Tale of the tape: Mighty North Carolina vs. Cinderella Saint Peter's

The highest combined seed matchup in Elite Eight history is set with a true David versus Goliath battle between 8-seed North Carolina and 15-seed Saint Peter's.

The blueblood Tar Heels are seeking a record-extending 21st Final Four appearance, while the Peacocks hope to keep strutting along.

Here's how the two teams stack up heading into Sunday's improbable showdown.

North Carolina

Overall record: 2,320-838 in 112 seasons
NCAA Tournament record: 129-48 in 52 appearances
National championships: Six
Notable basketball alumni: Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, Vince Carter, Dean Smith, Roy Williams

Key players

Armando Bacot

Offers: North Carolina, Duke, Georgia, Oklahoma State, VCU
ESPN ranking: Five-star prospect, 18th-ranked recruit overall in 2019

The offseason departure of multiple big men led to a breakout junior year for Bacot. The McDonald's All-American averaged 16.4 points, 12.6 boards, and 1.7 blocks en route to All-ACC first-team honors this season. He also shares the NCAA lead in double-doubles (28) and ranks second in total rebounds (453).

Bacot does most of his damage around the basket, converting 68.3% of his field-goal attempts at the rim, per Hoop-Math. His dominant post play should pose a challenge for an undersized Saint Peter's squad that allowed Zach Edey and Trevion Williams to score a combined 27 points on 54.5% shooting in the East regional semifinal.

Brady Manek

Offers: Oklahoma, Mercer, Oklahoma State, Tulsa
ESPN ranking: Four-star prospect, 30th-ranked power forward in 2017

Manek has fit perfectly in North Carolina's frontcourt alongside Bacot. The power forward's ability to stretch the floor provides Bacot with ample space to operate down low. Manek is the team's third-highest scorer (15.1 points per contest) and made a career-high 39.1% of his triples in 2021-22.

The Oklahoma transfer has elevated his game in the tourney, registering 22.3 points on a sizzling 56.1% shooting. But Manek's more than just a sharpshooter. He actively crashes the boards and has secured multiple offensive rebounds in each of the Tar Heels' three games.

Caleb Love

Offers: North Carolina, Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, Missouri
ESPN ranking: Five-star prospect, 18th-ranked recruit overall in 2020

Love has also taken a step forward this season. The sophomore is averaging a personal-best 15.7 points per contest and has drained 37.8% of his triples - over an 11% improvement from a year ago.

While the Missouri native isn't the most efficient scorer, he has the confidence and shot-making ability to single-handedly tilt a game in North Carolina's favor. Love did just that in Friday's victory over UCLA, shaking off a 1-of-8 first half on his way to a career-high 30 points. The Tar Heels are 14-0 when the streaky guard scores at least 20.

North Carolina wins if ...

It maximizes its size advantage. North Carolina's strong interior play has fueled its red-hot offense. Hubert Davis' squad is averaging an NCAA Tournament-leading 87 points, including 31.3 points in the paint per game.

Establishing Bacot early will open up opportunities for his teammates on the perimeter. The big man's ability to get to the charity stripe could put the Peacocks into foul trouble as well. Outside of KC Ndefo and Clarence Rupert, there aren't many options to counter Bacot.

Saint Peter's

Overall record: 826-827 in 58 seasons
NCAA Tournament record: 3-3 in four appearances
National championships: Zero
Notable basketball alumni: Rich Rinaldi's 84 game appearances is the most of the program's four NBA draft selections

Key players

Darryl Banks III

Offers: Wagner, Saint Peter's
ESPN ranking: Not rated

Banks leads the Peacocks in scoring at 11.5 points per game, which ranks 688th among Division I players! Four of North Carolina's starters have a higher average output. The junior guard can pull up from anywhere on the floor, hit floaters in the lane, and cut to the rack.

Banks drilled five triples in a season-high 27-point performance against Kentucky in the opening round of the tournament. He delivered once again two games later, scoring the tying and go-ahead baskets in Saint Peter's Sweet 16 win over Purdue. If the Peacocks need a bucket late, expect Shaheen Holloway to put the ball in his hands.

KC Ndefo

Offers: Saint Peter's
ESPN ranking: Not rated

Saint Peter's probably wouldn't be on the verge of a historic Final Four had Ndefo left the program last summer. The senior entered the transfer portal following the 2020-21 campaign before deciding to return just before the school year.

Ndefo has been the Peacocks' defensive pillar since arriving as a freshman, averaging 2.6 blocks and 1.2 steals over his four-year career. He ranks sixth in the NCAA this season in defensive rating (84.7) and 14th in swats (2.7 per game). The 22-year-old captured his third consecutive MAAC Defensive Player of the Year award and conference tournament MVP honors earlier this month.

Doug Edert

Offers: FDU, Wagner, New Hampshire, Saint Peter's
ESPN ranking: Not rated

When Edert became Saint Peter's first commit in the class of 2019, he knew something special was brewing at the little-known school in Jersey City.

"I chose St. Peter's because I believe in coach Holloway," Edert told Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. "He's a pure winner, and I feel that he's going to take my game to the next level and fill out my full potential as a basketball player. He's making it really great for the whole school, and I just wanted to be a part of that."

While Edert's mustache has made him a viral sensation, he's also left his mark on the court during the Peacocks' Cinderella run. The 6-foot-2 guard has saved his best basketball for the postseason, averaging 13.5 points and shooting 42.9% from deep across six appearances in the MAAC Tournament and the Big Dance. Edert's 1.34 points per possession leads all players in the NCAA Tournament, according to Synergy Basketball.

Saint Peter's wins if ...

It continues to defend the three well. Opponents are only shooting 29.2% from downtown against Saint Peter's this season, which is the nation's 14th-best mark.

Keeping the Tar Heels' 3-point shooters in check will be easier said than done. North Carolina ranks 52nd in 3-point efficiency, with five different players connecting on at least 35% of their attempts. However, the Peacocks' ball pressure has limited two of their tournament counterparts to under 30% shooting from distance.

Kentucky guard Kellan Grady - a top-20 3-point marksman - was among those shut down by the Peacocks' relentless wing defenders. He made just one of his seven 3-point attempts against Saint Peter's in the opening round.