Final Four 2015: Updated Bracket and Predictions for National Semifinals

The NCAA tournament tends to deliver at least one surprise team to the Final Four each year. No. 7 Michigan State gets that honor in 2015, as the Spartans join Kentucky, Wisconsin and Duke—three No. 1 seeds—in this year's semifinals.

Although, can we really consider Michigan State a surprise? After all, this is a well-rounded, Tom Izzo-coached team. We've seen the Spartans take flight in the postseason numerous times under Izzo, so perhaps this was to be expected. ESPN's Jeff Goodman reminded us of this important March Madness rule:

So, can Michigan State continue on to the championship game, or will Duke put an end to the Spartans run? Will Kentucky remain undefeated for at least one more game, or will Frank Kaminsky's Badgers halt the Wildcat's incredible streak?

Before we predict the answer to each of those questions, let's take a look at the tournament's updated bracket and the Final Four schedule.

Updated Bracket

The full tournament bracket can be viewed at NCAA.com.

Final Four Schedule

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

Live Stream: NCAA March Madness Live

Predictions

No. 1 Duke vs. No. 7 Michigan State

Michigan State's defense has come alive during the NCAA tournament. After allowing 63 points or fewer in each of its first three contests, the team gave up 70 to Louisville (including overtime); however, a resilient Spartans squad forced turnovers in the clutch to come away with an enormous win.

Izzo's squad held the Cardinals to a 35.9 percent clip from the floor in that game—a great feat considering Louisville's offense was on a hot streak entering the contest. The Spartans hung tough on the inside, matching a much larger Louisville's 41 rebounds while accumulating seven blocks and five steals.

If Michigan State can continue that defensive trend against Duke, while guards Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine remain hot on the offensive end of the court, we could be in for yet another monumental win by the Spartans.

Duke boasts one of the nation's best offenses, ranking fourth in the nation in scoring average and third in shooting percentage. The Blue Devils are successful on the offensive end of the court due to their vast depth, great ball distribution and well-rounded play.

Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow have been phenomenal on the interior, collecting boards and using their big, athletic frames to generate points on high-percentage shots. Meanwhile, guards Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook and Matt Jones continue to excel from the perimeter.

Despite a down shooting day by the Blue Devils in the Elite Eight against Gonzaga—Duke shot just 37.5 percent from the floor—the team still managed to put up 66 points due to a good amount of second-chance opportunities, solid three-point shooting and the conversion of 16-of-19 attempts from the foul line. This team's ability to score in a variety of ways will allow it to circumvent Michigan State's tough defense and move on.

Predicted winner: Duke

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 1 Wisconsin

Wisconsin was known for its stout defense throughout the regular season; however, it's been the offense that continues to propel the Badgers through the NCAA tournament, as the team has given up at least 65 points in each of its four March Madness contests.

In an Elite Eight shootout against Arizona, the Wildcats got the best of the Badgers defense, shooting 55.8 percent from the floor as a team. However, that still wasn't enough to get past Kaminsky and Sam Dekker, as the two forwards put together one of the finest offensive performances in this year's Big Dance.

Kaminsky hit 9-of-20 attempts from the floor and was stellar from the foul line en route to a game-high 29-point showing. Dekker may have even been more impressive, as he was simply on fire, connecting on 8-of-11 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from downtown, for 27 points. His three-point shooting late in the game helped Wisconsin put the final nail in Arizona's coffin.

While those two forwards are incredibly impressive, Wisconsin's main issue is its lack of depth. Kaminsky and Dekker get very little help from the team's guards, and that may be problematic against an extremely deep Kentucky team.

Following an absolute drubbing of West Virginia, the Wildcats squeezed out a win over a very dangerous Notre Dame squad. Kentucky's versatility was the reason for its win, as its vast amount of talent allowed it to find a player with a hot hand and ride him to victory. In this instance, that player was Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished the game shooting 10-of-13 from the floor for 25 points.

It was an entirely different story just one game prior against the Mountaineers, as five Wildcats scored double-digit points and none of them were named Towns. Defensive players Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles both produced solid games and guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison flourished in the backcourt.

Kentucky has been winning games in a variety of ways all season long. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they don't have that option, as the team lives and dies on the performances of Kaminsky and Dekker. It will be the Wildcats' depth and ability to score from a multitude of positions that propel them past Wisconsin and on to the final.

Predicted winner: Kentucky