The stage is set for the national championship in New Orleans, in a matchup that six weeks ago would have sounded more like a second-round NCAA tournament game than one for all the marbles. North Carolina’s meteoric rise from disappointment to potential champion has been remarkable, cemented by winning a game for the ages Saturday over archrival Duke. On the other side is Kansas, a team whose veteran experience has helped it rise from recent March disappointments to the precipice of a national title.
What will decide this epic clash of two of the sport’s biggest brands? Here are the five matchups that will determine who cuts down the nets Monday night.
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports (Black); Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports (Agbaji)