Tar Heels Dominate in Detroit

This certainly wasn't the same Michigan State team we watched the past two weekends. But it was the same North Carolina team we all thought, back in November, was the best team in the country by a mile.

If ever a national championship game felt like a coronation, it was 2009.

There were reasons, over the past three months, to doubt these Tar Heels. There was Ty Lawson's bum toe. There was that weird and inexplicable loss to Boston College. There were memories of the way they went out, too soon, in the tournament the past two years. The 2007 collapse against Georgetown. The 2008 pasting by Kansas.

But really, this was something we should have seen coming.

This North Carolina team has been building to this all along. It's the same basic core of guys that gave up the game against the Hoyas two years ago in the regional final, and got run out of the building by the eventual champs in last year's Final Four. But what's different now is that all those ways North Carolina used to lose to seemingly inferior teams...they no longer show up.

Gone are the days when the Tar Heels didn't seem to care on defense, when there was no team they wouldn't let hang around. When they'd get out 20-8 on, say, Georgia Tech and then all of a sudden be down 31-30. These Tar Heels played defense as if they were crime scene tape, and they didn't lapse. A Spartans team that tried, foolishly, to run up and down the floor with the more athletic Heels couldn't find a decent shot in the whole first half.

Gone are the days when the Heels would be out-toughed on the boards. If there was a team that should have been able to do that tonight, it was this Michigan State team, which rebounded all tournament as if it were starving and the ball was made of ground beef. But UNC closed off that potential option, first by not missing any shots and later by boxing out and using its superior size and strength to win the board battles when they still mattered.

Gone are the days when the Heels would go six minutes without scoring. Now, when that starts to happen, Lawson makes a play. Or Wayne Ellington or Danny Green makes a shot. Or Ed Davis, who looks like the foundation of a title defense no matter who leaves for the draft, shows off some game and makes you wonder if there are any weak spots.

Gone are the days when Roy Williams seemed overwhelmed by the talent he had at his fingertips -- almost as if he were afraid to coach these incredible athletes for fear of messing something up. Williams now watches with the calm eye of a man who knows it's going to turn out right, because the holes of the past couple of years have been closed. He's always known, since he got to UNC, that his teams would be unbeatable if they played their best for 40 minutes. What he didn't know in 2007 or 2008 or even back in January of 2009 was whether they would.

NCAA Tournament Action

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Garrett Temple #14 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Garrett Temple

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: A Washington Huskies cheerleader performs during a break in the action against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Manny Harris #3 of the Michigan Wolverines jumps to the basket for a lay up against Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Harris

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Zack Novan #0 and Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for the loose ball with Blake Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Gibson;Zack Novak;Blake Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Willie Warren #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes contact as he goes to the basket with Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first hafl during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Willie Warren

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for the short jump shot against DeShawn Sims #34 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Griffin;DeShawn Sims

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a shot over Jon Brockman #40 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** JaJuan Johnson;Jon Brockman

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Zack Novak #0 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for position to the loose ball in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Novak;Taylor Griffin

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KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Head Coach Jeff Capel of the Michigan Wolverines yells from the sideline during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Capel

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PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: Lewis Jackson #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a layup as Quincy Pondexter #20 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lewis Jackson;Quincy Pondexter

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The past three weeks, they did it every game. They never let up. They played like a team that knew it was better than any it was going to face -- a team that had already answered every question to itself and now was going through the formality of answering those questions in public.

They played like national champions. And it's hard to remember the last time anybody claimed that title quite so convincingly.

There used to be doubts about North Carolina. But not anymore.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-07-2009 @ 12:11AM

Denise said...

This one was set in stone when a Michigan player was pushed to the floor twice and it was called a turnover,, The NCAA wanted a Carolina win no matter how it was going to happrn.. They wanted a UConn/NC final but no one told Michigan State.. There wasn't going to be a screwup tonight

4-07-2009 @ 12:33AM

sjones91 said...

Pretty impressive that you can blame the refs for that one, given that North Carolina would have won by 60 if it hadn't gotten complacent in the second half. But yeah, it was the refs.

And Michigan didn't play.

4-07-2009 @ 1:37AM

nabpdcop said...

Hey DenASS, do me a favor and STOP CRYING. The better team WON the game. Better players, better coach, faster team, bigger team. Should I spell it out for you. MSU played great for three weeks, end of story.

4-07-2009 @ 12:34AM

Hubert said...

Way to go HEELS. You have been my team since 1955-56. God was good to you tonight.
No one got injured on either team. The Spartans played a good game, but the Tar Heels were just to powerful.

4-07-2009 @ 2:01AM

Magic said...

yeah right, North Carolina beat them in Michigan December 3rd, 98-63, if coach for carolina wanted to they could have won by 35 again. Caolrina was not tryign to run up the score and showed respect by slowing the ball down int he 2nd half. Michigan State got this far cause of the refs in the previous game show justice is now served.

4-07-2009 @ 11:20AM

guspros said...

As a diehard Spartan fan I take my hat off to the Tar Heels. They were the much superior team last evening and we were blessed to be in the finals with a chance to upset them. From the opening tip it was evident the night belonged to Carolina. My Spartans were outmatched, outgunned and totally star-struck. North Carolina is loaded with quality players and they all showed up last night. Maybe our Spartans will learn from this loss like Carolina learned from their loss last year to Kansas. It would be great to see them come back next year to once again compete in the "Terrific 2" final game!!!