NCAA Basketball Tournament

Michigan State's High-Speed Crash

Ray Holloman — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:07:00 EST

In a sea of green, Michigan State flat out drowned.

At least, that's what it looked like as a crowd one and one-and-half times the population of Chapel Hill watched the Spartans flounder and wheeze from a pace that would've left Usain Bolt doubled over to catch his breath.

There would be no great moral victory, no thumb-your-nose at the economy win that already been scripted by some Disney scribe. And that much is fine. A Spartans victory wouldn't changed Detroit's real problems any more than a cup of coffee would make the ocean boil.

And maybe it did give Detroit something to smile about. After all, for the first time in months, somebody in that city had a worse night than the Big Three.

That was Tom Izzo and a gameplan that made such little sense you'd be forgiven for assuming it was written on Matt Millen letterhead.

About the only thing that went right for the coach Monday night was the one thing he must've secretly hoped didn't, his glum pre-game assessment of his team's chances.

."If we had everybody perfect, the way they played that night," Izzo said earlier of his team's 35-point loss to North Carolina in December, "instead of winning by 35, they could have beat us by 20."

As it turned out following the Heels' 89-72 drubbing for the national title, they probably would've won by 17. And that may have only been because you got the feeling even the Tar Heels were wondering what was on the other channels.

"It was a blur," Travis Walton said. "It was a blur in the first five minutes when they jumped out on us so fast. ... The second part is North Carolina is an excellent team."

Even in this awful economy, the Heels racked up points faster than the national debt could grow. 22-7. 34-11. 59-36. Before it ever even got comfortable, the crowd was already doing the sort of complex math usually reserved for your taxes just to figure out the deficit..

And yet all the time, Michigan State trying to prove it could run with the Tar Heels.

Passes zinged to nobody in particular (uncannily familiar in Ford Field). What turnovers the Spartans could generate turned into foolish 1-on-3s. Got a 3-on-1? Lob it out of bounds. Twenty-one turnovers and what seemed like more contested shots in the first 10 seconds of a possession than folks on hand watching and the Spartans were just another notch on Carolina's championship belt.

"A lot of them," Travis Walton said aptly. "Were kind of foolish turnovers."

Foolish seemed like an all-too fitting word.

Championship Routs

By the time they were midway through the first half, the Tar Heels were playing only against history. Their 17-point blowout of Michigan State is tied for the ninth largest margin of victory in championship game history. Click through the gallery to read about the other nine one-sided romps.

Paul Sancya, AP

1992: Duke 71, Michigan 51 The Fab Five's first trip to the Final Four was a bit of a Cinderella story, but it ended in a rout as the Blue Devils become the first team to win back-to-back titles since John Wooden's UCLA dynasty

Jim Mone, AP

1990: UNLV 103, Duke 73 But the Blue Devils knew intimately what it was like to wind up on the wrong side of a laugher. Two years earlier, a UNLV team led by Anderson Hunt, Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon routed Duke by 30, far and away the biggest romp in finals history.

Eric Risberg, AP

1976: Indiana 86, Michigan 68: The last undefeated national champion in college basketball history did it with an exclamation point at the end. Even more impressive, the Hoosiers actually trailed by six at the half. This would be the second title game rout for Indiana, which drubbed Kansas 60-42 in 1940.

1973: UCLA 87, Memphis 66 How could it not have been a runaway victory when UCLA star Bill Walton was this good? The center score a still championship game record 44 points as the Bruins won the last of seven straight titles and the ninth of John Wooden's career, humbling relative upstart Memphis State.

1969: UCLA 92, Purdue 72 Not only could no one stop the UCLA dynasty with Lew Alcindor in the center, no one could even come close. The Bruins won three title games with Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, by an average of 19 points. Alcindor score 37 in his farewell in 1969.

1968: UCL8 78, North Carolina 55 This time, the Tar Heels finished on the wrong side of a historic drubbing. Dominated by Alcindor, who scored 34 points in his junior season, Dean Smith's second Final Four team trailed by 10 points at the half and gave up 46 in the second stanza.

1960: Ohio State 75, Cal 55: The Jerry Lucas-led Buckeyes jumped out to an 18-point halftime lead in this halftime drubbing. The best seat in the house belonged to a future coach. Reserve Bob Knight missed his only field goal attempt for the Buckeyes and picked up a single foul.

1952: Kansas 80, St. John's 63: Led by Clyde Lovellette, one of the great big men in NCAA history, the Kansas Jayhawks won their first national time in dominant fashion. The 6-foot-10 tower Lovellette scored a then-record 141 points in the tournament. But despite the rout, Jayhawk reserve Dean Smith didn't register a single field goal attempt.

Yeah, Michigan State ran with the Heels, as the Spartans wanted, but only in the way a bug drives with a car's windshield. The Heels glided on ice. The Spartans forgot their skates.

Why Michigan State thought it could run with a team with the nation's eighth fastest tempo is anyone's guess, other than a belief that it was Big Ten defenses alone that had turned a world class sprinting game into the 131st tempo in the nation. Even if you believed the Spartans were a greased fast break waiting to happen, it should've been painfully obvious they couldn't keep up with the Heels. Barry Sanders was fast. But even he wouldn't challenge Michael Johnson.

To a man, the Heels were better and faster than the Spartans and it was as plain as the nose on Sparty's face before they ever tipped off.

By halftime, Ty Lawson had matched the NCAA championship game record for steals with seven. The Heels, who had the nation's most efficient offense this season, had smashed the record for points in a half, which does seem like the logical conclusion of multiplying the the nation's best point per possession average by enough possessions to make a team of Stephon Marburys happy.

"We looked a little bit either shell-shocked or a little bit worn down," Izzo said. "You can't do that against a good team."

And yet they did it against a great team. Again. And again. And again.

Maybe it was the adrenaline of the moment or maybe it was the whole storyline of being Captain Detroit, but the Spartans played right into North Carolina's hands for no particularly good reason. At least other than fostering a beating so severe the telecast should've had one of those TV-14 ratings.

Of course, it probably wouldn't have mattered. Not against this team. Not on this night. Not with the talent disparity.

Michigan State had to hope to play perfectly while perfection was just another play in North Carolina's playbook.

But losing the way the Spartans did, trailing North Carolina down the court, trying to play a fast tempo when the only way the odds played in their hands was to shrink the sample size, they looked more like a stereotype of a Big Ten team and less the Big East killer.

They looked bumbling by comparison. Strong but slow, like a pickup truck trying to win at Daytona.

They just seemed lost and uncomfortable.

"I did feel a little deer in the headlights look," Izzo said.

Which was funny. It certainly looked more like a fish out of water, gasping to breathe.

Michigan State's High-Speed Crash originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carolina's Blue Is Gold Standard

Jay Mariotti — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, South Region

DETROIT -- They celebrated together, arm in arm, bouncing and hugging and laughing and ultimately crying as the confetti buried them. It isn't the best time for traditional brand names in America, with even the surest things reduced to chilling vulnerability in a volatile, wacky world. But the North Carolina basketball name, a constant for ages in this country, remains safe and secure.

You might have been bored by it all Monday night, driven to beddy-bye by one of the most lopsided national championship games ever. You might have been bummed that Michigan State, backed by 60,000 fans in a geographically convenient love-in, didn't complete the mission of soothing the collective psyche of a battered city and state. You might have been worn down by the familiar sight of Carolina Blue prevailing again -- ho hum, ad nauseum, bring on baseball and Tiger Woods at the Masters -- and annoyed by the thought of President Obama trash-talking that he picked the champion in his Barack-O-bracket.

Me? I was mesmerized, gobsmacked, blown away.

