1 of 7 Chuck Burton/Associated Press We don't often spend the build-up to the Final Four talking about what happened in the previous year's tournament, but it's impossible to avoid doing so with Virginia. As you have undoubtedly been reminded a few hundred times over the past several months, Virginia lost to a No. 16 seed last March. Dating back to when the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, it was the first time in NCAA men's tournament history that a No. 1 seed lost to a No. 16 seed. If you didn't hear about it much during the regular season, you certainly did when the Cavaliers were down by 14 in the first half against No. 16 Gardner-Webb two weeks ago. Whether they have somehow shut out all that noise or used it as motivation, it clearly hasn't bothered the Wahoos. After it ended up on the wrong side of history last year, Virginia is the only No. 1 seed in this year's Final Four. It is now two wins away from its first national championship, which would fully exorcize those UMBC demons. Sure, we'll always remember the historic upset, but it would become a footnote of head coach Tony Bennett's run at Virginia rather than the defining moment in a decade of tournament failures. This type of rebound from colossal disaster to the top of the mountain isn't exactly unprecedented in college basketball, either. The year before winning the 2015 national championship, Duke suffered its embarrassing first-round loss to Mercer. The season prior to winning both the 2011 and 2014 titles, Connecticut didn't even play in the NCAA tournament—once due to ineptitude and once due to ineligibility. Before breaking through for two championships in three years, Villanova had been defined by its unceremoniously early exits from the tourney. Translation: No good reasons exists to think last year's nightmare will keep this team from achieving its dream.<doc-sep>0 of 4 Harry How/Getty Images After earning thrilling wins in the Elite Eight, the Auburn Tigers, Michigan State Spartans, Texas Tech Red Raiders and Virginia Cavaliers are headed to the 2019 Final Four. The four programs have earned a well-deserved moment in the national spotlight. Still, you might not be familiar with all of the teams. What is their biggest strength? Where are they most vulnerable? Who is their best player, and who's an underrated contributor? Though the actual results on the court may not reflect the rankings, there's a clear hierarchy on paper.<doc-sep>Michael Conroy/Associated Press The 2019 men's Final Four is far from the most hyped event of the men's college basketball season, but there are still a pair of intriguing matchups set to take place Saturday inside U.S. Bank Stadium. Virginia enters Minneapolis as the main attraction because it advanced to the Final Four a year after being eliminated by a No. 16 seed. Michigan State is the most consistent program of the Final Four participants in terms of playing for a championship. Tom Izzo will be coaching the Spartans in his eighth Final Four and first since 2015. Texas Tech and Auburn are navigating through uncharted waters in their first Final Four appearances. Although Virginia and Michigan State are the favored sides Saturday, we expect Texas Tech and Auburn to put up fights, just like they have throughout the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 2019 NCAA Men's Tournament Bracket Video Play Button Videos you might like 2019 Men's Final Four Schedule Saturday, April 6 No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 5 Auburn (6:09 p.m. ET, CBS) No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (8:49 p.m. ET, CBS) Games can be live-streamed on March Madness Live. Picks Virginia over Auburn With no double-digit seeds turning into Cinderella stories, Virginia's road to redemption has become the story of the NCAA tournament. The Cavaliers were widely ridiculed for their first-round exit at the hands of UMBC in 2018, and they didn't help themselves by struggling in the first half against Gardner-Webb in this year's first round. But since the second half of the first-round win over Gardner-Webb, the Cavaliers have looked like a championship-caliber team. In Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome, the Cavaliers have a pair of scoring threats out of the backcourt, while Kihei Clark brings stingy defensive play to that part of the court. Michael Conroy/Associated Press Virginia's top three guards are expected to play a major role in shutting down Auburn in Saturday's opener. Without a significant paint presence due to Chuma Okeke's injury, the Tigers will turn to Bryce Brown and Jared Harper to kick-start the offense from three-point range. Brown, who averages 16 points per game, shoots 41 percent from beyond the arc; Harper is a 37 percent three-point shooter and averages 15.4 points per game. In order to frustrate Auburn from the start, Clark, Guy and Jerome must get in the face of the Auburn guards and make them take low-percentage shots. If the three-point attempts from Bruce Pearl's team fall short, Virginia has an opportunity to dominate the glass and push the ball down the court. Offensively, Guy