Ohio State vs Kansas: Final Four Clash Features Two Excellent Matchups

Saturday's Final Four clash between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 2 Kansas is everything a Final Four contest should be.

It's a matchup between two big-name programs, both of which are led by big-name coaches and loaded with big-name players. The contest between the Buckeyes and Jayhawks certainly won't be lacking in star power. Not as long as guys like Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas, Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor are out on the court, anyway.

The matchups are great, and there are a couple of matchups within the matchup that are sure to be riveting.

The first is the inevitable showdown between Jared Sullinger and Thomas Robinson. They're two of the best forwards in the nation, and the two of them will be lottery picks in the NBA draft if they choose to declare.

This matchup could very well determine which one of them comes off the board first on draft day.

Sullinger and Robinson did not go head-to-head when the Buckeyes and Jayhawks met in early December, as Sullinger was sidelined with a bad back. Robinson exploited his absence by scoring 21 points and pulling down seven rebounds, though he did commit five turnovers.

Sullinger is mainly known for his low-post scoring abilities, but he's a better defender than he gets credit for. He knows how to use his big body, and at the very least he'll make it very tough for Robinson to bully his way to the basket.

Robinson is also a good defender, and he'll make life just as tough for Sullinger on the offensive end. He's able to avoid highly contested shots most of the time, but he won't be so lucky against Robinson.

Whoever gets the better of the Sullinger vs. Robinson showdown will stand a very good chance of winning this game, but there's another key matchup that will sway things as well—Tyshawn Taylor against Aaron Craft.

Taylor is the best player the Jayhawks have outside of Robinson, but he's definitely inconsistent. He wasn't very sharp in Kansas' first three tournament games before breaking out with 22 points against North Carolina. Against Craft, he's going to have a very hard time continuing the momentum he established against the Tar Heels.

Defenders don't get much peskier than Craft. He really forces the issue when he's on defense, as he prefers to stay close to his man and keep his hands active. His habits will occasionally lead to foul trouble, but it's all worth it because of his ability to force turnovers.

Taylor knows all about that ability. He committed seven turnovers against Ohio State in December, and Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com pointed out that Craft forced six of them.

We know Craft is going to be a pesky defender in Saturday's game. What we don't know is if Taylor can put up with him. For that matter, we don't even know if Taylor is going to have his A game. Because of that, you have to give the edge to Craft.

The first matchup between Sullinger and Robinson, however, is a tossup. You could give the edge to Robinson because of how he handled himself against a very strong North Carolina frontcourt, but you could also give the edge to Sullinger after he handled a tough Syracuse defense that played him very well. 

Truth be told, the matchup between Ohio State and Kansas is a tossup in and of itself. Neither team is going to be a runaway winner in this game, and it's entirely likely that the Buckeyes and Jayhawks will need an OT session or two to solve things.

One thing that's for sure is that the two individual matchups outlined above are going to play a big part in determining the final outcome.

The other thing that's for sure is that these matchups will be fun to watch.