In a sport of stretched-out parity, no one should dominate a title game the way the Tar Heels dominated a 89-72 romp, minimizing the partisan noise to a shellshocked whisper. "The perfect storm,'' marveled Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who was rendered helpless. Carolina had me at the opening tip, which had to be re-done when Tyler Hansbrough -- the all-encompassing symbol of this tale -- tied up Michigan State's Travis Walton for a loose ball and jumped right back up as if possessed. It was obvious, then and there, that no one was beating Psycho-T and the Heels. "He got his nose busted two years ago, when blood was coming down his face,'' Walton recalled. "So me and him tying up for a basketball and falling to the ground, I'm pretty sure he's gonna jump up real fast. It's the national championship game.''

If you blinked, you missed all the drama. Ty Lawson, playing with a jammed toe the last month, attacked Michigan State for seven first-half steals en roue to 10 for the night. Hansbrough was his physical, efficient self. Wayne Ellington was open and draining jumpshots. The first man off the bench, freshman Ed Davis, played like a force who might be an NBA lottery pick, which is all you need to know about this team's amazing depth. Barely four minutes into the game, Carolina had scored 17 points against an Izzo-coached defense. Soon enough, it was 24-8 ... then 32-11 ... then 43-20 ... then 55-34 at halftime, a gap punctuated by 14 MSU turnovers.

"Stage fright,'' said a disappointed Michigan State guy, Magic Johnson.

"I did feel a little deer-in-the-headlights look,'' Izzo admitted.

Actually, this was about Roy Williams accumulating the nation's elite talent, coaching the dickens out of it -- to use one of his corny words -- and overcoming injuries and doubts from the national peanut gallery to win Carolina's second national title in five years. If anyone doubted it last year, when the Tar Heels laid an egg in the semifinals against Kansas, this is the gold standard of college hoops programs. Everyone else hopes to reach the Final Four. North Carolina expects it. "You've got six NBA players who could be drafted in the first round or early second," said Walton, who committed four turnovers while teammate Kalin Lucas was committing six. "You're really looking at a team that could probably beat the worst team in the NBA."

Championship Routs

Paul Sancya, AP

Jim Mone, AP

Eric Risberg, AP

And while Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington, Danny Green and maybe Davis skip off to the NBA, be fairly certain that Carolina will be back soon. Williams simply reloads because top players want to play in Chapel Hill. Duke? It's no coincidence that Williams has won two national titles and reached three Final Fours in his six years while Mike Krzyzewski hasn't been to a Final Four in the last five years. Roy has defused the power of Coach K, though he wasn't about to take much credit after midnight in his aw-shucks mode. Never mind that he becomes only the fourth active coach to win multiple championships, joining Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun and Billy Donovan.

"Somebody told me if I won, I'd be the 13th coach (ever) to have more than one. I have a hard time believing that,'' Williams said. "I mean, I really do. Roy Williams is not that good. But, boy, old Roy has got some big-time players, and that's what it takes.''

The legendary Dean Smith had even better players, including a certain fan in the stands named Michael Jeffrey Jordan. And Williams now has as many titles as Smith in a much shorter time span. Is it possible Roy is better than Dean? Do we dare suggest it? "Roy Williams and Dean Smith don't fit in the same sentence,'' he said. "I really believe that. I'm not being humble. I just don't believe that. I've got an unbelievable staff. I mean, we've been to five Final Fours in the last eight years (including Kansas). When I'm about to mess up, they take care of me. They give me great suggestions, and I get to make decisions.''

Williams isn't the romantic figure here. What's impressive about Carolina is how Hansbrough and others who could have opted for the NBA last spring, as the vast majority of good players do, chose to reunite for one final try. "As I walked off the floor, I told Hansbrough that it was really nice to see a bunch of guys that stayed in school and put winning above everything else,'' Izzo said. "Even though we did have a cause -- we had a bunch of causes -- they had a cause, too, and I was pretty impressed by that.'' In Hansbrough's case, he may have lost money because his pro stock has dropped somewhat this season, but no one was more emotional during the celebration than the most-maligned player in the land. Why people don't like him, I really don't know, but you don't have a heart if you didn't take a look at his tears and smile.

"Sounds like I made a pretty good decision. This is the best feeling in the world,'' Hansbrough said. "It's the greatest way to go out. I mean, what we've been through as a team? But we stuck to it and climbed, and we did it.''

Old Roy loves all his players. But he has a special affection for Hansbrough, a self-made player who has ignored the taunts and crank phone calls to become the quintessential college basketball player. Williams almost broke down and wept when talking about him, but he somehow kept his emotions together. "I can say this, and you guys can choose to believe it or not,'' he said. "I wanted this championship for Roy Williams, yes. And I'm extremely, extremely satisfied. But I desperately -- and it's not war and it's not the economy or anything -- but I desperately wanted this championship for that young man. I know that's corny. But, hello, that's who I am. Let me explain it this way. Yes, I earn a good salary, but if you put $10 million in a pile, and say, 'Roy, you can have that $10 million, but if you take it, you'll forget that feeling you had when that big rascal came over and hugged you,' you guys can split that $10 million because I wouldn't give $10 million for the feeling I had at that moment.''

Latest Tourney Cheerleader Photos

DETROIT - APRIL 06: A cheerleader for the North Carolina Tar Heels performs against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game at Ford Field on April 6, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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DETROIT - APRIL 06: The North Carolina Tar Heels cheerleaders perform during a break in the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the first half during the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game at Ford Field on April 6, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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DETROIT - APRIL 06: A cheerleadeer for the Michigan State Spartans performs against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game at Ford Field on April 6, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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The Connecticut cheerleaders perform during the first half between Connecticut and Stanford in a semifinal of the NCAA women's college basketball tournament Final Four on Sunday, April 5, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Stanford cheerleaders perform in the first half of Stanford's semifinal against Connecticut in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament Final Four on Sunday, April 5, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Oklahoma mascot performs with the cheerleaders in the second half of a semifinal against Louisville at the NCAA women's college basketball Final Four on Sunday, April 5, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Louisville cheerleaders entertain the crowd in a semifinal against Oklahoma in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament Final Four on Sunday, April 5, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

DETROIT - APRIL 04: A cheerleader for the North Carolina Tar Heels supports her team against the Villanova Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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University of North Carolina cheerleaders cheer for their team against Villanova during their NCAA men's Final Four semi-final basketball game in Detroit, Michigan, April 4, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES SPORT BASKETBALL)

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DETROIT - APRIL 04: A North Carolina Tar Heels cheerleader gets thrown in the air against the Villanova Wildcats during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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For a program known as a stoic blueblood, it's remarkable how many tear ducts were tortured. At haltime, when the public-address announced barked, "One of the most recognizable figures in the world ....'' most of the 72,922 fans in Ford Field began to roar. In a shock of unprecedented proportion, Jordan's election to the Basketball Hall of Fame had been announced earlier in the day. He waved to the crowd with the others in his class, including John Stockton and David Robinson, but if you looked closely, you could see his eyes filling up with tears. For most, the Hall of Fame election is a joyous occasion. For Mike, the ultimate competitor, it's killing him.

"This is not fun for me," Jordan said. "I don't like being up here for the Hall of Fame, because at that time, your basketball career is completely over. That's the way I look at it. I was hoping this day was coming in 20 more years, or that I'd actually go in when I'm dead and done. Because the way you always look at it, you can always go and put shorts on and play. Now you get into the Hall of Fame, what else is there to do?

"Look, it's a great accomplishment. It's great the respect everyone is paying. But for me, I always want to have you thinking that I can always go back and play the game of basketball. As long as you have that thought you never know what can happen. You never know what my abilities can do.''

Please. God, no. He wasn't thinking about coming back again, was he?

"No," Jordan said. "But I'd like for you to think that way.''

It was a milestone day in his life, His youngest son, Marcus, committed to play at Central Florida weeks after winning an Illinois state championship. In Chicago, Jordan was shown on a video used by 2016 Summer Olympics organizers to sway visiting members of the International Olympic Committee. Yet all he could think about was playing ball again. Hey, why not a one-on-one, Carolina vs. MSU warmup between Jordan and Johnson?

