The Edge

Coach: Sean Miller, five years at Xavier, four years in NCAA tournament.

How they got here: At-large bid; East first round: def. No. 13 seed Portland State 77-59; East second round: def. No. 12 seed Wisconsin 60-49.

They'll keep winning if ...: They cut off penetration -- Trevon Hughes of Wisconsin weaseled his way into the lane with ease in the second-round game -- and keep Levance Fields in front of them. The Musketeers have to maintain offensive and defensive balance, which cannot happen if they fall behind early in a game. Xavier, with its ability to be tough in half-court situations, wants to be able to set up its defense and get physical with a starting lineup in which everyone is 6-foot-5 or taller -- Oklahoma State had a lineup comprised of all 6-6 or shorter players. A slower pace also makes it easier on point guards Dante' Jackson and Terrell Holloway, whose individual struggles have contributed to the team's overall problems with turnovers. Xavier averages 15 giveaways per game, and the Muskies committed 70 more turnovers than their opponents over the season -- not your typical NCAA resume.

Memorable moment: The Atlantic 10 doesn't get a lot of respect, but Xavier has the kind of nonconference victories that make people take notice. The Musketeers won the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship in November, sweeping through Missouri, Virginia Tech and Memphis. Xavier defeated high-scoring Memphis 63-58 in the final, handing the Tigers one of their three losses this season. The game was tied at 53 with 4:21 left, but the Musketeers scored the next four points and played stellar defense down the stretch to keep Memphis at bay.

B.J. Raymond

Go-to guys: Senior B.J. Raymond was chosen to the five-man All-Atlantic 10 first team, and he averages a team-high 14.1 points, shooting 42.6 percent from 3-point range (78 of 183). Junior forward Derrick Brown was a second-team pick, averaging 13.8 points and 6.1 rebounds, and he has a longer wingspan than his 6-7 height suggests. With a quick first step and excellent leaping ability, he can finish with a flourish at the basket. He had 16 boards in 16 minutes against BYU in 2007, and posted a then-career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia last season in NCAA Tournament games. C.J. Anderson is a physical 6-6 wing who averages 10.0 points and 5.4 rebounds, and he uses his toughness to draw contact and get to the line about five times per game.

Strengths: Xavier has good balance offensively and defensively, and doesn't play anybody more than 30 minutes a game (Raymond averages exactly 30.0). Expect to see a nine-man rotation that keeps everybody fresh to play one of the best defenses in the country. With good size at every position, Xavier's aim is to clog the middle, prevent penetration and then gobble up all the defensive boards. The Musketeers' average of plus-8.4 rebounds per game led the A-10 and was one of the best marks in the nation. Xavier allows teams to shoot only 38.9 percent. "The identity of our team is tough-minded defense," Miller said. "When we're away from our identity, we can win some and lose some." Xavier has ample 3-point shooters, hitting 39.9 percent.

Weaknesses: The main thing is that Xavier doesn't want to see an opponent that can thwart its defense with superior athleticism and quickness. The Muskies play a pack-it-in defense that doesn't create many steals and ensuing easy fast-break opportunities. The Musketeers, coming off a 2007-08 season in which it reached the Elite Eight before falling to UCLA, reached as high as No. 7 in the country in December, but might have peaked early.

Coach: Dennis Felton, five years at school, first NCAA Tournament.

How they got here: Automatic bid (SEC champion).

Memorable moment: The likelihood that Dennis Felton would return from the SEC tournament with his office cleared out seemed much more probable than Felton bringing home the tournament trophy as one of the most unlikely conference tournament champions in recent memories. Georgia won three games in two days, surviving a twinbill Saturday after tornado damage postponed a game originally scheduled for Friday at the Georgia Dome. The move to Georgia Tech's campus was kind to the Bulldogs, who won three in a row to make the NCAA Tournament field and likely preserve Felton's position as head coach.

Sundiata Gaines

Go-to guys: Sundiata Gaines has been the team leader for the last four years. He'll have the ball in his hands down the stretch. In addition to scoring about 15 points a game, he's also Georgia's top rebounder at about six a game despite playing point guard. Billy Humphrey is the second-leading scorer and is the team's best three-point shooter. Terrance Woodbury also is capable of big scoring games. C Dave Bliss is a plugger in the middle.

They'll keep winning if: Gaines sets the offense and -- most important against Xavier -- the defense. It's imperative he stays out of foul trouble and they continue to hold their turnovers to a minimum. Gaines fouled out of two games in the SEC tournament and Georgia got by, but in NCAA competition he needs to be on the floor. Knowing their roles and not trying to do too much is a big key for the Bulldogs.

Strengths: The Bulldogs showed an incredible will to win in the SEC tournament, starting with shaking off the disappointment when Ole Miss tied the score twice on free throws late in the game in the opener. The Bulldogs not only became just the third SEC team to win four games in four days for championship since the tournament was resurrected in 1979, they also won two games in one day while their second opponent, Mississippi State, had a full day's rest. Gaines is a veteran in the backcourt, and the Bulldogs can hold their own on the boards.

Weaknesses: The Bulldogs aren't very good shooters (about 43 percent overall, 32 percent on three-pointers on the year) and don't have a lot of depth. They rely heavily on two freshmen, Swansey and Jeremy Price, off the bench. Their free throw shooting is questionable as Gaines, the guy they want with the ball in the closing minutes, is below average at the stripe. An opponent that can keep the pressure on will cause trouble for the Bulldogs.

After facing a couple of high energy, up-tempo teams in the first two rounds, Pittsburgh meets a Xavier team on the other end of the spectrum. The Musketeers prefer a nice, steady pace that allows them to set up their defense. Xavier doesn't have any stars in the mold of Pitt's DeJuan Blair and Sam Young, but they're balanced and deep. If Xavier can frustrate Blair with its interior defense and win the battle of the boards, they'll have a chance to pull off the upset.