NO. 1 VIRGINIA VS.
NO. 5 AUBURN
TIP-OFF: Saturday, 6:09 p.m. ET, CBS
VIRGINIA’S PATH TO THE FINAL FOUR: The
anxiety-ridden Cavaliers (33-3) got a scare in their first-round matchup
against Gardner-Webb and trailed at halftime one year after a stunning loss to
No. 16 seed Maryland-Baltimore County. But Coach Tony Bennett adjusted in the
second half and that game officially got the nerves out. Then came a stifling
defensive effort to turn a hot shooting Oklahoma team cold in the second round.
In the Sweet 16, Virginia limited Oregon to 49 points in a narrow victory. And,
of course, the Cavs’ Elite Eight win over Purdue will live on in March Madness
lore with Mamadi Diakite’s game-tying buzzer-beater helping UVA get to
overtime, where they prevailed by finally stopping Carsen
Edwards (42 points).
AUBURN’S PATH TO THE FINAL FOUR: The Tigers
(30-9) might not even be here if New Mexico State made its free throws in a
first-round near-upset. But after escaping the No. 12-over-No. 5 upset bid,
they transformed into the blueblood slayer of the tournament by hammering
Kansas by 12, drubbing North Carolina by 17 and then surviving Kentucky in
overtime.
❚ HOW VIRGINIA HAS THE EDGE: The Cavaliers
are all about pace, using a pack-line defense that leads the nation in opponents’
points allowed (55). Slowing the game down in an ever-patient offense that
often looks like a game of hot potato. While most teams get sped up when the
shot clock is winding down, that’s when Virginia is at its finest, feeding the
post with just enough time or using high pick-and-rolls for penetration to get
the guards a high-percentage shot.
❚ HOW AUBURN HAS THE EDGE: Coach Bruce
Pearl’s team is playing with a fire that no team in this Final Four has
matched. The Tigers are good enough to beat anyone when they’re making
3-pointers and getting to the rim at will. The premise of Bennett’s pack-line
defense is to keep teams out of the paint. Virginia’s defense is a
collaborative effort that was built to contain more athletic ACC teams, so
Pearl will have to draw up a game plan that allows his dynamic backcourt to
score inside and out.
❚ KEY PLAYER FOR THE CAVALIERS: While
sharpshooter Kyle Guy broke out of a shooting slump with 25 points and four
huge 3-pointers against Purdue, Ty Jerome (13.3 points) has been steady all
tournaments and has a nice intuition for when to score and when to distribute.
He is one of the best ball handlers in the country and is crafty in keeping
defenders off balance, illustrated by him drilling an NBA-range 3 or getting an
and-1 jumper in the lane vs. Purdue.
De’Andre Hunter is the team’s NBA talent who can get a
bucket when the game’s on the line.
❚ KEY PLAYER FOR THE TIGERS: Jared Harper.
Although leading scorer Bryce Brown is the high-volume shooter on the roster
and can go on an offensive tear from beyond the arc, it was Harper’s knack for
getting to the paint that helped the Tigers drop Kentucky. The point guard
scored 12 of his 26 points in overtime and made several game changing plays;
his assist to Anfernee McLemore with two minutes remaining in overtime was the
play that took the air out of Kentucky’s Final Four push.
❚ WHICH
TEAM REACHES THE TITLE GAME?
Virginia’s pace will prove to be the difference-maker.
Bennett’s methodical style wears teams down and offsets their rhythm. When high
tempo meets slow tempo, expect Virginia to not stray away from what makes it
elite.
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