OT: NCAA Final Four Capsule Previews (AP)
Michigan State v. Duke
Tip-Off 6:09 AM (PH time), 5 April
Michigan State Spartans
Conference: Big Ten.
Region: East. Seed: No. 7.
Key Players: Travis Trice (15.3 ppg, 5.1 apg); Denzel Valentine (14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg); Branden Dawson (11.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg)
The Skinny: Coach Izzo has a .742 (46-16) winning percentage in NCAA Tournament action and has led the Spartans to seven Final Fours including the 2000 national championship. Izzo is 13-9 when facing a higher seed. The Spartans have 11 losses, four more than the other three teams combined. This is the third straight year one conference has had two teams in the Final Four with Wisconsin and Michigan State coming from the Big Ten. MSU lost to Duke, 81-71, on November 18.
Duke Blue Devils
Conference: Atlantic Coast.
Region: South. Seed: No. 1.
Key Players: Jahlil Okafor (17.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg); Quinn Cook (15.5 ppg, 2.7 apg); Justise Winslow (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg); Tyus Jones (11.6 ppg, 5.7 apg)
The Skinny: Coach Krzyzewski is making his 12th Final Four appearance, tying the legendary John Wooden. Coach K is tied with Adolph Rupp for second in titles with four. Duke is the only team in Division I with three freshmen averaging in double figures (Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones). Okafor is Duke's 16th first-team Associated Press' All-America and is the Blue Devils' second freshman in as many years, with Jabari Parker being chosen last season.
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Kentucky v. Wisconsin
Tip-Off 8:49 AM (PH time), 5 April
Kentucky Wildcats
Conference: Southeastern.
Region: Midwest. Seed: No. 1.
Key Players: Aaron Harrison (11.0 ppg, 3.6 apg); Devin Booker (10.1 ppg); Karl-Anthony Towns (10.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg); Willie Cauley-Stein (9.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
The Skinny: Kentucky is the first undefeated team to reach the Final Four since UNLV in 1991. Wildcats are two wins away from becoming the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. Kentucky win over Wisconsin in last year's national semifinal came down to a big jumper by Aaron Harrison with 5.7 seconds left. Willie Cauley-Stein is the first first-team AP All-America to average less than 10 points per game.
Wisconsin Badgers
Conference: Big Ten.
Region: West. Seed: No. 1.
Key Players: Frank Kaminsky (18.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.7 apg); Sam Dekker (13.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Nigel Hayes (12.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
The Skinny: Wisconsin is 23-13 in the NCAA tournament under Bo Ryan. The Badgers have the highest free-throw percentage (76.4) of the Final Four teams. All the coaches in this year's Final Four except Ryan, who made his Final Four debut last year at age 66, have won a national championship. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski has four titles, Michigan State's Tom Izzo won it all in 2000, while John Calipari took the title with Kentucky in 2012. Kaminsky, the 7-foot senior, was a unanimous choice on The Associated Press' All-America team.
