Need2Know: FINAL FOUR

North Carolina, Connecticut, Villanova and Michigan State will face off in the 2009 Final Four

On November 20, I ranked the top 25 for College hoops, this is where I had the four Final Four squads and what I said about them at that time:

1. North Carolina Tar Heels - No timetable for Hansbrough's return could be bothersome to the Tar Heels, and with Tyler Zeller out for the season, it could be no where but down in the rankings for UNC.

4. Connecticut Huskies - Hasheem Thabeet is the "Big Man On Campus" for staying in College, now he needs make his stay worth-while.

6. Michigan State Spartans - Next week MSU has games against Gonzaga and Georgetown, then faces UNC on Dec. 3rd. If the Spartans want to be considered a top 10 team, they need to prove it against worthy opponents.

20. Villanova Wildcats - Dante Cunningham owned Fordham Monday scoring 31 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

I'd probably put them in that same order of overall chance of winning it all. I think that it's going to be hard to make a case for the Spartans over the Huskies, same goes for the Wildcats over the Tar Heels.

I'm going to be disappointed if it's a Spartan/Wildcat final. In contrast, it may be one of the best title games in a while if UNC faces UCONN.


On March 12, I posted my Top 30 NCAA Players list... Here is who you need to watch tomorrow afternoon (ranking and what I said about them on 3/12):

3. Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut -- One of NCAA history's best shot blockers, UCONN's tourney fate rests in Thabeet's large hands.

5. Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina -- Four straight first team All-ACC, enough said there. Can he cement his legacy with a National Title?

6. Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina -- ACC POY Lawson's control of UNC's offense may be the reason the Tar Heels cut down the nets in Detroit. UNC boasts for the first time ever two ACC POY's on the floor of the same team.

19. Wayne Ellington, G, North Carolina -- The third UNC player on this list is just as valuable as the first two.

22. Jeff Adrien, PF, Connecticut -- As much as everyone's attention is on Thabeet, Adrien might be UCONN's most well rounded player.

Other ballers to keep an eye on:

Dante Cunningham, PF, Villanova -- Cunningham is averaging team-highs in both points (16.2) and rebounds (7.4) for the Wildcats and has exceeded expectations. This year Cunningham was named the Big East’s Most Improved Player. He also earned second-team all-league honors.

Scottie Reynolds, PG, Villanova -- The reason why the Wildcats are in the Final Four is because of Scottie Reynolds. If Villanova can get past UNC, it's ultimately going to come down to what Reynolds can do against Ty Lawson. He is one of the nation’s best all-around guards. He has 3-point range, is very good from the line and has the strength to get into the lane and finish

Reggie Redding, GF, Villanova -- Reggie Redding doesn’t wow you with his offensive skills, but he’s a tough, physical player who can make a big impact defensively. He’s a good passer and an excellent rebounder for a guard.

Danny Green, GF, North Carolina -- Green is UNC's do-it-all player. He’s a better offensive player than you’d expect from someone who is his team’s fourth option, and he has 3-point range. He has a nice mid-range game, can handle the ball, is a good rebounder and was a member of the ACC’s all-defense team.

A.J. Price, PG, Connecticut -- Price is the leading scorer and assist man, and UConn cannot afford an off-game from him. He is the Huskies’ best 3-point shooter and their most capable ball-handler.

Stanley Robinson, F, Connecticut -- Robinson is a phenomenal athlete who could become a star once his offensive skills match his physical gifts. He can jump out of the gym, but most of his high flying comes on defense and on the glass.

Kalin Lucas, PG, Michigan State -- Lucas heads one of the nation’s best backcourts. Lucas might be the best all-around guard in the Big Ten. He’s an inconsistent shooter, but even when his shot is off, he’s an effective player because of his playmaking and defensive abilities. He has great quickness and puts that to good use on forays into the lane, where – despite his size – he is strong enough to finish.

Durrell Summers, SF, Michigan State -- Summers has tremendous offensive skills. He has good size and athleticism, but the Spartans’ talent level is such that he’s not asked to shoulder a big offensive load. His defense could be better, but he'll be a big factor in the success of the Spartans.


The last 10 Final Four Most Outstanding Players have been:

Year	Player, Team	Cl.	G	FG–A	3FG–A	FT–A	Reb.	Ast.	Blk.	Stl.	PF	Pts.
2008	Mario Chalmers, Kansas	Jr.	2	10–23	3–9	6–8	7	6	0	7	6	29
2007	Corey Brewer, Florida	Jr.	2	9–19	7–13	7–8	10	2	3	3	5	32
2006	Joakim Noah, Florida	So.	2	12–20	0–1	4–4	17	5	10	2	5	28
2005	Sean May, North Carolina	Jr.	2	19–29	0–0	10–14	17	5	2	1	3	48
2004	Emeka Okafor, Connecticut	Jr.	2	17–26	0–0	8–15	22	2	4	1	6	42
2003	Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse	Fr.	2	19–35	6–9	9–11	24	8	0	4	5	53
2002	Juan Dixon, Maryland	Sr.	2	10–18	5–11	8–11	3	5	0	7	3	33
2001	Shane Battier, Duke	Sr.	2	13–26	5–12	12–17	19	8	6	2	4	43
2000	Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State	Sr.	2	8–18	3–4	10–12	6	5	0	2	4	29
1999	Richard Hamilton, Connecticut	Jr.	2	20–39	3–7	8–11	12	4	1	2	4	51

Michigan State vs UCONN is 6:07 pm ET
Villanova vs UNC is 8:47 pm ET

Monday's National Championship starts at 9:21pm ET