NCAA Tournament: Get to know your Final Four a little bit better

3/30/09
michigan strate
By Max J. Dickstein

NCAA Tournament: Get to know your Final Four a little bit better

Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (AP)

By Max J. Dickstein

The nation has five days to pore over the quartet of schools that survived the first four rounds of the NCAA tournament before Michigan State and Connecticut officially start the Final Four on Saturday with a 6:07 p.m. tipoff.

Here are a few things you may not know about each team and institution.

Villanova

Third seed, East (30-7)

Head-turning star: Scottie Reynolds, known for his mad, whirling dashes to the rim, sealed a defeat of top-seeded Pittsburgh on Saturday with his face-up, floating layup with 0.5 seconds remaining.

History: As the eighth seed in 1985, the Wildcats beat top-ranked Georgetown, 66-64, for the school’s only national championship. The NCAA tournament did not have a shot clock in that era, so the Wildcats took just 28 shots, making 22.

On campus: ’Nova has just 6,425 undergraduates, putting the private, Roman Catholic school’s student population well below those of the three public universities that join it in the Final Four.

North Carolina

Top seed, South (32-4)

Head-turning star: As his torrid all-court efforts mount, Ty Lawson is making his case to be considered one of the greatest point guards in UNC history. A jammed big right toe hasn’t hampered his precise play.

History: The Tar Heels have won a title in each of the past three decades, including in 2005.

On campus: Deteriorating badly after the Civil War, the university was closed from 1870-75 during Reconstruction.

Michigan State

Second seed, Midwest (30-6)

Head-turning star: Bosnian-born senior center Goran Suton has emerged as a dependable outside shooter and a facilitator for the balanced offense.

History: Magic Johnson led the Spartans past Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the title game 30 years ago.

On campus: “State” has changed its name five times since its 1855 founding as Agricultural College of the State of Michigan.

Connecticut

Top seed, West (31-4)

Head-turning star: Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 center from Tanzania, combines with 6-foot-9 forward Stanley Robinson to aggressively deter forays into the paint.

History: UConn won only four tourney games before 1990, but has 42 since under coach Jim Calhoun.

On campus: UConn has also been renamed five times. Starting in 1881 as Storrs Agricultural School, it became University of Connecticut in 1939.

SKED STRENGTH

Average seed faced so far by each of the teams in the Final Four:

1. Villanova: average seed 5.75 (opponents’ winning percentage: .816)

2. Michigan State: 7.0 (.752)

3. UNC: 7.5 (.791)

4. UConn: 8.25 (.714)

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NCAA Tournament: Get to know your Final Four a little bit better

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