Jarvis says Duke is the class of the Final Four.
Sticking with Duke
Butler will add excitement, but FAU coach Mike Jarvis is sticking with Duke to win it all.
Originally published on
3/30/2010
by
Chuck King
After nearly every loss this season FAU coach Mike Jarvis pointed to the Owls’ problems on defense as a determining factor.
He doesn’t see that problem with any of the Final Four teams.
“The one common denominator with all the teams in the Final Four is they got there because of great defense,” Jarvis said on Monday.
Following the first two rounds, Jarvis picked Duke to be the class of the field. Heading into the final weekend, that choice could prove correct.
He also believes Butler brings a great deal of intrigue to the Final Four, but discounts the “mid-major” label.
“They are a major team,” Jarvis said. “They are a major program. They have been consistently good. They don’t have football. All their resources go into basketball.”
Jarvis took the time to break down what each team needs to do to cut down the nets on Monday.
- Butler: “They are really sound and they play great team defense. The odds are against Butler now. They’ve never been there before. They will have the home court but also they have to deal with added pressure they’ve never faced before.
- Michigan St.: Not having their point guard again may hurt them. They just seem to have overcome so much, I don’t know how much more they can overcome. But they are there, and if you are there you can win. Keep drinking the Kool-Aid they’ve been drinking.”
- West Virginia: Continue to play the way they have been playing. Anytime you win the Big East Tournament, you are a talented team. They have to hope they shoot the ball half as well as they did the last game.
- Duke: Very few people gave Duke the respect that they’ve earned and deserve. They are the biggest team left in the field. They are the toughest team to get a shot off against around the basket. They are where they think they are supposed to be and that is playing for the national championship. They need to keep shooting the basketball. Kyle Singler will shoot better.
Jarvis will be Indianapolis this weekend “mixing business with pleasure” by taking part in the meetings of the Foundation Board of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and watching at least the Saturday games in person.
He expects to see Michigan St. and Duke advance from the semifinals and is sticking with Duke to win it all.