NCAA FINAL 4 PREVIEW

From www.cbssportsline.com

Memphis (37-1)

Coach: John Calipari, eight years at school, five years in NCAA Tournament.

How they got here: Automatic bid (C-USA tournament champion); South first round: def. No. 16 seed Texas-Arlington 87-63; South second round: held of No. 8 seed Mississippi State 77-74; South semifinals: pasted No. 5 seed Michigan State 92-74; South final: routed No. 2 seed Texas 85-67

They'll keep winning if: Memphis has many interchangeable parts and John Calipari can substitute in five-man shifts if he so chooses. When the Tigers are at their best, they're playing aggressive defense, crashing the boards hard and sharing the ball through their dribble-drive motion offense. When senior forward Joey Dorsey is dominating the boards, scoring off offensive rebounds and altering shots, the Tigers are a bear inside and out. If he can neutralize Bruins freshman phenom Kevin Love, Memphis will be in good shape.

Memorable moment: The Tigers was ranked No. 1 in both polls and 26-0 when it lost 66-62 at home to then-No. 2 Tennessee on Feb. 23. That loss probably did more for the Tigers than any of their C-USA wins. It forced the Tigers to re-focus before the tournament.

Go-to guys: Memphis has multiple go-to scorers. Sophomore reserve guards Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack can score from the perimeter, junior guard Antonio Anderson can score off the drive and junior forward Robert Dozier can produce inside, but no two players are more valuable to the Tigers than their first-team all-conference selections -- junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts and freshman point guard Derrick Rose. If the game is close and the Tigers need a basket, the ball will be in their hands.

Strengths: Memphis has the No. 1 RPI and was tested outside the well-cushioned conference schedule. The Tigers are deep and versatile, and their interchangeable parts fit together well. Rose is the closest thing to a complete player on the roster, but the Tigers have many different skills and talents in their playing rotation. They're capable of winning with defense and rebounding, even when they're not shooting well, because they can make the most of a fast, intense tempo and create easy shots.

Weaknesses: You'd be picking nits calling freshman Derrick Rose a weak spot. He plays heady and now has a full season under his belt. But this is still a sum-of-parts team. Take one or two pieces out of the Memphis puzzle and cracks in the foundation can be exposed, especially if Dorsey disappears or finds foul trouble. Opponents prefer to play zone and take their chances with the Tigers erratic 3-point shooting. The Tigers have been one of the nation's worst free-throw shooting teams all season.


UCLA (34-3)
Coach: Ben Howland, five years at UCLA, four years in NCAA Tournament
How they got here: Automatic bid (Pac-10 champion); West first round: def. No. 16 seed Mississippi Valley State 70-29; West second round: def. No. 9 seed Texas A&M 51-49; West semifinals: held off Western Kentucky 88-78; West final: dominated No. 3 seed Xavier 76-57.

They'll keep winning if: The Bruins have won 14 in a row -- five by a margin of three points or less. So close games don't bother Bruins. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook will be counted on to keep clear heads and control of the ball amidst the heavy Memphis pressure. Kevin Love has become the go-to option for UCLA. He has 87 points and 44 rebounds through four rounds (21.8 ppg, 11 rpg). The talented freshman is unlikely to experience big-game jitters and the rest of the key Bruins cogs have already played in the Final Four. Love is a double-double machine and gifted passer, but he'll have his hand full with Joey Dorsey.

Memorable moment: The Bruins clinched their third straight regular-season Pac-10 title with a 77-67 overtime victory over Stanford at Pauley Pavilion. The game featured a controversial climax when Stanford's Lawrence Hill was called for a foul on a seemingly clean block of a shot by Darren Collison with 2.5 seconds left. Collison made both free throws and the Bruins won in overtime.

Go-to guys: Arron Afflalo was the best pure shooter on the Bruins' back-to-back Final Four teams. But UCLA's current starting unit features as many as four players willing to take the big shot. Freshman center Kevin Love, for instance, hit a difficult, double-clutch 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to set up the comeback win over Cal in March, which was secured when Josh Shipp made an even more difficult -- likely illegal -- basket by floating a shot over the top corner of backboard with 1.5 seconds left.

Strengths: Love is becoming a matchup nightmare. He doesn't often force it but is now hitting from 17 feet and beyond with consistency. The Bruins are balanced offensively, run an efficient fastbreak that can produce points in a hurry and play tough defense. They have a mix of experience and youth and a battle-tested coach. And they are motivated to add their 12th national championship banner.

Weaknesses: UCLA does not boast great depth, especially in the backcourt. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook play heavy minutes and the Bruins cannot afford either to become injured -- Collison in particular has been injury-prone -- or get into serious foul trouble.

Backcourt

Coaching

Intangibles

Ultimate Edge
Matchup Summary
A slight edge to Memphis by virtue of its depth, which UCLA can't match. But UCLA is battle-tested, having been to the Final Four three consecutive seasons. It'll come down to which team can better handle the defensive pressure. It's unlikely to be the prettiest game of the tournament. Expect a low scoring game with lots of missed shots and turnovers.

Team Comparison



North Carolina
Coach: Roy Williams, five years at North Carolina, five years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: Automatic bid (ACC tournament champion); East first round: pounded No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's 113-74; East second round: routed No. 9 seed Arkansas 108-77; East semifinals: crushed No. 4 seed Washington State 68-47; East final: battled past No. 3 seed Louisville 83-73.

