CBS College Sports Network

JN: The least the Spartans can do to prove their capabilities is win this WNIT championship. The last team left out of the NCAA Tournament should always win the WNIT and if this team is as good as head coach Suzy Merchant says they are, they should have no problem. The Spartans will bring all 2,100 fans in attendance to their feet Saturday while cutting down the nets at Breslin Center. MSU 89, Marquette 43

SE: A nice atmosphere for a nice matchup. Do the women have what it takes to contain Krystal Ellis and her 19.5 scoring average? Can they find an answer for the well-balanced scoring attack the Golden Eagles bring to Breslin? In my opinion, yes. This is a game the fans will show up to, sparking my colleague Allison Grant to write a positive column on the fan base. But wait, will everyone be considered bandwagon jumpers? Eh, who cares right now? MSU needs this game. MSU 77, Marquette 75

AG: It’s going to be a close game. But the home crowd and underlying motivation will be what sets MSU apart from Marquette. The Spartans’ No. 1 goal for this tournament has been sending a message to the NCAA selection committee, and they are going to do it with an exclamation point. Merchant will use the chip on her shoulder to coach her team to victory. Golden Eagle Krystal Ellis will not be an offensive threat after freshman guard Brittney Thomas gets done with her. MSU 60, Marquette 52

CK: I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been disappointed with these girls all year long, and I wasn’t surprised at all that they were left out of the NCAA Tournament. With that being said, their play in the WNIT has helped young players such as Brittany Thomas and freshman forward Kalisha Keane more than a token appearance in the big tournament would. As for the game, the Spartans are on a roll and I don’t see them ending their season on a low note. Sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan will score 15 and grab seven boards while Thomas will flirt with a triple-double. MSU 54, Marquette 45

Men’s Final Four

Starting at 6:07 p.m. Saturday

CBS

JN: OK, so I picked North Carolina to win it when the brackets were revealed, but since seeing Memphis up close and personal in Houston, I’m changing my pick. I know they’re still probably the least favorite because of the same old flaws, but they’ve proven they can, indeed, do it all. I wouldn’t want to play Memphis right now if I were any of these teams. Memphis 82, North Carolina 74

SE: If Memphis plays even a fraction like they played last weekend in Houston, not even the New York Knicks could touch them. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose are my favorite duo still in the tournament, and I don’t think they’ll disappoint. North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough is a basketball prodigy. Too bad I picked Kansas to win it all in my pools. I’m not going to stray from my gut, so I’ll say Brandon Rush snags an MOP trophy and a national championship away from Rose. Kansas 84, Memphis 74

AG: Since Memphis beat MSU, I want them to go all the way. Joey Dorsey will be unstoppable and will be the key factor in a Memphis win over UCLA. North Carolina will dominate its Final Four round, shutting down Brandon Rush and dominating on the boards. Memphis and North Carolina will be a close matchup, but Memphis is way too hot to drop the ball against the Tar Heels. Memphis 80, North Carolina 77

CK: I picked UCLA at the beginning of March and I’m sticking with the Bruins. Not only do they play the best defense of the four teams remaining, but they’ve got the experience factor as they make their third straight Final Four. They’ve got a big-time point guard in Darren Collison and a great inside, outside player in freshman Kevin Love. Throw in Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and the Bruins’ defense should be able to contain the North Carolina offense enough to pick up the win. UCLA 85, North Carolina 76

Women’s Final Four

Starting at 7 p.m. Sunday

ESPN

JN: I watched almost the entire second half of the UConn-Rutgers Elite Eight game this week. That’s how appealing this UConn team is. I said earlier this season, through the injuries and with the young players they have, they are the best women’s basketball team in the history of the sport. UConn will get it done. UConn 109, Tennessee 98

SE: No one in their right mind can touch the Huskies right now. All season they’ve caught the eye of people who normally stick to men’s basketball, never watching women’s hoops. But when you have a team putting up 81.4 points a game and blowing out the opposition by 50 points on certain occasions, it’s worth a peek. I sense a blowout. UConn 95, Tennessee 79

AG: This year’s NCAA Tournament race is no different than previous years — hardly any upsets. So with two No. 1 and two No. 2 seeds in the running to be national champions, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will come out on top. The final matchup will be between the two No. 1 seeds, Tennessee and UConn. Tennessee 74, UConn 72

CK: Tennessee head coach Pat Summit and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma might not be able to stand being on the same court as one another during the national championship, but it’s going to happen. Summit may be the greatest coach in women’s history, but Geno will catch up to her soon enough. The Huskies will knock out the Lady Vols for the title. UConn 77, Tennessee 71