North Carolina-Villanova: How they match up for title game

HOUSTON — The two hottest teams in the nation will meet Monday night with the national championship at stake.

Villanova, a No. 2 seed, scorched Oklahoma by 44 points in the most lopsided Final Four game in NCAA tournament history. North Carolina, the only No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four, cruised past Syracuse, winning by 17 points.

The Wildcats are trying to win just their second national title in program history; the Tar Heels are aiming for their sixth.

No. 1 seed North Carolina ends Syracuse's run 83-66

Monday's game will be the seventh UNC-Villanova game in NCAA tournament history. The last time they met in the Final Four, in 2009, the Tar Heels rolled 83-69 on their way to the title.

The matchup is certainly intriguing. Both teams have dominant post players and talented shooters who can get hot from beyond the arc at any time. North Carolina's Marcus Paige and Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono are among the game's top point guards; they can both create for themselves and others. And they both have a killer instinct.

Offensively, these two teams can be juggernauts. North Carolina's offense is the most efficient in the nation, per KenPom.com, with Villanova checking in at No. 2. The Tar Heels beat every NCAA tournament foe so far by at least 14 points. The Wildcats have won by an average of 26.2 points per game.

Defensively, the edge goes to Villanova, particularly after its effort to stymie Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, one of most prolific shooters in the country, and the rest of the Sooners on Saturday night. That was perhaps even more impressive than its 71.4% shooting from the field.

The Wildcats, who have won 10 of their last 11, may not be able to replicate a performance quite like that, but they've certainly got the talent, focus and effort to match the Tar Heels on Monday.

North Carolina, which has won 10 in a row, opened as a slight favorite in Vegas.