NCAA Tournament

College basketball owes its fans a memorable men's national championship game after last year's showing.

While Villanova supporters will surely remember their 79-62 romp over Michigan fondly, the game was never in doubt in the second half. Neutral fans could be forgiven if they turned the game off before the final buzzer.

There are plenty of final games that have delivered throughout the sport's history, though, and here is a look at the best.

              

1. Villanova defeats Georgetown 66-64 in 1985

2. Villanova defeats North Carolina 77-74 in 2016

3. North Carolina defeats Georgetown 63-62 in 1982

4. North Carolina State defeats Houston 54-52 in 1983

5. Indiana defeats Syracuse 74-73 in 1987

6. North Carolina defeats Kansas 54-53 in triple-OT in 1957

7. Kansas defeats Memphis 75-68 in OT in 2008

8. Michigan defeats Seton Hall 80-79 in OT in 1989

9. Connecticut defeats Duke 77-74 in 1999

10. North Carolina defeats Michigan 77-71 in 1993

11. Syracuse defeats Kansas 81-78 in 2003

12. Kansas defeats Oklahoma 83-79 in 1988

13. Arizona defeats Kentucky 84-79 in OT in 1997

14. Arkansas defeats Duke 76-72 in 1994

15. Duke defeats Butler 61-59 in 2010

             

Some of these games make the cut for the iconic moments that will live on forever.

In 1982, the North Carolina Tar Heels arrived at the national championship game against Georgetown with a loaded roster that featured James Worthy and Sam Perkins.

Worthy poured in 28 points, but it was a freshman by the name of Michael Jordan who drilled the game-winning jumper from the wing that launched him into superstardom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTX5rD0lNeY

It was far from the only famous moment in the '80s, of course, as North Carolina State head coach Jim Valvano ran his way into America's heart in 1983 after his team stunned a dominant Houston side that included future NBA stars Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.

The Wolfpack held for the final shot in a tie game, but Dereck Whittenburg air-balled a desperation heave.

There was just enough time for Lorenzo Charles to gather the rebound and dunk in the winner at the buzzer, sending his coach sprinting across the floor looking for anyone to hug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICZ8HO8c9bw

Some of the moments will live in infamy, including Chris Webber's blunder in the 1993 title game against North Carolina.

He called timeout down the stretch when Michigan didn't have any remaining, leading to a technical foul and costing the Fab Five an opportunity to win the national title.

Butler's Gordon Hayward, meanwhile, just missed hitting what would have been the most famous shot in NCAA men's basketball history.

His underdog Butler Bulldogs trailed the mighty Duke Blue Devils by two in the final seconds of the 2010 title game, and his half-court shot that would have won it just rimmed out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuL81v10jLM

There are also multiple memorable sequences that led to the inclusion of the 2008 title game between Kansas and Memphis and the 2016 title game between Villanova and North Carolina.

The showdown between the Tigers and Jayhawks featured Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and head coach John Calipari on Memphis' side and Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arthur, Brandon Rush and head coach Bill Self on Kansas' end.

It appeared as if Rose and Co. were going to cut down the nets when they built a nine-point lead with less than two minutes remaining, but missed free throws from Memphis and timely shooting from the Jayhawks changed the tenor of the game. Chalmers then drilled a monumental three to force overtime, and Kansas finished the win in fashion.

As for 2016, North Carolina's Marcus Paige hit an unreal three-pointer with his legs kicked in different directions while airborne to tie the game with 4.7 seconds remaining. It was the moment before the moment, though, as Villanova's Kris Jenkins drilled the game-winner on the ensuing possession at the buzzer.

The Wildcats also top the list for their 1985 efforts, although that was more for the overall storyline than the incredible finish.

It was the first year the tournament expanded to 64 teams, and they still remain the lowest seed to win the championship as a No. 8.

Joe Boozell of NCAA.com noted they "clawed their way through the tournament that year" with wins of five points or fewer in their first three games. Then they stunned Patrick Ewing and a Georgetown powerhouse looking for its second consecutive title.

