Conference USA bullies Cincinnati and Marquette (left) play D like any carnivores would: with bloody claws bared. The Bearcats force foes into 37.3% shooting, stingiest in D1; the Golden Eagles aren’t far behind (39.2%). It’s no wonder. Tom Crean learned from Tom Izzo, which means football gear at practice and bruises all around. Bob Huggins? We’re guessing he learned from Genghis Khan. Says South Florida’s Seth Greenberg: "Their toughness separates them from the rest of the nation." So who’s tougher? Here’s a Final Four tale of the tape.

1. Winston Churchill Test
The British prime minister’s WWII stance: "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never." Well, then you can call Cincy’s defensive end of the court Churchill Downs. The Cats set the standard playing solid D on the perimeter, chasing over screens, banging into cutters and protecting the basket with shotblockers. They rarely give up cheapies. Says Louisville’s Rick Pitino: “With Cincy, every possession is a line in the sand.”
Edge Bearcats

Friend: The Terps can't do without Dixon Kirkpatrick: Gooden & Collison lead the Jayhawks Forde: Tough defense is the standard in Con-USA Liang: Haslem is comes up big for the Gators. Burton: Don't question Duke's toughness Feldman: Sampson's teaching are getting through Hockensmith: Dickau knows how to finish Wojciechowski: Johnson makes or breaks the Illini Thamel: UConn women are more than their starters Hodes: Look out for the women of the Big 12 Hodes: Lady Cardinals believe in Magic

2. Know Thy Enemy
Nobody ingests scouting reports and film like Marquette. When Louisville came to town, the plan was to keep PG Reece Gaines from making bull rushes into the paint. Done. Against a four-defender rotation, Gaines went 1-for-10 for just five points, 15.5 below his average. "They’re so good at taking away what you want to do," Pitino says.
Edge Golden Eagles

3. Take the Rock
After years of being as athletic as a curling team, the new, sleek Marquette now has superior quickness. Behind frosh 2-guard Dwyane Wade, the Eagles were second in the league in steals (9 per). "They have so many guys who can break on the ball," Hugs says. The passive-aggressive Bearcats, meanwhile, were last in steals. They simply lack the foot speed to gamble.
Edge Golden Eagles

4. Sun Tzu Method
Quoth the ancient Chinese war guru: "The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities." In the face of imposing muscle, black unis and the Huggins scowl, Cincy’s opponents often flinch before the first whistle. The Bearcats led Coppin State 17-4, Duquesne 22-8, Wright State 16-2 and Marquette 22-4. “Playing them is like going to a new school,” says Memphis’ John Calipari. "You walk in and the first guy who walks up to you asks for your lunch money."
Edge Bearcats

Turns out, choosing between these two D’s is almost as tough as scoring on them. Almost.

This article appears in the March 18 issue of ESPN The Magazine.