NCAA tournament Elite 8 preview: Louisville vs. Michigan State
No. 4 Louisville (27-8) vs. No. 7 Michigan State (26-11)
Time, TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, CBS
Where: Syracuse, N.Y.
Why Louisville will win: The defense will have to keep the Spartans in check, particularly along the perimeter, and the offense will have to match its surprisingly strong performances in recent games. Much of the scoring load will once again fall on Terry Rozier outside and Montrezl Harrell inside, but expect other emerging players such as Quentin Snyder to continue contributing.
VIDEO PREVIEW:Louisville vs. Michigan State
Why Michigan State will win: The offense is led by its veterans, most notably senior Travis Trice and junior Denzel Valentine. Because of the way Michigan State schedules — that brutal nonconference slate — and plays, all of its experienced players have pretty much seen it all, all sorts of styles of play and all sorts of coaching strategies. Louisville's aggressive and, at times, stifling defense will meet its match with a veteran Michigan State team, a group that's not quite ready for this special and surprising season to end.
History lesson: Two of the best NCAA tournament coaches are squaring off in this one. Michigan State's Tom Izzo has reached six Final Fours, and Louisville's Rick Pitino has reached seven. Neither was expected to get this far with the team he has, but one improbable run will continue to Indianapolis, another feather in the cap for one of these two great coaches.
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