Final Four 2012: 3 Reasons Kentucky and North Carolina Will Meet for NCAA Title

By (Contributor) on March 25, 2012

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The Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels will advance to the Final Four today, and the dream matchup will be just one round away.

Fans everywhere have wanted to see the Wildcats and Tar Heels match up in the national title game, and it's destined to happen.

Read on for three reasons why Kentucky and North Carolina will meet in the national championship game and give fans a phenomenal show.

Kentucky Has the Defense to Shut Down Louisville and Baylor

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Kentucky plays against the Baylor Bears today in what will be quite the exciting matchup.

Baylor might be one of the only teams that can match the length of Kentucky, but they won't be able to beat the Wildcats in the Elite Eight. That means Louisville Cardinals are next in line.

Don't get me wrong, Louisville has made an impressive run in advancing to the Final Four—they just haven't played anyone as gifted defensively as Kentucky is.

Kentucky has held opponents to 37.5 percent field-goal shooting this season and average 39.1 total rebounds per game.

And that's just the statistical impact of Kentucky's defense. The incredible length of Kentucky dramatically changes the way opposing teams execute offensively.

Four of the Kentucky starters have a wingspan over seven feet, and they have the ability to play bigger than they really are. I expect Kentucky to dominate this matchup defensively en route to the national championship game.

North Carolina Can Match Up With, and Best, Ohio State

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Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Before matching up with Ohio State, I predict North Carolina to come out victorious in a slug-fest with the Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight en route to a Final Four game with the Buckeyes.

North Carolina was pegged as the preseason favorite to win the NCAA title come March Madness. Head coach Roy Williams certainly hasn't disappointed, and he has his team in a great position to advance to the championship game.

The Tar Heels will match up against the Ohio State Buckeyes in what is sure to be a close game. UNC should feel good about their chances though, as they can match up across the board with Ohio State.

Down low, the UNC front line of Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller has more than enough firepower to compete with the Ohio State front line of William Buford, Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger. It's going to be a battle down low, all game.

On the perimeter, Ohio State has Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr., and UNC has Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock. Both teams have great point guards and capable shooting guards.

In my opinion, North Carolina has the frontcourt advantage, easily. The backcourt is a little closer, but Kendall Marshall is the best point guard in the nation, so the Heels get the edge here.

Both Teams Have Experienced Coaches Who Know How to Get the Job Done

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Nick Laham/Getty Images

John Calipari and Roy Williams are two of the top five coaches in college basketball right now, there's no arguing that.

Both have gone to national championship games, but only Williams has won.

Both have incredibly talented teams this season and, more often than not, every season.

Calipari and Williams have great basketball minds and always put their team in the best spot to win. It's going to be very interesting seeing this chess match of a basketball game.

The winner of the national championship will hinge on the decisions made by their head coach, and this game will be the most entertaining game of the 2012 NCAA tournament.

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