Virginia and Texas Tech will look to add their names to this memorable list during Monday's contest, but they have a high bar to clear.

MINNEAPOLIS — After he had guided Texas Tech to another stunning win and answered questions about it from TV and radio reporters. After he had soaked in the adoration of the faithful fans who followed his team here. And after he had walked down the steps of the raised court and embraced his family—Chris Beard broke into a full sprint. He blew by police officers and camera crews and stadium security. He passed doors in a blur and thundered through the last few hundred feet. And as he made the final approach to his locker room, he could hear the music.

While they waited for their head coach, Texas Tech's players bounced and sang along with "Dreams and Nightmares" by Meek Mill and "Yea!!" by Key Glock. Many of them expected that Beard would come in and request "Old Town Road," a viral country trap song by Lil Nas X that has become the team's anthem. But he told them that would have to wait. He said he was proud they knocked off another powerhouse basketball program in Michigan State, but that "Old Town Road" was on hold until after Monday night's national championship game against Virginia. "We enjoyed the win for about 15 minutes," Beard said. "But we came here to play 80 minutes of basketball, and we still have 40 minutes to go. I didn't want us to celebrate too soon."

It's the latest in a long line of creative motivational techniques that Texas Tech's enthusiastically eccentric coach has used on his players. And it'll be no surprise if this one works as well as all the others have on his team's remarkable run this postseason. Forget about the college dive bars filled with assistant coaches from across the country or the swanky cocktail parties populated by corporate executives, the best and most exclusive party in Minneapolis all week has been in Texas Tech's locker room. The Red Raiders' coaching staff takes celebrating so seriously that they travel with their own speakers and reserve the role of DJ solely to the head student manager.

I present to you the Old Town Road on the top (or technically the bottom) of a flipped car remix. pic.twitter.com/OpYjlkfjNw

— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) April 7, 2019

"We all love music, and we all love having fun," said redshirt senior center Norense Odiase. "Coach Beard actually writes 'Have fun' on the board and says it in speeches before games and practices. Whenever you're grinding and the season gets tough, you gotta know to have fun. You're a person. This is a game. We're going for a greater goal, but we're going to have a good time along the way."

The music tradition goes back a long way, to Beard's brief stint at Arkansas Little Rock in 2016. After 10 years as an assistant coach and associate head coach at Tech, Beard wanted to become a head coach and worked his way up from a semi-professional team in South Carolina to Division III and then Division II teams in Texas and, finally, to Division I with Little Rock. But the Trojans, members of the one-bid Sun Belt Conference, did not always have the best accommodations. On a road trip to play DePaul in December 2015, Beard and his staff realized that they had been booked at a hotel eight miles from the arena in downtown Chicago.

"We quickly realized that, in traffic, it would take an hour to get there," says Brian Burg, an assistant under Beard at Little Rock and now at Tech. "We were worried our guys were going to get lackadaisical or just tired. We came up with this idea to have music on the bus."

But Beard didn't want to use the bus' suspect speakers, so he gave a student manager his credit card and told him to come back with the best sound system he could buy. On the bus to the arena that afternoon, the players took turns picking songs, from rap to country to the Serbian national anthem. They didn't even stop the music when they got off the bus. They took the speaker and walked it into the locker room. And after they beat DePaul by 22, they blasted music on the way home too. The songs haven't really stopped since for Beard's teams.

This is Beard's third season at Texas Tech, and the team is already on its second speaker. The first, from JBL, lasted two years before the bass blew out. And judging by the way they make the concrete walls in the tunnels of a massive football stadium shake, the new QSC loudspeakers seem destined for the same fate soon enough. "Even if I have the volume and the bass maxed out," said Cooper Anderson, the head student manager-slash-DJ, "Beard will walk in and tell me to turn it up louder."

