Head coach Jim Boeheim's Syracuse team had lost five of their last six games, including their ACC Tournament opener, heading into the NCAA Tournament. But the Orange are suddenly hot and play North Carolina, the only remaining No. 1 seed, in the Final Four.

HOUSTON — Syracuse would certainly love to win a national championship. As for being considered the Cinderella of this Final Four for making it as a double-digit seed, not so much.

“I don’t know if we look at ourselves as Cinderella. We’re Syracuse,” senior guard Trevor Cooney said Thursday. “We’re not normally a 10 seed, and I think that we’ve proved that through this tournament.”

The Orange had lost five of six games, including their ACC Tournament opener, when the 68-team NCAA Tournament field was announced three Sundays ago. Now they are in the Final Four and facing the only remaining No. 1 seed, North Carolina, their conference rival that beat them twice this season.

“It’s just a reminder that we can’t take them lightly,” Tar Heels guard Joel Berry said.

“You just have to think about what’s on the line,” North Carolina senior Marcus Paige said. “The fact that we beat them twice earlier this year doesn’t give us any extra points. It’s a chance to play for a national championship.”

North Carolina (32-6) and Syracuse (23-13) both got their first look inside NRG Stadium on Thursday, working out under the massive roof of the building more well-known as the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

The last double-digit seed to make it to the Final Four was No. 11 seed VCU, five years ago in Houston. VCU lost to Butler, which lost to UConn in the title game.

The Orange have already knocked off a No. 1 seed in this NCAA Tournament, beating Virginia in the Midwest Regional final by overcoming a 16-point deficit in the second half. But they also beat two double-digit seeds — No. 11 Gonzaga and No. 15 Middle Tennessee State, the team that shocked No. 2 seed Michigan State in the first round.

“Not getting Michigan State, even though (Middle Tennessee) won the game, but it is still going to be looked like as a break. We played a great second half against them,” coach Jim Boeheim said. “We played really well at the end of the Gonzaga game. We played really well at the end of the Virginia game. For us to continue playing, we’re going to have to continue to play better.”