With both teams coming off big upsets to get to the Final Four, Michigan State and Texas Tech are set for a rugged showdown to claim one of the two spots in the National Championship Game.
We have finally reached the Final Four in Minneapolis, and we ended up with a matchup few were expecting. The East and West regions featured heavy favorites in Duke and Gonzaga, but both went down in the Elite Eight to Michigan State and Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders are in the Final Four for the first time in school history thanks to a rugged defense that has allowed just 57 points per game during the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga, which averaged close to 90 a game during the regular season, was held to just 69 points in a 75-69 loss at the hands of the Red Raiders last Saturday.
Texas Tech also features a potential lottery pick in June’s NBA draft in guard Jarrett Culver. Culver didn’t have an efficient shooting day against the Bulldogs, knocking down just 5-19 field goal attempts, but he still finished with a team-high 19 points in the victory.
Michigan State’s road to Minneapolis featured a lot of tough matchups, with the toughest coming last Sunday, when the Spartans had the tall task of stopping Zion Williamson and Duke. The Spartans were up to the challenge, knocking out the Blue Devils 68-67 to advance to the eighth Final Four of the Tom Izzo era.
Point guard Cassius Winston was the man for Michigan State, scoring 20 points and racking up 10 assists to help lead his team to victory. Winston may not be a future NBA star like Culver could become, but he is arguably the best college player left in the field, and his presence alone makes the Spartans a big threat to cut down the nets on Monday night.
How to watch Texas Tech vs. Michigan State
- Date: Saturday, April 6
- Time: 8:49 p.m. ET
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium
- TV: CBS
- Live Stream: CBS All Access