For Beard, blasting music is one of the many reminders to live in the moment. In his career, he spent years wondering if he'd ever get his chance to run a high-major program. And even now that he has coached one to consecutive Elite Eight appearances, he knows that it's no guarantee he'll ever get back to the Final Four or the national championship game. "A lot of what we do now dates back to the Division III days," Beard said. "What worked for us there helped us to get here. We're not going to stop being ourselves now."

His players realize that this run is once-in-a-lifetime. On paper, Texas Tech's roster doesn't scream title contender. The Red Raiders don't have a McDonald's All-American and they only have one top-100 recruit. That recruit, Jarrett Culver, is Texas Tech's leader in points, rebounds and assists this season, and has  blossomed into a likely top-10 pick in this year's NBA draft. But Tech's second-leading scorer, Matt Mooney, is a two-time transfer who started his college basketball journey at Air Force. Its third-leading scorer is Davide Moretti, a sophomore from Italy who went from averaging 3.5 points on 33.6 percent shooting a season ago to 11.4 points on 49.8 percent shooting this season.

"We weren't top recruits," said Mooney, whose 22 points carried the Red Raiders to their win over the Spartans on Saturday, "but we've believed from the beginning that we could beat anyone in the country."

In fact, before the season began, Beard told his players that he believed they had the talent to play on the final Monday night of the season. ("He might be psychic," Mooney joked on Saturday.) During the year, he has kept them motivated in a multitude of ways, from printing shirts that read "Never Lose The Chip" to taking them on impromptu frozen yogurt runs. And even during a brutal three-game losing streak in January or an opening-round exit against West Virginia in the Big 12 tournament, Beard has helped buoy his team by reminding them to remember where they came from and to "smell the roses." During this NCAA tournament run, Beard has told his players to treat each weekend like a two-game tournament, focusing on 80 minutes of basketball at a time.

Now, only 40 minutes remain. And like their final opponent, Texas Tech's final song is already locked in. Normally Anderson has to manage a tug-of-war between the players, who prefer radio hits and rap, and Beard, who likes a ratio of at least one country song for every three rap tracks. But everyone is in agreement about "Old Town Road," an unexpected hit from a previously anonymous artist that blends unlikely genres into something sensational. In that way, it's the perfect song for this Texas Tech team. And it's all any of them want to hear after the buzzer sounds on Monday night.

"We came here to win," Beard said, "and we'll dance when we've done it."

Hard-nosed, in-your-face, nasty defense is supposed to be the calling card of NFL championship teams.

It's rare that NCAA championship basketball teams play that kind of defense, but it is apparently the case for Virginia and Texas Tech.

Virginia, the No. 1-ranked defense in college basketball, allows just 55.5 points per game. Texas Tech is nearly as proficient in scoring defense, as the Red Raiders allow 58.8 PPG, ranking third in the nation.

Texas Tech's aggressive defense punished Michigan State, and Spartans head coach Tom Izzo provided a sharp assessment of the way Red Raiders played against his team.

"Very seldom in my career have we kind of got beat up," Izzo said, per Mike Lopresti of NCAA.com. "And tonight was one of those nights."

Virginia needed a near miracle to earn its spot in the title game, as Kyle Guy scored six points in the final seconds to lead his team to a 63-62 triumph. Guy knocked in a three-pointer from the right corner with nine seconds to play and then hit three free throws with 0.6 seconds left to give his team the victory.

While controversy surrounded the win because of a double-dribble violation that was not called and the foul that put Guy on the line, it was still a memorable display of execution and concentration to come through in that situation.

"I just literally told myself that we dream of these moments, and to be able to make one happen was special," Guy said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

Virginia is a one-point favorite in the title game, and the total is a shockingly low 118.5 points, per B/R Betting. That's the lowest total in the championship game in 20 years, per Ben Fawkes of ESPN.com.

Both teams have plenty of talent, and the stars are likely to take over at one point or another.

