Kansas and UNC will face off in the title game : NPR

On Apr 3, 2022

The North Carolina Tar Heels react after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 81-77 on Saturday, advancing to the final game of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

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Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels react after defeating the Duke Blue Devils 81-77 on Saturday, advancing to the final game of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Villanova Wildcats 81-65 and UNC beat Duke 81-77 on Saturday to set up the final championship game for the 2022 men’s NCAA basketball tournament.

Kansas vs. Villanova

The Jayhawks, entering Saturday’s game against Villanova as the No. 1 seed, dodged a repeat of their 2018 semifinals loss to Villanova. The team last won a national championship in 2008.

Kansas’ top scorers, David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji, led the way in the absence of Villanova’s second-leading scorer and strong defender Justin Moore, who tore his Achilles tendon in the regional final win over Houston last week.

Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji (30) celebrates with Jalen Wilson (10), Remy Martin (11) and K.J. Adams Jr. (24) after their win against Villanova in the semifinal round of the Men’s Final Four NCAA tournament on Saturday in New Orleans.

David J. Phillip/AP

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David J. Phillip/AP

Duke vs. UNC

UNC star Caleb Love made a key 3-pointer and three late free throws to inspire his team to victory.

Before the game, the two teams had played each other 257 times throughout their history, but had never faced off in the NCAA tournament before.

Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski had been looking for redemption and a neat epilogue to his legacy, though his team’s season — and his own career — have now come to a close.

Krzyzewski, who is the winningest coach in Division I men’s basketball history, had announced that he would retire at the end of the season.