Finally! Final Four Viewing Guide

The whole season has built to this weekend. The Final Four begins on Saturday, and there will be some great action on Saturday and, of course, Monday night. We'll have a preview of Monday night's championship game on Sunday night, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here is a look at Saturday's Final Four games.

6:09PM, TBS - (7) Michigan St. vs. (1) Duke

Michigan St. Analysis: http://definemidmajor.blogspot.com/2015/04/final-four-team-preview-michigan-st.html
Duke Analysis: http://definemidmajor.blogspot.com/2015/04/final-four-team-preview-duke.html

Vegas says Duke and Michigan St. are the underdogs in this Final Four. The odds makers give Kentucky and Wisconsin better chances to take home the championship. The Blue Devils have to be at least a little miffed at that considering they have beaten 2 of the other 3 teams in this Final Four this season, including beating their opponent on Saturday. Duke beat Michigan St. by 10 points on November 18. Sure, that was a long time ago and both teams are very different now, but that should give Duke some confidence coming in. Confidence doesn't win games, though, so Duke will need to forget that game in order to win this one.

There is one key to the game for Michigan St., and it's been the same key to all of the Spartans' games during the NCAA Tournament. Travis Trice. Trice is such a huge part of their offense that if he isn't clicking, the team isn't clicking. Duke will focus on him. In similar situations, Duke has played man-to-man defense and put Quinn Cook on the opposing team's best player. He hounded Marcus Paige in both games against Carolina and he was all over Kevin Pangos in the Gonzaga game. Cook will more than likely be doing the same thing against Trice. Watch that matchup. If Cook is able to play through screens and stay on Trice to shut him down, Michigan St. will struggle with their offense. If Trice is able to get free and force Duke to switch defensively, it will be a close game.

For Duke, the key to the game is Justice Winslow. Cook and Tyus Jones will be there. Jahlil Okafor will score his points. Will Winslow be the player who has dominated in this NCAA Tournament or will he be the player who disappeared in early January when this team wasn't playing well? He seems to soak up the big stage rather than shy away from it, which is a good sign for Duke. But he will need to be focused and on his game for 40 minutes on Saturday. Duke will not be able to afford the lapses that he is sometimes prone to.

8:49PM, TBS - (1) Wisconsin vs. (1) Kentucky

Wisconsin Analysis: http://definemidmajor.blogspot.com/2015/03/final-four-team-preview-wisconsin.html
Kentucky Analysis: http://definemidmajor.blogspot.com/2015/03/final-four-team-preview-kentucky.html

Wisconsin is saying all the right things. They have been saying all week that it will take a nearly perfect game for them to beat Kentucky and that they know what they're up against. They're also saying they believe in their team and their coach and their strategy. That said, saying the right things and doing the right things are very different. Can Wisconsin do enough to upset the 38-0 Wildcats? Kentucky, for their part, are saying all the right things too. They respect Wisconsin. They know they have the player who can beat them. Wisconsin is not going to sneak up on Kentucky. Will that focus be enough for the Wildcats?

Kentucky does what they do, and they don't change for anyone. When the game isn't going their way, they simply ratchet is up and play harder. And it works. Kentucky makes the plays when they need them. They showed it during the regular season, but it was most evident against Notre Dame. The Irish had Kentucky right where they wanted them, and yet it still slipped away. Credit Kentucky for that. And credit Aaron Harrison who seems to always be that person to hit the big shot for the Wildcats. In crunch time, Harrison will get the ball. Wisconsin should be ready for that. They should try to force someone else to beat them because Harrison has proven he can, and will, beat you if he is the one taking the shot.

There is a checklist of items that Wisconsin needs to do well in order to win this game:

• Control the Tempo - Wisconsin cannot let Kentucky speed them up. Wisconsin plays a slow and deliberate game, which is not to say they aren't a high-powered offensive team. They can score, and do score, well. They shouldn't let Kentucky's style of play change theirs. They should slow the game down and run the offense they know.
• Stick to You Strategy - Bo Ryan surely has a game plan in place. The players need to trust in their coach and stick to that plan. At times, Kentucky will blow that plan up. They're a good team, after all. Wisconsin's players can't get frustrated and panic. Stick to the plan. Do what you have practiced. Stick with it. Kentucky is beatable, but not if you lose your head and play a game that isn't yours.
• Don't Foul - Wisconsin fouls less than any other team in the country. The way Kentucky plays almost forces teams to foul them. If Wisconsin is fouling and getting into foul trouble, the Wildcats will run away with this game because they will live at the free throw line. You can't give this team free points. The Badgers should be good at keeping Kentucky off the line. They need to stay disciplined in that regard.
• Don't Turn the Ball Over - Again, Wisconsin doesn't turn the ball over very much. They average just 7 turnovers per game. Kentucky would love to take turnovers and turn them into points. Wisconsin cannot give them that advantage. Hold onto the ball and Wisconsin will have a good chance to keep this game close until the end. They can't afford to let Kentucky score easy points. Turning the ball over is not an option for Wisconsin.

If Wisconsin can tick those boxes on their checklist, they will win the game. Kentucky hasn't played a team as good as Wisconsin all season long. But if Wisconsin doesn't hit just one of those boxes, Kentucky will win. Wisconsin cannot afford mistakes because Kentucky will eat those mistakes up and put the game away. If there is any team who can play perfectly, it's Wisconsin. Whether or not they'll be able to remains to be seen.