No. 5 seed MSU (26-6)
Coach: Tom Izzo
Leading scorers: guard Maurice Ager (13.8 points per game), swingman Alan Anderson (13.7 ppg) and center Paul Davis (12.2 ppg).
It's been a mini-Cinderella run for the Spartans, as they have unexpectedly made it to the Final Four.
After overcoming the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds of the Austin Region, Duke and Kentucky, MSU now has the tall task of beating up another No. 1 seed, North Carolina, to advance to the National Championship game.
Izzo chose to play senior Chris Hill down the stretch of the Kentucky game, giving freshman Drew Neitzel only 14 minutes in the double-overtime affair.
Sophomore guard Shannon Brown was named Austin Region's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 24 points, including several clutch shots against Kentucky. Junior guard Maurice Ager also came up big with 21 points and eight rebounds, which the team will need him and Brown to do again this weekend.
Davis was a monster inside, playing tough defense against both Duke and Kentucky, picking up double-doubles in both games.
No. 1 seed North Carolina (31-4)
Coach: Roy Williams
Leading scorers: center Sean May (17.1 ppg), swingman Rashad McCants (16.0 ppg) and forward Jawad Williams (13.0 ppg).
The Tar Heels easily worked their way through the first two rounds of the tournament with convincing wins over Oakland and Iowa State, but then struggled with a one-point win over Villanova and a six-point win over Wisconsin.
May is dominant inside, with his 17.1 points average and 10.9 rebounds per game, leading the team in both categories.
North Carolina's starting guards, Raymond Felton and McCants, combine for 28.7 points and 9.6 assists per game, and Felton is one of the fastest players in the country. Roy Williams will be coaching in his fifth Final Four but has never won a title.
No. 1 seed Illinois (36-1)
Coach: Bruce Weber
Leading scorers: guards Luther Head (15.7 ppg), Dee Brown (13.5 ppg) and Deron Williams (12.6 ppg).
Illinois is coming off a miraculous comeback over Arizona, rallying from a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes to earn its spot in St. Louis.
The Fighting Illini feature the heralded backcourt of Head, Williams and the Big Ten Player of the Year, Brown.
The guards do it all for Illinois, as all three were named First Team All Big Ten and led the rally against Arizona.
Other than that game, Illinois has had a mild ride, defeating Farleigh Dickinson, Nevada and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
No. 4 seed Louisville (33-4)
Coach: Rick Pitino
Leading scorers: forward Francisco Garcia (16.0 ppg), swingman Larry O'Bannon (15.2 ppg) and guard Taquan Dean (14.5 ppg).
Pitino is taking his third school to the Final Four. His fifth team and his .775 winning percentage in the NCAA Tournament is third among active coaches.
Pitino leads a team that also pulled off a comeback for the ages, rallying from a 20-point deficit and defeating West Virginia in overtime Saturday.
Despite Garcia sitting on the bench during overtime, because he fouled out, the Cardinals were still able to pull out the victory.
Louisville is a dangerous team from the outside, and it has something to prove after expecting a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the tournament, but were handed a No. 4 seed.
If its 3-point shooting is hot, Louisville will be tough to beat, but if it falls on hard times, then the Cardinals will be hard-pressed for scoring elsewhere.
