Talk about a Final Four that defies logic. Between LSU, Florida, George Mason, and UCLA, think of the perplexing possibilities for Monday night’s title game. Did you even think LSU and Florida could playing for a championship … and not in an SEC football game? That George Mason might be going for an NCAA crown … and not in Division II gymnastics or Debate Club? That in this era of national (and at times global) recruiting, Monday night could essentially come down to five guys from Louisiana playing five guys from Maryland?

Beyond that, consider the two stars of this tournament thus far.Can it really be that one is a half-French, half-Swedish guy with a ponytail, and the other was so lightly regarded that his team wasn’t sure they’d have a scholarship left for him? That neither led his team in scoring during the regular season, much less earned any national honors?

But this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. It’s this year’s Final Four, and it has zero no. 1 seeds, no coaches who have ever won the title, and only one traditional basketball powerhouse. It is, in short, one of the most unusual Final Fours ever, and a fitting end to a tournament that has been as unpredictable as it has been heart-stopping. If this Final Four is even the slightest bit interesting, 2006 will go down as the new record-holder for Best Tournament Ever in my book – and this despite the fact that I set fire to my bracket many moons ago (And for those of you who followed my advice and took Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and Florida … uh, sorry about that. Maybe next year).

Moreover, the talent has pro scouts drooling. That pony-tailed half-French, half-Swedish guy is none other than Florida’s Joakim Noah, the son of 1983 French Open champion Yannick Noah. The 6-foot-11-inch sophomore barely played a year ago but came on like gangbusters this year, completely dominating all four of the Gators’ tournament wins. And that lightly regarded player who was essentially “waitlisted” by the school’s basketball program is LSU’s Tyrus Thomas, whose play has so electrified NBA personnel that he may very well be the first player picked in June’s draft.

With all that said, it should be quite a weekend on the court. Let’s take a closer look at the key match-ups in Saturday’s games in Indianapolis.

(11) GEORGE MASON VS. (3) FLORIDA
6:07 P.M., CBS

Even after five days, I still do a doubletake every time I write this. Yes, it’s a Final Four preview, and yes, I just wrote “George Mason” down as one of the teams.This is unquestionably the biggest Cinderella story in tournament history – crikey, they weren’t even supposed to finish in the top half of the God-forsaken CAA – and for that reason, the crowd will side with the underdogs for as long as they can make it a game.

George Mason’s advantage the entire tournament has been its experience and cohesiveness. All five starters averaged in double figures and the group complements each other perfectly, as big men Jai Lewis and Will Thomas pound away inside while dangerous 3-point shooters Tony Skinn, Lamar Butler, and Folarin Campbell keep defenses honest. The Patriots, however, need to avoid foul trouble because the bench is a wasteland.

The drop-off from GMU’s starters to its reserves will be particularly noticeable against Florida, perhaps the most athletic team in the tournament. Noah and wingman Corey Brewer are spectacular open-court players, so it’s vital that the Patriots make it a halfcourt game. They’ll also need a lot of help trying to guard Noah, who has a major quickness edge against Thomas and enough offthe-dribble skill to take advantage of it.

George Mason will make this a game because the Pats don’t beat themselves and have enough experience to control the pace. But as far as actually winning goes, this might be a good time to get off the GMU bandwagon. Florida is likely to wear down the Patriots in the second half with its superior depth and athleticism, and the Gators’ ability to draw fouls inside will wreak havoc against George Mason’s shaky depth.

(5) LSU VS. (2) UCLA
8:47 P.M., CBS

Government bureaucrats everywhere will be cheering during the Battle of Acronym,but the question is whether anybody else will be able to stay awake. Don’t get me wrong, these are great teams, and I’m excited for some of 1107 1105 1219 1116the matchups. But understand that points will be at a premium. Both clubs got here by playing suffocating defense and, well, okay on offense. So don’t be shocked if this one ends up a 43-37 slugfest.

LSU is a fascinating team, because anybody watching it is immediately struck by two questions. First, how can a team with such dominant big men ever lose? And second, how can a team with such terrible guards ever win?

The Tigers’ backcourt is a major liability, with senior Darrell Mitchell a fish-out-of-water at the point and sophomore Garret Temple strictly a defensive specialist.This wasn’t the plan, if you’re wondering, but an earlyseason injury to holdover starter Tack Minor forced the current arrangement. Considering that UCLA is much deeper and has vastly better guards, don’t be shocked if the Bruins press most of the game.

Defensively, Temple sucked the life out of Duke’s J.J. Redick last week, and his target this time will be UCLA’s Arron Afflalo. The sharp-shooting sophomore led the Bruins with 16.2 points per game but has had a fairly humdrum tournament thus far. If Afflalo can’t shake Temple, it will put additional pressure on point guard Jordan Farmar, who has struggled thus far in the tournament, but can take Mitchell off the dribble. He’ll need to use his skills to set up shots for UCLA’s big men – they’re not going to get much traction trying to take Davis and Thomas 1-on-1.

One X-factor that favors the Bruins, however, is their superior depth. Freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute changes games with his defense, energy, and athleticism, while freshman guard Darren Collison is a skillful penetrator who can combine with Farmer to make a small backcourt that pushes the tempo. Overall, the Bruins go 10 deep, so if this game turns into a war of attrition they’ll have a major advantage.

Nonetheless, the superior tandem of Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Thomas should be enough to win the day.Davis’s immense size – he’s 6-foot-9, 310 pounds – should overwhelm UCLA down low, while Thomas’s aerial feats make him a threat in the open court and on the offensive glass. And Mitchell, though terrible at running the offense, can find the basket – he averaged 17.0 points per game.

If things go as expected, we should be set up for quite a final – an All-SEC affair that features Noah and Thomas battling head to head. But let’s wait before we think too hard about that scenario. In this most illlogical of NCAA Tournaments, the only safe prediction is to expect the unexpected.

Mr. Hollinger is the author of the 2005-06 Pro Basketball Forecast. He can be reached at jhollinger@nysun.com.