Below are some statistics of each contender in this year's National Championship in all-time national championship appearances and all-time tournament games against each other. For years listed, the information is: "Year: Seed, Opponent (Seed)." Also note that seeding began in 1979.

Kansas in the National Championship Game

Champion
2008: #1, Memphis (#1)
1988: #6, Oklahoma (#1)
1952: N/A, St. John's (N/A)

Runner-Up
2012: #2, Kentucky (#1)
2003: #2, Syracuse (#3)
1991: #3, Duke (#2)
1957: N/A, North Carolina (N/A)
1953: N/A, Indiana (N/A)
1940: N/A, Indiana (N/A)

North Carolina in the National Championship Game

Champion
2017: #1, Gonzaga (#1)
2009: #1, Michigan St (#2)
2005: #1, Illinois (#1)
1993: #1, Michigan (#1)
1982: #1, Georgetown (#1)
1957: N/A, Kansas (N/A)

Runner-Up
2016: #1, Villanova (#2)
1981: #2, Indiana (#3)
1977: N/A, Marquette (N/A)
1968: N/A, UCLA (N/A)
1946: N/A, Oklahoma St (N/A)

Kansas vs North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament

2013: Round of 32, Kansas (#1) defeated North Carolina (#8)
2012: Elite 8, Kansas (#2) defeated North Carolina (#1)
2008: Final 4, Kansas (#1) defeated North Carolina (#1)
1993: Final 4, North Carolina (#1) defeated Kansas (#2)
1991: Final 4, Kansas (#3) defeated North Carolina (#1)
1957: Championship, North Carolina (N/A) defeated Kansas (N/A)

What Might Be Relevant

- Kansas is 4-2 all-time against North Carolina in the tournament.
- These schools met in these exact seed numbers in 2013 (albeit a Round of 32 game) and Kansas won.
- The only national championship matchup between the schools resulted in North Carolina's first championship.
- North Carolina has only won the national championship game as a #1 seed.
- Both schools should be glad the other school is not Indiana (combined 0-3 in national championship games against the Hoosiers).
- All of Kansas' seeded runner-up finishes were as a non-#1 seed.
- North Carolina just came off an emotional Final 4 game against Duke.

My Prediction

Kansas wins their 4th national championship.

(04-02-2022 11:25 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Kansas wins their 4th national championship.

Great historical stats, but I agree with your conclusion just based on this year - IMO, Kansas is just a little bit better.

Not enough better that it will surprise me if UNC wins, it won't. But I think Kansas is overall about 3-4 points better.

Man, we've wanted a Roy Williams vs Kansas title game since 2003 and it happens 19 years later the year after Roy Williams retires. Such a missed opportunity.

(04-02-2022 11:29 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(04-02-2022 11:25 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  Kansas wins their 4th national championship.

Great historical stats, but I agree with your conclusion just based on this year - IMO, Kansas is just a little bit better.

Not enough better that it will surprise me if UNC wins, it won't. But I think Kansas is overall about 3-4 points better.

That's my thought as well. North Carolina is a really, really strong #8 seed and has hit their stride in the last few weeks or so.

(04-02-2022 11:30 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  Man, we've wanted a Roy Williams vs Kansas title game since 2003 and it happens 19 years later the year after Roy Williams retires. Such a missed opportunity.

Speaking of that... if North Carolina wins, IIRC Hubert Davis would be the first head coach to win the national title in his first year as a head coach anywhere since Steve Fisher did it as an interim head coach at Michigan more than 30 years ago.