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Izzo vs Pitino in Showdown to Settle East Region

Izzo vs Pitino in Showdown to Settle East Region
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By The Associated Press
Mar. 28, 2015 | SYRACUSE, NY
By The Associated Press Mar. 28, 2015 | 09:47 PM | SYRACUSE, NY
Tom Izzo versus Rick Pitino with a Final Four berth on the line.

How's that for a compelling coaching matchup in an East Regional final Sunday between seventh-seeded Michigan State and fourth-seeded Louisville to settle the NCAA Tournament's most-busted bracket.

The two coaches have three national championships, 15 Final Four appearances and 98 tournament wins between them. Both have had to reinvent their teams' identity in mid-stream this season.

The Spartans (26-11) were struggling before winning 11 of 14, including tournament wins over second-seeded Virginia and third-seeded Oklahoma.

The Cardinals (27-8) endured a lot of adversity in February. That's when Pitino had to revamp his lineup after dismissing senior point guard Chris Jones for violating team rules and replacing him with true freshman Quentin Snider.

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