     

No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 3 Texas Tech Game Info

When: Monday, April 8, at 9:20 p.m. ET

Where: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis

TV: CBS

Live Stream: NCAA.com

     

WOW! 😳

Kyle Guy sinks all 3 free-throws to lift @UVAMensHoops over the Tigers for the win and a trip to the #NationalChampionship#FinalFour pic.twitter.com/o8ZWNB3FBh

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2019

Virginia's Key Players

Guard Kyle Guy

After connecting on a clutch three-point shot and hitting three free throws that won the game for Virginia, Guy should come into the title game as one of the most confident players on the court. He came through in one of the most pressure-packed situations possible, and the Cavaliers are going to need another brilliant effort against a Texas Tech defense that hounded Michigan State star Cassius Winston into a 4-of-16 shooting night.

Guy is averaging 15.2 points per game, and while he is shooting 44.6 percent from the field, he is excellent from distance and from the free-throw line. Guy is connecting on 42.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and 82.5 percent of his free throws.

Guy is the team's leading scorer, and he will need to come through with another clutch performance if the Cavaliers are going to win the national championship.

     

Guard De'Andre Hunter

De'Andre Hunter is 6'7" and 225 pounds, and while he is listed as a guard, he plays a tremendous all-around game. He has the tools to play well at the next level, and he is a potential lottery pick in the NBA draft, per Tankathon.

The 21-year-old sophomore is scoring 14.9 points and coming down with 5.0 rebounds per game. He will work hard to get his shot, and he is connecting 52.1 percent of the time. He is also hitting 42.0 percent from beyond the arc and connecting on 78.4 percent of his free throws.

     

Guard Ty Jerome

Another key part of Virginia's powerful backcourt, Ty Jerome is one of the Cavaliers' top defensive players, averaging 1.6 steals per game. He can get into the passing lanes and also harass the dribbler into turnovers.

Jerome is averaging 13.5 points and handing out 5.4 assists per game. He is not always going to be on target with his shooting, as he connects on 43.8 percent from the field. He may have to be better than that if the Cavaliers are going to get by Texas Tech.

     

Texas Tech's Key Players

Guard Jarrett Culver

Jarrett Culver has raised his profile quite a bit during the postseason. Scouts surely realized how strong a player he has been all season for the Red Raiders, and now the public has had its opportunity to see how effective the 6'6", 195-pound sophomore has been in five NCAA tournament victories.

Culver is averaging 19.2 points per game in the tournament, and while he was held to 10 points in the win over the Spartans, his key basket with 2:29 left in the second half was vital. That jump shot came after Michigan State had cut Texas Tech's lead to one point, and it helped get momentum back for the Red Raiders.

Culver is likely to be a lottery pick in this year's draft, and Tankathon projects that he could be selected with the No. 4 pick. Culver is averaging 18.6 points and 6.3 rebounds for the season, and he can dominate a game with his scoring.

Additionally, he can also punish opponents on the defensive end. He is averaging 1.5 steals per game and 0.5 blocks, but his long reach also allows him to alter a number of shots and keep opponents off balance.

     

Guard Matt Mooney

Matt Mooney is not a huge star, but he certainly played a starring role in the national semifinal victory over Michigan State, as he scored 22 points. He hit three shots from beyond the arc in a short span during the second half that helped Texas Tech build a 13-point lead.

Mooney demonstrated that he is capable of coming through with his best game at the biggest moment, and head coach Chris Beard needs him to have a similar effort against the Cavaliers.

Mooney is averaging 11.3 points and connecting on 38.8 percent of his three-point attempts.

     

Forward Tariq Owens

Defense is the name of Texas Tech's game, and it's hard to find a more aggressive or impactful defender than Tariq Owens. He is a dominating shot-blocker who has been able to knock away 2.5 shots per game throughout the season.

Owens blocked three Michigan State shots, and he also swatted three shots in the regional final against Gonzaga. He blocked five shots in the Red Raiders' opening tournament game against Northern Kentucky.

The 6'10", 205-pound senior is averaging 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds while connecting on 61.5 percent of his shots from the field.