They'll keep winning if: Facing an offense as talented and balanced as Kansas, the Tar Heels will need its underrated defense to clamp down on Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, et al. Though Kansas is capable of knocking down the 3s, they're at their best when they're able to attack the basket. Kanas will have to pick its poison trying to contain Tyler Hansbrough or Ty Lawson. Lawson is shooting the ball with a smooth stroke and his quickness is back. He takes a lot of pressure off of Hansbrough and adds immense challenges for any defense trying to slow him down. Few individual defenders in the country have the quickness and lateral agility to stay in front of Lawson. Wayne Ellington's 3-point shooting (42 percent) is critical, but Lawson and sixth man Danny Green are capable of canning a trey or two when left alone.

Memorable moment: The Tar Heels trailed by three points at halftime at Clemson in their conference opener and were down by seven with just 2:41 left in the second half. But the Heels outscored the Tigers 9-2 in the remaining time to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, Clemson took an 88-87 lead when Demontez Stitt hit two free throws with 13.9 seconds left, but Wayne Ellington answered with a 3-pointer with less than a second left to give the Heels a 90-88 victory. It was the first of two overtime wins for Carolina over Clemson, the second coming in Chapel Hill 103-93 in a game that went two extra periods.

Go-to guys: Tyler Hansbrough is a national Player of the Year candidate and averages a double-double -- 23 points, 10.5 rebounds in the regular season -- in leading the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding for a third consecutive season. Ty Lawson, either off the bench or in a starting role, is a rocket at point guard with his speed and quickness. Wayne Ellington hit a bit of a slump in early February but provides the Heels with an outside shooting threat. Marcus Ginyard is a shut-down defender, and Danny Green is a solid contributor off the bench.

Strengths: North Carolina isn't quite as deep as it was a year ago because of the departure of Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry and the loss of Bobby Frasor to a season-ending knee injury. But depth still is a major asset, especially since Quentin Thomas has had exposure at point guard when Lawson was hobbled. Hansbrough stepped up his game even more when Lawson was hurt, and few teams have the strength to slow him down inside. Opponents can't foul him and send him to the free-throw line or he'll kill them there -- 81.3 percent in the regular season. The Heels also are the best rebounding team in the ACC, owning the boards by about 11 rebounds a game over conference foes.

Weaknesses: The Tar Heels really don't have any particular weakness an opponent can exploit. They beat themselves with poor shooting in the home loss to Maryland and were without Lawson in the loss to Duke. Turnovers can be a problem and nearly cost them in both of their overtime wins over Clemson and in a one-point win at Virginia. A team that can control the tempo could have some success against the Heels, but the only team that kept the Heels under 70 points in a game this season (Ohio State) still lost by 11 on its own court. Look for opponents to gang up on Hansbrough inside and hope for the best on the perimeter.


Kansas (34-3)
Coach: Bill Self, five years at school, five years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: Automatic bid (Big 12 tournament champions); Midwest first round: def. No. 16 seed Portland State 85-61; Midwest second round: def. No. 8 seed UNLV 75-56; Midwest semifinals: def. No. 12 seed Villanova 72-57; Midwest final: nipped No. 10 seed Davidson 59-57

They'll keep winning if: Kansas is one of the few teams in the nation as athletic, balanced and deep as North Carolina. Kansas is a bear of a matchup with weapons aplenty -- inside, outside and all points between. They can't sit back and let the Tar Heels dictate tempo, they need to attack. If the Jayhawks are settling for jumpers, they're going to be in trouble. When Kansas doesn't get to the line, it has a tendency to press. To keep the Jayhawks in a good flow, Bill Self will rely on point guard Sherron Collins, whose aggressive take on a point man's duties is contagious. He's helped spark Brandon Rush, one of the most talented players in all of college hoops, to attack more frequently and Kansas is thrilled with the result.

Memorable moment: Darnell Jackson and Rodrick Stewart played against Oklahoma State despite violent deaths of family members in the days leading up to the game. Jackson's cousin died of gunshot wounds, while Stewart's adopted brother and cousin was murdered. Jackson, a starter, responded with a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds). KU finished the regular season with four straight wins, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.5 points.

Go-to guys: No Kansas player scored more than 25 points in a regular-season game but seven players averaged between 7.3 and 13.4. Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and Darnell Jackson are all candidates to lead the team in scoring on a given night.

Strengths: Athleticism, depth and balance. Kansas has skilled individual players capable of scoring 25, but the offensive system is more likely to yield three 15-point men. Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers are likely to lead the team in scoring. Do-everything wing Brandon Rush stuffs the stat sheet and contributes without taking 15 shots on most nights. KU doesn't start a true center. That doesn't mean the Jayhawks can't deal with size. Sasha Kaun and Cole Aldrich, who has come on strong since January, give Self the option of attacking teams with great size with this twin-towers approach.

Weaknesses: Rush isn't a prolific scorer, even though he's capable of an explosion if his mid-range shot is falling. But KU has a tendency to go stagnant when the pace slows to a half-court tempo. When Rush is cold, there have been times this season when the Jayhawks stand around and wait for him to create offense. The return of Collins has made the Jayhawks more assertive as a whole, but KU should fret if Rush disappears in the tournament. KU relies on a potent perimeter attack and without it, the offense can be stalled. Witness the loss at Oklahoma State, when KU missed 11 of 13 3-point tries. Darrell Arthur has to guard against overaggressiveness on defense. He fouled out in 17 minutes in that OSU loss.