"You really think he can beat me?'' Jordan shot back. "He couldn't beat me in the (NBA) Finals at all.''

Soon enough, deep into the night, His Airness was celebrating with Old Roy, the current players and former greats like Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. If it felt like North Carolina is the essence of college basketball, the class of the sport, reality simply was sinking in. Accept it and move on to next year, when, surely, the Tar Heels will be ready to win again

Carolina's Blue Is Gold Standard originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spartans Lose Handle on Everything

Chas Rich — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:42:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, Midwest Region, South Region

There's no real secret as to what did in Michigan State in the NCAA championship game. Yes, there was the superior talent on North Carolina. The Tar Heels shot really effectively in the first half. North Carolina could actually make free throws. The issue for Michigan State, though, was their inability to hold onto the ball.

The Spartans turned the ball over 21 times in the game. The poor ball-handling made it easier for North Carolina to go on runs big runs and stopped Michigan State attempts to come back cold.

North Carolina's Ty Lawson, was a big reason for the Michigan State turnovers with eight steals, but Michigan State had plenty of self-inflicted damage. They found themselves unable to control the pace for the first time in the Tournament and threw the ball away numerous times trying to outrun North Carolina in transition.

In their two previous games against UConn and Louisville the Spartans turned the ball over a total of 23 times. They nearly equaled that facing North Carolina. In the first half, the turnovers absolutely killed any chance of Michigan State's chances to stay close with North Carolina. The turnovers continued in the second half, preventing Michigan State from ever closing the gap with the Tar Heels. Even as the Spartans tried to come back, they could not consistently hold onto the ball.

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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Spartans Lose Handle on Everything originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tar Heels Dominate in Detroit

Dan Graziano — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, Midwest Region, South Region

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

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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.

Tar Heels Dominate in Detroit originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Championship Chat

Chas Rich — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:43:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, Midwest Region, South Region

This is it. The last game of the 2008-09 basketball season. Whether you're rooting for Michigan State or North Carolina join is for a live chat at 9 PM ET and stick with us through the night. We'll be talking about the game, how the teams got here, the Arizona and Memphis quests to find someone to take their job, and anything else that comes to mind.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=cdaf773ac0" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;NCAA Title Game 09&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

NCAA Championship Chat originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Repeat Performance on Tap?

Ray Holloman — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:18:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, Midwest Region, South Region

In life, you may never get a second chance to make a first impression.

But if you bomb it as badly as Michigan State did in its 98-63 loss to North Carolina in December that was godawful embarrassing even by the standards of a stadium that hosts the Lions, you'll get months, if not a lifetime, to explain exactly what went wrong.

And if you're the Spartans, you get a second chance to make it right.

At least after you explain. And explain. And explain.

"We're a lot different," said Raymar Morgan, noting that Goran Suton didn't play and Delvon Roe wasn't healthy. "We just had a lot of ups and downs."

"We were a little beat up," offered coach Tom Izzo, in his most optimistic post mortem of the game. "That's the truth. We came off that three games in four days. Even Roy [Williams] said to me after the game, we're hanging in there with five, six minutes to go."

"It was hard watching these guys play and not being there that time," Suton said. "But we have got a chance. I think it's going to be a totally different game."

But Suton might be as much of a minority as those who only buy American cars. North Carolina is the favorite tonight, should be the favorite tonight and has probably already choreographed a little "One Shining Moment" dance.

Somewhere between truth and good coaching, Izzo has blown enough smoke over the Tar Heels to set off fire alarms all across the Midwest.

When asked how he could beat North Carolina, he joked about getting Magic Johnson's final two years of eligibility restored.

When asked how the result would've been different if everyone was healthy, he said blankly that they might've lost by 20 had they played as they did with a full roster, instead of losing by 35.

And when asked about the Tar Heels and their former national player of the year, their reigning ACC player of the year and their other pair of scorers capable of posting a back-snapping stat line, Izzo was blunt..

"I keep saying one-on-one, we're not as good as North Carolina," he said. "I don't feel bad about saying that. I don't feel like I'm demeaning my team. I'm realistic. I'm semi-intelligent. I've watched enough film.

"If we play good and they play good, we're losing."

And Izzo is probably right. Monday night's championship game could be different than the ACC-Big Ten Challenge debacle, but probably only in margin and date. It's just as likely Michigan State ends up in a world of hurt even the Big 3's accountants would wince at.

NCAA Tournament Action

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Yes, Suton is back. But will it matter in any way other than an extra name in the stat sheet? North Carolina has 28 feet of interior presence to rotate on Suton. The Heels locked down Gonzaga's Josh Heytvelt in the Sweet 16, and when Oklahoma's Blake Griffin turned the Heels interior defense into a pile of light blue kindling wood, North Carolina still won. By 12.

Is Suton going to do better than Griffin? Is he going to do a better job of drawing North Carolina's big men out of the paint than Duke's Kyle Singler did when the Tar Heels twice bounced the Blue Devils?

Can he defend Ty Lawson, the point guard whose sneakers seem to run on the same stuff they put in fighter planes?

And then there's home court advantage, the fight for Detroit.

"It's a storm in the city," said Kalin Lucas, making his point meteorologically. "So we're trying to bring sunlight in."

But is home-court advantage going to matter to a team that's gone into Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, kicked its feet up, enjoyed a hot dog and beat the Blue Devils four straight times for dessert? Will 72,000-ish fans add anything more than the 9,314 at Cameron except longer lines in the rest room? The 25,000 or so that showed up for the first event definitely didn't help.

"You know if we're playing against the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan, they out number us," Williams said. "We don't have as good a chance at that one. ...So for us, we're playing Michigan State. I do realize they have a cause. Well, we also have a cause. We want to win a national championship, period."

Will Roe's health matter? The freshman played the first game not long after coming off a nine-month layover following a knee injury suffered in December, 2007. Roe, heavily recruited by these same Heels, is a superb offensive rebounder, but Villanova gouged North Carolina on the offensive boards in the Final Four and still lost by 14. Rebounding alone won't change the outcome.

And there's the idea that Michigan State has improved much more than North Carolina since their meeting, which may be true. But the Heels had the kind of head start that would let Barkley beat Bolt in a 100-meter dash.

And these Heels have improved. Don't think so? Check out the way their defensive efficiency has improved this season, like a steady climb inverse your stock portfolio. They're 16th in the nation now, plenty respectable for a national champion. And that perimeter defense which was cut to ribbons by Tyrese Rice, Jeff Teague, Toney Douglas and Greivis Vasquez at points this season is now sea-worthy tight. Look at those horrific shooting percentages by Villanova and Oklahoma's guards. Look at that fat zero in Matt Bouldin's assist column in the win over Gonzaga.

Of course, in a one-and-done environment, anything is possible and like everyone outside of the Tar Heel state, we'll be hoping the Spartans' moment shines another night.

But Michigan State has to play just about perfectly. And perfect is North Carolina's game plan.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. But you always get plenty of chances to re-affirm it.

Repeat Performance on Tap? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Talks to Coach John Wooden

Will Brinson — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, Tourney Coaches, Tourney Fans

John Wooden is, without question, one of the greatest college basketball coaches to ever set foot on the hardwood. A (seriously) spry 96 years old, Coach Wooden was kind of enough to take some time out of his Championship Monday to speak with FanHouse. From his upcoming Gatorade commercial (it debuts tonight, you can get a sneak preview of it here), to how he feels about the money and attention that college coaches receive, to who he has pegged to win Monday night's big game, Coach Wooden had plenty to say. Hit the jump to read the full interview.

Will Brinson: Good afternoon, Coach Wooden, this is Will Brinson, with FanHouse.com, how are you today?
Coach John Wooden: Fine, Will, good to talk to you.

