Who knew? Owls the pick over San Diego St.

INEVER thought picking one Final Four team correctly would be something to brag about.

Florida Atlantic (+2.5) over San Diego State: Don’t believe the hype. The Owls are a more logical Final Four participant. They have the balance of top-30 units on each end of the floor, a rotation that goes nine deep, a collection of shooters hitting more than 37 percent of 3-pointers, the consistency that’s produced 35 wins and only two losses since Nov. 11. The Aztecs are the higher seed, the more established program with the more experienced roster, but lacking the most important quality of a championship team — scoring.

A group that ranks outside the top 200 in the nation in true shooting percentage has looked the part in its Final Four run, with San Diego State’s lone player averaging doubledigit points, Matt Bradley, shooting 6-for-27 over the past three games.

An elite defense allowed the Aztecs to advance, but luck deserves as much credit. Alabama (3-for-27 on 3-pointers) and Creighton (2-for-17) couldn’t shoot worse in 100 more matchups. The Crimson Tide struggled with pressure. The Bluejays didn’t have the depth. Neither will be a problem for the Owls, who will enjoy their familiar role as an underdog — like three of their previous four games — and already took down a bigger and more dominant defense in the Sweet 16 against Tennessee.

It may seem strange that a No. 9 seed will be one win from the national championship game, but it would be more bizarre historically if the Aztecs’ unwatchable offense had the opportunity. UConn (-5.5) over Miami: Three weeks later, it’s a lot easier to pull the trigger on the Huskies winning their national semifinal game. They have won every tournament game by at least 15 points, most recently manhandling its greatest remaining threat (Gonzaga) by 28 points.

The Hurricanes traveled the toughest path of any Final Four team, but they haven’t yet faced a team with the size and strength to expose their flaws on the interior. Adama Sanogo should put up 22 and 12 before breaking a sweat.

Miami will need fourth straight game with at least 85 points to pull the upset, but it is unlikely to come against a top 10 defense, which just held the nation’s best offense to 58 points. Jim Larranaga has a special squad that hit a terrible matchup in the biggest game of his career, just as his George Mason Patriots did 17 years ago.

This season: 27-25-3 2011-22 record: 319-283-9