The Lantern's Final Four preview

There's no need to preface this breakdown with my normal sarcastic garbage. This is the Final Four - the second-biggest sporting event in the history of the second-greatest country on Earth. Drunken 19-year-old girls in Windsor take the proverbial cake, my Republican friends. Sorry.

Ohio State (34-3) vs. Georgetown (30-6)

Big Men: The obvious story in the first semifinal game is the anticipated battle between 7-foot freshman center Greg Oden and 7-foot-2 Roy Hibbert. Last year, the Hoya length, led by Hibbert, flustered the diminutive Buckeyes and led to a 17-point loss and an early second-round NCAA exit for the second-seeded scarlet and gray.

But OSU coach and Wrigley's spokesman Thad Matta remedied his team's size problem with 6-foot-9 Othello Hunter and Oden. Now, the Buckeyes look to match the Hoyas' wingspans and inseams down low.

Although Hibbert has certainly come a long way in his years at Georgetown, Oden is a beast who has proven time and time again to be the best big man in the nation. Look for Oden to dominate the relatively awkward Hibbert with his quickness and agility in the paint, but don't be surprised to see Hibbert draw Oden out of the lane and into the high post, freeing up some room for the Georgetown guards and 6-foot-9 Big East Player of the Year Jeff Green.

If Oden finds himself in his usual tournament foul trouble early, Hunter and junior forward Matt Terwilliger must play bigger and more physically than they have all year, especially with the likes of 6-foot-8 DaJuan Summers and the other six towering Hoya forwards/centers on the roster.

Overall, expect the battle of the frontcourts to be tight throughout the night. If either team gains a definite advantage here, game over.

Advantage: Push

Guards: Perhaps the most clichéd axiom in NCAA tournament play is that guards win titles. If that is the case, Buckeye fans everywhere might as well begin hoarding their 2007 National Championship gear right now. OSU freshman point guard Mike Conley Jr. is simply the best quarterback in the nation, bar none. Former point guard Jamar Butler has looked sleepy throughout the first four rounds, but expect this junior to be the key element in this game. If Butler finds his range from beyond the arc and Conley continues to drive the lane with reckless abandon, dish out assists and limit turnovers, the Buckeyes will be hard-pressed to lose.

If Hoya guards Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp find ways to slip past Oden and hit buckets, the impact of the Buckeye guards could be limited. OSU swingman Ron Lewis, a senior who has played his way into NBA draft status during the tournament, is the deal breaker here. Lewis will struggle against the Georgetown length, but the re-emergence of Butler and Conley's usual toughness will make up for Lewis' inevitable slump.

Georgetown is a frontcourt-oriented squad, and the quality and depth of the Buckeye backcourt will rule the day in Atlanta.

Advantage: OSU

Summary: So who's gonna take it? Of course I'm going to pull the homer here and pick the Buckeyes.

But even in my most Switzerland-like state, I just can't get past the overwhelming advantage the Buckeyes have at the guard position.

Georgetown is certainly not to be dismissed; they've proven time and time again to be capable of overpowering teams that possess good guard play (see North Carolina), but they ain't never seen a tandem of Conley and Butler, let alone "small forward" Lewis.

Buckeye fans in Atlanta can relax during national semifinal No. 2 after Butler shoots them to a 78-68 win.

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