First look at the 2019 Final Four

How they beat you: Auburn wants to run. Bruce Pearl is a firm believer in owning tempo with pace, particularly with junior Jared Harper (15.2 PPG) at the controls. Harper’s diminutive size underwhelms you, but he plays with no fear and understands exactly how to get downhill. Harper’s speed helps open things up for Bryce Brown, whose flurry of triples helped bury Kentucky in the Elite Eight. Remember, Auburn ranks sixth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Even without the versatile Chuma Okeke (38.7 percent 3s, 1.8 SPG and 1.2 BPG), Auburn was able to march up athletically against the Wildcats’ physical front line of PJ Washington and Reid Travis.

Defensively however, is where the Tigers have made the most significant strides in this tournament and really throughout the SEC tournament. To hold a juggernaut like Kentucky to just 71 points in an OT game – and under 24 percent from deep — along with the same number of turnovers (14) as assists, was the difference. Help defense has been great, but more important has been Auburn’s individual defense, proficient enough to avoid over-helping — and in turn avoid open triples. — Jordan Schultz

How you beat them: You must limit Auburn’s possessions because its offense helps predicate the tenor it sets defensively. Auburn got back in the Kentucky game because of defense, but it wasn’t until a barrage of triples and quality half-court offense that the stops eventually came. When the Tigers get in the half-court, the key is forcing the ball out of Harper’s hands. His creativity in pick-and-roll often bails out the a lack of offensive weapons and also creates clean looks for Brown (40.7 percent 3s and a team-high 15.8 PPG). Auburn is fourth nationally in scoring and ranks in the top 25 in 3-point percentage. Ice all of the Harper ball-screens and make somebody else beat you, preferably inside. Both he and Brown earned second-team All-SEC honors. Even limiting one of them significantly alters the Tigers’ ability to score points. — Jordan Schultz

Michigan State Spartans

Final Four matchup: vs. Texas Tech
2018-19 record (conference record): 32-6 (16-4 Big Ten)
Road to the Final Four: Bradley, 76-65; Minnesota, 70-50; LSU, 80-63; Duke 68-67
Coach (record): Tom Izzo (606-231 in 24 seasons at Michigan State)
National championships (team): 2 (2000, 1979)
Final Fours (team): 10th (seasons above, plus (2015, 2010, 2009, 2005, 2001, 1999, 1957)
Leading scorer: Cassius Winston (18.8 points per game)
Leading rebounder: Kenny Goins (9.0 per game)
Assists leader: Cassius Winston (7.5 per game)
Most three-pointers made: Cassius Winston (80 entering Sunday)
Offensive rank (BPI): 6th
Defensive rank (BPI): 8th
Experience (KenPom): 1.79 years (140th in Division I)

How they beat you: Cassius Winston and interior defense. Those two forces of nature haven’t been the whole story, but they’ve been a very big part of Michigan State getting to the Final Four. Winston is a master with the ball in his hands, scoring from both sides of the arc, drawing fouls and, especially, delivering pin-point assists to waiting teammates. He has no single preferred speed and can lull you to sleep just as easily as blow by you.

As the season has progressed, more and more of Winston’s assists have been going to Xavier Tillman, the consistently underrated sophomore who was last seen delivering a thunderous and pivotal dunk late in the Spartans’ win over Duke. On the other side of the ball, MSU has been elite all season long at forcing misses in the paint. Not many defenses can throw Tillman, Nick Ward and Kenny Goins at you and (almost) always have two of those guys on the floor. — John Gasaway

How you beat them: Attack the offensive glass. The very name “Izzo” is supposed to be synonymous with rebounding, but, for whatever reason, this particular group has been known to struggle on its defensive boards. LSU and Duke combined were able to pull down 37 percent of their chances, and sometimes one of the best offenses against the MSU defense is a missed shot. When the Spartans do get a defensive board, invest early in the possession in denying Winston the ball. Don’t let the Spartan offense devote that first 10 seconds of the shot clock to Winston probing in the half-court, because he’s lethal at it. Never guard Tillman beyond the arc, and don’t be afraid to put Aaron Henry on the line. — John Gasaway

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Final Four matchup: vs. Michigan State
2018-19 record (conference record): 30-6 (14-4 Big 12)
Road to the Final Four: Northern Kentucky, 72-57; Buffalo, 78-58; Michigan 63-44; Gonzaga 75-69
Coach (record): Chris Beard (75-30 in three seasons at Texas Tech, 171-60 overall)
National championships (team): 0
Final Fours (team): 1st
Leading scorer: Jarrett Culver (18.9 points per game)
Leading rebounder: Jarrett Culver (6.4 per game)
Assists leader: Jarrett Culver (3.8 per game)
Most three-pointers made Davide Moretti (69)
Offensive rank (BPI): 33rd
Defensive rank (BPI): 1st
Experience (KenPom): 1.92 years (102nd in Division I)

How they beat you: Chris Beard reached his school’s first Final Four with America’s most effective defense. The Red Raiders’ secret is in their personnel. With Tariq Owens (6-foot-10), Matt Mooney (6-3), Jarrett Culver (6-6), Davide Moretti (6-2) and Norense Odiase (6-8) — plus, guys like Brandone Francis (6-5) and Kyler Edwards (6-3) coming off the bench — Beard has the size and athleticism (Owens is averaging 2.4 blocks per game) to avoid defensive mismatches and support one another when they get beat off the dribble. When opposing players drive, they have to get through two or three capable Red Raiders. When those attempts fail over time, they settle for perimeter shots. Here’s the problem: Texas Tech often recovers to contest those shots. See: Owens blocking Rui Hachimura’s jump shot late in Saturday’s win over Gonzaga. Michigan settled for deep 3-pointers (1-for-19) in its loss to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16.

