The Final Four is here and it’s going down in San Antonio’s Alamodome on Saturday. Michigan, Loyola-Chicago, Villanova and Kansas will compete in the semi-finals for a chance to become this year’s national champ. This year’s tournament has lived up to its
The first tip-off begins with No. 3 seed Michigan Wolverines taking on this year’s Cinderella team, No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Afterwards, No. 1 seed Villanova Wildcats and No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks will face off at 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday.
How to watch the Final Four
- Date: Saturday, March 31
- Loyola-Chicago vs. Michigan: 6:09 p.m. ET
- Villanova vs. Kansas: 8:49 p.m. ET
- TV channel: TBS
- Live blog: Check back here for CBS News’ live blog
Loyola-Chicago vs. Michigan
Michigan (32-7) will try to end Loyola-Chicago’s run with its stingy defense, which is ranked eighth in the nation. They’ve only allowed just 63.1 points per game this year.
In the tournament, The Wolverines have looked dominant in wins against Texas A&M, but they needed a buzzer-beater to survive against Houston.
Loyola-Chicago (32-5) will need to lean on quality shots and their transition defense for a shot at the National Championship. They’ve only allowed 62.4 points per game.
Michigan is currently a -5.5 favorite to win the game and advance to the final.
Villanova vs. Kansas
The battle of the No. 1 seeds pits the Villanova Wildcats against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Villanova is ranked first in the nation in offensive efficiency and second in effective field goal percentage, according to Kenpom.com. Villanova is a -5 point favorite to win Saturday’s game.
CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander believes the Wildcats are the best team in the tournament and in the school’s history. In this year’s tournament, Villanova has racked up 47 3-pointers through four rounds — the most in tournament history.
Meanwhile, the Jayhawks rank in the top five nationally in offensive efficiency and shoots above 40 percent from deep.
Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports thinks redshirt sophomore Malik Newman gives the Jayhawks the edge on Saturday evening. He says Newman isn’t the team’s best player but he’s their most consistent. Newman has averaged 18.1 points on 51.3 percent three-point shooting over the last 13 games. And against Duke, Newman scored a career-high 32 points and was the team’s most clutch player on both sides of the court.
“He is the reason a Kansas team that seemed in trouble in January is sitting pretty as we near April,” Forgrave writes.
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
