Connecticut (31-4) vs. Michigan State (30-6)
5:07 p.m. Saturday, WBBM-Ch. 2
Connecticut was the most doubted of the four No. 1 seeds, and No. 2 Michigan State had its skeptics. Both keep producing. The Huskies were deemed vulnerable at first because of the loss of injured guard Jerome Dyson and later when a recruiting scandal broke out. But the Huskies have endured behind 7-foot-3-inch Hasheem Thabeet. Michigan State center Goran Suton played wonderfully in the Midwest regional, but he hasn’t seen a player like Thabeet. Michigan State stymied top-seeded Louisville and the Spartans have outrebounded teams by about 10 per game all season. But the Huskies look unstoppable, beating their tournament opponents by an average of 25.3 points.
Prediction: Connecticut
Villanova (30-7) vs. North Carolina (32-4)
7:47 p.m. Saturday, WBBM-Ch. 2
Villanova was an underdog the last time it won the national title. But North Carolina has too much star power and experience to allow the Wildcats to relive 1985. Since missing the first game of the tournament with a sore toe, Ty Lawson is averaging 20.3 points in three games. He’s one of five Tar Heels with double-digit scoring averages. The Wildcats’ dangerous guards are led by smart point guard Scottie Reynolds. Don’t discount that Villanova has beaten eight of its last nine ranked opponents. But the Tar Heels, returning after last season’s Final Four loss, know what it takes.
Prediction: North Carolina
