Eyes on the prize

By now, most brackets have broken, but many predicted Duke, Arizona, Michigan State and Maryland to fight in the Final Four. And for good reason -- the teams have proved themselves the best, with clear-cut strengths. Duke boasts the proper play of Jason Williams and Shane Battier; Arizona has all-around athleticism and Loren Woods in the middle; Michigan State grabs everything off of the glass; and Maryland is devastatingly deep with 10 selfless players.

No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Arizona

Twice was nice last year for the Spartans, who won the NCAA championship 89-76 in their second-consecutive Final Four appearance, after losing to 1999 runner-up Duke. This year, Michigan State will test to see if the third time is indeed a charm. Saturday it will match up against an Arizona team with five returning starters from last year.

Though the Spartans' Andre Hutson, Aloysius Anagonye and Zach Randolph have absolutely punished everyone on the boards ,leading them to a tournament-best average of 47 rebounds per game, senior captain Charlie Bell remains the heart and soul of this team. As the last of the "Flintstones" with the graduation of Morris Peterson and Mateen Cleaves, Bell's experience is reflected in his perimeter defense and ability to lead the team from the point guard position.

But Wildcat quarterback Jason Gardner may have the mental toughness necessary to neutralize Bell. The 5-foot-10 sophomore rocked Illinois to get to the Final Four with several clutch three-pointers in the second half. But he'll have to carry out his predictions of an NCAA championship for Arizona in Sports Illustrated, against a seasoned veteran in Bell.

If he can't, the Spartan frontline should neutralize Woods and Michael Wright. And Jason Richardson has a definite edge over Richard Jefferson, who has struggled at times for the Wildcats. However, Arizona does have a potentially lethal weapon in off-guard Gilbert Arenas that can take the rock to the rack and toss in three-pointers.

Prediction: Michigan State 67, Arizona 64

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 3 Maryland

These ACC rivals have met three times already this year, with the Blue Devils winning two of those contests by two points both times. Maryland muscled Duke at Cameron Indoor in the Terrapins' 91-80 victory in which Carlos Boozer broke his foot.

However, the Boozer has rebounded after returning two games ago in the Blue Devils' win over UCLA. His ability to play extended minutes on the Terps' underrated big man Lonny Baxter could make or break a Duke team that already has solid perimeter defenders in Shane Battier, Jason Williams and Nate James. Boozer's only interior help will come from inexperienced center Casey Sanders.

Though sophomore point guard Steve Blake has held tough throughout the tournament for the Terps, Jason Williams will prove too much for him to handle. The Duke sophomore has proved himself as arguably the nation's best player and leads the tournament with a scoring average of 28.8 points per game. Williams' play has been so good that many believe he could make the jump to the NBA following this year. But if former Duke point guard William Avery, who left as a sophomore in 1999 and has career averages of just 8.2 minutes and 2.6 points per game, is any indication, Avery should stay put.

But Avery's NBA plans aside, Maryland must contend with him now. The play of forward Terence Morris will be key. After having a breakout sophomore season in 1999 and earning all-American honorable mention status, the 6-foot-9 senior has shown little improvement and too often plays soft.

Prediction: Duke 78, Maryland 70

Billy Packer vs. Bill Walton (color commentary for CBS)

For most people, this would be a pick-your-poison choice, but despite Walton's ridiculous comments he has proved himself far superior to Packer.

Walton's entertainment value runs high with his constant berating of low-skilled big men. He has even overly criticized his son Luke, the sixth man for Arizona, for poor passing and free-throw shooting. At the same time, Walton can quickly jock players for their "heroic" performances, like he did with Frank Williams in Illinois' 80-64 win over Kansas.

With Packer, expect him to act overly condescending, as if he knows more than his viewers. If the play-by-play announcer doesn't stay aggressive, Packer will walk all over him with ridiculously stupid comments. Perhaps Packer should pack it up and retire. If Walton does indeed do color commentary with Packer, expect to enjoy a verbal war between the two announcers.

Edge: Walton