Final Four 2019: Schedule, Bracket, TV Info and Predictions

The college basketball world is eagerly awaiting the 2019 Final Four, and the school that emerges as the national champion could be an unfamiliar one.

Auburn and Texas Tech are both making their first-ever appearances in the Final Four. Auburn toppled blue-blood schools Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky on the way to Minneapolis, while Texas Tech knocked off Michigan and Gonzaga.

Virginia ended a 35-year streak without a trip to the Final Four yet is still seeking history. Neither the 1980-81 nor 1983-84 teams advanced past the national semifinal.

Michigan State is the most tradition-rich program in the field with two national titles and nine other Final Four appearances. Granted, Tom Izzo's only championship came 19 years ago.

2019 Final Four Schedule

Saturday, April 6

No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 1 Virginia, 6:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 8:49 p.m. ET (CBS)

Monday, April 8

Auburn/UVA winner vs. Texas Tech/MSU winner, 9 p.m. ET (CBS)

Bracket

Predictions

Virginia Knocks off Auburn

Perimeter success will have a sizable impact on this semifinal.

Auburn has the most three-pointers made nationally this season and ranks 31st with a 37.9 clip beyond the arc. The Tigers also have the eighth-highest three-point-attempt rate, entering the Final Four with 49.2 of their shots happening from deep.

Virginia, meanwhile, boasts the seventh-best offense (39.4 percent) and fourth-best long-range defense (28.7) in the country.

However, in a matchup likely to have limited possessions―Virginia has the nation's slowest tempo, per KenPom.com―the rebounding battle should also be significant. And Auburn will be without Chuma Okeke, who averaged 2.8 offensive boards per game prior to his season-ending left knee injury.

If the Tigers aren't hitting from three-point range, they'd better be efficient on the offensive glass. Otherwise, Virginia will control the tempo and dispatch the SEC squad.

Cassius Winston Lifts MSU Past Texas Tech

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The nightcap should be a fascinating clash, and the performance of Cassius Winston will probably shape the result.

Michigan State's star guard averages 18.9 points and is one of the nation's craftiest passers, with 7.6 assists per game. His ability to break down opponents must be on display, considering Texas Tech boasts the No. 1 defense this season, per KenPom.

But if Winston can create good shots, the Red Raiders are in trouble.

Texas Tech is 3-5 when its opponents score 68-plus points and is most vulnerable when three-pointers aren't dropping. Michigan State has ceded a 31.4 three-point clip this season, holding its four NCAA tournament foes to a combined 28.2 mark.

Without question, Texas Tech has a defense capable of smothering MSU. The offense needs to complement that strength, though.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR