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 Davis to underdogs: Take it easy
Posted: Thursday March 25, 1999 09:59 PM
Sports Illustrated college basketball writer Seth Davis chatted with CNN/SI anchor Bob Lorenz from the site of the Final Four on Thursday: Bob Lorenz: Let's start with Michigan State and Duke. I think everybody expects, Seth, that the Blue Devils are just going to walk over to the final. But if indeed there is a way to beat them, how do the Spartans do it? Seth Davis: I really think Michigan State needs to keep the tempo slow in this game. The Spartans do have an advantage on the inside with their muscle. And I think it's really going to fall to Mateen Cleaves to keep the Blue Devils from being able to run up and down the floor, by not committing so many turnovers. A lot of people knock Cleaves because he doesn't shoot so well. The fact is, the reason Michigan State is in this Final Four is the way he controls the game and he's going to have to do that again on Saturday. Lorenz: As for Ohio State and UConn, both are quick teams, they like to run -- should we just expect this to be a more uptempo game than the Duke game? Davis: Well, I think it'll be quicker in tempo but I think Ohio State should be careful about running too much. UConn is very comfortable going up and down the floor, less so in half-court. Ohio State used a zone defense against Auburn to win that game, I expect the Buckeyes to do that again. I think it will be tempting for Ohio State to run with UConn, but they are the underdogs. I think they should try and keep it slow. Lorenz: A lot of people have talked about how important guard play is to get to this point and we have some terrific guards on display here this weekend. Davis: You really have to go back to 1984 with Patrick Ewing and Georgetown, that was the last time a team won the NCAA Tournament because of a big man. The point guards are the story here, not just because of their physical skill but because of the way they can control the game. And really, that's the reason these four teams were able to advance as far as they did. Sports Illustrated writer-reporter Seth Davis covers the college basketball beat and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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