CHICAGO — The Final Four is set. And it’s all blue bloods.
Kansas and North Carolina join Duke and Villanova in advancing to the final weekend of the men’s NCAA Tournament, painting the outlook in New Orleans extremely blue with four of the sport’s kingpin programs all vying for a national title.
Kansas turned on the jets in the second half against Miami after falling behind by six at the half and looked dominant in claiming the Midwest Regional. Coach Bill Self is back in the Final Four – his fourth as a head coach — and the Jayhawks will be a favorite as the last remaining No. 1 seed since Gonzaga and Arizona lost in the Sweet 16 and Baylor was upset in the second round.
North Carolina didn’t need any halftime adjustments; the Tar Heels were dominant from the tip in sending Saint Peter’s home to New Jersey. That sets up a highly anticipated Duke vs. UNC rematch. The rivals have never met in the Final Four.
A look at the winners and losers from Sunday’s Elite Eight games.
Winners
North Carolina
The Tar Heels (28-9) put a quick end to Saint Peter’s Cinderella run, finally making the mid-major look like a No. 15 seed with a dominant 69-49 win. North Carolina has so many offensive weapons, but this game mainly showcased its the defense and athleticism as the Tar Heels completely smothered and rattled the Peacocks. After three games that saw UNC rely on its guards to win, Sunday saw the ‘Heels take over with their dynamic frontcourt. Brady Manek (19 points) and Armando Bacot (20 points, 22 rebounds) fueled that effort in the win.
Kansas
The Jayhawks (32-6) were lethargic in the first half but came out hungry in the second – and it showed. Coach Bill Self made defensive adjustments on Miami star Kameron McGusty and the Jayhawks relied on big man David McCormack (15 points) to take control in the second half for a 76-50 win. Veteran Christian Braun helped flip the momentum with a big dunk and three-pointer early in the second half. KU never looked back after that, as the Hurricanes had no counter. Ochai Agbaji led the way for the Jayhawks with 18 points.
Blue bloods
With Kansas, Villanova, Duke and North Carolina heading to New Orleans, it’s been a successful NCAA Tournament for the blue bloods of men’s college basketball. That is, except Kentucky falling to Saint Peter’s. The re-emergence of these power programs comes on the heels of a disappointing 2020-21 season that saw Duke and Kentucky miss the NCAAs and Kansas and North Carolina bow out in the first weekend.
Bill Self
The Jayhawks coach is one of the most successful in the sport, guiding Kansas to 16 regular-season Big 12 titles. Reaching his fourth Final Four was pivotal for the Hall of Famer’s legacy, as he’s often been skewered for falling short of reaching the final weekend. His back-to-back Elite Eight finishes in 2016 and 2017 would suffice for any other fanbase, but considering it’s the Jayhawks, a trip to New Orleans this year (along with a 2018 trip) helps solidify Self’s greatness. Still, this program hasn’t grabbed a national title since 2008.
Hubert Davis
Right around this time last year, Davis was taking over for Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, and the big question was whether he could keep North Carolina’s winning tradition going. A Final Four in your first season answers that question emphatically. Remember: The Tar Heels were a bubble team going into their road matchup against Duke in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last game at Cameron Indoor. But that pageantry appeared to wake up this sleeping giant with Davis at the helm.
Shaheen Holloway
It’s likely Holloway will be the frontrunner to nab Seton Hall’s job opening given his success with Saint Peter’s. It shows how a Cinderella run can carve out a career, as it has in the past for coaches like Andy Enfield (Florida Gulf Coast to Southern California) and Porter Moser (Loyola-Chicago to Oklahoma). It’s a win-win considering Saint Peter’s will undoubtedly see a surge in enrollment and marketing dollars.
FINAL FOUR:New Orleans will host four blue bloods after manic March
MORE:Saint Peter’s magical NCAA Tournament run ends
MORE:Men’s NCAA Tournament schedule and results on the road to the national title
Losers
Saint Peter’s
The Peacocks (22-12) have no reason to hang their heads, considering no No. 15 seed had ever reached the Elite Eight. But they seemed to run out of steam against a superior opponent that found a way to match their level in ways previous teams couldn’t. Everything that had worked in upsets over Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue was absent. Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s usually clutch guard, finished 0-for-5 from the field, and only one starter (KC Ndefo) scored in double-figures.
Miami
What happened to the Hurricanes (26-11) in the second half? As inspired as they played in the first half, they had no answers for Kansas’ knockout punch. McGusty (18 points), the most dynamic player in the Midwest Regional, cooled down after scoring 14 in the first half. Miami shot just 3-for-21 from beyond the arc and couldn’t guard Kansas ball picks with the same aggressiveness in the second half – not a recipe for success against an elite team like KU.
Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
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