Bracket | Edge: UConn-Michigan State | UNC-Villanova
DETROIT -- It's not where you start, it's where you finish.
Those words are from some really old song.
They describe Barack Obama's life.
And mine (Ignore all those red lines in the bracket, please.).
Sure, the first round was tough (Damn you, Wake Forest!). And the second round (Did UCLA even show up?). And the Sweet 16 (Can I take back Memphis over Missouri?). And the Elite Eight (Duke winning the East Region seems silly, in hindsight).
But again, it's not where you start, it's where you finish. And where I finished was with a national title game featuring North Carolina and Connecticut, which means I'm looking pretty darn brilliant right now as long you focus on the end result and not the path I took to get here.
(Ignore all those red lines in the bracket, please.)
North Carolina vs. Connecticut on Monday at Ford Field. That's where we're headed. Just like I told you when the brackets were unveiled.
But first we have Saturday's NCAA tournament semifinals. So let's focus on them, for now.
Connecticut vs. Michigan State | 
Preview
When: 6:07 p.m. ET Saturday
Where: Ford Field
Why UConn should win: They're better, that's why. They're better offensively and defensively, and they've got a better roster. That's the simplest and most accurate way to explain it, that UConn is better than Michigan State. And this is coming from someone who believes Tom Izzo is awesome. The man has dealt with injuries and illnesses and speculation about his coaching future nearly all season, and he has still managed to do a marvelous job with this team. He's in his fifth Final Four in 11 years -- a remarkable achievement anywhere, especially at a place like Michigan State.
But UConn has at least three future pros, most notably Hasheem Thabeet. And with Kemba Walker breaking out (23 points in the Elite Eight) and A.J. Price consistently posting big numbers (at least 15 points in six consecutive games), it's difficult to envision a scenario under which the Huskies don't advance ... unless Michigan State gets them in foul trouble, takes them to six overtimes and exploits Donnell Beverly and Scott Haralson in the final five minutes (you know, just like Syracuse did in the Big East tournament).
Final Score: UConn 71, MSU 65
North Carolina vs. Villanova | Preview
When: 8:47 p.m. ET Saturday
Where: Ford Field
Why UNC should win: This North Carolina team was always built for this moment, always headed this direction, always focused on the big prize, which is now only two victories away. They have the nation's best point guard (Ty Lawson), one of the nation's best shooting guards (Wayne Ellington), the ACC's all-time leading scorer (Tyler Hansbrough), and a future lottery pick coming off the bench (Ed Davis). Simply put, that's too much for an outclassed Villanova team to handle, because as tough as the Wildcats are -- and they are tough -- the reality is they're outmanned at nearly every position, and they lack the size to disrupt a guy like Hansbrough.
Remember, last weekend's game against Pitt featured the Panthers' DeJuan Blair finishing 9-for-9 from the field. If Blair can go 9-for-9, I bet Hansbrough can go 11-for-14. And when you add to that a 5-for-7 effort from the free-throw line, what you'll get is 27 points and eight rebounds from Hansbrough, and a comfortable victory for the Tar Heels, your soon-to-be national champions.
Final score: UNC 82, Villanova 71
