Florida and LSU will move on to make an all-SEC final

	Joakim Noah's all-around play has headlined Florida's run to the Final Four. Bill Frakes/SI
	Pickoff Challenge Wrap-up Such is the story line of March Madness: I took my shots and came up short. In the Sweet 16 edition of the season-long Pickoff Challenge against the readers, I had to launch some desperation heaves and pick Washington, Gonzaga, West Virginia and Georgetown to beat UConn, UCLA, Texas and Florida, respectively. Those first three games could hardly have been closer, yet I came up on the losing end each time. As a result, I was barely -- but officially -- eliminated from Pickoff contention by Doug Coby of Milford, Conn., who went 4-4 to my 3-5, putting the readers three games ahead with just two picks to go. I'm not going to go all Adam Morrison on you all just because I have now lost the Pickoff Challenge for the second straight year (though I admit I indulged in a few minutes in the fetal position). I'm going to hit the summer hard, broaden my skills and be ready to exact my vengeance next season. Thanks to all the readers who participated in this season's Pickoff. I hope you all have an enjoyable (but short) offseason.
	MAILBAG Seth Davis will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his Hoop Thoughts column. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

INDIANAPOLIS -- I make this point every year around this time, but I have a feeling this year you'll really believe me. When it comes to predicting the outcomes of NCAA tournament games, we so-called "experts" are doing the same thing you're doing. We're just guessing.

That has never been more obvious than in the Year of the Mason. With one mad rush through the bracket, Jim Larranaga's Patriots have embodied all that we love about the unpredictability of this event, and of sports in general. So now that everyone is asking me who I think will win this weekend -- and I'm amazed that at this point anyone would still want my predictions -- my simple answer is that it's anybody's guess as to who will be playing for the whole shebang Monday night.

Or better yet, the answer as always is: It depends. It depends on who is making shots, who can stay out of foul trouble, who can avoid injury. Mostly, it depends on who gets lucky. That's how evenly matched these teams are. So while I will provide the obligatory guesses -- er, picks -- I will mostly outline the scenarios that would allow each team to prevail on Saturday night.

The Florida scenario

To begin with, the Gators will have the best player on the floor in 6-foot-11 sophomore Joakim Noah. In fact, Noah is the best player at the Final Four. That's a pretty good place to start.

Noah is the one player in this tournament who can do massive damage in every facet of the game. He can score in the post and on the perimeter (he is averaging a team-leading 17.3 points in the tourney on 52.5 percent shooting), he can shut teams down on defense (10.0 rebounds. 4.75 blocks per NCAA game) and he is even second on the team in tourney assists, with 14 in four games. What's more, Florida has an assortment of complementary post players in 6-9 sophomore Al Horford, 6-9 senior Adrian Moss and 6-8 junior Chris Richard. George Mason has reached the Final Four by relying largely on the ability of its inside duo of Jai Lewis and Will Thomas to create an advantage over their frontline counterparts. (Remember how they outplayed UConn's Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone in the regional final?) If Noah and friends can stay out of foul trouble, they will not only negate George Mason's advantage inside, they will put the Patriots at a disadvantage for the first time in this tournament.

Of course, the Patriots also have some quality perimeter players in Tony Skinn, Folarin Campbell and Lamar Butler, but once again they will be facing their toughest defensive challenge yet. The Gators have, remarkably, centered their identity around their defense; their opponents are shooting just 32.9 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from three-point range in the NCAA tournament. The main culprit here is long-armed 6-8 sophomore Corey Brewer. It will be interesting to see whom Billy Donovan chooses to sic Brewer on, but whoever it is probably won't have too comfortable a night.

Thus, Florida's best-case scenario is to keep Noah out of foul trouble and continue to play lock-down defense on George Mason's guards. If those two things happen, they'll march on to Monday night.