The stage is set for the national championship in New Orleans, in a matchup that six weeks ago would have sounded more like a second-round NCAA tournament game than one for all the marbles. North Carolina’s meteoric rise from disappointment to potential champion has been remarkable, cemented by winning a game for the ages Saturday over archrival Duke. On the other side is Kansas, a team whose veteran experience has helped it rise from recent March disappointments to the precipice of a national title.
What will decide this epic clash of two of the sport’s biggest brands?