LAS VEGAS – Hansbrough won Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year honors by averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and shooting 54 percent from the field.

Hansbrough had 28 points and 13 rebounds last Saturday during the Tar Heels’ 83-73 victory against Louisville in the East Regional final as 5 ½-point favorites. The combined 156 points went ‘over’ the 153-point closing total.

North Carolina has covered all four of its tournament games, winning by an average margin of 25.2 points per contest. The Tar Heels have covered 67 percent of the time during their past 67 games.

Tar Heels coach Roy Williams took Kansas to the championship in 2003, losing to Syracuse. Williams then left for his alma mater, North Carolina. He coached the Tar Heels to a championship in 2005.

Williams is tied for fourth on the all-time coaching list with six Final Four appearances. The other three coaches in the tournament – Ben Howland of UCLA, John Calipari of Memphis and Kansas’ Bill Self – have a combined six Final Four trips. It’s the first time in NCAA Tournament history that all four No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four.

Kansas last reached the tournament semifinals in 2003, Williams’ last season with the team. The Jayhawks captured the Midwest Regional by edging Davidson as 9 ½-point favorites, 59-57. The combined 116 points fell well ‘under’ the 146 ½-point closing total.

The Jayhawks’ victory snapped Davidson’s 25-game winning streak, longest in the nation. Mario Chalmers and Sasha Kaun each scored 13 points for Kansas, with teammate Brandon Rush adding 12 points.

Kansas has covered seven of its last 10 matchups. This is the Jayhawks’ 13th trip to the Final Four.

Kansas opened tournament play by blasting Portland State as a 21 ½-point favorite, 85-61. The combined 146 points barely dipped ‘under’ the 147-point closing total. The Jayhawks then rolled past UNLV as 13 ½-point favorites, 75-56. The combined 131 points ducked ‘under’ the 136-point closing total.

The Jayhawks then defeated Villanova as a 12-point favorite, 72-57. The combined 129 points went ‘under’ the 144-point closing total.

The ‘over’ is 8-3 in North Carolina’s last 11 non-conference games.

The Tar Heels opened their tournament action by easily winning and covering as 25-point favorites versus Mount St. Mary’s, 113-74. The combined 187 points sailed ‘over’ the 152-point total.

North Carolina then dispatched Arkansas laying 9 ½ points, 108-77. The combined 185 points went ‘over’ the 158-point closing total. The Tar Heels followed that by knocking off Washington State as eight-point favorites, 68-47. The combined 115 points went ‘under’ the 140 ½-point closing total.

April 5, 2008