The battle to crown a new Division I men’s college basketball national champion is underway Monday night in New Orleans, and at halftime it’s No. 8 seed North Carolina. who looks set to lift the trophy at the end of the night as the Tar Heels took a 40-25 lead over No. 1-seeded Kansas in the locker room. Going into the game, it looked like Kansas would be the team heading to the national title as the Jayhawks took a 7-0 lead. UNC fought back, however, and now the Heels are on track to give coach Hubert Davis a national title in his first season at the helm.

North Carolina was led by big man Armando Bacot, who recorded a first-half double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. This performance was good enough to give Bacot the record for most double-double games in a single NCAA Tournament (6). Kansas, meanwhile, were led by Ochai Agbaji who dropped eight points – but the Jayhawks would no doubt like to see a bit more of their star if they plan to make a comeback in the second half of this national championship game. Monday. .

With both teams firing on all cylinders offensively and the sport’s ultimate prize on the line, Monday’s title match is set to be a thriller.

How to watch Kansas vs. North Carolina

Dated: Monday April 4 | Time: 9:20 p.m. ET
Location: Caesars Superdome — New Orleans
TV: TBS | Direct: March Madness Live

Kansas vs. North Carolina: What You Need to Know

About the Jayhawks: Losing the 2020 NCAA Tournament isn’t a primary motivation for Kansas, but it’s not lost on anyone around the program that Self and the Jayhawks had the best team in the country at the time the tournament was canceled due to of the COVID-19 pandemic. Agbaji, David McCormack and Christian Braun were all part of this team and in this tournament have seen the bracket smash their way through almost every round. — Patterson chip

About the Tar Heels: According to BartTorvik.com, where you can not only view adjusted efficiency numbers throughout the season, but also sort the data defined by date, North Carolina is the No. 1 team in the country in terms of offensive effectiveness adjusted since March 1. The seven-running game is absolutely open to criticism due to the small sample size, but it also confirms what our eyes have been telling us. North Carolina may not be the absolute No. 1 team in the country right now, but they’ve been playing as well as the best teams in the country since the schedule moved 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 register as a No. 29 to No. 32 team on the field of 68. Still, the task to win the next game is the greatest at hand. — patterson

Kansas vs North Carolina: Predictions

Kansas looked to be in top form on Saturday as they not only ousted — but beat — No. 2 seed Villanova in a dominating performance. Ochai Agbaji was at the peak of his powers, David McCormack owned the paint, and the Jayhawks fought their way to the National Finals. UNC, on the other hand, is coming off perhaps the most emotional victory of any team in Final Four history after toppling Duke and ending the historic career of Coach K. Will the Tar Heels be able to maintain this momentum in a short time? I think they’ll be ready for now to keep this one relatively close, but it’s a tall order to keep it within 4.5 against this KU team. I put the number. Kyle Boone’s pick: Kansas -4.5

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