2009 Final Four Quick Preview: Schedule, Info, Final Four History
The 2009 Final Four takes place in Detroit, a city that we all know is struggling in more ways than one.
The woes of the auto industry have been well documented, and there appears to be no immediate relief in sight. Certainly, Detroit is receiving significant bailout money from the government, but there is widespread debate over whether such money will help in the long-run, or only be a short-term band-aid for a problem that might require failure and reorganization to truly correct itself. The auto industry received $17.4 billion in loans from the government in the first round of federal bailouts, and President Barack Obama is scheduled to unveil phase two of the auto bailout Monday, March 30.
In addition to the terrible economic problems facing the city, sports have not provided much relief this year. 
The Detroit Lions completed the first 0-16 season in NFL history. The Detroit Tigers fell well below expectations in 2008 despite adding stars like Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to an already stacked team. The Detroit Pistons traded away former championship hero Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson and are struggling to hang onto the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The only bright spot has been the Detroit Red Wings, who currently are in 2nd place in the Western Conference with 107 points.
But next weekend, Detroit will be the center of the sports world when the Final Four comes to town. And to give the hometown fans something to cheer for, nearby Michigan State upset Louisville today to represent the region and provide some joy for sports fans in Motown.
Here is your Final Four Quick Preview, plus some relevant links, then the schedule for next weekend’s action:
2009 Final Four Quick Preview and Schedule
- What: 70th Final Four
- Where: Ford Field in Detroit, MI
- When: Saturday, April 4th and Monday, April 6th
- Final Four Participants: Michigan State, Connecticut, Villanova, North Carolina
- Official Website: 2009 Final Four in Detroit
- Michigan State-Connecticut Preview and Prediction (coming soon)
- Villanova-North Carolina Preview and Prediction (coming soon)
- History: List of Past NCAA Champions
- History: List of Past Final Four Participants
- History: List of Past NCAA Tournament MOPs
- History: One Shining Moment
- Tickets: StubHub: 2009 Final Four Tickets
- Tickets:RazorGator: 2009 Final Four Tickets
- Accommodations: Priceline.com: Save up to 50% on Travel to Detroit for Final Four
- Accommodations: Travelocity: Book Air + Hotel together for Final Four in Detroit
And here is the TV Schedule, announcers, and spread information for the 2009 Final Four: I’ll update the spread information as soon as it is available.
2009 Final Four TV Schedule, Site, Announcers, Spread
| Game | Matchup | Date | Time | Location | Announcers | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINAL FOUR | ||||||
| 1 | Midwest #2 Michigan State def. West #1 UConn 82-73 | April 4 | 6:07 PM | Detroit, MI | Nantz-Kellogg | UConn -4.5 |
| 2 | South #1 North Carolina def. East #3 Villanova 83-69 | April 4 | 8:47 PM | Detroit, MI | Nantz-Kellogg | UNC -7.5 |
| NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | ||||||
| 3 | South #1 North Carolina def. Midwest #2 Michigan State 89-72 | April 6 | 9:21 PM | Detroit, MI | Nantz-Kellogg | UNC -7.5 |
As I did for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games, I will be providing in-depth previews and predictions and updating spread/line information as it becomes available. (And FYI…since I started using Game Predictor to guide my picks, I’ve gone 10 for 11 picking the games, pending the final score of the North Carolina-Oklahoma game. My only goof was the Syracuse-Oklahoma game.)
Who do you think will win it all?
Who do you think will win the National Championship at the 2009 Final Four in Detroit?
- Connecticut (11%, 26 Votes)
- Villanova (12%, 28 Votes)
- North Carolina (34%, 77 Votes)
- Michigan State (43%, 96 Votes)
Total Voters: 227
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Interesting notes:
– This is the first time the city of Detroit has ever hosted a Final Four.
– The last time a “hometown” team played in the Final Four, as Michigan State is doing this year (approximate distance from East Lansing to Detroit: 92.5 miles), was 1994 when Duke lost to Arkansas in the championship game in Charlotte, NC.
– In 1988, Kansas won the national championship when the Final Four was played in Kansas City.
– Purdue and Louisville played in 1980 Final Four in Indianapolis; Louisville won the title.
– I’m sure there are a few others if you go back further in Final Four history, but certainly it does not happen often.
We will be updating the site and this page often over the next few days leading up to the Final Four, so check back often. As usual, it should be an exciting and compelling weekend of basketball, capped by the most poignant One Shining Moment yet.
Tags: 2009 Final Four, 2009 NCAA Tournament, College Basketball, march madness, Michigan State Spartans
I think there is going to be a big surprise. Every body expects either michigan or UNC to win Watch out
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JRod Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 am
@dr mordkoff, I’m not sure a lot of people expect Michigan State to get the job done Saturday night against UConn. I think more people are hoping they will than expecting. That said, while I think UConn and UNC will win, MSU and ‘Nova are good enough that I would not be complete shocked (just a little surprised) to see either of them pull out Ws.
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