The Edge

Coach: Roy Williams, six years at North Carolina, six years in NCAA tournament.

How they got here: At-large bid; South first round: def. No. 16 seed Radford 101-58; South second round: def. No. 8 seed LSU 84-70; South regional semifinals: def. No. 4 seed Gonzaga 98-77; South regional final: def. No. 2 seed Oklahoma 72-60; National semifinal: def. East No. 3 seed Villanova 83-69.

They'll win the title if ...: They don't go cold against Michigan State. The Spartans have won just three games all season in which they allowed more than 70 points. North Carolina has scored less than 70 points just once. Since returning the lineup, Ty Lawson has been even better than he was pre-toe injury. Lawson is averaging 20 ppg and has just six turnovers in four tournament games. Wayne Ellington is playing better than at any other time this season and with no hesitation in his game. Tyler Hansbrough is averaging 21 points and eight rebounds on the season. Danny Green, something of a Swiss Army knife for the Tar Heels, can play at least three positions for extended minutes and has played terrific on-ball defense.

Ty Lawson

Go-to guys: Lawson beat out teammate Tyler Hansbrough for ACC player of the year honors even though Hansbrough led the Tar Heels in scoring in the regular season and will be the first Tar Heel to lead his team in both scoring and rebounding for four consecutive seasons. Lawson scored in double figures and led the league in assists. Danny Green, who played a marvelous "sixth man" role for the last three years, stepped into the starting lineup and gave the Heels instant firepower from 3-point range. He's another double-figure scorer along with Lawson, Hansbrough and Wayne Ellington.

Strengths: The Tar Heels have quickness, one of the best starting fives in the country, and a killer instinct that can lead to big scoring runs if an opponent stumbles at any point in the game. They can shoot the three as well as the two, are relentless on the boards, and are unselfish, ranking second in the country in assists and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio. They also get to the free-throw line a lot and convert their chances.

Weaknesses: Without the injured Marcus Ginyard, the Heels lack a real shutdown defender on the perimeter and can be vulnerable against a 3-point bombing team. Duke showed that by leading the Heels at halftime of both meetings. Hansbrough, with all his aggressiveness, is a not a particularly strong defender inside. Ginyard's absence also affects depth, though the unexpected return of freshman Tyler Zeller from a wrist injury has helped depth up front. Turnovers have been a problem at times, but not in the tournament, where Lawson has been almost perfect with the ball.

Coach: Bill Self, six years at Kansas, six years in NCAA tournament.

How they got here: At-large bid; Midwest first round: def. No. 14 seed North Dakota State 84-74; Midwest second round: def. No. 11 seed Dayton 60-43.

They'll keep winning if ...: They control point guards. North Dakota State's Ben Woodside (37 points) lit them up in the first round, but Sherron Collins nearly matched him with 32 points. He poured in 25 points in the second round victory over Dayton. Next up for Collins is Michigan State's Kalin Lucas, who isn't as strong but is quicker. An off game by Collins or center Cole Aldrich hurts the Jayhawks' chances considerably, largely because of inconsistent production from everyone else. Collins and Aldrich are the only Jayhawks to have reached double figures in scoring during their first two tournament wins.

Memorable moment: Playing at Oklahoma for the sole possession of first place in the Big 12, the Jayhawks got off to a slow start, but rallied for a huge lead before downing the Sooners, who were without standout Blake Griffin. Kansas was content feeding the ball inside to Cole Aldrich, who dominated the glass. Outside bombs by Sherron Collins and drives by Tyshawn Taylor sealed the outcome and the Jayhawks went on to capture their fifth consecutive regular-season title in the Big 12.

Sherron Collins

Go-to guys: Sherron Collins is a stocky guard who is fearless going to the hoop and just as dangerous from 3-point range. Tough to contain, though he's only 5-foot-10. Cole Aldrich moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore, but figured to be a special contributor after stopping North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough in last year's national semifinal. Aldrich is a beast on the glass and the best in the Big 12 at altering shots.

Strengths: Kansas does not swipe the ball and launch its transition game off steals like it did with Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson in the backcourt, but its defense remains solid. Enough perimeter threats exist to make teams play honest defensively, which prevents them from sagging on Aldrich, who is good at converting lobs. Collins is a player who can ice games when he's hot.

Weaknesses: Sometimes Collins grows too impatient and tries to force offense when he's not hitting. Taylor, an unsung freshman, is wildly inconsistent, though he improved over the final half of conference play. It's possible to get Aldrich into foul trouble. How he adapts to different officiating in the NCAA tournament will be interesting. Experience could be an issue, though enough Jayhawks experienced the national title run a year ago to be able to groom the rookies.

Even as a No. 2 seed, Michigan State hasn't received a whole lot of respect. They've relished the underdog role and snagged impressive victories over Louisville and Connecticut the past two rounds. The Spartans will need to pull off their biggest upset of all against a North Carolina team which walloped them 98-63 at this same stadium back in early December. Can Goran Suton, who did not play in the earlier game, be a difference maker for Michigan State? The Spartans defense has been suffocating throughout the tournament, but the talent-laden Tar Heels, who entered the tournament as the odds-on favorite to capture the championship, are on a mission after coming up short a year ago and have beaten all five of their tourney opponents by double digits. Because they've performed so well offensively, North Carolina's defense has been undervalued.