WB: Well, Coach, first of all, I just wanted to ask about the inspiration behind the poem in your new commercial, "The Little Chap That Follows Me," and the background behind it.
JW: It was given to me when my son was born, and I liked it so much that I had it framed immediately and it's been on the wall where I will see it whenever I'm home every day since then. I just like the thought that is expressed. [Coach Wooden recites the entire poem by heart at his point.] But it represents, I think, what a parent should be thinking about as far as their children are concerned, and it made quite an impression on me.

WB: I know that Gatorade is trying to pinpoint - with the new commercial - kind of a one moment, a "G Moment," do you think that sums up your "G Moment" pretty well?
JW: Yes, I think it does, very much so. And certainly, that's extremely important.

WB: I was curious to know, Coach, what college coaches in the game today do you admire - there are a lot of good ones including Tom Izzo and Roy Williams in the championship game tonight ...
JW: This may surprise you, but this is the first year that I can remember - usually when the brackets are chosen I go all the way through and pick a winner. This year, I said, "I'm only going to pick a winner." And I picked North Carolina, and, now they certainly have a chance to do that. I like Roy Williams very much. I've known him when he coached other places, I've talked with him often. I like his approach to the game, I like the way he works with his players and he's the type of person I think we need working with our young people.

WB: Excellent. Does anyone strike you the same way as Coach Williams does?
JW: I've been very impressed with Michigan State, particularly their half-court play. They're well-disciplined, fundamentally sound and certainly they're a very tough team. You can't take them for granted. I still would go with North Carolina against them because I think they have a little better overall balance and outside shooting.

WB: Sure thing. How about in terms of when you were coaching: who are the best player and coach you ever went against?
JW: Well, there are certainly so many good coaches. I would say the most valuable player that we ever went up against - and I think he became the most valuable player that the NBA has ever had - is Bill Russell. Although I know we played against many other great players too ... I like particularly Jerry Lucas of Ohio State; he's one of the best we ever went up against. And I think I can name many others too. And there were so many outstanding coaches; to pick one over another would hardly be fair.

WB: That certainly seems reasonable. John Calipari recently signed on to coach Kentucky and he's getting a huge amount of money to do that; do you think the amount of money coaches make today has changed the way they do their job?
JW: I think so. I think they're doing it for money -- or the hopes of money -- a little more than they were in the past. And I think that takes a little away from the purpose that they're there to begin with. And I'm not pleased with it, but I don't blame the coaches for changing at all, but it seems out of line.

WB: Kind of along those same lines, do you think the media makes too much out of coaching searches these days?
JW: Oh, I definitely think so. There's just much more emphasis put on it, and it makes it more difficult to live up to it, and I think too much is ... It's still a game. It's not education, it's a game.

WB: Right, exactly. I'd also be curious, when you picked your winner this year, to know how far you had Purdue going?
JW: I had Purdue going the exact amount of time going as they did ... in my own mind. But as I told you, I didn't pick at all, I just had North Carolina going all the way. My daughter, she picked Purdue going all the way. [Mutual laughter]

WB: That's okay, coach, I picked Wake Forest going all the way ...
JW: Oh well, they were good. Wake Forest, they certainly showed it throughout the year.

WB: Speaking of Wake, they have several young players who might be leaving after this year. Do you think the one-year rule is good for college or do you think more college should be required?
JW: I personally think it should be more time. I personally think it should be all the way, for four years. It's not going to be that, I know, but I don't think one year is nearly enough and I'd like to see them extend that.

WB: Well, Coach, I wanted to find out who your pick tonight was, but since you've got Carolina winning, is there anything you're expecting to see out of tonight's game?
JW: I don't think I can expect anything different from the style of play of both. I like the style of Michigan State -- their soundness, their half-court offense and defense I think is outstanding and they're extremely fundamentally sound. But I also feel that North Carolina and Roy Williams' teams have shown that they fast break a little better and they also are sound fundamentally. I believe they have a little better shooting than Michigan State, but we'll find out tonight.

WB: We definitely will ... Coach Wooden, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to talk to FanHouse and for working up a great commercial with Gatorade. Thanks for talking to us.
JW: Well, thank you, Will, and take care.

FanHouse Talks to Coach John Wooden originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michigan State Carrying Big Ten Torch

Matt Snyder — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Big Ten, Midwest Region

Here on FanHouse, I've discussed the maligned Big Ten ad nauseum. For some reason, people just love to hate the power conference of the midwest. Droves of fans and media alike cried foul when the conference received seven total bids to the NCAA tournament -- conveniently ignoring the fact that three of the teams were given double-digit seeds.

After two rounds, I believe the conference was vindicated to an extent. Michigan and Wisconsin advanced, and Purdue went to the Sweet 16. Still, a deep run was probably needed by someone to quiet the critics. Enter Michigan State, participants in Monday night's national championship game.

I don't know how we got here, where fans of conferences are constantly comparing each and always proclaiming theirs superior. Fans of the Big East will likely point to the overall record of the conference in this year's tournament, without factoring in the seeds they received. In fact, considering only Villanova outplayed their seed and there are no teams in the finals, I'd argue they fell drastically short of expectations as a group. Putting two teams in the Final Four from the same conference isn't exactly rare. Parlaying three No. 1 seeds and two 3-seeds into zero participants in the championship doesn't impress me in the least.

You could do something similar to discount the job every conference has done in this tournament. For the Big Ten, though, the only negative you could mention is that Illinois was toppled by Western Kentucky. Nothing else made the league look bad. The Spartans of East Lansing, however, are making the Big Ten look strong.

One of the knocks people like to say about the Big Ten is they lack athleticism. Watch Michigan State play. They damn near ran UConn -- of the vaunted Big East -- off the court. Durrell Summers' rim-shaking jam in Stanley Robinson's face was one of the defining moments of the tournament.

Another knock is they can't score. Advocates of the league, such as myself, will say they play superior defense. People like Digger Phelps like to discount that by saying, "oh, don't give me defense. They just can't score." Yet, there they were Saturday night, scoring 82 points on Connecticut team who only allowed an average of 64.2 per game and leads the nation in blocks per game by a staggering margin of 2.5.

NCAA Tournament Action

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And to touch upon that "don't give me defense" thing, why not look at the Louisville game for evidence that defense does matter. The Cardinals were one of the top offensive teams in the nation this year, averaging 77 points a game. The Spartans stifled them to the tune of 52 points. The Michigan State defense knocked a third of the Cardinals' offense off the court.

Critics could say the league was a one-team conference, and that Michigan State's run doesn't say much about the Big Ten as a whole. Well, they lost at home to Northwestern and Penn State. They lost to Purdue by 18. Ohio State took them down in the Big Ten Tourney very convincingly. Many other teams played the Spartans close. Purdue, Michigan and Wisconsin outplayed their seeds, while Penn State won the NIT.

Teams play for themselves, not their conferences. I get that. To ignore the impact Michigan State should have in regard to the national recognition given to the Big Ten with this tournament run, though, would be short-sighted. It's a strong league, and the Spartans are illustrating just how battle-tested they are as a result of their competition. Will the payoff be a national championship? That's to be settled Monday night.

Michigan State Carrying Big Ten Torch originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Time for Good, Evil in Detroit

Ray Holloman — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Big Ten, Midwest Region

This is only a game.

At least, in the sense that anything with the population of Youngstown, Ohio sitting courtside can be just a game. In the sense that something with a television deal that could bail out the auto industry, the banks and the WNBA in one fell swoop can be just a game.

It's no great moral play in three acts with hugs at the end. North Carolina won't hit the warmup lines in capes and monocle, laugh maniacally and lash poor Lupe Izzo to a railroad track. And that block S in Michigan State's logo stands for nothing more than State, not Supermen.

No matter who wins Monday night, GM will still have as much red strewn across its balance sheet as Ford Field had green it its stands. There is no hardwood superhero on the way.

Superheros are for screenplays. Basketball games have players.

This isn't a battle of good and evil, it's a battle of great meets great.

