Preview: NCAA Final 4 breaks new ground

Despite what the talking heads at ESPN would lead you to believe, the thing that makes the NCAA Tournament so great is the opportunity for the Davids of the world to play on a level playing field with the Goliaths. And that parity is what has made this year’s tournament one of the most exciting ever.

This weekend we get the most unlikely of Final 4s, with no No. 1 or No. 2 seeds remaining. Not only are two mid-major programs still standing, but one is a a VCU team that many argued shouldn’t have even made the cut in the first place.

But unlike college football, the beauty of March Madness is that every Division I team gets a fair shake. Aside from a committee that determines a large part of the field, the players get the opportunity to state their case on the court — regardless of conference affiliation. Here are the matchups for Saturday’s games on CBS:

No. 8 Butler (27-9) vs. No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth (28-11)
Tipoff: 6:09 p.m. ET, CBS

Although CBS obviously views the other game as the more attractive of the two (hence the later start), this is the one with the most intriguing storylines. Butler has a great program, but nobody expected the Horizon League team to return to the Final 4 for the second year in a row.

This contest features a contrast in styles. VCU of the Colonial Athletic Association will look to up the tempo on offense, will press relentlessly on defense and will rely heavily on its shooting from behind the arc with Brandon Rozzell, Bradford Burgess, Jamie Skeen and Joey Rodriguez (who have combined to hit at least a dozen treys in three of the last four games).

Butler, on the other hand, will want to slow things down and attempt to keep the final score in the 50s or 60s. Coach Brad Stevens is a genius at countering an opponent’s strengths, so look for him to use his smothering defense to challenge every shot the Rams take from the perimeter. On offense the Bulldogs rely on forward Matt Howard and guards Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant.

No. 3 Connecticut (30-9) vs. No. 4 Kentucky (29-8)
Tipoff: 8:49 p.m. ET, CBS

Not only does this game feature two of the most storied programs in the country, but it also boasts the best player in the Final 4 in guard Kemba Walker. In addition to scoring 23 points a game, he averages 4.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds. If Kentucky is going to win this game, it starts and ends with containing Walker. That said, Coach Jim Calhoun has been getting a huge contribution from Jeremy Lamb, who has been been scoring 18 points a game in the tournament.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, feature a trio of double-digit scorers in star guard Brandon Knight, forward Terrence Jones and guard Doron Lamb. Although they are getting great production from several freshmen, nobody expected Kentucky to advance this far after five players from last year’s team were drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft (including John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins).

These two teams met earlier this year in the Maui Invitational (UConn won convincingly), but don’t expect a similar result Saturday. Kentucky is playing as well as anybody in the country, and Coach John Calipari has already knocked off pre-tournament favorite Ohio State and juggernaut North Carolina.

So, grab a cold beverage and your snack of choice, because both games have the potential to go to the wire. And for college basketball fans, that’s all you can really ask for, right?