Men's 2010 NCAA Tournament Final Four

Many games seemed to come down to the final possession, and there were a number of upsets along the way. No one could've predicted a Final Four that would feature the likes of Butler or Michigan State. Not many had West Virginia beating a talented Kentucky team in the East region. The Duke Blue Devils arguably had the easiest road to the final four of all the No. 1 seeds, but many people felt a hungry Baylor team might knock Duke off in the Elite 8. So much for thinking, because Duke, West Virginia, Baylor and Michigan State are the last 4 teams standing in what promises to be an exciting finish to a very bizarre NCAA tournament.

Michigan State (28-8) vs. Butler (32-4)

The Matchup

This matchup features two teams having made it to the Final Four as No. 5 seeds. Michigan State sophomore guard Korie Lucious has filled in admirably for star point guard Kalin Lucas. In fact, if not for Lucious' big shot against Maryland the Spartans would be back on Michigan State campus, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Tom Izzo has pulled off perhaps his finest coaching job ever in getting the under-manned Spartans to the Final Four. Butler has probably been the most doubted of all the teams in the Final Four. Some experts had the Bulldogs losing to UTEP in the first round. Who knew Butler was more than capable of knocking off teams like Syracuse and most recently Kansas State. The Bulldogs have used great defense and timely shooting to advance to their first-ever NCAA Final Four.

Butler Will Win If:
They play the type of defense that got them to Indianapolis in the first place. Matt Howard can't afford to get into foul trouble against Michigan State's talented frontcourt. Shelvin Mack is the key for Butler. If he has a good game scoring, and Gordon Hayward can continue to show a nice inside/outside game, Michigan State will have their hands full. Forcing Korie Lucious to turnover the ball will be a key to victory for the Bulldogs.

Michigan State Will Win If:
They continue to get solid production from Raymar Morgan and Draymond Green. Green's ability to help Lucious with some of the ball handling duties has been rather impressive. Perhaps the biggest ex-factor for the Spartans will be the play of Durrell Summers. Summers has been doing a great job in Lucas' absence, giving the Spartans 20 ppg in four tournament games. He and Chris Allen will need to shoot well from the perimeter if Michigan State wants to play on Monday night.

Who Will Win:
The glass slipper will finally come off, and Michigan State will advance. Lucious' ball handling will be adequate enough with Green and Chris Allen giving assistance to the the sophomore. Plus you can't deny the Izzo factor. He always has his team prepared this time of year, and the Spartans won't sleep on Butler like other teams did. Butler's defense is good, but Michigan State's defense is equal if not better. Look for Draymond to have a breakout game against Butler's smaller front line.

Duke (34-5) vs West Virginia (31-6)

The Matchup

Duke is the lone No.1 seed to advance to the Final Four. Its undeniable that the Blue Devils are the College Basketball team everyone loves to hate. Duke advanced by virtue of beating a talented Baylor team, in what was widely considered to be the weakest region. Nevertheless Duke is in the Final Four and many experts have the Blue Devils winning it all. West Virginia arrives in the Final Four, fresh off a surprise victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. The Mountaineers are without starting point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant, but Joe Mazzulla is more than capable of filling in. The biggest ex-factor for Duke is Nolan Smith. He seems to be in a great rhythm right now after a 29 point performance against Baylor in the Elite 8. West Virginia will need to contain him for the full 40 minutes.

Duke Will Win If:
They can get their version of the Big 3 going. Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer will need to be clicking on all cylinders. West Virginia plays great defense, and they're terrific on the boards, but if Duke can continue to shoot well, West Virginia will find themselves playing from behind. That won't be a good thing for the Mountaineers who aren't known for great outside shooting. Duke will need a great combined effort on the boards from the Plumlee brothers, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas to win this one.

West Virginia Will Win If:
Their defense can fluster the perimeter shooting of Duke. West Virginia will need to pound the boards as they have all season long. DaSean Butler will need to come up big, and provide some much needed scoring for the Mountaineers. If Devin Ebanks provides a solid contribution on both ends of the floor West Virginia will be hard for the Blue Devils to beat.

Who Will Win:
West Virginia will win a close one. In the end, it will come down to rebounding. The Mountaineers have a big shot maker in DaSean Butler, and they will be all over Duke's Big Three. However, Duke's perimeter shooting, particularly from behind the three point line, will make this a tight contest.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=Arl4v_GGnY8TplvDE7SJH.nevbYF?slug=ys-semicaps032810&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/butler-vs-michigan-state-final-four-preview-prediction-168619
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/duke-vs-west-virginia-final-four-preview-prediction-168620