Louisville has plenty of reasons to believe it can win

Wide frontcourt: Long, agile James Augustine has allowed Illinois to control angular big men like Nick Fazekas of Nevada, Courtney Sims of Michigan, D.J. White of Indiana and Paul Davis of Michigan State. It's the shorter, wider bodies that have given Illinois trouble in the post. Wisconsin-Milwaukee's 6-5, 225-pound Joah Tucker had 32 points. Nevada's 6-9, 245-pound Kevinn Pinkney had 22 points and 11 rebounds. In Illinois' only loss, Ohio State's 6-9, 255-pound Terence Dials had 21 points and eight rebounds.

Illinois prefers to put 6-6, 235-pound senior Roger Powell Jr. on the other team's wide body, but Louisville starts two of them: 6-7, 245-pound Ellis Myles and 6-8, 245-pound Juan Palacios. The 6-10, 230-pound Augustine will have to bang with someone, and he can forget about getting help from the Illinois backcourt. Louisville's starting guards have made 274 combined 3-pointers this season.

One superstar: Illinois is a good team because of guys like Brown and Head, Powell and Augustine. Illinois is a great team because of Williams, who dominates games with ability and attitude.

Louisville has one of those, too.

Garcia is the first superstar guard Illinois has seen in four months, since the Illini took on -- and dismantled -- Chris Paul and Wake Forest on Dec. 1. While Paul was struggling earlier this season, Illinois will face Garcia at his best. He's averaging 21 points and 4.3 assists in the NCAA Tournament, and shooting 44 percent on 3-pointers.

Illinois beat Arizona in Chicago because it had Deron Williams. And because Arizona, which squandered chances to win in the final seconds of regulation and overtime, did not.

Louisville has Garcia, and more. This 33-4 Louisville team does, however, have one bit of fraudulence:

That No. 4 seed.