Kansas basketball

The Jayhawks beat the Wildcats 81-65 and the North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Duke Blue Devils 81-77 to advance to the final.

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This Final Four live blog will be updated throughout the game with highlights and analysis, so be sure to check back here early and often.

This is just the type of game that McCormack needs to be in for as long as possible. Kansas and Villanova have combined to make 25 3-pointers today, tying the Final Four record for most 3s made in a single game, with Kansas sinking 13 and the Wildcats making 12. That's the most 3s he's made in a game since Feb. 26 at Baylor. But it's giving up open shots to the Jayhawks, and the Jayhawks are making them. The Jayhawks are now shooting a blistering 70% (7-for-10) on 3-pointers. In 2020, Kansas was thought to be a strong favorite for the national title. The most dangerous was an 8-2 run that cut Kansas' lead to 64-58, just a six-point lead. Villanova only had a chance if the Jayhawks slowed down after the first half. David McCormack played the game of his life with 25 points and nine rebounds on 10-for-12 shooting on the grandest of stages. "We come to Kansas to win the national championship.” It’s their execution and their schemes to get him the ball at the right spots.” Tip-off is scheduled for 5:09 p.m. Central Time and the game will air on TBS.

What's the betting line for Kansas vs North Carolina? UNC is the underdog against KU in the NCAA basketball championship game. Gambling odds for Final Four.

UNC beats Duke to end Coach K’s career and advance to championship game against Kansas Kansas entered the Final Four as the lone remaining No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament; UNC is a No. 8 seed. UNC ended the career of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on Saturday night in the Final Four and now the Tar Heels will play Kansas for the national championship.

The stage is set for the Jayhawks and Tar Heels in the final game of The Big Dance.

Kansas also got major contributions from senior guard Ochai Agbaji (21 points) and sophomore forward Jalen Wilson (11 points, 12 rebounds). This will be the Jayhawks first trip to the title game since 2012 and a national championship win would be the team's first since Kansas defeated Memphis in 2008. The Jayhawks earned a trip to the National Championship game after a dominant, 81-65 win over No. 2 Villanova in the Final Four Saturday afternoon at Caesars Superdome.

On the TBS postgame show, Charles Barkley said that he believes Kansas men's basketball will win the 2022 national championship.

The Jayhawks made 53.7% of their field goals, including 13 3-pointers, in a scalding offensive performance. Kansas toppled Villanova 81-65 on Saturday in the Final Four to reach the program's 10th national championship game. I've seen enough," Barkley responded.

Dubbed the “other” semifinal in a historic Duke vs UNC Final Four, the Jayhawks delivered a clear message in their win over Villanova.

Not to the Jayhawks, not to their coach and not on Monday night. The last time these teams played in a late-season NCAA tournament contest, the Wildcats opened a 22–4 lead in 2018 and ran away not only from the Jayhawks but toward their second one shining moment in three seasons. The Jayhawks certainly were experienced, their roster full of seniors and super seniors and players who had lived through so much uncertainty and turbulence. Kansas was the more talented team, the deeper team and the healthier team. Self liked to say that Agbaji reminded him of Danny Manning, one of the best players in the history of a program laden with worthy candidates. But Agbaji’s scoring had dropped in the NCAA tournament, bottoming out with a five-point effort in Kansas’s win over Providence in the Sweet 16. This was the same guard who hadn’t received a Power 5 scholarship offer until the final semester of his senior year in high school, who went to Kansas, to play for Self, the one coach who believed in him. He became an All-American and won everything in sight this season: Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 tournament MVP, Big 12 title. For the next two hours, a basketball game transformed into a demolition derby that doubled as a reaffirmation of Kansas men’s basketball and its national title chances. In some ways, the disinterest of Kansas-Villanova centered on the Wildcats, who were busy cobbling together another game-plan adjusted for injury to worry about things like interest. Then they walloped a good-but-overmanned opponent, from the opening tip to the final buzzer, winning easily, 81–65. Their victory, in both style and thoroughness, reminded a nation of college basketball fans obsessed with every Krzyzewski hand movement that perhaps the widespread belief in the inevitably of a Duke title was, at the very least, a little wishful or premature. Reminder: on March 25, Kansas passed Kentucky for the most wins in the history of men’s college basketball.

