Syracuse vs. North Carolina: How the teams match up in the Final Four

Syracuse seniors Trevor Cooney (10) and Michael Gbinije (0) are playing in their second Final Four, this time with the formidable task of playing North Carolina on Saturday.

April 1, 2016 4:54 PM PT

WHO: No. 10 Syracuse (23-13) vs. No. 1 North Carolina (32-6)

WHAT: NCAA Final Four, Saturday, 5:49 p.m.

WHERE: NRG Stadium, Houston. TV: TBS; Radio: 710.

UPDATE: Syracuse has been to nine Final Fours. Its senior class alone has been to two. Its coach, Jim Boeheim, is second on the Division I wins list. The Orange aren’t a typical Cinderella team. But that’s what they are. Syracuse became the first No. 10 seed to reach the Final Four after mounting a 14-point second-half comeback against Virginia. Despite its seeding, Syracuse is not wanting for talent. Boeheim’s signature 2-3 zone defense is swarming — Syracuse is fourth nationally in steal percentage. Playing against it is a slog — Syracuse’s average defensive possession is the longest in the nation. The matchup could give North Carolina trouble.

The Tar Heels prefer to pound the ball into the paint — 6-foot-9 forward Brice Johnson leads the team with 17.1 points per game — rather than rely on shooting. The team makes just 32% of its three-point attempts, and only six teams in the nation get a lower percentage of their points from three-pointers. One exception could be Marcus Paige, whose shot has come alive in the tournament. He made six of nine three-point attempts against Indiana. For Syracuse, Michael Gbinije paces the offense, averaging 17.6 points a game. Only four players in the nation log more minutes. He has scored in double digits in every game this season. Malachi Richardson is also dangerous. He scored 21 points in the second half against Virginia. The Tar Heels have been to four Final Fours under Coach Roy Williams and 19 overall, the most in NCAA history. North Carolina won the teams’ first two meetings this season, each by fewer than 10 points.

STARTERS

Syracuse;Ht;Wt;PPG | Pos | North Carolina;Ht;Wt;PPG

Malachi Richardson;6-6;205;13.3 | G | Marcus Paige;6-2;175;12.3

Trevor Cooney;6-4;195;12.7 | G | Joel Berry II;6-0;195;12.8

Michael Gbinije;6-7;200;17.6 | G/F | Justin Jackson;6-8;200;12.2

Tyler Roberson;6-8;226;9.0 | F | Brice Johnson;6-10;230;17.1

Tyler Lydon;6-9;210;10.2 | F | Kennedy Meeks;6-10;260;9.2

RESERVES

Kaleb Joseph;6-3;180;0.8 | G | Nate Britt;6-1;175;5.7

Frank Howard;6-4;190;1.7 | G | Theo Pinson;6-6;205;4.6

Chinonso Obokoh;6-9;21 | F | Isaiah Hicks;6-9;235;9.1

DaJuan Coleman;6-9;268;4.9 | C/F | Joel James;6-11;280;2.2