The Fantastic (Final) Four

Imagine seeing 10 NBA-ready players playing on the same court on national television. Then,… Imagine seeing 10 NBA-ready players playing on the same court on national television. Then, imagine seeing 10 more play right after that.

No, I’m not talking about the McDonald’s High School All-American game. It’s the Final Four, and, for the first time ever, the four best teams in the nation going into the Tournament are playing for the national title on the final weekend.

In San Antonio, four teams jam-packed with as much talent as some NBA bottom-feeders will play two contests in five hours on Saturday.

Just put it directly into my veins, please.

The first matchup between Memphis and UCLA tips off at 6:07 p.m. The second, between North Carolina and Kansas, gets under way 30 minutes after the first game. Let’s break down the matchups.

Memphis (37-1) is the top seed from the South Region. John Calipari’s squad used in-your-face, pedal-to-the-medal offense to overwhelm its opponents. But offense is only where Memphis catches your attention.

Defense is where the Tigers do most of their feeding. A frenetic Memphis defense involves tremendous man-to-man pressure and a nose for turnovers. Opposing teams turn the ball over 16 times a contest and shoot 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range, and they average just 61.6 points per game.

Once the defense gets its turnover or forces a bad shot, the quick guard trio of Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Antonio Anderson get moving quickly.

But, if there is one team with quick enough transition defense to handle the Memphis tempo, it’s UCLA.

The Bruins (35-3) emerged from the West Region. Nobody defends and rebounds like the Bruins. They’re like Pitt on steroids. UCLA totes an 8.6 rebounding margin and only allows 58.5 points per game. The Bruins also force 14 turnovers a contest, holding opponents to 42-percent shooting from the field and 32-percent shooting from 3-point range.

But UCLA defends differently than Memphis.

The Bruins stay man on man for 35 seconds of the shot clock and generally avoid fullcourt pressure. And don’t expect an offensive rebound. Six-foot-10 super-freshman Kevin Love and his Oregon-sized hands snatch everything in the area.

Both teams possess talent across the board. It’s almost scary how much talent will be on the floor for the first game