UNC is a one-seed. Syracuse is a 10-seed.

The Tar Heels have beaten the Orange twice already this season, but Syracuse’s Trevor Cooney isn’t ready to throw in the towel.

“We can play with these guys,” Cooney said. “I mean we had them at home. They went on a run towards the end of the game and then we went into Carolina late in the year and played well.”

So far this season, the matchup has gone the Tar Heels’ way.

They spoiled the return of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim in January and celebrated after beating them for a second time in the final home game at UNC for Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson.

All-American Brice Johnson

Brice Johnson. (Photo by Todd Melet)

While conventional wisdom might tell you the Tar Heels would be heavily favored to win, head coach Roy Williams said he’s not taking this team lightly.

“If you’re better than me you could probably beat me 20 times,” he said. “Now the difference is in those Syracuse games, the games went right down to the wire.”

Both Williams and Boeheim said the matchup was comparable to the 1985 championship game, when Villanova beat Georgetown in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in college basketball.

“Georgetown played Villanova twice in the regular season, Georgetown won both of them,” he said. “But what people don’t realize is Villanova was really really close in those other games as well.”

While Syracuse isn’t the overwhelming underdog that Villanova team was, UNC is still the clear favorite, but Williams said he won’t let that distract from what his team is trying to accomplish.

“The fact this is our 19th Final Four, doesn’t give us any edge,” he said. “The fact we’re playing Syracuse, we’ve played them twice, doesn’t give us any edge. Tomorrow’s difference maker is going to be who plays best in tomorrow’s game. If we play really really well, and get luck, perhaps they’ll let us stay around and play the next day.”

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