It's the grab-you-by-the-shirt-collar toughness of Michigan State and the dish-and-dash ballet of a North Carolina team that's marched through the NCAA tournament like Napolean through a Risk game. It's two squads built from the ground up with players that stuck around for a few years instead of treating the college game like a side of broccoli forced on them on the way to dessert. In an era of one-and-dones, these folks might as well be playing shuffleboard during timeouts.

It's basketball in the many ways Dr. Naismith would've wanted it played.

It's a great game. Even without the plucky hero dressing.

No matter how many times you click your specially designed Final Four Jordans together and hope it to be true, it won't save Detroit.

The city's problems are nothing new or nothing that one night will solve. Long tenured Heel Tyler Hansbrough seemingly played AAU ball with Henry Ford, and even he'd have trouble remembering where it all started to turn. But here's a hint, when the city's population began to dwindle, the Lions were still NFL champions.

Michigan State will not help sell cars or stride heroically after lost 401ks. Heck, the biggest contribution to the economy may be the money Ty Lawson drops at the craps table.

And if sports is the answer, why haven't the Pistons or the Red Wings, teams based in Detroit, convinced people to buy Hummers by the six pack? The Red Wings won hockey's top trinket last year and are the best team in the puck-loving world yet again. The Tigers were in the World Series three years ago, and Michigan football ... well, there is at least one valid reason to want to run head first into the Joe Louis fist sculpture.

But for all the problems Detroit has, finding a sports team to cheer for isn't one of them.

Considering tickets for Final Four start at the cost of a monthly car payment and come with bincoculars and a Sherpa at that price, it's hard to imagine too many of those who could afford their way into Ford Field are feeling all that much of a pinch.

But if sports is the answer forget the bailout bill and force LeBron to sign here. Problem solved.

So let's leave the truth, justice and defender of the Chevrolet way somewhere in the fiction section.

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These Spartans aren't some George Mason Cinderella whose whole playbook is pluck. They're good. They're four-star players with a five-star attitude who rebound like you personally insulted each of their mothers when the ball went up. They're not Stephen Curry cuddly. They're every bit the Goliath North Carolina is without the marketing budget.

And forget the economics because you need storylines. There are heroes and good guys and folks you'd want to buy a beer taking the court in green and blue. They won't solve the economic crisis, or save a city built around a struggling industry, but that might remind you that it's not just silver screen characters that can do special things.

And it'll remind you that there are good guys everywhere, even if they don't wear your teams colors.

So instead of a storyline borrowed from a Disney writer's MacBook, talk about Goran Suton, the Bosnian born center who lived in fear of missing shots on the basketball court when he grew up. Not because he had a domineering father, but because there were landmines. In his backyard. Three of them live.

Or Idong Ibok, who is a student athlete in every sense of both words, who studied so hard in his native Nigeria that when he arrived in the United States in 2003, he thought American schools were just too darn easy.

Try Durrell Summers, raised by a single mother who still works overnight shifts at the post office and passes up sleep to see her baby play in the Final Four.

Talk about North Carolina's Hansbrough, who's just one card away from laying down a royal flush on his collegiate career. He's won every trophy handed out this side of the Vibe Awards and has a chance to join the inner-most level of legacy at one of college basketball's most storied programs.

And if not him, then teammate Danny Green, whose mother walked out on his family, leaving he and his father to raise his two younger brothers. Green made it all the way to the basketball promised land of North Carolina, but his father couldn't follow. Danny Sr. spent the better part of two years behind bars fighting a drug charge. He missed the Final Four last year, but after a plea agreement, is in Detroit.

Or Ty Lawson, whose slick moves make you think he's wearing ice skates underneath his sneakers, but who nearly left North Carolina in relative obscurity last year, a loser in the Final Four and a likely late first-round draft selection. His farewell to Franklin Street was almost an embarrassing underage drinking and driving ticket.

There are stories in each, real ones that can actually have a happy ending, not just a happy moment until we move on to something else.

No matter who wins Monday night, Tuesday morning will still be tough for Detroit, for Michigan, and for the nation. Monday's winner won't take the city's soul, it'll just get a championship. Don't buy good and evil.

Because no matter who cuts down the nets, be it Michigan State or North Carolina, the good guys will have won.

Make that, the great guys.

No Time for Good, Evil in Detroit originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tom Izzo Spins a Genuine Tale

Greg Couch — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:48:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten, Tourney Coaches

DETROIT -- It's the phoniness of it all that usually is so annoying.

Teams rally around their trumped-up idea that they don't get respect.

They live for respect. They've got to have their respect.

It's the most shallow of motivational tools, as if winning for winning's sake, or for reaching potential, isn't enough. What matters is that others think you're good?

Please. So I've been studying Tom Izzo the past few weeks, trying to figure out why his naked plea for respect isn't bothering me. Somehow in this case, it seems like something worth cheering for.

Maybe it's this: For Michigan State and for Izzo, it's something real.

The Spartans have been to five Final Fours in the past 11 years, and yet they're the little guy in Monday night's national championship game against North Carolina. They stand for the little guy, too. They represent him in a way that North Carolina just can't in this economy and this time.

Michigan State is coming off as Team Grit, arriving at the mountaintop by work ethic more than skill. Also, it is playing as a home team here in one of America's most depressed cities, and has come to symbolize hard work and survival.

"I do realize they have a cause,'' North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "Well, we also have a cause. We want to win a national championship, period , the end.''

Sorry Roy. Not good enough.

"I said yesterday I love what they're doing, the positive feelings they're putting across this state,'' Williams said. "I love the people of North Carolina, and the positive feelings we can put across that state, too.''

Nope. That doesn't make it either, not here, against this team. North Carolina is here because it is North Carolina's birthright, a program and coach that come closer to perfection than any other. Tyler Hansbrough needs a title to truly be one of North Carolina's all-time greats.

In normal times, that's a fine tale. But Tom Izzo is telling a very real story here, and not just about a team's social symbolism. It's about Izzo himself.

Izzo is just now moving to the top line of the coaching hierarchy.

He'll never realize he's here.

Last week at the NCAA regional in Indianapolis, Michigan State was about to face Louisville and Rick Pitino, and it was clear how much this tournament meant to Izzo. It was a game about his own perceived shortcomings against maybe the biggest name coach. It was about the champ of the Big East, the best and most-promoted conference, against the champ of the Big Ten, which no one considers an athletic conference.

It was about Izzo's hard-feelings toward Dick Vitale and toward Digger Phelps, who he felt, rightly so, had pushed an East Coast bias for ESPN at the expense of the Midwest. They had all but ridiculed Michigan State, giving it no chance. Vitale had said that if Michigan State got a No. 1 seed, he would grow hair.

But Michigan State does not fit its Big Ten image of a hulking, slogging team. These guys are athletes and are tough, too.

"I think sometimes we anoint a league... '' Izzo said. "I'm giving my normal hurrah for the Big Ten because I think too many people, especially some on TV, have abused it.''

Well, Izzo won that game, then beat another Big East No. 1, Connecticut, to get to the title game. Imagine what it would mean to Izzo to take down North Carolina, maybe the biggest college basketball icon of all.

"I've known Roy for quite a while now, since he was an assistant for Dean (Smith) at Carolina,'' Izzo said. "When he got the Kansas job, I kind of watched his career, saw him.

"I was dreaming of, 'Could I ever get a big job?' He was going to Kansas. I was thinking of going to Northern Michigan. It was a little different because he had that pedigree behind him and everything.''

NCAA Tournament Action

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The pedigree. I don't want to play amateur psychologist here, but I wonder how long he has been trying to measure up. I mean, he claims to be 5-9, which can be true only if he's standing on a phone book. He talks about starting his career years ago at the bottom at Michigan State, with one responsibility being to unlock the gym door for Magic Johnson. They became friends. That seems like a fine pedigree, really.

But apparently, it doesn't to him.

