Final Four is set with North Carolina win. Get the highlights here.
Associated Press
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The lovable underdog that marked the first three rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament made for fun games and good stories, but Saint Peter’s fell hard to North Carolina in the last regional final Sunday.
Now, it’s time for college basketball’s elite to step into the spotlight in New Orleans.
Duke, Villanova, Kansas and North Carolina — three of the bluest of the bluebloods, each with a historic pedigrees and national followings — will travel to the Big Easy next weekend for a chance to add another championship banner to their rafters.
Duke will play North Carolina while the Wildcats and Jayhawks will meet again in the Final Four.
“I saw something that Bill Self said about the regional championship game,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of his Kansas counterpart, “it really is the biggest game a college coach has to coach, because it gets you into the promised land.
“For me to have that, I guess it’s 17 times now, that’s a big-time thing for me. I’m so proud of that,” Krzyzewski said, “that my teams have put us in that position and that’s we’ve won now 13 of them, and whatever happens afterward happens. But it is a heck of a thing. We’ve won a lot in the tournament, and we’ve won a lot of games, but Final Fours are big.”
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
St. Peter's KC Ndefo, left, goes up for a shot against North Carolina's Armando Bacot, center, and Leaky Black during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot, right, collides with St. Peter's KC Ndefo during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot, left, tries to get a shot past St. Peter's KC Ndefo during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
St. Peter's KC Ndefo, right ,tries to get around North Carolina's Leaky Black during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Brady Manek reacts during the first half of a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot reacts during the first half of a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
St. Peter's Fousseyni Drame, center, goes up for a shot against North Carolina's Brady Manek, left, and Armando Bacot during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis reacts during the first half of a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot, right, goes for a dunk against St. Peter's KC Ndefo during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
St. Peter's head coach Shaheen Holloway reacts during the first half of a college basketball game against North Carolina in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
St. Peter's Daryl Banks III, left, goes up for a shot against North Carolina's Armando Bacot against during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot, center, goes up for a dunk between St. Peter's Fousseyni Drame, left, and KC Ndefo during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's R.J. Davis (4) goes up for a shot against St. Peter's KC Ndefo (11) during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot, left, hangs on the rim after a dunk past St. Peter's Clarence Rupert during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
St. Peter's Daryl Banks III, right, goes for also against North Carolina's Armando Bacot during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
St. Peter's Daryl Banks III (5) tries to get past North Carolina's Caleb Love (2) during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot goes up for a dunk during the first half of a college basketball game against St. Peter's in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
St. Peter's Isiah Dasher, right, goes up for a shot against North Carolina's R.J. Davis, center, and Brady Manek during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Matt Rourke - staff, AP
St. Peter's KC Ndefo, right, goes up for a shot against North Carolina's Brady Manek during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Armando Bacot, center, goes up for a shot between St. Peter's KC Ndefo, left, and Hassan Drame during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
Chris Szagola - freelancer, FR170982 AP
North Carolina's Brady Manek (45) leaps for a rebound against St. Peter's KC Ndefo (11) during the first half of a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Philadelphia.
