And then there were 4
When the NCAA basketball tournament opened two and a half weeks ago, 65 teams were vying to win the national championship. Now, just four remain: Michigan State, Connecticut, Villanova and North Carolina. With the Final Four set to tip off tomorrow night in Detroit, here’s a quick look at the four remaining teams with hopes of cutting down the nets:
Michigan State Spartans (30-6)
Why they could win:
Michigan State is college basketball’s version of the San Antonio Spurs. The Spartans have a great coach (Tom Izzo), a good inside-outside tandem (center Goran Suton and guard Kalin Lucas) and a tough, defense-first mentality. Yet somehow people always seem to forget about them until they make a big postseason run. If the Spartans can play defense they way they did in their 64-52 Elite Eight win over Louisville, they’ll be tough to beat.
Why they could lose:
For as good of a team as Michigan State is, the Spartans lack that one true star who can take a game over and lead the team to victory. In big-game situations, the absence of a go-to player might hurt them.
Keep an eye on:
Suton. The senior center is averaging 14.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in the tournament, and if he gets going, he can be tough to stop.
Villanova Wildcats (30-7)
Why they could win:
As a No. 3 seed, Villanova is the lowest-ranked team still alive in the tournament. But the Wildcats have been impressive in their four tournament games thus far, beating UCLA and Duke by 20-plus points and upsetting No. 1 seed Pitt in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats have an efficient offense, and their pressure defense can give teams fits. That combination could make life difficult for the other teams in the Final Four.
Why they could lose:
Villanova has talented guards, but the Wildcats don’t have a lot of size inside. Because of that, they’ve had some trouble against teams with good post players. The bad news for the Wildcats is that every other remaining team has at least one good post player.
Keep an eye on:
Scottie Reynolds. The junior guard hit the game-winning shot against Pitt with 0.5 seconds left, and when he gets into the lane, he can hit shots and get to the free-throw line.
Connecticut Huskies (31-4)
Why they could win:
UConn was good all season long, but the Huskies have kicked it into another gear during the NCAA Tournament. A large part of that is because of the play of senior guard A.J. Price, who is averaging 20 points per game in the tournament. If the Price is right, the Huskies could win their third championship since 1999.
Why they could lose:
The Huskies have size inside, which makes them tough to beat when they’re at full strength. But if UConn’s starting post players get into foul trouble, the Huskies are vulnerable because their backups aren’t nearly the same caliber. Fortunately for the Huskies, they average the fewest fouls per game in the nation. But all it takes is one bad game.
Keep an eye on:
Hasheem Thabeet. At 7-foot-3, the junior center is hard to miss. And his shot-blocking ability (he’s averaging 4.3 blocks per game) is even harder to ignore. If he can stay out of foul trouble, Thabeet has the size and skills to dominate inside.
North Carolina Tar Heels (32-4)
Why they could win:
There are two O’s in North Carolina, which makes sense because the Tar Heels have two times more offensive firepower than most basketball teams; five players average double figures in points. When guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington and forward Tyler Hansbrough have it going offensively, North Carolina is nearly impossible to stop.
Why they could lose:
There are no D’s in North Carolina, which makes sense because the Tar Heels rarely play defense – and that’s being generous. The Tar Heels’ offense usually gets them far in the tournament, but their defense – or lack thereof – usually becomes their downfall.
Keep an eye on:
Lawson. He missed the Tar Heels’ opening-round victory against Radford because of a toe injury, but the junior guard has looked all healed ever since. When Lawson is at full speed, he looks 20 mph faster than any other player on the court, making him a nightmare to guard.