04/04/2009 (National Semifinals)

This is the 16th time and the first time since 1994 that a team is playing in the National Semifinals in its home state.  The team playing in its home state is 11-4 in National Semifinal games.

Final Four Rematches:
North Carolina is 3-1 vs. Villanova
  • 2005 Sweet Sixteen - North Carolina 67 Villanova 66
  • 1991 Second Round - North Carolina 84 Villanova 69
  • 1985 Elite Eight - Villanova 56 North Carolina 44
  • 1982 Elite Eight - North Carolina 70 Villanova 60

In 1982, 1985 and 2005, the team that won the game between North Carolina and Villanova went on to win the National Championship.

Michigan State and Connecticut are meeting for the first time in tournament history.

Final Four by Decade Comparisons
Number of Different Schools in Final Four
  • 1940's - 30
  • 1950's - 29
  • 1960's - 22
  • 1970's - 28
  • 1980's - 26
  • 1990's - 23
  • 2000's - 25
Number of Different Schools with multiple Final Fours
  • 1940's - 7
  • 1950's - 9
  • 1960's - 8
  • 1970's - 7
  • 1980's - 9
  • 1990's - 8
  • 2000's - 8
Team with most Final Fours
  • 1940's - Kentucky, Ohio State and Oklahoma State (3)
  • 1950's - Kansas and San Francisco (3)
  • 1960's - UCLA (6)
  • 1970's - UCLA (7)
  • 1980's - Louisville (4)
  • 1990's - Duke and North Carolina (5)
  • 2000's - Michigan State and North Carolina (4)

Entering today's games - Records in various situations:

Team vs. Opponent's Conference vs. Opponent's State vs. Opponent's Seed vs. Opponent's Ranking playing in Michigan
Connecticut Big Ten (4-1) Michigan (1-0) 2 (0-1) 8 (0-1) 0-1
Michigan State Big East (6-0) Connecticut (0-0) 1 (4-7) 5 (0-2) 2-0
North Carolina Big East (7-4) Pennsylvania (9-4) 3 (5-6) 11 (2-2) 0-0
Villanova ACC (6-8) North Carolina (4-8) 1 (3-8) 2 (1-1) 0-1

Final Four Streaks:

North Carolina is in its 2nd consecutive Final Four.

For the second consecutive year, the team ranked #2 in the AP poll is in the Final Four.  North Carolina is ranked #2 in the AP Poll.  Last year Memphis was ranked #2 in the AP poll.

A #1 seed is in the Final Four for the third consecutive year.  There have been multiple #1 seeds in the final four in each of those years.

The team finishing #3 in the RPI is in the Final Four for the third consecutive year.

  • 2009 - North Carolina
  • 2008 - Memphis
  • 2007 - UCLA

This is the first time since 2003 that none of the Final Four teams won their conference tournament.  Last year, all 4 teams won their conference tournament.

Facts after today's games:

Michigan State is in their 3rd National Championship Game.  They won National Championships in both of their previous appearences in 1979 and 2000.

Michigan State is now 3-4 in National Semifinals.  Tom Izzo is now 2-3 in National Semifinals.

Michigan State is now 7-0 vs. teams from the Big East including 4-0 over the last 3 tournaments:

Year Opponent Score Round
1986 Georgetown 80 68 Second Round
1994 Seton Hall 84 73 First Round
2000 Syracuse 75 58 Sweet Sixteen
2007 Marquette 61 49 First Round
2008 Pittsburgh 65 54 Second Round
2009 Louisville 64 52 Elite Eight
2009 Connecticut 82 73 National Semifinals

Michigan State becomes the 10th team to defeat teams from the same conference in both Elite Eight and National Semifinals in the same tournament:

Year Team Opponent's Conference Elite Eight National Semifinals
1944 Utah Big Eight Missouri Iowa State
1984 Houston Atlantic Coast Wake Forest Virginia
1986 Louisville Southeastern Auburn Louisiana State
1995 Arkansas Atlantic Coast Virginia North Carolina
2001 Arizona Big Ten Illinois Michigan State
2003 Syracuse Big Twelve Oklahoma Texas
2004 Georgia Tech Big Twelve Kansas Oklahoma State
2005 North Carolina Big Ten Wisconsin Michigan State
2007 Florida Pacific Ten Oregon UCLA
2009 Michigan State Big East Louisville Connecticut

Michigan State's win is their 5th all-time vs. a #1 seed:

Year Opponent Score Round
1979 Notre Dame 80 68 Elite Eight
1979 Indiana State 75 64 National Championship
2005 Duke 78 68 Sweet Sixteen
2009 Louisville 64 52 Elite Eight
2009 Connecticut 82 73 National Semifinals

Michigan is now 3-0 when playing in the state of Michigan.

Michigan is now 10-0 as a #2 Seed.

Connecticut's loss is their first in a National Semifinal game where they are now 2-1.  Jim Calhoun is also 2-1 in the National Semifnals.

Connecticut is now 4-2 vs. teams from the Big Ten Conference.

Connecticut is now 18-4 as a #1 Seed.

North Carolina is in their 9th National Championship game.  They have won 4 National Championships in 1957, 1982, 1993 and 2005.

North Carolina is now 9-9 in National Semifinal games.  Roy Williams is now 4-3 in National Semifinal games and 2-1 with North Carolina.

North Carolina is now 4-1 vs. Villanova.

North Carolina is now 8-4 vs. teams from the Big East Conference.

North Carolina is now 46-9 as a #1 Seed.  The 46 wins is a tournament record.

North Carolina is now 17-2 when ranked #2 in the AP Poll.  Only UCLA has more wins as the #2 team with 24.  The two losses were 79-75 to Florida State in the 1972 National Semifinals and 79-75 to Syracuse in the 1987 Elite Eight.

North Carolina is now 36-14 on Saturdays.  The 36 wins is second all-time to UCLA who has 42 wins on Saturdays.

Both North Carolina and Michigan State now have 25 victories this decade.  The winner will tie Kansas for the most victories this decade with 26.  Also, the winner will tie Florida for the most National Championships this decade with 2.

Villanova is now 2-2 in National Semifinal games.

Villanova is now 6-9 vs. teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

North Carolina will be the first ACC team in the National Championship game since they were in the National Championship game in 2005.

Both the Big Ten and the ACC will have their 5th team in the National Championship game this decade which is tied for the most.

Atlantic Coast Conference - Duke (2001); Maryland (2002); Georgia Tech (2004); North Carolina (2005, 2009)
Big Ten Conference - Michigan State (2000, 2009); Indiana (2002); Illinois (2005); Ohio State (2007)

This will be the 6th time that teams from the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference will face each other in the National Championship game which is a new record.  The ACC is 4-1 in those games:

1981 - Indiana 63 North Carolina 50
1992 - Duke 71 Michigan 51
1993 - North Carolina 77 Michigan 71
2002 - Maryland 64 Indiana 52
2005 - North Carolina 75 Illinois 70