and Jerome could have the impact Brown and Harper want to have for the Tigers by knocking down a few key three-point shots. In the Elite Eight win over Purdue, Guy and Jerome combined to make nine three-pointers, and if they come close to matching that total Saturday, Virginia will be in good shape. In the paint, Mamadi Diakite, Jack Salt and Jay Huff should be able to take advantage of Okeke's absence by limiting Auburn's second-chance opportunities. Diakite will be the main beneficiary of the strategy, and if he plays well on offense, he could come close to a double-double. Michigan State over Texas Tech Saturday's second contest will most likely be the closer of the two games. Michigan State and Texas Tech both possess an impressive collection of talent on all parts of the court, while Tom Izzo and Chris Beard are two of the best coaches in the nation. The Red Raiders will try to frustrate the Spartans with their defense that held Michigan State's top rival Michigan to 44 points in the Sweet 16. Texas Tech has allowed one opponent to score more than 60 points in the NCAA tournament, but Michigan State's been solid defensively as well by holding all four opponents beneath 70 points. In Texas Tech's Elite Eight game against Gonzaga, it allowed 40 points to the Bulldogs' frontcourt duo of Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke. The Spartans don't have a pair of future NBA players down low, but they do have a consistent trio in Xavier Tillman, Kenny Goins and Nick Ward who will try to achieve similar success in that area of the court. Nati Harnik/Associated Press If Michigan State decides to feed Tillman, Goins and Ward, Cassius Winston will play a major role in distributing the ball, as he's coming off a 20-point, 10-assist game against Duke. Allowing the frontcourt stars to go to work early will also take the pressure off Winston and Matt McQuaid to make three-point shots right away. When more attention is paid to Michigan State's big men, that's when McQuaid and Winston can take over and deliver daggers from three-point range over the final few minutes. Texas Tech will put up a fight, with Jarrett Culver expected to be the team's top scorer again, but it might not have enough depth in the paint to deal with what Michigan State can throw at it. Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.<doc-sep>
After two weeks and four round of games, the Final Four field for the NCAA men's basketball tournament has been set. Virginia, Auburn, Texas Tech and Michigan State are the only four teams left of the 68 that entered March Madness, and one of them will be crowned national champion on Monday. The Final Four gets underway on Saturday. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the weekend. When and where is the Final Four? The final act of the NCAA Tournament takes place at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The National semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, April 6 with Virginia taking on Auburn at 6:09 p.m. ET, followed by Michigan State's game against Texas Tech at 8:49 p.m. ET. The National Championship Game tips off at 9:23 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Where to watch the Final Four Both games will be broadcast live on CBS and will also be shown live on the NCAA's website. Live streams will also be available via FuboTV, Sling TV, Hulu, YouTube TV and PlayStation Vue. Which teams are in it? Virginia, Auburn, Texas Tech and Michigan State. The Cavaliers are the only number one seed left in the tournament after beating Purdue in overtime on Saturday to secure a Final Four ticket for the first time since 1984, and only the third time in their history. Last year, Virginia became the first number one seed to ever lose to a number 16 seed in the opening round, Tony Bennett's men are desperate to put that disappointment behind them. The Cavaliers entered the tournament as the fourth-favorites to win the title but are now the bookmakers' pick, largely by virtue of having the meanest defense in the tournament, which has conceded a meager 55.4 points per game so far. Michigan State arrives into the Final Four as the second favorite but has arguably secured the biggest scalp of all so far in the tournament. The Spartans beat number one overall seed Duke 68-67 in the Elite Eight to secure a first trip to the Final Four since 2015 and their 10th overall. Eight of those Final Four spots have come under Tom Izzo's stewardship and his experience could be crucial in the cauldron that is the final stage of an NCAA Tournament. The 64-year-old led the Spartans to their second and so far last title in 2000 and will be hoping to add another one to his collection. Auburn and Texas Tech, meanwhile, are making their debut Final Four appearances, but both have shown a knack for upsetting the odds. The Tigers have knocked out number four seed Kansas, number one seed North Carolina and number two seed Kentucky on their way to Minneapolis. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, eliminated number two seed Michigan in the Sweet 16, then sent number one seed Gonzaga packing in the Elite Eight.