He will make a contribution on the offensive end, but he can intimidate and dominate on the defensive end.

     

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

It's been a long road for Virginia and Texas Tech to reach this point, but now, those two schools will play for the national championship in the final game of this year's NCAA men's tournament on Monday night.

As the tournament field has been cut from 68 teams to two, the Cavaliers and Red Raiders are the two teams that have outlasted the rest. And one will end its season by cutting down the nets and celebrating with the national title at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

A lot has happened since the college basketball season began in November, and now, either Virginia or Texas Tech will win the first national title in men's program history.

     

Bracket

     

Championship Game Info, Odds

No. 1 Virginia (-1) vs. No. 3 Texas Tech: Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS

     

Bracket Review

Virginia

Last year, Virginia became the first No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Cavaliers are a No. 1 seed again this year, but a monumental upset wasn't an issue this time.

In this year's first round, Virginia opened its March Madness run with a 71-56 win over No. 16 seed Gardner-Webb. It then went on to handily defeat No. 9 seed Oklahoma 63-51 in the second round of the tournament.

After that, the Cavaliers have had more competitive matchups. They pulled out a 53-49 win over No. 12 seed Oregon in the Sweet 16 and then outlasted No. 3 seed Purdue for an 80-75 overtime victory in the Elite Eight.

But Virginia's closest game yet came Saturday night, when it took on No. 5 seed Auburn in the Final Four.

A controversial foul call sent Cavaliers junior guard Kyle Guy to the free-throw line with 0.6 seconds to go. Guy knocked down three free throws to push Virginia to a 63-62 win.

"We struggled from the line, but for him in that setting to do it, yeah, it doesn't get much better than that," Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett told the media Saturday night.

     

Texas Tech

Texas Tech rolled through the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament, picking up some big victories. The Red Raiders beat No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky 72-57 in the first round and then notched a 78-58 win over No. 6 seed Buffalo in the second round.

In the Sweet 16, Texas Tech notched an impressive 63-44 victory over No. 2 seed Michigan. That game provided a showcase of what the Red Raiders' elite defense is capable of.

Texas Tech has had closer games in the past two rounds, beginning with its 75-69 win over Gonzaga in the Elite Eight. However, that was a big milestone for the Red Raiders, as they knocked off a No. 1 seed to move into the first Final Four in program history.

To make it to the national championship game, Texas Tech had to beat No. 2 seed Michigan State, the program with the most March Madness success among the Final Four teams. However, the Red Raiders came through with another strong defensive showing, beating the Spartans 61-51.

Some may be surprised that Texas Tech is in the national championship game. Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard is not one of them.

"He's a motivational juggernaut," Texas Tech senior center Norense Odiase said, according to CBSSports.com's Kyle Boone. "He's sick in the way he conjures up things to motivate us and get the guys rallying around him and his vision. He's just unique, unlike anyone I've been around. He's infectious with his energy."

The Virginia Cavaliers were hanging by a thread in their national semifinal game against Auburn. Down by four points with less than 10 seconds remaining, all seemed lost.

Somehow, Cavaliers guard Kyle Guy did not get the message. He hit a three-point shot from the corner to cut the deficit to one point with nine seconds remaining.

The Cavs subsequently fouled Auburn's Jared Harper, and he made one of two free throws, extending the lead to two points at 62-60.

That's when controversy ensued, as the officials missed a double-dribble call and Auburn's Samir Doughty fouled Guy on a subsequent three-point attempt with 0.6 seconds remaining. The Virginia guard admitted he was "terrified" to CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson when he went to the line, but he converted all three free throws, and Virginia emerged with a 63-62 victory.

"That was me focusing," Guy said, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. "I knew they called a foul. I knew that I got behind the line for three shots because I practiced that. I just literally told myself that we dream of these moments, and to be able to make one happen was special."

That's quite a bit of redemption for a Virginia team that lost its No. 1 vs. No. 16 game a year ago in the opening round.

