Coach Roy Williams: How will Tar Heels deal with Badgers' Frank the Tank? "Very, very seriously"

LOS ANGELES (WITI/AP) -- The #1 seed Wisconsin Badgers take on the #4 seed North Carolina Tar Heels on Thursday evening, March 26th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen.

On the eve of their big game, Badgers players practiced at the Staples Center and met with the media.

North Carolina Coach Roy Williams says as the stakes get higher later in the season, it is more important than ever that your best players play as well as possible.

"Frank the Tank" -- Badgers forward Frank Kaminsky is Wisconsin's best player.

"We knew right away he was our kind of guy. He could pass. He was never satisfied with things. He would get down a little bit because he felt he was better, so therefore he did something about it. Instead of moping, he practiced harder. He worked harder, and he's very bright. Very, very seriously is the way we're going to try and deal with him. 6'10" - 6'11" whatever he is who can go out on the floor and can shoot the three, can shoot it from a pull-up is a really good passer. If I'm not mistaken, he leads them in points, rebounds and assists, you know, so he's really a fantastic, fantastic player," Williams said.

Meanwhile, Badgers Head Coach Bo Ryan is trippin' about being back in the NCAA West Regional.

First, the Wisconsin coach has the same man escorting him around that he did last year, when the Badgers won the regional in Anaheim. Then Ryan bumped into coach Sean Miller, whose Arizona team lost to the Badgers in a tight game to get to the Final Four.

So Ryan feels right at home in Los Angeles, and he's hoping Frank Kaminsky & Co. do too.

The top-seeded Badgers (33-3) take on fourth-seeded North Carolina (26-11) in a regional semifinal on Thursday night at Staples Center. The teams are meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the second time and the first since 2006. The Tar Heels won both games.

North Carolina hasn't been this far since 2012, although the Tar Heels are 25-6 all-time in regional semifinals.

Tip-off is set for 6:47 p.m. Wisconsin time.