The chaotic NCAA men's basketball tournament produced a fantastic Final Four of blue-blood matchups.
Villanova and Kansas get the action underway in New Orleans on Saturday night. Villanova will be playing without Justin Moore, who suffered a torn Achilles in the Elite Eight.
Jay Wright's coaching ability has been lauded all week, but the truth in this matchup is that Kansas is deeper and more talented.
The Jayhawks have not been talked about much in the buildup to the Final Four, but they should show why they are the lone No. 1 seed left in the Big Dance.
Duke-North Carolina is where most of the pre-game attention has been, and rightfully so, since Mike Krzyzewski made the Final Four in his last season as Duke head coach and this is the first time the two rivals have met in March Madness.
Both regular-season meetings between the ACC powers went over and a similar result could be in play inside the Superdome.
Final Four Picks
March Madness Record: 31-33-1
Villanova vs. Kansas (-4) (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS)
Kansas flashed its true potential in the second half of the Elite Eight win over Miami.
David McCormack enforced his will down low and the guard trio of Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and Remy Martin looked strong on the perimeter.
Kansas' defense held three of its four NCAA tournament opponents to 61 points or fewer.
The Jayhawks are comfortable with playing a low-scoring game, like Villanova loves to play in, and that could help them if some shots do not fall early on.
Villanova's game plan will not change with Justin Moore out, but its personnel will. The Wildcats have not used their bench much late in the season and that could put some players in uncomfortable roles.
Kansas' guards will try to shut down Collin Gillespie and make the other Villanova players beat it. It is worth noting Kansas' last opponent had a guard-heavy lineup.
Kansas has the potential to roll if McCormack dominates in the paint and its guards drive into the lane to force Villanova into foul trouble.
The Jayhawks have the deeper unit at this point in the season and that could be one of the major difference-makers as the game stretches into the second half.
North Carolina vs. Duke (Over 152) (8:49 p.m. ET, TBS)
The two regular-season clashes between Duke and North Carolina finished 87-67 and 94-81.
Duke's defense has been average at best in the NCAA tournament. Cal State Fullerton was the only team that the Blue Devils held under 65 points.
North Carolina will not play with a ton of fear against Duke and it may play loose because the Blue Devils have all the pressure on them, similar to the March 5 game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke and UNC both rank in the top 20 in adjusted offensive efficiency and they sit in the top 51 in three-point offense on KenPom.
Neither team will be afraid to let fly from three-point range and that could propel one side or both to a fast start.
I see this game being played at a much different pace than the Kansas-Villanova game no matter how it plays out and that's why I feel comfortable with the over.