Virginia will face Texas Tech in Monday night's title game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The game will be televised by CBS.

     

No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 3 Texas Tech Game Info

When: Monday, April 8, at 9:20 p.m. ET

Where: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis

TV: CBS

Live Stream: NCAA.com

Virginia is a one-point favorite, and the total in the game is 118.5, per B/R Betting.

     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_Vjszfung

Texas Tech earned its spot in the final with a 61-51 triumph over the Michigan State Spartans. The Red Raiders used their ferocious defense and an effective offense led by Matt Mooney to build a 13-point second-half lead.

The Spartans would eventually cut the lead to one point, but the Red Raiders put a stop to the rally when star Jarrett Culver hit a jump shot with 2:29 remain, and they were able to pull away in the final moments.

Mooney finished the game with 22 points, and that included three three-pointers within a three-minute span in the second half. Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard praised Mooney.

"He's obviously very, very talented, but the thing that impressed me tonight was just his courage, wanting to make those big plays in big moment," Beard said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com).

JARRETT CULVER = CLUTCH@TexasTechMBB up 7 with 54 secs left to play!#FinalFour pic.twitter.com/EHuoiD07y8

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2019

     

Prediction

The NCAA championship game will not be an offensive show that features the Cavaliers and Red Raiders going up and down the court and exchanging fast-break points.

This will be a defensive battle that features skilled, tough players who can shut down opponents.

The Cavs come into the game allowing an average of 55.5 points per game, ranking first in that category in the nation. The Red Raiders are right behind, giving up 58.8 points per game, and that's third in the national rankings.

So, here's our most confident prediction: The under is coming through. Points and possessions will be limited, and we would be shocked if there are more than 110 points scored in this game.

As for the game itself, a one- or two-point game would not be surprising. We see the Red Raiders having just enough to send the Cavaliers home without the championship they want so badly.

Final score: Texas Tech 54, Virginia 50

When the 2019 NCAA men's tournament began, most fans and experts predicted Duke's star freshmen and a few other blue-blood programs to be in the national championship.

Instead, a first-time March Madness champion will be crowned Monday night in Minneapolis, when Virginia squares off against Texas Tech.

Tony Bennett's Cavaliers continued to be the most remarkable story of the competition by advancing to the final at U.S. Bank Stadium a year after becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed.

Texas Tech's journey to the final is as intriguing since the Red Raiders had to rebuild the majority of their roster and head coach Chris Beard is in his third year as a Power Five conference head coach.

                             

2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket

                

National Championship Odds

What are you locking in? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/l7p8gj1349

— br_betting (@br_betting) April 7, 2019

                     

Predictions

Virginia's Guards Set Offensive Tone with 3-Point Shooting

Virginia will rely on the experience of guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome to navigate through Texas Tech's defense and set the offensive tone in what many expect to be a game dominated by defense.

In the Final Four win over Auburn, Jerome and Guy combined for 36 points and six three-pointers, and by putting the Red Raiders under pressure in the backcourt, they will be able to create the early advantage.

Although Texas Tech has played strong defense throughout the NCAA tournament, it has allowed a pair of guards to reach double digits in points in its last two games.

Against Gonzaga, the Red Raiders gave up 26 points to Zach Norvell Jr. and Josh Perkins, while Michigan State's duo of Cassius Winston and Matt McQuaid totaled 28 points Saturday.

If Guy and Jerome start hot from the field by exploiting pockets in the Texas Tech defense, the Red Raiders will have to counter with an adjustment to shut down the Virginia backcourt.

By forcing Texas Tech to commit more attention to the backcourt, Virginia will find a way to get some easy baskets down low through Mamadi Diakite, as the guards give up tough looks to set up more high-percentage shots.

But if Texas Tech makes the necessary adjustments to Virginia's guards from the start, Virginia will be forced to grind out a victory by fighting for every basket.

