NEWARK, N.J. — Headed to the Prudential Center in about an hour. We’ll get the live blog started early today (around 4:20 p.m.) for the colossal Kentucky-North Carolina matchup in the Elite Eight. One programming note before tonight: postgame coverage on here will be delayed until late Sunday night. I’m flying back with the team immediately after postgame interviews and will not have Internet access until we arrive back in Lexington. If the Cats win, I’m sure there will be no shortage of stories on other websites anyway. On to the notes:– UK is 104-45 (.698) in the NCAA Tournament, trailing North Carolina by just one win for the NCAA Tournament leader in postseason victories.- The Cats are 14-1 (.933) in tournament games played in the New York City metro area.

– Late-game woes? Since losing to Arkansas, UK has won three games by two points or less, including two during the NCAA Tournament run. – The Wildcats own a 13-18 record in regional final games but haven’t won an Elite Eight matchup since the 1998 season. Kentucky has lost its last four regional final games: Michigan State (1999), Marquette (2003), Michigan State (2005) and West Virginia (2010).- UK has appeared in more regional finals than any other school. North Carolina is second with 25 and UCLA is third with 22.- UNC owns an 18-6 record in its 24 previous regional finals and has won nine of its last 10 regional finals since 1988. – The Tar Heels are making their fifth Elite Eight appearance under head coach Roy Williams over the last eight seasons.- UK is making its second straight regional finals appearance under John Calipari, who will be making his seventh Elite Eight coaching appearance at three different schools. Calipari is 2-4 in those previous six games. – Calipari owns a 31-12 (.721) mark in NCAA Tournament games. Williams has a 58-18 (.763) record.- Calipari is 2-1 all-time vs. UNC. Williams is 7-5 against UK, including a 6-2 mark as the North Carolina coach.- North Carolina owns a 2-0 advantage over Kentucky in NCAA Tournament matchups with wins in the 1977 East Regional final and the 1995 Southeast Regional Final. – UK lost to North Carolina 75-73 in the matchup on Dec. 4. Tyler Zeller led the Tar Heels with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Doron Lamb scored 24 for UK, but Terrence Jones struggled to a 3-for-17 afternoon from the field.- Senior forward Josh Harrellson is 21 of 27 from the field in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. – Brandon Knight has struggled from the floor in the postseason, making just 13-of-38 shots through three NCAA Tournament games, but two of those field goals have been game winners.- Heads up in the front row today. Kentucky ranks second this postseason with 8.0 blocks per game. North Carolina has been the fifth-best blocking team in the Big Dance, pitching 7.67 shots a game.- UNC’s Harrison Barnes is averaging 19.8 points over his last 17 games. Kendall Marshall is averaging 9.1 points and 7.9 assists over his last 15. – How will the Cats try to defend UNC? With North Carolina’s size (Zeller is 7-foot, John Henson is 6-10 and Barnes is 6-8), will Calipari continue to go strictly man-to-man? Similar to the Aaron Craft matchup, will DeAndre Liggins guard Marshall and try to cut off the head of the Carolina offense? Who takes Barnes? Should be fun to watch.