Final Four is set after Kansas, North Carolina cruise to easy wins

The last two spots in the Final Four were determined Sunday, with Kansas and North Carolina strolling to wins in their region finals. Now the hype for Duke-UNC in a national semifinal can begin.

No. 10 seed Miami led top-seeded Kansas 35-29 at halftime of the South Region final, but the Jayhawks dominated in the second half, rolling to a 76-50 win. Eighth-seeded North Carolina easily won the East Region final 69-49, bringing an abrupt end to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s miracle run. Truthfully, while it was a 40-minute game, there was no doubt about the outcome from about midway through the first half. The Tar Heels led by 19 at halftime and there was zero intrigue in the second half. The win was North Carolina’s record 130th in NCAA tournament history; the Heels had been tied with Kentucky.

Miami’s point total was the lowest all season against Kansas, which will be the lone No. 1 seed at the Final Four. After scuffling some in the first half, Kansas outscored UM 14-5 before the first media timeout of the second half, at the 15:24 mark. The Hurricanes got no closer than that the rest of the way. Miami was 6-of-28 from the field in the second half, including 0-of-13 from 3-point range. Kansas, meanwhile, shot 59.3 percent in the second half.

It’s the first time this particular seeding group — a No. 1, two No. 2s and a No. 8 — has been at a Final Four; the NCAA began seeding the field in 1979.

UNC’s easy win — its second in a region final as a No. 8 seed (the other was 2000) — sets up a third meeting this season with archrival Duke. The teams split the regular-season series, with each winning on the other’s home court. The Heels’ win famously came in the final home game for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski; Duke, which never has played the Tar Heels in the NCAA tourney, now gets a surprise chance for revenge in the Final Four. Krzyzewski will be going for his sixth national title in his record 13^th trip to the Final Four.

The Tar Heels are the seventh No. 8 seed to make the Final Four. The others: UCLA in 1980, Villanova in 1985, UNC and Wisconsin in 2000, Butler in 2011 and Kentucky in 2014. Villanova is the only one to win, while UCLA, Butler and Kentucky lost in the final.

Kansas moves on to play Villanova in the other national semifinal. Villanova’s hopes for a national title took a huge hit in the waning moments of Saturday’s South Region final win over Houston when sophomore guard Justin Moore suffered what turned out to be a torn Achilles tendon.

Moore’s injury is big for two reasons. One is that he is the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer and assist man, and also an important defender. Second is that Villanova lacks depth as it is. Only six players average double-figure minutes, and Moore obviously was one of those. The injury moves Caleb Daniels — coincidentally a New Orleans native — into the starting lineup. The first two guys off the bench now figure to be 6-5 guards Chris Arcidiacono and Bryan Antoine, who have combined to score 81 points this season.