Four teams remain in search of a national championship. After Saturday night's games inside the Georgia Dome, that number will be reduced to two. In other words, it's officially crunch time in the NCAA tournament.
The first game on tap features this year's Cinderella team, Wichita State, taking on the top overall seed from Louisville. It will be followed by a battle of No. 4 seeds, as Syracuse and its vaunted zone take on the star guards of Michigan.
Here's a look at all the key information for the action, including expected start times of both games and where you can track them online, followed by previews and predictions for each.
Ware is on the mend and now his teammates must focus on a Wichita State squad that is no fluke. The Shockers knocked off Pittsburgh, which could have easily received higher than an eight-seed, top-seeded Gonzaga, upstart La Salle and a very strong Ohio State group to reach this point.
At this point, however, the seeds go out the window. It all comes down to which team executes better amidst the immense pressure of the Final Four.
There are two areas where the Cardinals have a definitive advantage. The first is having a legitimate go-to scorer in Russ Smith. The junior guard has scored at least 23 points in every tournament game. The other is depth. Louisville goes seven deep with plenty of talent.
Wichita State, led by the trio of Cleanthony Early, Malcolm Armstead and Carl Hall, should be able to remain within striking distance for awhile. The confidence it gained through the first four rounds will help.
The Syracuse zone has paralyzed offenses throughout the tourney. Opponents are averaging fewer than 46 points per game and two teams failed to break 40. That includes a tough Marquette team in the Elite Eight last weekend.
Michigan certainly has those. Led by the dynamic guard combo of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Wolverines are capable of unleashing a three-point barrage.
That duo, along with versatile freshman Nik Stauskas, will decide the game. The emergence of Mitch McGary will allow the team to remain competitive in the paint, but it will all come down to how well Michigan shoots from beyond the arc.
Syracuse, more specifically the inside-out tandem of C.J. Fair and Brandon Triche, will be able to keep pace for awhile. But if Michigan is knocking down threes––and it will get plenty of looks––the Wolverines will reach the title game.
To keep up with all the NCAA tournament action check out the live bracket or grab the updated printable bracket. Follow all the exciting NCAA tournament games with March Madness Live.
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