"What keeps me at Michigan State?'' he said. "They gave me a chance.

"I have so much more to build. I love the Dukes, Carolinas, Kentuckys, Kansas. I'm not going to see that (level at Michigan State) in my lifetime because they've done it for so many years, but I love aspiring to be those.''

Each team takes on its coach's personality, and what Izzo has brought to Michigan State is a toughness, a team that seems more real world, somehow. It's a dirt-under-your-fingernails type of team playing here in a town that matches.

Izzo is known in the Midwest for his War Drill, a grueling rebounding drill that sees everyone crash the boards without rules, and sometimes with football pads.

So that's the guts of this story. When this party leaves this city, the empty storefronts will emerge again. But for a few days, Michigan State gives hurting people something to cheer for. Izzo has taken his players to see some of the downtrodden area and people, to let his players know they're real.

"We're not carrying them on our shoulders like we're trying to save the world,'' Izzo said.

"We're carrying them on our shoulders because we care, and it's our state...

"But I think it's a cause. Every coach is going to use every single motivational tool you can use. And yet, this is one cause that isn't manufactured.''

No, nothing fake here.

Tom Izzo Spins a Genuine Tale originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to Conquer Sparty

Matt Snyder — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten

With Michigan State looming, the Tar Heels look to avoid being the third No. 1 seed toppled by the Spartans. Conventional wisdom would state that all UNC has to do is play their game in order to win -- seeing as they have superior talent -- but Michigan State is humming right now. So, we'll examine five ways to beat the Spartans, though none of them are surefire ways. After all, we know how tenacious Spartans can be. Check here for how Michigan State can beat UNC.

1. Play a Zone

I'm normally not a huge proponent of playing zone, but I've seen too many teams burned by Michigan State's execution in the half-court recently. They screen well, they pass well, they never stop moving, they slash to the basket, and they don't shoot the three too often (less than 15 attempts per game this season).

Playing a 2-3 zone would eliminate much of the offensive movement which allows the Spartans open looks inside, and force them to take more perimeter shots. Don't get me wrong, they can hit the outside look, but it's not as much a strength as the slashing-and-ball-movement game.

2. Keep Them Off the Offensive Glass

North Carolina is a great rebounding team, but so is Michigan State. After collecting 16 more Saturday night against UConn, the Spartans upped their average to 14.1 offensive boards a game. That's a lot of extra shots for a team who plays such suffocating defense. If you are UNC, there's no reason to allow the Spartans so many second chance looks.

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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats walks off the court after losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels 83-69 during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Wright

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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Corey Fisher #10 of the Villanova Wildcats goes up for a shot against Ed Davis #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second half during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Corey Fisher;Ed Davis

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Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (1) can't move the ball inside against North Carolina's Danny Green (14) and Tyler Hansbrough (50) during the second half of play in a Final Four game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, April 4, 2009. North Carolina defeated Villanova 83-69. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (50) looks to move against Villanova's Shane Clark (20) in the second half of a Final Four game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, April 4, 2009. North Carolina defeated Villanova 83-69. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Bracket shows matchups for the Final Four in the 2009 NCAA menâ€[TM]s Division I Basketball Championship

Bracket results for Saturday night's games in the 2009 NCAA menâ€[TM]s Division I Basketball Championship

DETROIT - APRIL 04: Reggie Redding #15 of the Villanova Wildcats drives for a shot attempt in the second half against Bobby Frasor #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Reggie Redding

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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Scottie Reynolds #1 of the Villanova Wildcats drives against Ty Lawson #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ty Lawson;Scottie Reynolds

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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Scottie Reynolds #1 of the Villanova Wildcats drives for a shot attempt against Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scottie Reynolds

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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Scott Reynolds #1 of the Villanova Wildcats drives against Wayne Ellington #22 and Deon Thompson #21 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scottie Reynolds;Wayne Ellington;Deon Thompson

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3. Take Care of the Basketball and Move It Around

Michigan State's aggressive defense forced 16 UConn turnovers, compared to only 8 assists. That's just awful. In the previous game, Louisville managed 12 assists to go with their 12 turnovers. In order to beat such a strong defensive-minded team -- who is also great at rebounding -- you have to avoid the turnover while finding open looks via ball movement. UConn didn't do it, and we'll see if Ty Lawson and company can change the tide Monday night.

4. Get Back on Defense

When the Spartans push the fast break off a missed basket, there's almost no way to stop them. Between Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Raymar Morgan -- to only name a few -- they have players who can run with anyone in the nation while also being excellent finishers around the hoop. Getting back on defense and forcing Michigan State into a half-court offensive set is paramount for the Tar Heels.

5. Keep Everyone Fresh

Tom Izzo used 11 players Saturday night against Connecticut, with only Lucas playing more than 30 minutes (32). This enables them to maintain their lightning pace on both offense and defense. They never turn down the energy level. The Tar Heels basically use a 7-man rotation. Those guys are awfully talented and in shape, but will MSU be able to tire them down with a frenetic pace? If so, Roy Williams may have to use his bench a bit more early in the second half to ensure his big guns are fresh for the last five minutes.

How to Conquer Sparty originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Izzo Needs to Spark Morgan Once More

Dan Graziano — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:54:00 EST

Filed under: Big Ten

Tom Izzo has used words like "enigma" and "challenging" to describe Raymar Morgan. He has spoken of the difficulty he's had in finding the multi-talented junior forward to keep his mood up, and to play with consistency. In a year of challenges overcome at Michigan State, Morgan has represented one of Izzo's most persistent coaching conundrums.

But after Morgan went off for 18 points, nine rebounds and five steals Saturday night in the Spartans' national semifinal victory over Connecticut, the word Izzo used to describe Morgan was short and simple: "Best."

From the Detroit News:

"He was our best player. I knew we didn't have to reinvent the wheel (preparing Morgan for the game). We just had to go back and find a way to get him to remember it. I told him to watch films of when he was playing good."

There is plenty of such film. At the beginning of this season, Morgan was as good a player as Michigan State had. He started out better than Kalin Lucas, who would eventually be named Big Ten Player of the Year. He was as good a defender as Travis Walton, who became Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. And he was more of a factor at both ends of the court than Goran Suton, who was the MVP of the Midwest Regional.

But he had a rough year, with all manner of illness from the flu to mono, and the result was that he became a mystery to Izzo and the rest of the Spartans. They had no idea what, if anything, they could count on from Morgan from game to game. All they knew was that if the real Morgan showed up, he could be their best player that night -- the player who could lead them to victory.

So before Saturday night's game, according to that same Detroit News story, Izzo pulled Morgan aside and told him how badly the Spartans needed him.

"He's a very quiet guy, and it's sometimes hard for me to find the right buttons," Izzo said. "Today, the button was, 'Ray, I need you.' I mean, all but get down on my knees and beg him. That's what I went to. (It) just came down to old-fashioned begging, and it worked pretty good.

If Izzo can find that button again Monday night, he could be staring at a second national championship. The Spartans will be heavy underdogs against North Carolina, but they have ways to win. They are the nation's best rebounding team, and that's helped carry them to wins over Kansas, Louisville and Connecticut to get to this point. They have versatility on offense and defense. They have home-court advantage with the Final Four being played in Detroit.

And in Raymar Morgan, they have the equivalent of a trade-deadline baseball acquisition -- a player who, if he can play the way he did Saturday, makes them a better team than they were even last weekend, when he was a non-factor.

Morgan and Chris Allen were the only two Spartans who had good games Dec. 3, when they lost to North Carolina by 35 points on the same court on which Monday's championship game will be contested. Morgan had 21 points and six rebounds that night -- one of the last really good games he'd play before his maladies kicked in. So he's had success against Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough and this team of North Carolina superstars. He's unlikely to be awed by them.

That night, Suton was out with a knee injury and the Spartans were playing their fourth game in seven days -- a scheduling snafu for which Izzo faulted himself.

