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: Matt Painter, four years at Purdue, three years in NCAA tournament.

How they got here: Automatic bid (Big Ten tournament champion). West first round: def. Northern Iowa 61-56. West second round: def. Washington 76-74.

They'll keep winning if ...: JaJuan Johnson plays under control and doesn't get a "beat Thabeet" focus. Johnson has the athleticism and skill to help Purdue find open shots without charging right through 7-footer Hasheem Thabeet. If he realizes he can contribute without the ball, Purdue will be better off in the regional semifinal. The Boilermakers aren't unskilled, but their offense doesn't win games. They are reliant on a rugged brand of defense. In the Big Ten tournament, Purdue was the team most expected it could be at the start of the season. The Boilermakers must control the pace. They are just 2-7 this year when allowing opponents to score 65 or more points. They held 21 opponents (including first-round foe Northern Iowa) to worse than 40-percent shooting from the floor, including four teams below 30 percent. Robbie Hummel's health is critical to their success, as they went 1-3 in the Big Ten without him. He is wearing protective braces and has logged at least 30 minutes in each of the last five games, a hopeful sign.

Memorable moment: Purdue's 62-54 victory against then-No. 6 Michigan State in Mackey Arena on Feb. 17 was its first win against an AP top 6 opponent since beating No. 2 Duke in the 2003 Great Alaska Shootout, 78-68. It was the first at home since a 61-59 upset of No. 4 Indiana on March 15, 1992. The Boilermakers forced 22 turnovers, blocked eight shots and limited the Spartans to 32.7-percent shooting (18-for-55).

JaJuan Johnson

Go-to guys: Sophomore forward JaJuan Johnson (6-10, 215) led Purdue in scoring (13.8) and rebounding (6.7) in conference play and led the Big Ten in blocked shots (2.3), earning first-team all-conference honors. Sophomore guard E'Twaun Moore (6-4, 188) made the second team for a second straight year with three 20-point games and two double-doubles. He averaged 20.5 points in the NIT Season Tip-Off against Boston College and Oklahoma. Sophomore forward Robbie Hummel (6-8, 212) missed four league contests with a hairline fracture in his back, but averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 boards in conference play to claim a spot on the All-Big Ten third team.

Strengths: Purdue finished the regular season ranked 10th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (38.8 percent) and 11th in scoring defense (59.0 points per game). They ranked second in the Big Ten in turnover margin (plus-3.4) and were third in steals (7.2) and blocked shots (4.9). Nine different players have scored in double figures this year and seven Boilermakers have more than 400 career points.

Weaknesses: The Boilermakers were 0-3 in overtime this season and have lost eight straight overtime games dating back to 2004. Purdue ranked ninth in Big Ten play in free-throw shooting (68.5 percent) and seventh in 3-pointers made (6.2 per game). They dropped three of their final four regular-season contests, shooting just 22.1 percent (15-for-68) from behind the arc in those three defeats.

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.