                    

Texas Tech's Big Men Continue to Struggle Offensively

Powering the ball down into the paint and bruising for baskets isn't Texas Tech's main offensive focus, but in order to beat Virginia, the team has to improve on its frontcourt offense.

In the last three games, the Red Raiders have received 29 points from Tariq Owens and Norense Odiase, who combined for nine points against Michigan State.

Owens and Odiase aren't prolific scorers, but they have to show some type of statistical improvement to put Virginia's defense under pressure.

Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, we don't see that happening since Owens and Odiase have combined for five double-digit point performances since the start of March.

Owens closed Big 12 play in a nice run of scoring form, when he eclipsed 10 points in five straight games, but he's hit double digits three times in the last eight games.

Odiase starred with a double-double in the second-round win over Buffalo, but in the other four NCAA tournament contests, he's totaled 12 points.

If Virginia's defense shuts down the Texas Tech guards for stretches, the Red Raiders will have to rely on the big men to score a few buckets.

And based on how little Owens and Odiase have produced in the scoring department, the Cavaliers would be more than happy to force the big men to beat them on the scoreboard.

                     

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

Expect a defensive showdown.

According to Ben Fawkes of ESPN.com, Monday night's title game between Virginia and Texas Tech in the NCAA men's basketball tournament has the lowest over/under in the past two decades, with a total of 118 in most sportsbooks. 

In other words, Vegas is bracing for a 60-58 slugfest—or at least for bettors primed to take the under.

"There is an expectation that the public will be looking to play the under with these two teams involved, especially in the first half," Jeff Sherman, the vice president of risk at The SuperBook, told Fawkes. "We tried to go with a total low enough to have the first bets on the over, but that didn't happen."

The total of 118 is far lower than the next-lowest total in recent years, which was 128 in 2006 for the final between UCLA and Florida. In 2010, the total for Duke vs. Butler sat at 128.5.

But Virginia and Texas Tech are both incredibly stingy on defense. The Cavaliers allow just 55.5 points per game, best in the nation. The Red Raiders are right behind them, giving up just 58.8 points per game, third in the country. Virginia has given up over 65 points just once in the NCAA tournament, allowing Purdue to score 75, and that was in large part due to Carsen Edwards going off for 42 points.

They've also shown an ability to win in the clutch, beating Purdue in overtime and Auburn in the dying moments, controversial as that result may have been.

0.2 seconds - Mamadi to tie it.
0.6 seconds - Kyle to win it.

Tony Bennett reflects on @UVAMensHoops’ emotional roller coaster in #MarchMadness. pic.twitter.com/GXpwfresfn

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2019

Texas Tech, meanwhile, has allowed just one opponent to exceed 60 points in the tourney (Gonzaga's 69 in the Elite Eight). And the Red Raiders held two prominent Big Ten teams, Michigan and Michigan State, to a combined 95 points in their run to the title game.

Both teams have shown the ability to put points on the board, however. Texas Tech has gone for 70 points three times in the NCAA tourney, while Virginia has done so twice. 

Jarrett Culver with a DAGGER! pic.twitter.com/scpCMQpLp6

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2019

Even if the game doesn't feature a bevy of scoring, it will have plenty of intriguing storylines, most notably the matchup between two potential lottery picks in this year's NBA draft, Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver and Virginia's De'Andre Hunter. Neither team has ever won a championship in men's basketball, either, so history will be made.

But the prevailing storyline will be the defense. And the betting already reflects that fact.

Men's college basketball is filled with powerhouse programs that have won multiple national championships. But this year's NCAA tournament will conclude with a matchup that doesn't feature any of those schools.

Virginia and Texas Tech have each made it to the national championship game for the first time in its program's history. The Cavaliers, who made their first Final Four appearance since 1984, and the Red Raiders, who had never made it to the Final Four, both have never played in a national championship game.

Although neither program has had much success in its histories, it's not a surprise to see these schools reach the end of this year's tournament. Virginia is a No. 1 seed and has only lost three games this season, while Texas Tech is a No. 3 seed and has only lost six games.