"The blame goes on me for the scheduling," Izzo said that night. "We were dead. You didn't see our real team tonight, but our real team might have lost by 20."

And they might again Monday, but with Suton healthy and the way the Spartans have played for the past two weeks, it's not a major stretch to think they can make up the 35 points by which the Heels whomped them in early December. These Spartans have looked like a complete and very versatile team for the past couple of months even without the help of Morgan. Instead of looking around and wondering when their best player was planning to play like it again, Izzo's players took turns raising their own games.

Now, Lucas and Walton and Suton and Durrell Summers are playing with a confidence they didn't have in early December. And what might matter more is that Morgan on Saturday night played with the confidence he did have that night in December. He's added a scoring option where those were already ample. He's a monster on the offensive glass. And he can be a real weapon in transition, offensively or defensively, which is going to be very important against the high-octane Heels.

All Izzo has to do is find that button again, push it and watch Morgan do the work. If that happens, North Carolina is going to have a fight on its hands.

Izzo Needs to Spark Morgan Once More originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to Heel the Heels

Ray Holloman — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big Ten

Sure, the only thing you'll get better odds on than North Carolina winning Monday night is Roy Williams dropping a frick or two on the sideline, but the Heels can be beaten. How? From tracking Ty to cleaning the glass, here's Michigan State's five-point plan to topple North Carolina.

More Coverage: How to Stop Sparty | Greg Couch on Tom Izzo

1. Know Where Ty Lawson Is at All Times

If we've learned anything in this tournament, it's that, short of handcuffing him to the comparatively plodding Tyler Hansbrough, there's no way to stop Ty Lawson in transition.

The point guard plays like his sneakers run on jet fuel. So you're not going to beat him in a sprint, but if you can simply know where he is at all times, you'll already be ahead of Oklahoma and Villanova. Seemingly every time the Sooners or the Wildcats hit a bucket, Lawson had taken a pass at halfcourt and already whizzed into the paint while his opponent was checking out the replay on the jumbotron. No one has the wheels to stay in front of him, but the Spartans have to have the discipline to know where he is at all times, particularly on out of bounds plays. If you're not sure where he is, follow Clark Kellogg's breathless trail of possibly nonsensical compliments.

2. Take Advantage of North Carolina on the Glass

Don't get confused by the 28-some feet worth of post players North Carolina can run in its four and five spots; the Heels are not a great defensive rebounding team. They rank 118th in the nation in defensive rebound percentage, while the Spartans are fifth in offensive rebounding. Villanova grabbed 19 offensive boards against North Carolina and the Wildcats are borderline church league compared to the way Michigan State rebounds. The Spartans likely won't beat North Carolina on a per-shot basis -- the Heels are the nation's most efficient offense by far -- and they're not great at turning teams over on the perimeter, but they can extend possessions here by taking a page out of the Red Wings' playbook and throw shots at the net until the scrum in front punches it in. On the defensive glass, they'll have a tougher time fending off the Heels' aggressive board-crashers, but if they can, this is where Michigan State will fire up its transition game.

3. Put a Hand, Arm and Anything Else in the Faces of Ellington and Green

If you leave Wayne Ellington open, he will hit as surely as this sentence will end with a period. Ellington, in particular, is a lethal shooter when left wide open while Danny Green has developed into a surprisingly competent long-range shooter despite a slightly awkward looking shot. Villanova left the duo open again and again on the perimeter and the junior and senior lit up against the Wildcats, hitting 9-of-17 from long range. But while both can drive, neither is as dangerous putting the ball on the floor as they are shooting. Ellington, in particular, will take contested jumpers. He's taken between nine and 17 shots in every game since early January with varying levels of openness. Play both to drive and hope someone can rotate over in the lane if they blow past. The only way letting them shoot open 3-pointers works for you is if you've already set up a North Carolina souvenir table outside.

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4. Beat Hansbrough to the Spot and Do Not Foul Him

The only way to defend Tyler Hansbrough is to force him to the bench with foul trouble. Failing that, the best you can hope for is to keep him off the line, if at all possible. Hansbrough is an excellent free throw shooter and has an uncanny ability to contort his body like it's made of pipe cleaners and still get off a shot even if you hit him with a baseball bat. Make him take his chances from the floor, and, as best as you possibly can, beat him to the blocks on defense. Hansbourgh has a nice jumper from the elbows, but if you can beat him to the low block and force him to face up, he's a much less efficient scorer than if he can turn, draw contact and score.

5. Drive, Drive, Drive

North Carolina's defensive inefficiencies are overrated, but the Heels don't block shots and they don't create turnovers on the perimeter, which means if you can spread them out, you should be able to get to the basket. When North Carolina has been beaten this year, it's been by teams with guards who blew past a napping defense. Ellington, in particular, is guilty of the occasional defensive siesta, so drive at him as much as possible. North Carolina's guards can be beaten off the dribble, and if you get lucky, you'll get a few cheap fouls on Lawson or Hansbrough. North Carolina, for all its talents, does not have great depth on the perimeter and the difference between the Heels with Lawson in control or Bobby Frasor or Larry Drew is the difference between you on a bicycle and Lance Armstrong on two wheels. The idea is the same, but the results aren't. Get a few cheapies on the man with the most famous toe in sports and you've got a good chance at slowing the Heels.

How to Heel the Heels originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Study in Opposites

Ray Holloman — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Big Ten

Somewhere in Michigan State's middle-class brand of Michigan hope and mixed martial basketball, and North Carolina's mechanized cavalry of an offensive attack, there may be a similarity or two lurking somewhere.

But you've got about as good a chance of finding it as you do spotting an opposing fan in Ford Field's South Pacific of Spartan green.

These two teams couldn't be more different if one of them came out in shoulder pads.

And, with Tom Izzo, who invited Vikings' offensive line coach Pat Morris speak to his team before Saturday night's win, and whose teams always play like it's fourth-and-goal from the one, that could very well be the case.

What They Have to Do to Win: North Carolina | Michigan State

It's blue chip versus blue collar, a gold-standard tradition versus cement-tough squad. It's a club that proves anything is possible against another that's proof positive that, even in a depression, the rich always get richer.

It's a team that hopes against a team that expects.

Two teams. One goal. One world of difference.

North Carolina was supposed to be here. The product of top-notch talent and top-shelf tradition, Tar Heel fans likely booked reservations way back when they still had a 401k to cash out to pay for the thing. The Heels were a unanimous preseason No. 1, the first in the history of both the coaches' and the AP poll. They returned the national player of the year, their point guard on ice skates, Ty Lawson, and all-ACC performers Wayne Ellington and Danny Green. They're in the Final Four for an unmatched 18th time after stomping through five teams only loosely called challengers. It was an ending as predictable as the sappiest Disney film.

Michigan State meanwhile, is making its seventh appearance, hardly insignificant but barely in the same area code as the Heels. The Spartans started the year ranked sixth in the nation, but were routed by North Carolina in an embarrassing loss even by the standards of a stadium that hosts the Lions eight times a year. In their last game before the NCAA tournament, the Spartans were unceremoniously dumped by eventual ninth-seed Ohio State.

And while they may both be champions, only one puts the nation in national champs.

North Carolina plucks the best players from any state with a flag, all seemingly born with NBA contracts in their hands and agents doing the delivery. Unless Monday's game gets out of hand, none of the Tar Heels that play will be from the Tar Heel State.

Meanwhile, Michigan State was all but built on a Detroit assembly line. Nine of Izzo's players are from Michigan, and all but Idong Ibok (originally from Nigeria) and Chris Allen (Georgia) are from Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin or Minnesota. Most have some imperfection coming out of college. Some, like Goran Suton, survived a war just to get on the court.

Even the game they play bears little resemblance.

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The Spartans rebound like they might go into withdrawal if they go more than three minutes without an offensive board. Michigan State ranks in the top 11 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. North Carolina, meanwhile, gave up 22 offensive rebounds to Villanova and finished 102nd in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage.

