Destination Detroit: The Final Four Are Here

The Final Four is set. Two teams that are in were expected by many to reach it.

The other two teams that will be in Detroit weren't picked by the experts or many of the fans, but had Final Four aspirations at the beginning of the season.

Now Connecticut, Villanova, Michigan State, and North Carolina will battle at Ford Field to see who is this year's national champion.

It's time to review and preview this year's Final Four.

Connecticut Huskies

The Connecticut Huskies entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the West Region.

After they handled Chattanooga 103-47 in the first round, a Yahoo! Sports article surfaced about the illegal recruitment of a player who was expelled before ever appearing in a game for coach Jim Calhoun.

Many thought that the report would distract the Huskies. Wrong.

UConn went on to beat Texas A&M by 26 to advance to the Sweet 16, where they took of the Big Ten champion Purdue Boilermakers, 72-60.

The regional final pitted Hasheem Thabeet (pictured) and Co. against the the Big 12 champion Missouri Tigers.

The Tigers tough defense proved no match for Thabeet and the coaching experience of Calhoun, as the Connecticut won 82-75.

Their first opponent in the Final Four will be the Midwest Regional Champion, the Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans entered as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region.

In the first round, Robert Morris was no match for Tom Izzo's crew as the Spartans ran away with a 77-62 win.

The Spartans' next two games were very tightly contested. The first, against the defending champion Kansas Jayhawks, came down to the wire and ended in free throws.

They met the No. 1 overall seed Louisville Cardinals in the Elite Eight. The game was close going into the second half, 30-27 in favor of the Spartans.

That was as close as Rick Pitino's squad would get as Kalin Lucas (pictured) and Co. rolled to an easy 64-52 victory.

Now Coach Izzo will take his team back to East Lansing, and make a quick 93-mile drive to Detroit.

UConn vs. Michigan State

The UConn Huskies have a stifling defense led their center Hasheem Thabeet. They have a good inside out attack with Thabeet and gaurd A.J. Price.

In addition to that, both times that the Huskies have won the championship, they have come out of the West Region.

Michigan State will counter with a fast-paced, high-octane offense that contrasts the style of play that most Big Ten teams use.

Another weapon that the Spartans possess will be the greatest weapon any team can have. That is the weapon of home-court advantage.

There is no doubt that the entire Michigan State student body will make the hour-and-a-half drive to Ford Field to cheer on their beloved Spartans.

In the end, the Michigan State's fast pace and huge fan base will propel them to the national championship, where they will face the winner of Villanova and North Carolina.

Villanova Wildcats

Jay Wright's Wildcats entered as the No. 3 seed in the East region. Villanova had no problem through the first three rounds of the tournament, beating American, UCLA and Duke by an average of 18.3 points per game.

It was Elite Eight foe and fellow Big East member Pittsburgh that gave 'Nova its biggest scare.

An instant tournament classic, Pitt's Levance Fields hit a pair of free throws to tie the game with about five seconds left.

On the ensuing inbound pass, Dante Cunningham leapt in the air and caught the pass and immediately dumped the ball to Scottie Reynolds.

Reynolds then dashed down the half court and hit a runner with 0.5 seconds left.

Next up for Villanova, the North Carolina Tar Heels.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Tyler Hansbrough's Tar Heels are the South Region's No. 1 seed. They proved more than worthy of that seed, as they took care of Radford, LSU and Gonzaga by 43, 14 and 21 points, respectively.

In the Elite Eight, the 2009 player of the year Blake Griffin and his Sooners proved to be the same as the previous three teams, losing to the Tar Heels 72-60.

Villanova vs. North Carolina

North Carolina has the 2008 Player of the Year in Hansbrough and a core of starters that have been together for four years. Their speed and transition offense is one of the best in the nation.

Villanova, being a member of the Big East, has had to go through the grind of their regular season and conference tournament.

Many thought that Big East teams would not fair well in the tournament. The Wildcats have shown the nay-sayers wrong.

In the end, Roy Williams and his Tar Heels will advance to play Michigan State in the championship game, with the winner being....

The Spartans

Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans will cut down the nets and assume the title of National Champions.

The home crowd and the toe injury of Ty Lawson will be exposed, causing the Tar Heels to be off their game.

The Michigan State Spartans, your 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball National Champions.