It’s Final Four time in the Motor City! Here’s Score Atlanta’s preview and analysis of both of Saturday’s games.
VILLANOVA VS. NORTH CAROLINA
Villanova was the Big East team in the tournament that few were talking about as the Wildcats were overshadowed by the three No. 1 seeds of Louisville, Pittsburgh and UConn. But that’s fine for ‘Nova, as Jay Wright’s team thrives as the underdog. The Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the first time since winning the championship as a No. 8 seed in 1985.
All that’s just perfect for the Wildcats, as they find themselves in the underdog role once again in their Final Four matchup with North Carolina, who is in the national semifinals for the second straight year and a record 18th time. This year’s Wildcats will look to drive to the basket and get to the foul line, where they have shot 85 percent in the tournament, including making 22 of 23 in their win over Pittsburgh.
Dante Cunningham has led the Wildcats with 17.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the tournament. Fellow senior Dwayne Anderson has contributed 15 and eight per contest, and Scottie Reynolds is clutch as well (see his last-second, game-winning shot against Pitt in the Elite Eight), adding 12.5 points a game for Villanova.
The Tar Heels are the most talented team in all of college basketball with 2008 AP Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough (pictured) and 2009 ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson. Lawson missed the ACC Tournament and first round of the NCAA Tournament with a toe injury but has bounced back to average 20.3 points and 6.7 assists per game since. Hansbrough has averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, with his best performance coming against Gonzaga, as he scored 24 points and pulled down 10 boards. Wayne Ellington and Danny Green have been stellar as well, averaging 19 and 13.5 points per game, respectively.
UNC and Villanova last met in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, as the Tar Heels won 67-66 in the third round on their way to their latest championship. If the Wildcats are going to have a different result this go-round, they must continue to get to the foul line and sink free throws. The Wildcats must also continue to defend against the 3-pointer, as they held Duke to 18.5 percent shooting behind the arc. UNC has the potential to go off from 3-land; the Heels hit 11-of-19 3-pointers against Gonzaga.
UCONN VS. MICHIGAN STATE
A year ago, UConn’s season came to an abrupt end as A.J. Price suffered a torn ACL and the Huskies fell to San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This year’s team could have suffered the same fate when Jerome Dyson, the Huskies second leading scorer, suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee on Feb. 11 in a win over Syracuse.
After losing to Pittsburgh twice and then falling to Syracuse in six overtimes in the Big East Tournament, the Huskies have regrouped to prove their worth as a No. 1 seed.
Price has averaged 20 points per game in the tournament to lead the Huskies. Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson are dominant defensive forces in the paint. Thabeet has averaged 11.3 rebounds and two blocks per game in the tournament. He is also an excellent passer. Robinson had four blocks in the 82-75 win over Missouri. Freshman Kemba Walker has stepped up after the loss of Dyson, leading the Huskies with 23 points against the Tigers. UConn has also done an excellent job of getting to the foul line, making more free throws in the tournament of any of the remaining teams with 89.
Michigan State has advanced to its fifth Final Four in 11 years with stellar defensive play. In the Spartans’ 64-52 win over Louisville, they held the Cardinals to 38.3 percent shooting from the field. The Spartans are led by Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas, who has struggled with his shot lately but has remained clutch. In the team’s 67-62 win over Kansas to reach the Elite Eight, Lucas scored seven points in the final 49 seconds.
The Spartans will face off with UConn in Detroit, only 90 miles from their campus. The Huskies are playing in their third Final Four. They won the championship both of the other times, first in 1999 and then in 2004.
Wiley can be reached at dwiley@scoreatl.com.
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