Minneapolis, MN (EETV)- The biggest Saturday in college basketball is finally here as the Auburn Tigers and Virginia Cavaliers face off in U.S Bank Stadium. This game will feature two teams who are polar opposites of each other.
Auburn comes into the game as the fifth seed with a 30-9 record on the year. The Tigers have surprised everyone this year knocking off teams such as Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
The offense has averaged 87.7 points a game and won by an average of 12 points. Auburn's biggest weapon, the three point shot, has carried the Tigers all season. In the North Carolina game, the Tigers 17 three's were the third most in NCAA Tournament history.
Although the Tigers are known for their three point game, the defense has stepped up big forcing 417 total turnovers this season alone and average 17 per game.
On the other side, the Virgina Cavaliers make their third appearance in the Final Four as the only on seed left in the tournament. The Cavaliers won a school record 33 wins and only lost three games in the ACC.
After a shocking upset to UMBC in the first round of last year's tournament, the Cavaliers have silenced their critics with an impressive run.
The Cavaliers are known for their outstanding defense which averages 55 points off turnovers. Auburn's biggest test will be Virgina's three point defense that ranks in the top five nationally.
The offensive side of the ball is led by junior Kyle Guy who ranks first in the ACC for three pointers per game. Auburn's centers will have their hands full as they try to deal with Mamadi Diakite. Diakite ranks eighth in the ACC in blocks and was the hero in the Purdue game with his shot to send the game to overtime.
Auburn is 4-3 in the head to head series with their last win coming in 2009. The Cavaliers are 4-5 against five seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
Keys for Auburn will be to force turnovers and score in transition. For Virgina, they will need to defend the three point shot and slow Auburn's pace down. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:10 PM and can be seen on CBS.
