Tipoff: Friday,7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
Marquette Wins If: The Golden Eagles are 6-5 this year in games where they attempt fewer than 12 free throws, so getting to the rim and drawing fouls needs to be part of their game plan. On defense, they can't allow deep post touches for DJ Burns Jr. and Mohamed Diarra since the Wolfpack have a clear size advantage. Offensively, the Golden Eagles are 15-0 when they have at least 18 assists as a team, so moving the ball is important.
NC State Wins If: The Wolfpack punched their ticket to the tournament with five wins in five days in the ACC tournament, and the 6'9", 260-pound Burns has been one of the biggest keys to their success, averaging 16.6 points on 64.9 percent shooting over his last seven games. Exploiting the advantage inside will be the key offensively, while senior point guard DJ Horne, who has 50 steals on the year, needs to make things uncomfortable for Tyler Kolek on the defensive end.
