Coach Tom Izzo devised a perfect strategy to take down another favored Big East opponent, leading Michigan State to an 82-73 win against Connecticut. The Spartans will play in the championship game for the first time since 2000, when they beat Florida for the championship.

Sophomore forward Blake Griffin got the better of senior forward Tyler Hansbrough in a clash of stars, but the rest of No. 1 North Carolina dominated the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in a 72-60 win. Junior point guard Ty Lawson had another strong game with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists to help get the Tar Heels to a second consecutive Final Four.

No. 2 Michigan State remained patient for 40 minutes and dictated the pace of the game to beat No. 1 Louisville 64-52. Sophomore point guard Kalin Lucas executed a strong game plan that protected the ball against Louisville’s trapping, aggressive defense. Senior forward Goran Suton had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Spartans, who shot 46 percent from the field.

No. 1 Connecticut handled No. 3 Missouri’s just well enough and received excellent play off the bench from freshman guard Kemba Walker to beat the Tigers 82-75, becoming the first team to reach this year’s Final Four. Walker’s speed and energy helped foil the Tigers’ active full-court press.

No. 2 Michigan State exposed No. 3 Kansas’ youth in a 67-62 win that was fueled by the Jayhawks’ mistakes and inability to close out the game. Kansas led by as much as 13 in the first half, but the Spartans rallied with a 20-8 run that cut the lead to one shortly after halftime. Sophomore point guard Kalin Lucas engineered the comeback with crisp passing and timely shooting.

Unhealthy toe or not, junior guard Ty Lawson is playing phenomenal basketball for No. 1 North Carolina, and he helped guide the Tar Heels to an easy 98-77 win against No. 4 Gonzaga. Lawson had 17 points in the first half and finished with 19 points, nine assists and only one turnover.

No. 2 Oklahoma had the perfect inside-outside combination in sophomore forward Blake Griffin and junior guard Tony Crocker, which propelled the Sooners to an 84-71 win against No. 3 Syracuse. Griffin finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. Crocker helped torched Syracuse’s zone from behind the arc, making 6-of-11 three-pointers en route to 28 points.

No. 1 Louisville did nearly everything right in dismantling No. 12 Arizona 103-64 to reach the Elite Eight. The Cardinals held Arizona to 38 percent shooting from the field while lighting up the scoreboard on 58 percent shooting. Louisville used runs of 24-2 and 15-1 to open up a huge lead.