       

Bracket

      

Championship Game Information

No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 3 Texas Tech: Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS

      

Predictions

One thing should be for sure about this year's national championship game—there should be some exceptional defensive play.

Virginia and Texas Tech are two of the best defensive teams in the nation, and each has relied on that to make a deep run through the NCAA tournament. On Saturday, the Cavaliers pulled out a close win over Auburn, while the Red Raiders took down Michigan State.

Don't expect this game to turn into a high-scoring offensive frenzy. However, it should be competitive and come down to the final minutes, as each team has played close games the past two rounds.

When it comes down to crunch time with the national championship on the line, it will be Virginia that pulls out the win to capture its first national title.

No. 1 seeds have been dominant in recent memory, winning 10 of the last 14 national championships. Virginia will make it the third straight year that a No. 1 seed wins the national title, joining North Carolina in 2017 and Villanova in 2018.

The Cavaliers demonstrated their ability to pull out close games in their win over Auburn on Saturday, as Kyle Guy made three free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to notch the victory.

"I'm just thankful these guys stepped up and played the way we needed to and got through," Virginia coach Tony Bennett told the media Saturday night. "Survive and advance; I guess that's taking on a new meaning."

Virginia has become a strong program, making the NCAA tournament six straight years and seven of the last eight. Now, the Cavaliers will reach new heights by taking down Texas Tech to win the national championship.

"I don't really have the words for how I feel. I really don't," Guy told the media Saturday night. "I've been pinching myself the whole time I've been in Minneapolis because it doesn't really feel real, but I'm just so happy right now."

The NCAA tournament field has continued to dwindle, and now it's down to the final two teams.

On Monday night, Virginia and Texas Tech will take the court at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to compete for this year's national championship. Neither program has won a national title, meaning this will be an historic year for one of the schools.

This will also be the first appearance for both Virginia and Texas Tech in the national championship game. The Cavaliers hadn't been in the Final Four since 1984, while the Red Raiders had never previously made it.

For the first time since 2006, there will be a first-time champion crowned to end the men's college basketball season.

Bracket

Championship Game Information

No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 3 Texas Tech: Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS

Preview

As the adage goes, defense wins championships. And that's how Virginia and Texas Tech have each moved one win away from a national title.

The Cavaliers are known for their slow tempo and exceptional half-court defense. That's how they've lost only three games this season and notched five NCAA tournament victories, allowing 62 or fewer points in four of them. The only team that scored more was Purdue, which netted 75 in an overtime game.

If Virginia wins the national championship, it will have gone from having the worst NCAA tournament experience to the best in only one year. Last season, the Cavaliers were the first No. 1 seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed when they fell to UMBC in the first round.

Not this year. Virginia took down No. 16 seed Gardner-Webb, before going on to beat No. 9 seed Oklahoma, No. 12 seed Oregon, No. 3 seed Purdue and No. 5 seed Auburn.

"It's a great story," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, according to the Associated Press. "It is."

On Saturday, Virginia won a close 63-62 game over Auburn, as Kyle Guy made a trio of free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to lift the Cavaliers.

Texas Tech had one of its best defensive showings of the tournament on Saturday, holding No. 2 seed Michigan State to 51 points. The only team that has scored fewer points against the Red Raiders during March Madness is No. 2 seed Michigan, which netted only 44 points in its Sweet 16 matchup.

In its win over Michigan State, Texas Tech also had a standout performance from senior guard Matt Mooney, who scored 22 of the Red Raiders' 61 points.

"He's obviously very, very talented, but the thing that impressed me [Saturday] was just his courage, wanting to make those big plays in big moments," Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said, according to the Associated Press.

Prior to this season, the Red Raiders had only made it to the Elite Eight once, which was last year. Before that, they had never made it past the Sweet 16, and they hadn't made it there since 2005.

For both programs, this is already the best season in school history. But only one will cap it off with a national championship.