“Defensively, they read the scouting report,” Michigan’s Isaiah Livers said. “They knew what guys liked to do. They knew who the shooters were and the drivers were and you got to tip your hat off.” On offense, they play through Culver, a projected first-round pick who demands extra defenders and opens the floor for his teammates. They’ll go iso and attack the mismatch. Mooney realized early in the Gonzaga game that he could post Josh Perkins. Mooney, Moretti and Owens can all score. Proof? Culver finished 5-for-19 in the win over Gonzaga. — Myron Medcalf

How you beat them: Everything starts with Culver. In their losses, he’s been frustrated. Against Gonzaga on Saturday, he had a hard time finding good looks with Hachimura and others defending him. Once he gets going, however, Texas Tech is difficult to stop. In all, Culver committed 30 turnovers in Texas Tech’s six losses. With Culver struggling, Texas Tech made fewer than 45 percent of its shots inside the arc in five of the six losses.

It’s also important to have a good point guard, who can both facilitate the action on offense and get defensive stops. The teams that beat Texas Tech this season had this list of quality point guards: Tre Jones, Nick Weiler-Babb, Devon Dotson, Jordan McCabe, Kamau Stokes and Makai Mason. Opponents also have to take advantage of their perimeter looks and finish on second-chance opportunities. Anything a team can do to get Owens, their most important defender, off the floor is encouraged, too. He’s fouled out four times and finished 11 games with four fouls this season. Overall, you can’t beat Texas Tech without a consistently efficient offensive effort and a defensive attack that corrals Culver. Easier said than done with group, though. — Myron Medcalf

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Virginia Cavaliers

Final Four matchup: vs. Auburn
2018-19 record (conference record): 33-3 (16-2 ACC)
Road to the Final Four: Gardner-Webb, 71-56; Oklahoma, 63-51; Oregon 53-49; Purdue 80-75
Coach (record): Tony Bennett (252-89 in 10 seasons at Virginia, 320-122 overall)
National championships (team): 0
Final Fours (team): 3rd (1981, 1984)
Leading scorer: Kyle Guy (15.2 points per game)
Leading rebounder: Braxton Key (5.4 per game)
Assists leader: Ty Jerome (5.3 per game)
Most three-pointers made Kyle Guy (114)
Offensive rank (BPI): 2nd
Defensive rank (BPI): 2nd
Experience (KenPom): 1.60 years (203rd in Division I)

How they beat you: Ask any coach in the ACC and they’ll say it’s just draining to face the Cavaliers. Tony Bennett’s team takes any opponent out of its rhythm due to its grind-it-out, half-court style. The Cavaliers play the slowest tempo in the country. Virginia’s calling card is still on the defensive end of the floor, where the Cavaliers rank in the top seven in adjusted defensive efficiency for the sixth straight season. They pack the paint, closing off driving lanes and essentially try to force opponents to take contested 3-pointers.

But this year’s Virginia team is slightly different — the Cavaliers can score. They actually rank higher in offensive efficiency than defensive efficiency. Ty Jerome is one of the most confident guards in the country, capable of getting shots for himself or others. Kyle Guy runs relentlessly off pin-downs and back screens, looking to get open for jumpers. The key is De’Andre Hunter. The future top-10 pick brings a dimension to the offensive end of the floor that Virginia hasn’t had very often under Bennett. They wear teams down with their style, they take care of the ball, they make shots and they force teams to make tough jumpers — it’s awfully tough to beat the Cavaliers. — Jeff Borzello

How you beat them: Having Carsen Edwards on your team is a good start. Well, considering Purdue still lost despite a superhuman effort from Edwards, maybe that doesn’t even work. Look, Virginia is very difficult to beat. The Cavaliers have lost just six times in the last two seasons, including two this season to Duke and the 16-over-1 shocker to UMBC. They’re not perfect, though.

The offense, while improved from past years, can still struggle if the guards aren’t making shots. After a stretch in February and March where Virginia shot 40 percent or better from 3 in five straight games, the Cavaliers have shot 33.3 percent or worse in each of their last five games. Guy’s second-half perimeter resurgence on Saturday is the primary reason Virginia is still playing. Hunter had been relatively anonymous for three full games until Saturday’s overtime session.

Now, how do you score on Virginia? The easy answer is simply to make 3-pointers. Purdue made 14 on Saturday, while Duke buried 13 in a win earlier this season. It’s not the only way, though. Virginia still can be beaten by teams with significantly more length and athleticism than them. As mentioned, Duke did it twice and Florida State handled them by double-digits in the ACC tournament. — Jeff Borzello

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