Each day, some of our college hoops experts discuss the biggest issues, trends and themes in and around college basketball.
Andy Katz: If Kentucky wins, it's Tyler Ulis. If Wisconsin wins, it will be Duje Dukan. If it's Duke, then I'll go with Matt Jones. If it's Michigan State, I'll lean on Bryn Forbes.
John Gasaway: Wisconsin's Sam Dekker. That's right, the most outstanding player of the West Region is unsung. In the tournament, he's shooting 2s better than Jahlil Okafor, 3s better than Travis Trice, and he's taking as many shots per possession as Frank Kaminsky. Dekker has been close to perfect on offense.
Myron Medcalf: At this stage, it's important for the stars to shine. But the teams that win championships also need glue guys to step up. And Josh Gasser has been the king of the glue guys in the NCAA tournament. Through four games, he has 7 steals, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and just 1 turnover for the Badgers. He's averaging 7.25 points per game in the Big Dance. He's 5-for-11 from the 3-point line and 4-for-5 inside it. And he has played 36 minutes or more in the team's past three games. Gasser is key for this Badgers squad.
Katz: Michigan State will have the same tough time defending Duke's Justise Winslow that Gonzaga had. If he's on, he's a tough person to deal with for any team.
Gasaway: Even with his dismal showing against West Virginia, Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns has combined productivity from the field and at the line in the tournament as well as any player at the Final Four. As long as he's in the game, he's hard to guard.
Medcalf: Towns might be the most talented player in America. No player has a higher ceiling. He's a matchup problem for any player in the field with his versatility and athleticism.
Katz: Both, but only if Kentucky and Duke win. If Wisconsin and Michigan State were to win, it will come down to final possessions.
Gasaway: In the past five years, just two out of 10 national semifinals have been decided by double digits, and one of those (Connecticut over Florida last April) was a 10-point game. If history is any guide, both games Saturday are likely to be decided by single digits.
Medcalf: Maryland, Duke and Wisconsin have all defeated Michigan State by double digits this season. Could the Blue Devils do it again? Sure. This is not the same Michigan State team, but this is also a stronger Duke team compared to the one the Spartans saw in November. The Blue Devils just beat Gonzaga by 14 points and held the Bulldogs to 52 points. Gonzaga entered its Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA with an average of 1.21 points per possession overall, a mark that would have made the Bulldogs the most efficient offense of the past 15 years, per ESPN Stats & Information. But that Gonzaga team registered only 0.88 PPP against the Blue Devils.
Earlier Words: 3/30 »3/29 » 3/28 » 3/27 » 3/26 » 3/25 » 3/24 » 3/23 »
Fun fact: The Official Court for the 2015 Men's #FinalFour was made using recycled products from local Indy schools! pic.twitter.com/V1xEzhvN02
— Final Four (@FinalFour) March 30, 2015Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg check in with newsmakers from around college basketball.