Tonight in Houston

Tonight at Reliant Stadium in  Houston the culmination of March Madness will begin its ending with two games tonight and the National Championship Monday night. Tonight's matchups include two powerhouse programs and two Cinderella teams, if you can call a Butler team that has been to back-to-back Final Fours a Cinderella.

The first of the two games will feature the Cinderellas, where someone's carriage that has brought them thus far will become a pumpkin again. The Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Commonwealth Rams will fight for a spot in the title game, where Butler lost last year to the Duke Blue Devils. The game will be decided by which team can impose more of their style on the other team, a sign of two impressive, young coaches. VCU, who has beaten opponents from every major conference (minus the SEC), has had success by making opponents try to run and shooting lights out from three. They have made 12 3-pointers in 3 of their 5 tournament games, a number they did not reach but three times the entire regular season. Butler, on the other hand, will try and slow the game down and play stifling defense. The Bulldogs allowed 71 points in an overtime win last weekend against Florida. They hadn't allowed that many points since January.

The late game will pit two elite programs, with elite players, and elite coaches. Speaking of the coaches, both have had their share of problems with recruiting in the eyes of the NCAA. Connecticut Huskies Head Coach Jim Calhoun was banned from coaching the Huskies first three games of the Big East season and Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach John Callipari has had two previous Final Fours vacated at former schools because of recruiting violations. UCONN  and Kentucky met earlier this year at the Maui Tournament, a game and tournament UCONN won. The Wildcats and the Huskies have morphed tremendously over the season and tonight the two will try will renew an old coaching rivalry that dates back more than 20 years.

Who wins?

In the early game I have too much faith in Brad Stevens and believe that surely VCU can not be as hot this weekend as they have been the the last two. Also, it is easier to slow a game down than to speed it up. Butler wins with tough defense and a big game from Guard Shelvin Mack.

The one team in this year's Final Four I picked, Kentucky, will win the second game and "March" on to the program's 11th championship game.

Final Four Predictions

I just logged on to check my bracket and see how the picks I made were doing. Turns out ESPN.com never recieved a submission from me. I spend a little bit of time doing all the things it takes to create the perfect bracket (research teams, hot players, depth, and location of the game), and what do I get but a message saying picks were not made in time. Either way, I will enjoy watching one of my favorite parts of sports over the next few weeks.

I know this is a little late and I am not going to go through every game but I will share the final four teams that will meet in Houston to decide the national champion. Kansas, Pittsburgh, Duke, and the big suprise, as much as it would pain me, Kentucky (Duke beats Kansas for back to back championship wins). The 'Cats looked good in the SEC Championship and they will be able to run with and more than the Ohio State Buckeyes. I am sorry for ruining the whole tournament by telling you on the first day how it will end, but you did keep reading and for that I thank you.