The Jayhawks and Tar Heels previously faced off for the national championship back in 1957.

North Carolina may not be the absolute No. 1 team in the country right now, but it's been playing as well as the best teams in the country since the calendar turned from February to March. The Tar Heels are a No. 8 seed in the tournament but the quality of play represents a team that does not check in as the No. 29 to No. 32 team in the field of 68. But North Carolina has to hit threes to keep up on the scoreboard and give itself a chance to win late. * Strengths: North Carolina has four players capable of scoring 20-plus on any given night, and that versatility of scoring options make them a dangerous team to face in terms of game planning. * Coach: Hubert Davis is the first head coach since Bill Guthridge (at North Carolina in 1998) to lead his team to a Final Four in his first year. Self and experts everywhere have frequently started analysis with some version of the phrase "this might not be Kansas' most talented team, but ..." before heaping praise on the 32-win Jayhawks. it's odd for a program that has signed numerous five-star prospects and produced dozens of NBA players to be one of the least talented teams in the Final Four, but the makeup of this squad -- which, for the record, does have 10 former four-star prospects -- might be just what they needed to get back to the Final Four and perhaps win another national championship. He'll start at the perimeter and float into the lane, giving him the option to either drive to the basket or kick out to one of North Carolina's capable 3-point options if the defense collapses. Agbaji, David McCormack and Christian Braun were all part of that team and in this tournament have seen the bracket break their way at nearly every turn. * Weaknesses: After a stellar showing in the Big 12 Tournament, the Jayhawks have been a little bit streaky in the Big Dance. The single-digit wins against both Creighton in the second round and Providence in the Sweet 16 had some tense moments, but it was allowing Miami to jump out to a 35-29 halftime lead that really brought those consistency concerns to the spotlight. On defense he can be an effective on-ball defender, defensive rebounder or take off on the fast break to make a play in the open floor when Kansas wants to push the tempo. The 18 lead changes and 12 ties brought all the intensity of college basketball's best rivalry to the game's biggest stage, but it was Caleb Love's clutch play that propelled the Tar Heels into the national championship game. With 16 Big 12 regular-season titles across his 19 years with the program, Self has established a model of regular-season consistency that is unmatched across the sport. The Wildcats made several runs at the Kansas lead, but some combination of Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack and Christian Braun stepped up with an answer to every Villanova run, leaving no doubt in the game's closing minutes.

The Jayhawks are in position to win their first national championship since 2008, which would be the second for coach Bill Self. Ochai Agbaji and David ...

Manek averages 11.8 ppg in eight career games against the Jayhawks. Is he the spark that lifts the Tar Heels? First one to 80 wins, and we think it will be the Jayhawks. Love is a high-volume shooter who hit the clutch 3-pointer late against Duke. He's 20 of 60 from 3-point range in the tournament. He knows the Jayhawks from his time with the Sooners, and he had 26 points against Baylor in the second round before being ejected for a flagrant foul. He's 10 of 22 from 3-point range in the tournament. The Jayhawks won national championships in 1952, 1988 and 2008. Puff Johnson (2.9 ppg) and Dontrez Styles (2.1 ppg) are the primary reserves, but Davis isn't afraid to ride the starting five. RJ Davis (13.5 ppg.) and Leaky Black (5.0 ppg.) round out the starting five. The Tar Heels are 5-4 S/U and 5-4 ATS as an underdog of five points or less. First-year coach Hubert Davis has a chance to lead the Tar Heels to their seventh national championship. It's the popular play, but it could be tight. — Be careful with the over.

A hot start and a career night for senior David McCormack have the Jayhawks back in the national title game. Kansas greats and fans were quick to hit social ...

This will be Kansas coach Bill Self's third national title game appearance. With the win, Kansas will play in its 10th national title game in program history. Ochai Agbaji added 21 points and made six 3-pointers.

Two teams with championship pedigrees will battle for a spot in the title game when the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks face the No. 2 seed Villanova Wildcats in ...

Boxing fights, MMA and more If you already have a subscription with a cable provider, you can download the March Madness Live app or sign into the March Madness Live website and stream games live throughout the tournament. • You can watch the Villanova vs.