FACTS & STATS: Site: Charlotte Bobcats Arena (19,026) -- Charlotte, North Carolina. Television: CBS. NCAA Tournament Record: Louisville 57-35, North Carolina 95-38. Series Record: North Carolina leads, 7-3.

GAME NOTES: In what promises to be an outstanding matchup, the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels are set to collide with the third-seeded Louisville Cardinals for a spot in the Final Four. Louisville won its first-round game by 18 points and then crushed Oklahoma by 30 points in the second round. The Cardinals figured to have a battle on their hands against second-seeded Tennessee in Thursday's Sweet 16 clash, but the result was a rather easy 79-60 triumph. Rick Pitino is now 8-0 in regional semifinal games and hopes to take his fourth team to the Final Four. Louisville is 27-8 overall this season and owns a 57-35 all-time record in the NCAA Tournament. Like the Cardinals, the Tar Heels have yet to be tested in this tournament, as they have won their first three tourney games by 20 or more points for the first time in program history. In fact, they have won the three contests by a combined total of 91 points, and the closest was a 68-47 decision over Washington State on Thursday. UNC is now 35-2 overall this season, setting a record for the most wins in school history, and the club has posted 14 consecutive triumphs since its last defeat. The storied program is 95-38 all-time in the "Big Dance" and hopes to earn a bid to a record 17th Final Four. North Carolina owns a 7-3 series advantage over Louisville, and the teams last met in 1999.

Five players scored in double figures for Louisville in the victory over Tennessee on Thursday, and Earl Clark led the way with 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots off the bench. Jerry Smith and Andre McGee both had 13 points, and Terrence Williams contributed 12 points. As for David Padgett, the team's center, he tallied 10 points and eight boards. The Cardinals connected on 52 percent of their field goal attempts in the clash. They also earned a 43-28 rebounding advantage and outscored Tennessee 23-17 from the foul line. Defensively, Louisville limited the Vols to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor, overshadowing a rather high total of 20 turnovers. Clark has now led the Cards in all three NCAA Tournament games, as he is playing with a wealth of confidence. There are four players averaging double figures in scoring for the season, and Louisville is netting 72.5 ppg while limiting the opposition to 60.9 ppg on 38.3 percent shooting from the field.

Tyler Hansbrough receives a great deal of praise and attention for North Carolina, as he has been arguably the best player in the nation this season. But the Tar Heels have a wealth of talent, and when Hansbrough struggled a bit at the beginning of Thursday's clash against Washington State, other players such as Danny Green, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington picked up the slack. Green, the team's dynamic sixth man, finished with 15 points. Ellington had 13 points and Lawson came through with 12. Despite the slow start, Hansbrough got it going in the second half and led his squad with 18 points and nine rebounds. The Tar Heels put forth a sensational defensive effort, limiting the normally efficient Cougars to 31.6 percent shooting from the floor. A 46-32 rebounding advantage also helped the cause. Hansbrough entered the round of 16 averaging 23.0 ppg and 10.4 rpg, and he plays with a tremendous amount of intensity on every possession. Lawson is a blur with the ball in his hands, and both Ellington and Green are dangerous three-point shooters.

Louisville, because of its depth and defensive pressure, may stand as the toughest obstacle for North Carolina on the way to capturing the national title. Still, it is impossible to pick against the Tar Heels, who have yet to lose a game away from home this season and are the most talented team in the tournament.

Predicted Outcome

North Carolina 74, Louisville 67