Michigan State has the homecourt advantage over Connecticut, but is also a four-point underdog. Villanova has just slayed UCLA, Duke and Pittsburgh – three teams that spent a large portion of the season in the Top 10 – and comes in as 7.5 point underdogs to mighty UNC.

We’ll kick around storylines and thoughts throughout the week, but we’ll open with …

* Should Calhoun put Adrien to Suton? If Thabeet has to defend him at the 3-point line, there’s no final line of defense for Lucas. How ridiculous did Suton destroy prized freshman Samardo Samuels? Suton: 19 points, 10 rebounds; Samuels 0 points, 4 turnovers. Put Thabeet on Roe, who is a non-factor offensively. This doesn’t seem like a possible move – this seems like the only move.

* MSU was only a decent 3-point shooting team this season (35 percent, middle-of-the-pack in the B10), but in two of its postseason wins, it shot 6-for-13 vs. USC, and 8-for-16 against Louisville. Is a zone worth trying? MSU only shot 3-for-21 in a Big 10 tourney loss to Ohio State.

* Kemba Walker vs. Kalin Lucas. Best individual matchup of the two games.

* DeJuan Blair: 20-10 and was dominant against Villanova. The Wildcats got in foul trouble trying to slow Blair and Sam Young (28 points). UNC has Hansbrough, Thompson, Davis and Zeller. And while Villanova usually has the backcourt advantage, it’s tough to give it the nod over Lawson-Ellington-Green. It’s early, but we can’t envision Villanova winning.