Midwest final
At St. Louis
No. 1 seed Florida (32-5) vs. No. 3 Oregon (29-7), 12:40 p.m.: Florida has as much quality depth among its post players as any team in the nation. As for Oregon…uh, next question, please. Maarty Leunen, a 6-foot-9 junior, is listed as Oregon’s center but plays more like a wing forward. All five Oregon starters handle the ball and are connecting at better than 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. The Gators like to run, too. And if Florida controls the boards, it could well beat the Ducks at their own game. Florida is
aiming for a chance to become the first back- to-back national champion since Duke in 1991 and 1992.
East final
At East Rutherford, N.J.
No. 1 North Carolina (31-6) vs. No. 2 Georgetown (29-6), 3:05 p.m.: A classic contrast in styles between North Carolina’s frantic, up-tempo running game and Georgetown’s scholarly deliberation. Georgetown coach John Thompson III is playing Princeton’s style with Georgetown talent. The big keys will be whether Georgetown’s hulking Roy Hibbert can slow Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina’s leading scorer and rebounder. Also, Georgetown’s defense must keep in check point guard Ty Lawson, who has the Tar Heels flying. This year marks the 25th anniversary of North Carolina’s win over the Hoyas for the national title.
