Site: Georgia Dome. TV: Ch. 4
SYRACUSE vs. MICHIGAN
Time: About 7:50 p.m.
Starting lineups
P No. Syracuse Ht. Yr. PPG
F 43 James Southerland 6-8 Sr. 13.5
F 5 C.J. Fair 6-8 Jr. 14.3
F 25 Rakeem Christmas 6-9 So. 5.1
G 1 Michael Carter-Williams 6-6 So. 12.1
G 20 Brandon Triche 6-4 Jr. 13.7
P No. Michigan Ht. Yr. PPG
G 3 TreyBurke 6-0 So. 18.8
G 10 Tim Hardaway Jr. 6-6 Jr. 14.6
G 11 Nik Stauskas 6-6 Fr. 11.5
F 1 Glen Robinson III 6-6 Fr. 11.0
F 4 Mitch McGary 6-10 Fr 7.4
ABOUT SYRACUSE (30-9)
This marks Coach Jim Boeheim's fourth Final Four and the fifth for the program. … Carter-Williams ranks third nationally in assists at 7.4 per game. … The Orange has surrendered 183 points in four NCAA tournament games, the fewest by a team since the 64-team bracket debuted in 1985. It's the first team in the shot-clock era to hold three tournament teams to fewer than 50 points. . .Syracuse has shut down opposing stars such as Indiana's Cody Zeller (10 points), Marquette's Vander Blue (six) and California's Allen Crabbe (eight). … Boeheim said his team is playing the 2-3 zone as well as any of his teams but that Syracuse hasn't played a team as talented offensively as Michigan.
ABOUT MICHIGAN (30-7)
It's the Wolverines' first Final Four since the Fab Five lost its second consecutive title game in 1993. … Coach John Beilein is 0-9 all-time against Syracuse, but only one of those losses came at Michigan. He was 0-6 against the Orange at West Virginia. … Trey Burke is picking up national player of the year hardware every day. The Wooden Award is his latest prize. … Mitch McGary has been a revelation. In the tournament, he's averaging 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. His ability to score at the basket against the zone will be critical to Michigan's chances. . .Can Nik Stauskas keep it up? He made all six three-point attempts in the regional final against Florida.
BOTTOM LINE
The tournament's best defense takes on the best offense. Syracuse has made all of its opponents uncomfortable, and Michigan has made its foes feel fatigued. The Wolverines have more offensive options that other Orange opponents have had.
WICHITA STATE VS. LOUISVILLE
Time: 5:10 p.m.
Starting lineups
P No. Wichita State Ht. Yr. PPG
F 22 Carl Hall 6-8 Sr. 12.5
F 11 Cleanthony Early 6-8 Jr. 13.7
G 2 Malcolm Armstead 6-0 Sr. 10.9
G 31 Ron Baker 6-3 Fr. 8.6
G 32 Tekele Cotton 6-2 So. 6.4
P No. Louisville Ht. Yr. PPG
F 20 Wayne Blackshear 6-5 So. 7.8
F 24 Chane Behanan 6-6 So. 9.6
C 10 Gorgui Dieng 6-11 Jr. 10.2
G 3 Peyton Siva 6-0 Sr. 9.9
G 2 Russ Smith 6-1 Jr. 18.9
ABOUT WICHITA STATE (30-8)
The Shockers are in the Final Four for the second time. The first appearance came in 1965. … Point guard Malcolm Armstead is the team's third-leading scorer, but he's topping the Shockers during the NCAA tournament at 15.5 points per game. … Reserve guard Nick Wiggins is the older brother of top prep prospect Andrew Wiggins. Recruiting gurus say Kentucky (who else?) is the favorite. … The Shockers are outscoring NCAA tournament opponents by 10.8 points per game. The defense has been terrific, with Wichita holding teams to 34 percent shooting (25 percent on threes).
ABOUT LOUISVILLE (33-5)
This is Louisville's 10th Final Four appearance. Six programs have more, and the list is topped by North Carolina with 18. … The Cardinals have won 14 consecutive, and in that stretch they've held opponents to 38 percent shooting and 56.3 points and are forcing 17.9 turnovers. Russ Smith is the top scorer in the stretch at 19.9 points per game. The backcourt of Siva and Smith has helped Louisville set team records for steals and turnovers forced. … Louisville and Wichita State were part of the Missouri Valley Conference for 11 years, and the teams played each other 24 times. … The player Louisville has that Wichita State doesn't is center Gorgui Dieng, who is the Big East's top rebounder at 9.5.
BOTTOM LINE
Cardinals coach Rick Pitino said there's no difference between a team like Wichita State and a power program. He's right, except in this way: The Shockers never have been on this stage, playing in front of 74,000 fans. Louisville and Pitino have been.
KANSAS CITY STAR
