 2008 Final Four field.

And then there were four.

With an unprecedented quartet of No. 1s in San Antonio, what will happen this weekend? We turn to our powerhouse experts to give you their predictions.

What is the best team not in the Final Four?
Bilas: Louisville Cardinals Terrence Williams
The Cards were great but ran into UNC in Charlotte.
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Davis: Texas Longhorns
Fraschilla: Louisville Cardinals
Gottlieb: Davidson Wildcats
Rankin: Davidson Wildcats

Who did the most for his draft stock the first two weekends?
Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose impressed, especially against D.J. Augustin.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Bilas: Derrick Rose, Memphis
Davis: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Fraschilla: Brook Lopez, Stanford
Gottlieb: Derrick Rose, Memphis
Rankin: Stephen Curry, Davidson

Which No. 1 seed surprised you the most by making the Final Four?
Bilas: None. John Calipari
John Calipari has Memphis pointed in the right direction.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Davis: All have been great.
Fraschilla: Memphis Tigers
Gottlieb: Memphis Tigers (Not that they got there, but the way in which they got there. Impressive.)
Rankin: Memphis Tigers

What will be the best individual head-to-head matchup?
Darren Collison
Darren Collison's matchup with Derrick Rose is worth watching.
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Bilas: Memphis' Derrick Rose vs. UCLA's Darren Collison
Davis: Memphis' Joey Dorsey vs. UCLA's Kevin Love
Fraschilla: Memphis' Derrick Rose vs. UCLA's Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook
Gottlieb: Memphis' Joey Dorsey vs. UCLA's Kevin Love
Rankin: Memphis' Derrick Rose vs. UCLA's Darren Collison

If you started your own team, which player from the Final Four would you pick?
Bilas: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough has been unstoppable this tourney.
(Photo by AP Photo/Chuck Burton )
Davis: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Fraschilla: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Gottlieb: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Rankin: Derrick Rose, Memphis

Whose good play is most important to his team's success?
Joey Dorsey
As Joey Dorsey goes, so goes Memphis.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Bilas: Josh Shipp, UCLA
Davis: Joey Dorsey, Memphis
Fraschilla: Joey Dorsey, Memphis
Gottlieb: Ty Lawson, UNC
Rankin: Derrick Rose, Memphis

Who will meet in the championship game?
Bilas: Memphis and North Carolina UCLA
Can UCLA knock off Memphis to make Monday's title game?
(Photo by Frank Victores/US Presswire)
Davis: Memphis and North Carolina
Fraschilla: Memphis and Kansas
Gottlieb: UCLA and Kansas
Rankin: UCLA and North Carolina

Who will win the championship?
Kansas border=
Kansas hasn't won the title since before Roy Williams coached there.
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Bilas: North Carolina, 74-72
Davis: Whoever is playing better coming into the game.
Fraschilla: Kansas, 79-75
Gottlieb: Kansas, 72-68
Rankin: UCLA, 75-70

Who will be Most Outstanding Player?
Bilas: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers is the key to KU's title hopes.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Davis: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC
Fraschilla: Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Gottlieb: Mario Chalmers, Kansas
Rankin: Kevin Love, UCLA

What are you most looking forward to?
Kevin Love
Kevin Love vs. Dorsey and/or Hansbrough will be a sight to see.
(Photo by AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Bilas: Having the power of four No. 1 seeds and 143 wins at one venue. Most ever, and maybe the best ever.
Davis: The Final Four. Any team can win the title. There are no favorites.
Fraschilla: Saturday's semifinal games. Think of it as Muhammad Ali vs. Rocky Marciano and George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier.
Gottlieb: Three great games; Rose vs. Collison, Lawson vs. KU's guards; Bill Self vs. Roy Williams; and Memphis vs. the world.
Rankin: Kevin Love vs. Tyler Hansbrough in the national championship game.

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