2011 NCAA Tournament: Previewing North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Kentucky Wildcats

North Carolina against Kentucky. John Calipari against Roy Williams.  Harrison Barnes against Terrance Jones. Kendall Marshall against Brandon Knight. Tyler Zeller against Josh Harrellson.  What more could any college basketball fan ask for in an Elite Eight matchup?

Kentucky and North Carolina are two of only three programs to reach 2,000 wins all time.  North Carolina has reached 18 Final Fours, tied with UCLA for the most all time, while Kentucky has reached the Final Four 13 times.

The two teams have combined for 12 National Championships (five for UNC, seven for Kentucky), and have been runner-up seven times (four for UNC, three for Kentucky).

This is an ideal matchup for college basketball fans, as two of the most dominant programs in the history of the sport clash in New Jersey on Sunday night.

Both teams have battled through adversity and struggles to get where they are now, but who will be cutting down the nets and heading off to Houston?

The best way to size these teams up, is to do a position-by-position breakdown for each of these teams, so without further ado, here are your Kentucky Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels.

Point Guard: Brandon Knight vs. Kendall Marshall

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Brandon Knight #12 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots the winning shot to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes in the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudential Center on March 25, 2011 in Newark,

Brandon Knight, Kentucky:

Brandon Knight is one of the most explosive point guards in the country.  He has struggled at times in this tournament though, especially in the first round against Princeton.  He responded nicely by dropping 30 points on West Virginia. 

Knight struggled for most of the Ohio State game, as Aaron Craft played exceptional defense.  Luckily for the Wildcats, when they needed a shot, Knight pulled up from just inside the three-point line and sunk the game winner.

Kentucky cannot afford another single-digit performance out of their star point guard against the Tar Heels.  Not only will Knight have to score, but he will need to be able to stop the penetration of Kendall Marshall, as Marshall has been able to set up his teammates at will, as of late.

Point Guard: Brandon Knight vs. Kendall Marshall

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Kendall Marshall #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dribbles the ball against Junior Cadougan #5 of the Marquette Golden Eagles during the first half of the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at th

Kendall Marshall, North Carolina:

North Carolina has been a dominant basketball team since Marshall took over as the starting point guard in January.  They only have two losses, both of which were against Duke. 

Kendall Marshall is a completely different player than Brandon Knight.  Marshall is not as quick, but is the definition of a true point guard.  He has great vision and is the best passer remaining in the tournament (take a look at this highlight for proof).

The Tar Heels don't need Kendall Marshall to score, they just need him to protect the ball and make good decisions, if he can do that, the Tar Heels should win. 

Shooting Guard: Doron Lamb vs. Dexter Strickland

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TAMPA, FL - MARCH 17: Doron Lamb #20 of the Kentucky Wildcats drives against Will Barrett #24 of the Princeton Tigers during the second round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at St. Pete Times Forum on March 17, 2011 in Tampa, Florida. (Phot

Doron Lamb, Kentucky:

Doron Lamb is an x-factor for the Wildcats.  He can score anywhere from two points to 30 points.  When his shot is on, he is very tough to stop on the perimeter; however, if he is off his game, he tends to get frustrated easily and force shots.

Lamb has not scored in double digits since the beginning of March in the Wildcats game against Alabama. 

When North Carolina and Kentucky met in the regular season, Lamb carried the team on offense, as he scored 24 points.  North Carolina was able to escape with a win that really seemed to turn their season around. 

Lamb is going to need to find a way to get open and create offense for the Wildcats in this game, as they cannot rely on Jones and Knight to continue to carry them.

Shooting Guard: Doron Lamb vs. Dexter Strickland

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Dexter Strickland #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels dunks the ball against Darius Johnson-Odom #1 of the Marquette Golden Eagles during the second half of the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at

Dexter Strickland, North Carolina

Dexter Strickland, like Doron Lamb, is one of the x-factors for the Tar Heels.  Strickland only averages seven points per game, but has the ability to score in the high teens.  He had a big game for the Heels against Washington, as he scored 13 points and played exceptional defense. 

While Strickland is not a star, he is one of the rocks of this North Carolina team.  Strickland is their best perimeter defender, and the Heels may put him, instead of Kendall Marshall, on Brandon Knight.

Strickland has quick feet and is the Heels fastest player.  Strickland does a good job of getting down court on fast breaks for North Carolina, expect him and the Heels to try to run on Kentucky early and often.

Small Forward: Darius Miller vs. Harrison Barnes

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TAMPA, FL - MARCH 19: Darius Miller #1 of the Kentucky Wildcats drives against Deniz Kilicli #13 of the West Virginia Mountaineers during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at St. Pete Times Forum on March 19, 2011 in Tampa, Flo

Darius Miller, Kentucky

Darius Miller is going to be given the daunting task of shutting down Harrison Barnes.  He is a good defender, who certainly showcased that against Ohio State. 

