SOUTH REGIONAL

SEMIFINAL AT MEMPHIS, TENN.

1 North Carolina (29-7) vs. 4 Butler (25-8)

Time: 4:09 p.m. TV: Channel 2

Bottom line: In a regional where the top four seeded teams all reached the round of 16 and the top three — North Carolina, Kentucky and UCLA — are college basketball blue bloods, No. 4 Butler is the blue bulldog.

It’s traditional: North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference is tied for third with five championships and has been to more Final Fours (19) than any other school. Butler, out of the Big East, hasn’t won an NCAA title, but the Bulldogs have been tournament darlings in recent seasons, reaching the national championship game in 2010 and 2011. “I happen to think right now, Butler is better than any of them, and that’s the team we’re getting ready to play,” Williams said.

The coaches: Williams is one of basketball’s most respected coaches. Butler’s Chris Holtmann, 45, is in only his third season as a head coach. “Between [Williams] and I, we have eight Final Fours, two national championships, about 15 Sweet Sixteens and a ton of conference championships and over 900 wins,” Holtmann quipped. “So, somebody is going to be really calm come opening tip, and somebody is going to be really nervous. I’ll let you figure that out.”

Been there: This isn’t North Carolina’s first time in Memphis for a regional semifinal as a top-seeded team. In 2009, the Tar Heels defeated Gonzaga and Oklahoma on the way to their last national championship.