2010 NCAA Final Four Preview & Prediction

Michigan State:
-Who They Beat: #12 New Mexico State, #4 Maryland, #9 Northern Iowa, #6 Tennessee
-Strengths: Izzo in March, deep bench, vast experience (second Final Four in a row), clutch players
-Weaknesses: Team leader and All Big Ten point guard Kalin Lucas out with injury, several other key players battling injuries

Butler:
-Who They Beat: #12 UTEP, #13 Murray State, #1 Syracuse, #2 Kansas State
-Strengths: Home court advantage in Indy!, strong defense (59.6 ppg allowed), did I mention home court advantage?
-Weaknesses: scoring, never been here before

West Virginia:
-Who They Beat: #15 Morgan State, #9 Missouri, #11 Washington, #1 Kentucky
-Strengths: Huggins, defense (1-3-1), very clutch team (steps up when needed), Da'Sean Butler
-Weaknesses: injuries

Duke:
-Who They Beat: #16 Arkansas Pine Bluff, #8 California, #4 Purdue, #3 Baylor
-Strengths: Coach K, tough regular season schedule (ACC), outside shooting, experienced stars (Scheyer, Singler)
-Weaknesses: losses against unworthy opponents (NC State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Wisconsin), inability to play on the road

#5 Michigan State vs. #5 Butler
A matchup of #5 seeds has never happened in the history of the NCAA Tournament. The hometown Butler Bulldogs face off against the depleted Michigan State Spartans. Either team will be a heavy underdog against the other semi-finalist winner. The tempo will likely determine the outcome of the game. Butler plays like a Big Ten team, so as you can imagine they matchup very well against MSU. If Butler can control the tempo and play a gritty and low scoring game, they have a great shot of advancing to the National Championship game. Michigan State will likely play a faster tempo similar to what they did against Tennessee. State will use their athleticism to go up and down the floor and create fast break points. Korie Lucious has really stepped up in clutch situations for the Spartans and has hit two crucial shots to ensure victory. I truly believe this game will come down to the buzzer, and left standing will be the more experienced and better coached Michigan State Spartans.
Prediction: Michigan State 73-72

#2 West Virginia vs. #1 Duke
The World was waiting for a Duke vs. Kentucky matchup, but the madness would not allow for it. Instead the Blue Devils will face off against the sharpshooting Mountaineers. Huggins against Coach K is as intriguing as the players on the court. I am not sure how WVU 1-3-1 defense will handle Duke's ability to hit three's non-stop for the entire game. Da'Sean Butler may be the hottest player in the entire tournament, but you can bet that Duke will focus on shutting him down and making sure that the ball is not in his hands without immense pressure. Anything can and has happened in this years tournament, but I can't picture West Virginia beating Duke, so I have to go with the Blue Devils.
Prediction: Duke 78-71

National Championship Game: Michigan State vs. Duke
The best name combination the NCAA could hope for with the remaining contenders. Duke and MSU both draw a National audience and should help with the ratings even though the dream matchup of Kansas/Kentucky was killed quite some time ago. Arguably two of the top three coaches of the last 15 years will go head to head for a National Championship (Roy Williams being the third). The Spartans will need to play the defensive game of all of their lives to contain Duke on the perimeter. On the other hand, the Spartans can run up and down the floor which should create some opportunities to wear down Duke's big men. The Spartans have road the destiny train to the National Championship game once again, but even as a Michigan State fan myself, I cannot see them denying Duke of a National Championship. Duke takes home the hardware, while a quarter of the nation rejoices and the other 75% cringe as the #1 public enemy of basketball wins it all.
Duke 69-65
Alternative Ending: Duke relies on three point shooting and has had several off nights. If Duke suffers from Brick-itis, they will be in big trouble as the Spartans seem to work each possession better than the Blue Devils without forcing shots. The other scenario that favors the Spartans includes early foul trouble for Zoubek and Singler. The Spartans will attack them early, but the referees will have to decide how picky they will be in a National Championship game.

If West Virginia or Butler advances instead:
Butler vs. West Virginia: I would take the hometown Bulldogs to pull off the upset. They matchup well and would have a size advantage.
Michigan State vs. West Virginia: This would possibly be the best overall game, and I would like the Spartans at the buzzer.
Butler vs. Duke: Sorry Bulldogs, Duke wins.