Final Four 2015: Updated Bracket and Picks for Thrilling Semifinals

The 2015 Final Four looks like the bracket someone who doesn't watch the sport filled out at the office.

Everyone laughs and jeers at the casual fan who picks the recognizable schools and coaches.

Who's laughing now?

The hype for a Final Four featuring Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke and Michigan State couldn't be higher. Each program is red hot and features star players and legendary coaches. Magic Johnson put it best:

There's a brief break before things get underway, so take the time to brush up on both matchups.

Final Four Schedule and Picks

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Pick
April 4	No. 7 Michigan St. vs. No. 1 Duke	6:09 p.m.	TBS	Duke
April 4	No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Wisconsin	8:49 p.m.	TBS	Kentucky

No. 7 Michigan St. vs. No. 1 Duke

Good luck finding affordable tickets to a Tom Izzo-Mike Krzyzewski showdown.

Izzo's Spartans aren't supposed to be here—at least according to the seeding. The No. 7 seed in the East Region took care of business against Georgia, upset second-seeded Virginia, took down Oklahoma and survived a pesky Louisville team to reach this point.

The recipe? Strong team defense and consistent outbursts from guards Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Krzyzewski's Blue Devils know a thing or two about that recipe. Jahlil Okafor has been bottled up in the paint by a pair of strong defensive teams as of late, scoring just 15 points over the course of his last two outings.

No matter, though. Fellow freshman Justise Winslow continues to put the team on his back, scoring 21 points to outlast Utah and 16 to help blow out Gonzaga. For him, past history goes out the window when it comes to the rest of the tournament.

"Coach has been to however many Final Fours, but this is his first one with this group, and that's what means the most," Winslow said, per ESPN.com. "Living in this moment, living right now."

Winslow's coming-of-age story and the propensity for Okafor to explode at any moment spell bad news for Michigan State. It's bad enough the Spartans rank 47th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com and Duke ranks third in adjusted offensive efficiency. To add insult to injury, the Blue Devils seem to be even better than that right now.

Look for Michigan State to hang around thanks to a pair of strong guards, but Duke is too deep to lose down the stretch.

Prediction: Duke 76, Michigan State 73

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Wisconsin

Whereas Michigan State-Duke features a battle to watch on the perimeter more than anything, Kentucky-Wisconsin touts a war in the paint. 

The names are of the household variety. Folks know about Frank Kaminsky, who figures to be well on his way to some individual hardware and a high selection in the upcoming NBA draft. He has scored at least 16 points in each of his Big Dance outings this year, including a 29-point effort to take down second-seeded Arizona.

Flanking Kaminsky is Sam Dekker, who has at least 23 points in each of his last two outings.

Team	ADJ OFF	ADJ DEF
Kentucky	6	1
Wisconsin	1	55

Kentucky brings it with two stars down low as well. Like Kaminsky, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein will be high draft picks. It seems the best way to perhaps upset the Wildcats is to avoid those two guys and attempt to get them out of the paint.

Notre Dame did this in the Elite Eight and almost pulled off the upset, although Kentucky went 9-of-9 shooting down the stretch to close out the contest.

Which is the point. Kentucky's too talented nine spots down the bench, too well-coached and too composed to fold. The writing is already on the wall—Kaminsky's strong ability to knock down jumpers means Wisconsin will try to stretch out the floor and open up the lane.

Kentucky knows what's coming, just flirted with disaster and has plenty of time to prepare. In this scenario, the better team won't lose.

Prediction: Kentucky 74, Wisconsin 70 

Stats and info are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.