Tar Heels to visit No. 1 Kentucky for Elite Eight rematch

North Carolina forward John Henson hasn’t looked at the game film from last season’s 76-69 loss to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament.

The Tar Heels were just one win away from their 19th Final Four appearance, but the 2011 ACC Defensive Player of the Year had to sit out for much of the game against the Wildcats after picking up his third foul with more than six minutes to go in the first half.

“I don’t want to look at it. It was a bad game,” Henson said. “That game I think I did some dumb, dumb things that I shouldn’t have done.”

But Saturday at Rupp Arena, Henson and the Tar Heels (6-1) will have the opportunity to put some of those bad memories to rest.

No. 5 North Carolina will take on No. 1 Kentucky (7-0) at noon Saturday and will attempt to break Kentucky’s 37-game win streak at home.

After losing to UNLV last Saturday in the Las Vegas Invitational, UNC beat No. 9 Wisconsin on Wednesday in an uncharacteristically slow-paced game for the Tar Heels.

But Saturday against the Wildcats, the style of play will be an entirely different story.

“I would say maybe 20 percent of possessions the other night the shot clock got down below 10 before Wisconsin took a shot,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “I really believe they can save some power in Rupp Arena and not even have a shot clock this weekend. It’s a vast difference. Kentucky wants to run, we want to run.”

After injuring his wrist trying to draw a charge against Wisconsin, freshman reserve guard P.J. Hairston was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. Williams said Friday that Hairston, who leads the team with 14 3-pointers, was still being evaluated, but added that it was likely he wouldn’t play.

Hairston’s absence could be a big loss for the Tar Heels, who need all the help they can get against the top-ranked Wildcats.

Through its first seven games, Kentucky has shot 40 percent from behind the arc, and in their 81-59 win against St. John’s on Thursday, the Wildcats had a school-record 18 blocks.

But if any team knows how to beat Kentucky, it’s the Tar Heels. North Carolina has beaten Kentucky an NCAA-high 12 times, including a Dec. 4, 2010 victory against the Wildcats at the Smith Center last season.

It’s not that happy ending, though, that’s the freshest on the Tar Heels’ minds.

Williams said he understands his team using last year’s NCAA tournament loss as motivation for Saturday’s game.

Despite the possibility for redemption, Williams just wants the Tar Heels to focus on the task before them.

“Every (loss) motivates me,” he said. “I’m more motivated right now by the Nevada UNLV loss than I am by the Kentucky loss last year because this is this year’s team.

“But I told them to let your pain be fuel for you…if that helps give them the fuel to work harder over the summer then I think that’s fine. But the thing is, you still have to play tomorrow at 12 noon.”