NEW ORLEANS — Two months after a rare taste of the NCAA bubble, North Carolina came so close to completing an unprecedented run to a national title. Carolina, who went from midseason struggles to playing like one of the best teams in the country, dominated Kansas in the first half but the No. 3-ranked Jayhawks stormed back to win 72–69 on Monday night in the Superdome.

NEW ORLEANS — The tensions, the heart palpitations and anxiety just kept pulsating through fans during the last thrilling final minutes of North Carolina’s historic 81–77 victory over No. 9 Duke on Saturday night at the Superdome at the Final Four in the second national semifinal. In some of the most scintillating final minutes of a game in Carolina basketball history, the lead changed six times in the last 4:36 and the Tar Heels ended the coaching career of Mike Krzyzewski. Read and watch how the final tense minutes played out after the last television timeout.

NEW ORLEANS — To say that Brady Manek’s one-year Carolina basketball experience has wildly exceeded his expectations would be like saying his hair flows a little bit. In four seasons at Oklahoma, he never made it to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. Manek had an overwhelming desire to do that and finally avoid the dreaded No. 8 vs. No. 9 first-round game that ended multiple seasons. The latter didn’t happen. But he’s helped the Tar Heels shoot past the former with a run to the Final Four and Monday night’s 9:20 matchup with a former Big 12 adversary, No. 3-ranked Kansas, in his final college game (TBS).

NEW ORLEANS — In the most historic battle in the history of sports’ greatest rivalry, North Carolina beat Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last Duke team the way his Blue Devils won so many nights — with lethal outside shooting. With that, the Tar Heels (29-9) and Coach Hubert Davis ushered in a new era in the rivalry. Davis showed that his new brand of Carolina basketball could be a national force for years after the Tar Heels made him only the fifth first-year coach to make the NCAA tournament championship game.

By R.L. Bynum NEW ORLEANS — Carolina again showed no interest in a storybook finish for Coach Mike Krzyzewski. No, … More

NEW ORLEANS — For Carolina to replicate the Tar Heels’ dominance of Duke in the March 5 game in Durham, there is a lot that has to go right. One area that UNC had overwhelming success in that 94–84 victory, which ruined Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final home game, was creating plenty of offense off of high ball screens.

NEW ORLEANS — There are plenty of elements that have North Carolina playing its best basketball of the season, but the savvy decision-making and court leadership from RJ Davis since he became nearly the exclusive ball-handler are at the top of the list. The No. 8-seed Tar Heels have been on point with the 6–0 sophomore running the show.

NEW ORLEANS — There have been many positives for first-year head coach Hubert Davis as Carolina turned its season around and went from the bubble to the Final Four. One big one is that he can be a basketball coach, rather than a sports psychologist trying to figure out how to be an effort coach. His days of preaching “energy, effort and toughness” are over because his players are bringing all three to every game.

When you match Carolina and Duke in a national semifinal, ticket demand and the prices on the secondary markets are going to soar. Getting Final Four tickets through UNC this time has been the most challenging in years for many Rams Club members who have regularly traveled to cheer on the Tar Heels. Rams Club member Jimi Harrison of Chapel Hill, a 1978 Carolina graduate, has never seen anything like it.