Final Four Storylines as the NCAA Tournament heads toward a thrilling conclusion
Yahoo Sports College Basketball Expert Krysten Peek takes you through some of the top storylines heading into the Final Four, including Duke vs. UNC for the first time in Tournament history, Villanova’s huge loss in the Elite 8, and Kansas’ seniors looking for a second chance.
Video Transcript
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KRYSTEN PEEK: We've had 64 games in 14 days. And the road to the Final Four ends in New Orleans this weekend. The four teams are set with Duke, North Carolina, Villanova, and Kansas all winning their regions. Let's take a look at three main storylines heading into the Final Four.
We have to start with this Duke versus North Carolina match-up. This is the first time ever these two teams have faced one another in the NCAA tournament. And what a game it's going to be. It's Coach K's final season. North Carolina has already embarrassed Duke earlier this year, after beating the Blue Devils at Cameron for Coach K's last home game. There's a lot on the line, and we're either going to have first year head coach Hubert Davis spoil another night for Coach K, or Duke will have redemption after their last home game and continue this incredible run to close out Mike Krzyzewski's final season.
On the other side of the bracket is number 2, Villanova, and number one, Kansas. Villanova junior guard Justin Moore suffered a torn right Achilles and will undergo surgery this week. Moore slipped while driving to the lane with 35 seconds left in Saturday's 50-44 win against Houston, and had to be helped off the court. Moore averaged 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, and earned second team all-big East honors this season. It will be a huge loss for Villanova on Saturday.
Number one Kansas has reached its 16th Final Four in force under head coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks were one of the best teams back in the 2020 season, when the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. They went 28 and 3, were first in the Big 12, and first in the final AP poll to close out the season. Seniors Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack were both on that team and feel like this time around is bittersweet after having the tournament taken from them. We knew we had a special team then, and it hurt when our season ended that way. But making this run this year has been unbelievable. And I credit all of that to my teammates, Agbaji said.
Villanova versus Kansas is the first game Saturday, followed by North Carolina-Duke. And for continual coverage on the Final Four, keep it right here on Yahoo Sports.