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North Carolina vs. Oregon prediction and game preview, as the No. 1 Tar Heels and No. 3 Ducks face off in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

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Dana Altman’s Ducks adopted the role of dream spoiler midway through the NCAA Tournament, and it has gotten them a trip to the Final Four.

After earning a No. 3 seed in the Midwest region, Oregon took down No. 14 Iona, 93-77, before giving No. 11 Rhode Island a second-round exit with a 75-72 victory. A Sweet 16 matchup with No. 7 Michigan saw the Ducks send the Cinderella hopeful home early, 69-68. And after back-to-back close wins, Oregon easily knocked out No. 1 Kansas in the Elite Eight, 74-60.

Now, the Ducks are looking to add another upset win to their resume, as they’ll take on No. 1-seeded North Carolina.

Roy Williams’ Tar Heels were given a first-round matchup against No. 16 Texas Southern and snatched a 103-64 victory. That set up UNC for a second-round duel with No. 8 Arkansas, but the Tar Heels took that one, 72-65. In the Sweet 16, North Carolina eliminated No. 4 Butler, 92-80, and then it snuck past No. 2 Kentucky in the Elite Eight, 75-73.

North Carolina vs. Oregon Game Preview

Date: April 1, 2017
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix, Arizona
Region: South/Midwest

North Carolina wins if …

The Tar Heels have to get to the foul line like they did against Kentucky while keeping the Ducks from getting the same calls. Free points will change a game in a hurry. UNC was 18-of-26 from the charity stripe, but they also let the Wildcats knock down 12-of-19 from the free throw line. The Tar Heels can’t rely on Oregon to miss as many free throws as Kentucky did.

At the same time, North Carolina has to control the boards the same way it did in the Elite Eight. It out-rebounded Kentucky, 44-34, and it held the Wildcats to only 11 offensive rebounds. That’s where Kennedy Meeks comes into play. He pulled down 17 boards against Kentucky, and five were off the offensive glass. Along with that, UNC has to win the turnover battle. It gave up possession 16 times while only forcing nine turnovers. If it gives Oregon easy buckets in transition, the Ducks will bury the Tar Heels in a hurry with their high-volume shooting. Joel Berry II and Justin Jackson can’t combine for 1-of-10 shooting from three-point range again. They’ll need to find their shots and provide some spacing on offense.

Oregon wins if …

Jordan Bell has turned it on and been an absolute monster for the Ducks down low. He pulled down 13 rebounds against Kansas, and seven of them came on the offensive end of the court. He added 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and if he can remain that efficient, Oregon will get off to a great start.

In that win over the Jayhawks, the Ducks got a big-time performance from Tyler Dorsey as well. He knocked down 6-of-10 threes and was 9-of-13 from the field for a game-high 27 points. Dillon Brooks added 17 of his own points and was 7-of-18 from the field. Brooks converted 3-of-8 three-point attempts, and Oregon will need both of them to find the shooting touch in order to advance to the national title game.

North Carolina vs. Oregon Prediction

Dorsey and Brooks are going to come out firing. They’ll each find the stroke in the first half and get the Ducks out to an early lead, but Berry will lead the charge by getting the team out and running in the open court. Some transition buckets will shift the momentum back toward North Carolina, and thats when Meeks will really make his impact. He’ll pull down 15-plus rebounds and will top it with 15-plus points for the double-double. Jackson will shoot better from the perimeter, and both Dorsey and Brooks will go dry from three-point territory. Some forced fouls will help UNC extend its lead in the final seconds to advance to the title game.

North Carolina vs. Oregon Score Prediction: North Carolina 89, Oregon 79

MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions