The March to Madness

Final Four Odds

Duke must be beat!

The Blue Devils are 7/5 favorites to win the championship, according to odds posted by Bodog. West Virginia, Duke's opponent in Saturday's second game, is 2/1. Butler is 4/1 and Michigan State 9/2.

Jon Scheyer of the Blue Devils is 4/1 to win tournament most outstanding player honors. Teammate Kyle Singler is 5/1, the same odds given to Da'Sean Butler of West Virginia.

Complete odds are after the jump. If you're looking for odds on a game, click here. For matchups, click here.

Coaches and players in the Final Four are making the interview rounds this week. Check them out at Sports Radio Interviews.

Detroit Coach Has No Mercy on Homestate Spartans

Coaches normally don't like to play favorites, especially when asked to pick a winner in a Final Four game. But Detroit Mercy's Ray McCallum, when asked about Saturday's matchup between Michigan State and Butler, laid it on the line.

"Butler to win a close one," he said. "Final score will probably be in the 60s."

McCallum's team went 0-2 against Butler this season and he said the way to beat the Bulldogs is to attack them inside.

"Get [Matt] Howard in foul trouble. Without him they get small inside. [Gordon] Hayward is not a strong guy. You have to attack those two."

Hansen Tries His Hand at Basketball

Dateline NBC correspondent Chris Hansen showed off his moves over the weekend, but it wasn't in front of the TV cameras.

Hansen played in the Grand Kids Foundation Celebrity Shootout game at the Seaholm (Mich.) High gym.

Hansen played for the white team, which included former Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves. Ben Gordon of the Detroit Pistons was the team's coach.

Hansen said he attended Michigan State at the same time Magic Johnson was in East Lansing, "but I didn't challenge him for a spot on the team."

Snapshots of the Championship Game

A look back at Monday night's game from the terrific TV Tan Line.

Izzo Tries to Pull Off One More Miracle

Joel Huerto is managing editor of One Man Fastbreak.net and a sports consultant with Opposing Views.com. He has been a member of the sports media for almost 20 years, which included nine years as a news editor at the Los Angeles Times. He will cover a variety of topics, from coach and player profiles to hot-button issues. Joel is also known as "maniLA ice" for his cool demeanor in the friendly confines of the YMCA hardwood. He loves to shoot the "tear drop" and prefers to play zone to hide his deficiencies on defense.

Michigan State's incredible run in the NCAA tournament has not only lifted the spirits of an entire state but it has also secured Tom Izzo's place among the elite coaches in the sport.

Regardless of the outcome of Monday night's championship game at Detroit's Ford Field between Michigan State and North Carolina, Izzo's Spartans have given Michiganders something to think about other than bailouts and a rising unemployment rate.

"Even if we don't win [the championship], we've made people smile. For one week, we've managed to put a smile back on people's faces," said Magic Johnson, who 30 years ago led Michigan State to the school's first national championship. Johnson has been very visible throughout this year's tournament in support of his alma mater and is a big supporter of Izzo, who is the biggest reason why the Spartans are one victory from bringing home another championship banner to East Lansing. This time, the ride will only be about 90 miles.

While the NBA has become a players' league, college basketball is, and always will be, a coaches' league.

So What Do They Talk About on the Sidelines?

Somebody at CBS got the bright idea to put a mic on Michigan State coach Tom Izzo during the Spartans' game against Kansas last Saturday. It all went well until official Steve Welmer hurt a foot late in the first half and gave an explanation about his injury to Izzo and the rest of the crew.

After the exchange, Michigan State players and coaches gathered and somebody says of Welmer, "We have to put his ass in a chair at halfcourt."

CBS play-by-play man Verne Lundquist tries to cover it up by saying, "Steve Welmer explaining the nature of the injury." Thanks to World of Isaac.