Sports Final: Earl Grant previews Final Four of a wild 2023 NCAA Tournament
BOSTON -- The 2023 NCAA Tournament has been a wild one. We're now down to just four teams -- UConn, Miami, Florida Atlantic University, and San Diego State -- and not many had any of them in the Final Four, let alone all four.
Boston College head basketball coach Earl Grant, fresh off signing a new two-year extension with the Eagles, is not afraid to admit that his bracket is completely busted. But he's also not too surprised to see this quartet of teams heading to Houston for next weekend's festivities.
"I didn't pick it," Grant joked with WBZ-TV's Steve Burton on Sunday night's Sports Final. "Now, UConn is playing great basketball. Not a shock or a surprise. Miami, playing against them in the ACC, they have the ACC Player of the Year in Isaiah Wong. But FAU and San Diego State, I'm not sure I was expecting that."
UConn is in the Final Four for the first time since 2014 after obliterating Gonzaga on Saturday night. The Huskies have been crushing everyone this tournament, with their average margin of victory at 25 points. They'll face Miami, who erased a 13-point deficit against Texas on Sunday.
"Miami has that spurtability," Grant said of the Hurricanes. "They have really good guards, and unbelievable forward in [Jordan] Miller, who had a big game with 25 points. They have the ability to turn you over and they know what to do when they turn you over. They can convert. So I'm not shocked that they came back."
"UConn is huge with [Adama] Sanogo and [Donovan] Clingan, and those guys can play," Grant said of the Final Four matchup. "They also have [Jordan] Hawkins and some supporting cast guards, and Hawkins shot the ball really well [against Gonzaga]. You don't want to count Miami out; they'll play four guards and one big while UConn will be really physical and big. Two really different teams, and one will have to impose their will on the either."
Grant said that San Diego State has been a "powerhouse mid-major" for years, so he's not surprised they're in the Final Four. But he's also going to stop doubting FAU, which has lost just three games all season.
"I've counted them out over and over again and they keep showing up and playing good basketball. They play with great spirit, very unselfish, and as a collective unit on offense," Grant said of the Owls. "Unbelievable story for them; Dusty May has been there for five years and he's done it very unconventional. He doesn't have a lot of transfers, just players that came there that he developed."
Grant is heading to Houston for the Final Four, and is going to stop making picks this tournament.
"At this point now, I need to stop predicting who I think will win," said Grant. "I've been wrong a lot. I'm going to go down to Houston and just enjoy some good games."
