Ackerstein:

Kansas might not have looked like it in its 59-57 win over Davidson in the regional final, but the Jayhawks are the best team in the country and should take home a national title next Monday.

The Jayhawks certainly have the make-up of a national champion. KU has stellar guard play and the ability to score both inside and on the perimeter, and they play tough defense for 40 minutes.

The team has at least four guys headed to the NBA and isn’t reliant on a single scorer either.

Sure, Kansas had its midseason struggles, including surprising losses to Kansas State and Oklahoma State, but the Jayhawks have since gotten over it and routed the first three opponents they faced in the NCAA Tournament.

Davidson might have caused some it some trouble, but Kansas won’t see another Stephen Curry the rest of the way, and it will have more than just one day to prepare for its next opponent, North Carolina.

KU coach Bill Self may be the only coach still part of the Final Four for the first time, but this is hardly Self’s first NCAA appearance, and the big game environment shouldn’t faze him.

Kansas isn’t going to beat itself by turning the ball over or missing free throws either, and in Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun it has senior leadership on the court.

They may not have the legacy of UCLA, the star like UNC or the athleticism of Memphis, but Kansas is solid top to bottom and should be cutting down the nets in the Alamodome next week.

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Rock chalk Jayhawks. KU for the KO.

Mason:

Tyler Hansbrough. ‘Nuf said.

Yes, “Psycho T” and the North Carolina Tar Heels will win this year’s NCAA Championship. I picked them in my bracket before the madness started, and I’m sticking to my story.

UNC has looked impressive all throughout the tournament. They scored more than 100 points in each of their first two games — against Mount St. Mary’s and Arkansas — and had no problem with Washington State in the Sweet 16. Their closest game came in the Elite Eight matchup against Louisville, where Hansbrough went off to score 28 points. Considering many had the Cardinals in the Final Four, a 10-point victory for Roy Williams and company over Rick Pitino’s squad was an impressive one.

Kansas, on the other hand, almost missed out on a trip to the Final Four. A 25-point performance by Davidson’s Stephen Curry nearly had the Jayhawks falling to the No. 10 seeded Wildcats, which would debatably have been the biggest upset of the Tourney.

As I alluded to earlier, Hansbrough is a force to be reckoned with and has been all season, averaging a double-double of 22.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. But he’s got plenty of help behind him offensively, namely guards Wayne Ellington (16.6 points per game), Ty Lawson (12.8) and Danny Green (11.4).

The only question mark standing in the way of the Tar Heels and a trophy is their defense. They’ve often been soft on the inside defensively, but have guarded opponents well on the perimeter.

When you watch UNC play, you just get the sense they’re a team that can win it all. Love or hate Hansbrough, you’ve got to respect his ability to get it done on the court. And he plays with more passion than perhaps anyone else in the game, which counts for something in the postseason.

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All four No. 1 seeds are in the Final Four, but only UNC is the one.