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Dissecting the defenses of the Final Four teams

Villanova forward Omari Spellman celebrates during the first half the Wildcats' Final Four game against Kansas

The top seeded Wildcats opened as a 6.5-point favorite over MI for Monday's national championship game. The game-day attire for MI coach John Beilein is more reflective of his team's emphasis on old-school fundamentals and defense.

The former said: "If we weren't making shots, I think we would have grinded that game out and won it by one or two possessions". There's a chance that MI could play a great game Monday night and still lose.

"This team's had no attention at all", MI head coach John Beilein said.

A 6-foot-9 junior, Paschall was a marvel for Villanova in the Wildcats' 95-79 victory over Kansas, making 10 of his 11 shots from the field, scoring a game-high 24 points, and it was natural for Pecora to feel pride and pleasure as he watched Paschall's near-flawless performance.

It seems March Madness has lived up to its reputation of "madness" once the Final Four games got underway and folks got an earful of their in-game buzzer. They beat the Nos. "I want you to go play for Jay at Villanova'".

MI is in the title game for the second time under coach John Beilein, who has never won a national championship. You're just not going to be ready. Most of "Nova's 18 makes barely skimmed the net".

"He's unbelievable. He's one of those dynamic scorers from the post, he's a great passer, made some unbelievable passers today with both hands", Villanova assistant coach Ashley Howard said.

The most recent freshman-fueled title came in 2015, when Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones led Duke to its fifth national title.

The third-seeded Wolverines (33-7) will take a 14-game winning streak into their first national championship game appearance since 2013, and second under coach Jon Beilein.

Even when it was busy winning a 14th consecutive Big 12 title. His lone 3-point make came 33 seconds later. But you just do everything you can to be the best coach, the best mentor, the best teacher, the best husband, the grandfather, father every day, and you go do it again. MI can play that game and contend out there. The Wolverines have won only one, beating Seton Hall in overtime in 1989. Wright determined at the time he probably could have success recruiting smaller players who could shoot threes. Wright said Beilein had an advantage in recruiting back then because he could offer scholarships while Wright could not. Dad, Sean told his father, this one guy's way too good to be playing with everybody else.

SB Nation sees this as a little cruel, because that horn does sound like someone is stuck behind you in traffic. "At the end of the year, I got hurt, and I just got lazy". They'll face each other from the Alamodome in San Antonio on Monday night at 9:20pmET.

"They remind me of John's West Virginia teams. And at times walking out before the game, in the hotel, I can hear when the crowd's going insane and I know he walked in".

Still, Villanova has drained 436 3-pointers and enter the Final Four just six shy of the NCAA single-season record for made 3-pointers set by VMI in 2007. Devonte' Graham hit two 3-pointers early in the second half, but Villanova matched him shot for shot - and then added on a Spellman 3-pointer and Spellman midrange jumper to push the lead to 22.

"Their size and athleticism really makes it hard", guard Donte DiVencenzo said. With the help of former IL assistant and defensive guru, Luke Yaklich, Beilein has transformed the Wolverines from one of the Big Ten's worst defensive teams to one of the nation's best.

Still, if the Wolverines end Monday night on top, nobody can deny that they faced the toughest of competition.

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Dissecting the defenses of the Final Four teams