Louisville, Michigan State to meet in NCAA Tournament East Region final

NO. 7 Michigan State vs. NO. 4 Louisville

■ SITE: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

■ TV: 11:20 a.m., CBS (8)

■ LINE: Michigan State -2½; total 128½

■ STORYLINE: While other matchups in the Elite Eight feature some of the nation’s best players such as Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky and Kentucky’s litany of future NBA draft picks, the East Region final features a different kind of star-studded affair. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Louisville’s Rick Pitino are two of the best coaches in the country and after working their March magic yet again, their teams square off for a berth in the Final Four. The Cardinals and Spartans are the lowest-seeded teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament.

After his team ousted the region’s No. 2 and 3 seeds in the last two rounds, Izzo is a win away from his seventh trip to the Final Four — all since 1999. “He is the best at what he does,” Spartans guard Lourawls Nairn Jr. sad. “We’re real confident in whatever he tells us to do. As long as we focus on what he tells us to do, we’ll be fine.”

Of Pitino, who has been to seven Final Fours — one with Providence, three with Kentucky and three with Louisville — Cardinals forward Montrezl Harrell said: “Everybody has bought into the mentality that Coach wanted and everybody wants the same goal.”

■ ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (26-11): Senior guard Travis Trice has increased his scoring in all three games of the tournament, going from 15 points in the opener to 23 in an upset of No. 2 seed Virginia and 24 against Oklahoma, having made 10 of 22 3-point attempts along the way. The Spartans have reached the Elite Eight despite Denzel Valentine shooting 7 of 23 over the last two games and a team-wide 58.8 free-throw percentage during the tournament. “One more victory would be one of the more sweeter moments of my career,” said Izzo, who is 12-9 in the NCAA Tournament when his team has the lower seed.

■ ABOUT LOUISVILLE (27-8): The Cardinals dismissed Chris Jones — the team’s third-leading scorer — in late February but still are one win from their third Final Four trip in four seasons. The catalysts have been Terry Rozier, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the Sweet 16 win over North Carolina State, and Harrell, whose 24 points were his most since Feb. 11. “I can’t say enough about (Harrell) because he’s the toughest guy I’ve ever coached and he never lets me down,” Pitino said. Harrell is 12 of 14 on free throws during the tournament after shooting 58.3 percent over the first 32 games.

■ TIP-INS

1. Michigan State upset Louisville in the 2009 Elite Eight, 64-52. The winner of the rematch will take on the South Regional champion — Duke or Gonzaga.

2. The Cardinals are 8-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.

3. The Spartans are hoping to become the second straight No. 7 seed to win the NCAA Tournament after Connecticut stormed to the 2014 title. Before that, no No. 7 seed had made the Final Four since 1984 (Virginia).

■ PREDICTION: Michigan State 54, Louisville 52