Miller is also a very good three-point shooter, as he shot better than 44 percent on the season.  Kentucky is going to need his shooting on the offensive side of the ball; however, most importantly, they will need his defense to be exceptional against Barnes.

Small Forward: Darius Miller vs. Harrison Barnes

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Harrison Barnes #40 of the North Carolina Tar Heels makes a shot against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudential Center on March 25, 2011 in Newa

Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

Harrison Barnes has been an absolute stud since Marshall emerged as the starting point guard.  His worst performance during that stretch was his nine point outing in Durham against the Blue Devils.  On the other hand, his best performance came when he single-handedly defeated the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Tournament, going off for 40 points.

Barnes excels on both sides of the ball, something that has been very important for this Tar Heel team.  He has shown he can be a shut down defender and won't give Miller much room to work.

On offense, Barnes excels at drawing contact to get to the line, and has great range on his shot.  Barnes has great length and is very athletic, and uses that to crash the glass.

Power Forward: Terrance Jones vs. John Henson

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ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 11: Terrence Jones #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats drives against Terrance Henry #1 of the Ole Miss Rebels during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 11, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by K

Terrance Jones, Kentucky

Jones and Knight were Kentucky's two biggest recruits coming in this season, and neither have disappointed.  Jones averages nearly 16 points per game this year.  He is very good in the post and has good range on his jumper. 

Jones will likely be facing off against John Henson in the post, which could be a problem for him.  Henson is a couple inches taller and has great length.  Jones will likely need to step out and try to beat Henson with one-on-one moves.  Jones struggled in the first meeting against Henson, making only three baskets on 17 attempts.

If Jones puts up the same performance again, North Carolina will likely run away with this game. Maybe Jones has learned from his first matchup with Henson; Kentucky fans can only hope that is the case.

Power Forward: Terrance Jones vs. John Henson

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: John Henson #31 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes for a dunk against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudential Center on March 25, 2011 in Newar

John Henson, North Carolina:

John Henson has really developed as the season has gone along.  He has greatly improved his free-throw shooting and his offensive game.

Henson has become one of Kendall Marshall's favorite targets when he penetrates, and his favorite target for an alley-oop.

His best contribution to the Tar Heels is his defense.  Henson is tall and lanky, and he is able to use that to his advantage in the post.  He is also a very good rebounder.

Henson will be given the task of shutting down Terrance Jones again, he was successful in the first meeting, and will be looking to make his mark in this matchup.

Center: Josh Harrellson vs. Tyler Zeller

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Josh Harrellson #55 of the Kentucky Wildcats in action against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudential Center on March 25, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey

Josh Harrellson, Kentucky

Harrellson has been the biggest surprise for Kentucky in this tournament.  While he was a solid player all season long; he has been taking games over in the Tournament.  He had a big game against West Virginia, and was nearly perfect against Ohio State.

He controlled Jared Sullinger on both sides of the ball and was able to frustrate him all night.  Kentucky is going to need another big game out of Harrellson against Tyler Zeller in order to advance to the Final Four.

Harrellson is going to need to make his biggest impact on the glass, as North Carolina is the best rebounding team in the country.

Center: Josh Harrellson vs. Tyler Zeller

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Tyler Zeller #44 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in action against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudential Center on March 25, 2011 in Newark, Ne

Tyler Zeller, North Carolina:

Tyler Zeller has taken over in this tournament.  He has scored 23, 27, and 32 in the three games the Tar Heels have had so far. 

Zeller has a very solid offensive game, and the seven-footer is a great rebounder.  He does a good job of tracking the ball on the defensive side of the ball, as he is very good at disrupting shooters in the paint. 

Zeller is the best all-around player for North Carolina and has drastically improved his game this season.  He might not be the prospect that Sullinger is; however, Harrellson is going to have a tough time defending Tyler Zeller on a consistent basis.

Prediction: North Carolina 76, Kentucky 69

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 25: Fans of the North Carolina Tar Heels cheer during the east regional semifinal of the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Prudential Center on March 25, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Kentucky has a bit of an edge on the perimeter, but North Carolina's frontline is going to be too dominant for the Wildcats to handle.  North Carolina snuck out a win in the first meeting, winning by two points. 

The Tar Heels have been one of the most impressive teams in the tournament thus far, and will continue that trend in this Elite Eight matchup. 

Tyler Zeller and John Henson are both dominant on both sides of the ball and will be too much for Harrellson and Jones to handle.

Kentucky will hang around for most of this game, but North Carolina will use a second-half run to pull away and seal their record 19th trip to the Final Four.