The Tar Heels entered the tournament as the top overall seed and lived up to that billing with double-digit victory margins in their first four games. The last three teams to accomplish that feat went on to win the national title.

Resume:

• 14-2 conference record, 36-2 overall
• ACC Regular Season and Tournament Champions
• Top seed in East Region -- and in the entire tournament

How They Got Here:

• First Round: beat Mount St. Mary's, 116-74

• Second Round: beat Arkansas, 108-77
• Sweet 16: beat Washington State, 68-47
• Elite 8: beat Louisville, 83-73

Team Tournament History:

The Tar Heels are basketball royalty -- second only to UCLA in terms of Final Four appearances (17). The last time they reached this stage, in 2005, the team led by Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams won the national title.

Key Players:

Junior forward Tyler Hansbrough was named Most Outstanding Player of the East Regional and has been dominant on the inside, averaging over 20 points and 10 boards on the season while shooting better than 54% from the field. Guard Wayne Ellington might be the best NBA prospect on the team. But the biggest key might be point guard Ty Lawson, whose quickness and energy on the perimeter opens things up for the rest of the team.

Strengths:

Possibly the most complete team in the Final Four -- the Heels can beat you on the perimeter or in the paint, play fast or slow, and get physical when needed. Coach Roy Williams has been here before -- this is his sixth trip to the Final Four, and he won it all with these Tar Heels in 2005.

Weaknesses:

The only real criticism of Carolina's run is the fact that they have yet to leave the Tar Heel state -- their first two games were played in Raleigh, the second two in Charlotte. But a road trip shouldn't be particularly daunting; the team is undefeated away from Chapel Hill this season.

In Carolina's last loss -- February 6 against Duke -- the Heels allowed a couple of hot shooters to beat them from the outside. But Ty Lawson was injured for that game, and Carolina won the rematch handily.

Outlook:

Based on their performances in this tournament to date, Carolina has to be considered the favorite to win it all.