Game is first 1-2 title game pairing in 30 years

ST. LOUIS -- It's been 30 years since the top two teams in The Associated Press poll met in college basketball's national championship game.

No matter what happens Monday night when top-ranked Illinois faces North Carolina, it won't affect the sport the way the last 1-2 title matchup did.

No. 1 UCLA beat Kentucky 92-85 that night in San Diego to give John Wooden his 10th national championship in his final game.

There have been five other 1-2 matchups in the championship game, including two in as many years between the same two schools with the same result.

Second-ranked Cincinnati beat No. 1 Ohio State in 1961 and 1962 for the school's only national championships.

Wooden's second championship came in a 1-2 matchup when the second-ranked Bruins, behind Gail Goodrich's 42 points, beat Michigan and Cazzie Russell 91-80 in 1965.

Top-ranked North Carolina needed three overtimes to beat Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas 54-53 in the 1957 title game.

The other 1-2 title matchup came in the first season the AP conducted its poll. Top-ranked Kentucky beat Oklahoma A&M 46-36 in 1949.