Final Four 2019: Updated Bracket and Player Stat Predictions for Semifinals

The players set to participate in the 2019 men's Final Four will try to replicate the standout performances we saw from Moritz Wagner, Donte DiVincenzo and others one year ago. 

There are several candidates ready to shine on college basketball's top stage, including Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver and De'Andre Hunter of Virginia. 

Through the first four rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Culver, Hunter, Michigan State's Cassius Winston and Auburn's Bryce Brown have been among the top performers. 

As the spotlight gets brighter, though, only a handful of players will rise to the occasion Saturday and lead their teams to Monday's national championship. 

2019 NCAA Men's Tournament Bracket

Player Stat Predictions

De'Andre Hunter (20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) 

Hunter comes into the Final Four with 14 consecutive double-digit point performances. 

After barely reaching the 10-point mark in his last three games, the 21-year-old will cause all sorts of problems to the Auburn defense with his ability to score in the lane. 

The Tigers are missing a big piece on the interior with Chuma Okeke out injured, and the Cavaliers should do everything they can to exploit their advantage, whether it be through powering the ball down to the post or penetrating through the lane. 

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Hunter has the perfect skill set to shine in that situation since he'll be able to use his athleticism to cut around Auburn's frontcourt defenders. 

The sophomore guard will also have more of an impact on the glass since the Tigers won't be able to contain him, Mamadi Diakite and either Jay Huff or Jack Salt all at once. 

If he thrives in the first half, Hunter could attract extra attention from defenders, which could lead to a few assists setting up Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and others on open looks. 

Jarrett Culver (25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) 

Culver's performances for Texas Tech flew under the radar a bit with Duke's freshmen stars and Purdue's Carsen Edwards stealing the spotlight in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

But now Culver has the stage to himself, and he has an opportunity to continue a strong scoring run against Michigan State. 

The 20-year-old is averaging 21.5 points per game in the NCAA tournament, which is close to three points above his season average. 

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

One part of his game that needs improving is his field-goal percentage, as he shot 5-for-19 from the field in the Elite Eight against Gonzaga. 

Culver needs to be more consistent with his shot selection in order to challenge Michigan State's defense on every possession and impress the NBA personnel that will be present at U.S. Bank Stadium. 

Expect the sophomore guard to contribute in other facets of the game as well since he's averaging 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the NCAA tournament, both of which are more than his season totals. 

Cassius Winston (22 points, 10 assists) 

Winston comes into the Final Four off a double-double against Duke, and he came close to recording the same in the two games prior to that. 

The Michigan State floor general has 31 assists in four NCAA tournament games, with 18 coming against LSU and Duke in the second weekend of the competition. 

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

The leading scorer on the Michigan State roster is also coming off his second 20-point showing in the Big Dance, with the other coming in the first round against Bradley. 

In fact, Winston has failed to reach 10 points in just two of his games this season, which makes him the top target for the Texas Tech defense. 

The 21-year-old won't have an easy time knocking down shots against Texas Tech's third-ranked scoring defense that gives up an average of 59 points per game.

The point guard is going to have to be patient searching for shots in the first half, but once he makes the necessary adjustments to the pressure from the Red Raiders, he should be able to match the numbers he's produced for most of the season. 

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