“It’s a lot of fun. It’s unfortunate that all of these guys are going to lose. I’m excited for my guys at Louisville, they’re going to make a run, make a push,” Mitchell said.
But go around the Jazz’s locker room, and you’ll see that Mitchell’s fan-driven optimism isn’t exactly unique. Georges Niang believes No. 6 Iowa State will come out ahead in their games as well, making a run to — and through — the Final Four.
“Our schedule takes up a lot of time, but whenever you get a chance to watch your alma mater, you tend to tune in and want to be able to have bragging rights, especially if it’s your school beating another guy’s,” Niang said.