We’ve experienced one of the best NCAA Tournaments in recent memory. St. Peter’s found a way to make it to the Elite Eight despite being a 15-seed. We saw players make history in every round, and we still have one more game.
North Carolina has been one of the best stories of the tournament. They went from an 8-seed to the Final Four, and they faced off against their bitter rival for the first time in NCAA Tournament history. North Carolina saw Duke in Coach K’s final season with the Blue Devils, and they clawed back to win the game and end Coach K’s coaching career.
However, the season isn’t over. UNC still has to play Kansas to win it all, and they are underdogs in this game. According to Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review), the Tarheels are 4-point underdogs in the title game. They overcame these NCAAB odds to beat Duke, but they won’t be so lucky in this matchup.
Here are three reasons why North Carolina won’t be able to upset the Kansas Jayhawks in the national championship. Let’s start with the beauty of the moment.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Kansas Jayhawks
Monday, April 04, 2022 – 09:20 PM EDT at Caesars Superdome
This Will Be a Trap Game
It sounds crazy to call the national championship a trap game, and I would never say that under any other circumstances. However, it’s important to understand the context of this National Championship game.
On Saturday, North Carolina played in an emotional game that saw a key player get hurt and ended with a nail-biting victory. It was the biggest game in college basketball history, and it lived up to the hype. You’re now asking those same players to clear their minds and prepare to stop Kansas, a team cruising through the NCAA Tournament.
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While UNC was struggling to get past the Blue Devils, Kansas coasted past Villanova. They got to rest that night and will be in a position to focus on the next game. You’re asking a lot from college students if you expect them to go from that Final Four game to the National Championship within 48 hours.
We saw this in the ACC Tournament. UNC ended the regular season with a win on the road against Duke, but they struggled in the conference tournament. That momentum doesn’t carry far after beating a team like Duke, so it will be hard for UNC to stay focused in this game.
Armando Bacot Isn’t 100%
Bacot is a leader and a great post player for North Carolina, but he is really a game-changer on the glass. His presence on the court impacts every other player in the game, and North Carolina is at its best when Bacot is performing.
However, he tweaked his ankle in the Final Four against Duke. He returned, but he clearly was still hurt. If it weren’t such a big game, I assume he would have stayed on the bench.
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We don’t know how Bacot will look on Monday, but it is clear that he won’t be fully healthy. North Carolina has a shallow bench, and no one on the roster can do what he does.
Kansas has been relatively healthy this year, and they’ve faced opponents who can’t say the same thing. Because of this, it would not surprise me if Kansas ran a deeper bench and won this game due to endurance.
If Bacot can’t rebound like he usually does, North Carolina will struggle to keep this one close.
Kansas Is Peaking at the Right Time
Kansas has been a solid team all year, but the best players are stepping up in the NCAA Tournament. Outside of the Providence game, Kansas hasn’t let teams stay around for 40 minutes. They pull away early and keep teams from coming back. The offense is elite, and they make enough defensive plays to win.
You could say that North Carolina is peaking at the right time as well, but they’ve had to scrap to get here. If both teams are playing their best basketball, Kansas is the better team. That’s why North Carolina will leave New Orleans disappointed.
This will be a fun game, but Kansas is favored for a reason. North Carolina had a great run, but it will sadly end against the Kansas Jayhawks in the National Championship.
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