They play with an attitude around the rim, as though someone insulted their mothers every time a shot goes up. North Carolina, meanwhile, plays with precision, rarely fiery but always intense when it matters.

Both teams like to run, but the transition game is a battle between a factory Ford and race car. One can flirt with speed if needed. The other is built for it. Led by Lawson, who has 28 assists against six turnovers for the NCAA tournament, North Carolina will run you out of the building and leave your tongue hanging out, and that's just in the layup line. The Tar Heels' 75.6 possession per game pace was fifth in the nation and easily the most among NCAA tournament teams.

The Heels are as efficient as they are fast, scoring an average of 123.7 points per 100 possessions.

The Spartans will run -- ask the Huskies when they get their hands off their knees -- but you no more want to get involved in a track meet with a team anchored by Lawson than you want to get involved in a tug of war with a team anchored by a boulder.

Both teams have big men that can score, but only the Spartans can do it inside and out. North Carolina has 28 feet of interior presence that can score around the rim, but Suton can run the offense from the high post. Each of Deon Thompson, Tyler Hansbrough, Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller can convert anything in the paint into points on the scoreboard.

The Tar Heels have a buffet of scorers in their starting five. Their rotation is filled with juniors and seniors and seems as old and familiar as the team's logo. Michigan State, meanwhile, got 33 points off its bench against Connecticut and is just rediscovering Raymar Morgan, the player expected to lead the team at the beginning of the year. Only Morgan and Lucas stand up to the Tar Heels' offense.

On the bench, the Spartans will be led by Izzo, a coach who has only twice failed to live up to his seeding and minor misses in both cases when the Spartans lost in the first round as a six and a seven seed.

On the other side sits Roy Williams, a coach who finally won the big one in 2005, but is, if unfairly, remembered just as much for cleaning his glasses as the Heels fell apart against Kansas last year and all those near-misses in the Final Four.

And so, through five games, it's a team of destiny versus a team of destruction. A team that finds a way to claw to victory versus a team that can't seem to lose.

Michigan State has the crowd and the feel-good story. They're a can-do message in a state whose unemployment figures are starting to look like Lucas' scoring average.

North Carolina may have everything else, including the confidence of that 35-point de-cleating in this very same building.

But if the two teams involved are any key as to how this will play out, that result won't have much to do with the previous game.

Because in this championship game, everything is different.

A Study in Opposites originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Green Dream Soothes Michigan

Jay Mariotti — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:34:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Big Ten

DETROIT -- On command, when a local kid named Durrell Summers lifted off and nearly decapitated Stanley Robinson with a vicious dunk, a moving wave of green-swept humanity rose and rocked. Yes, your honor, this was a ridiculous homecourt advantage, a home-FIELD advantage of about 45,000 local crazies in a 72,500-seat football stadium, an advantage in ways freakishly unprecedented in the fiercely neutral extravaganza known as the Final Four.

Ford Field is guilty as charged.

And not a soul with a conscience should complain about it.

Final: Michigan State 82, UConn 73 | Final: UNC 83, Villanova 69

A dying city and troubled state have been pumped with life, joy and fun by a college basketball team. That's all anyone should care about today, regardless of whether Michigan State's partisan orgy created an unfair obstacle Saturday evening for favored Connecticut. The auto plants are crippled and begging for bailouts. The unemployment rate in Michigan is 12 percent, highest in the land. People are being tossed out of their homes. The former mayor was jailed in a text-message/affair scandal. Crime is a perpetual plague. On the desperate downtown streets, you'll see a homeless person begging on every block. The American economy is diseased, and Detroit is the poster child.

So when Tom Izzo and the Spartans provide a local stimulus plan, if only for a weekend, why should we do anything but stand, applaud and marvel? A good team has transformed into an inspirational, blue-collar team, with Izzo's old-school formula of defense, rebounding, selflessness and physicality fueling an 82-73 victory and a berth against powerful North Carolina in Monday night's national championship game. College programs normally aren't rallying forces in a recession, but in Michigan, the two major state universities always have been vibrant sources of sporting pride. And with North Carolina perceived nationally as a blueblood program that has been to 18 Final Fours, well, let's just say America has an easy decision regarding a rooting interest.

"It was hard to explain the emotion of the day. I told my team that I'm not gonna try," said Izzo, who has been masterful in maximizing his team's talent and rallying the MSU cause around a state's woes. "I felt (the spirit) the day we came here. I felt it at the hotel. I felt it driving to practices. I felt it at practice. We had a pep rally, and I felt it with all the people there. But my favorite time today was driving to the game. You go by some tough homes, tough places. I did make that, you know, the important part of this game. I've always said, as a player, you've got a chance to be a difference-maker, a role model, a chance to do things to make other people smile and other people feel good about you.

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"We are the blue-collar team. This is the blue-collar city. It was just amazing to walk out of that tunnel for the people in Detroit. That was an incredible setting. Yes, there were a lot of Michigan State fans. I am appreciative for that. I hope we were a ray of sunshine, a distraction for them, a diversion, anything else we can be. And we're not done yet, so hopefully we can continue to make them feel a little better and us feel a lot better."

His players are embracing the emotion, too. Star guard Kalin Lucas, a native of suburban Sterling Heights, Mich., listed his hometown as Detroit for the first time during pregame introductions. "Yeah, it was my decision. My grandma, she stays two minutes away from here," he said. "I have lived with my granny before and I've lived with my parents also. So today, I just wanted to represent the hometown of Detroit. I do know people who have had hard times, who have been laid off of they jobs or whatever. It is hard times in Detroit. So we just came out and played hard, played aggressive for the whole 40 minutes for the crowd. We just ran 'em."

"I think everybody is having hard times. Rich people losing their money -- you know, poor people ain't getting no money," guard Travis Walton said. "When you're in this type of atmosphere, you want to play for yourself and your team, but you also want to play for Detroit and your state."

How tough was Sparty amid such a heavy backdrop? We almost saw the first brawl in Final Four memory late in the first half. There was Walton, knocked to the floor under the basket by UConn forward Jeff Adrien, bouncing up with an in-your-face challenge. That led UConn's 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet to push Marquise Gray, and suddenly, the refs had to work feverishly to calm players from both teams. Jim Calhoun, the UConn coach, rushed onto the court to make peace. It isn't often when a Big East brute is overpowered by a team from the Big Ten, generally known for its softness and irrelevance. Such is the heart and fire of Michigan State, which becomes a story for the ages with one more victory.

"The toughest players win," Izzo said. "Everybody has all their great players, and somebody is going to make a few more shots than somebody else. It really comes down to who is going to cut out on the free-throw line, who is going to get the loose ball."

Lest anyone think Connecticut is brooding about the crowd disadvantage, think again. "The 72,000 people quite frankly could have been 7,000 people as far as I'm concerned," Calhoun said. "It didn't affect us. I think it affected them. When they made very good plays out there, they obviously had incredible reinforcement. That probably, for them, made a difference. Didn't make a difference for us."

"When you're on the court, you're not paying attention to the crowd," said UConn guard A.J. Price, whose college career ended with a disappointing 5-of-20 thud. "You pay attention to the game, try to play as hard as you can. It really didn't make a difference."

Like Louisville last weekend, UConn has more talent than Michigan State. This could be a program-changing loss, then, if Calhoun, who is battling health issues and a brewing recruiting scandal, chooses to retire. I'd suggest that it's time to go, not wanting his mounting issues to take years off his life. Have you heard him ramble lately at press conferences? Does he make any sense? Every day, it seems, Calhoun is in another fix -- the latest involving his claim Friday that the NCAA imposed a gag order on him regarding the recruiting mess. "I said a gag order. I was reprimanded about that," he told the media. "Would you please not take everything I say literally, please? I'm trying to do the best I can. I know I'm not very accessible to you. But would you not do that, please? Would you please not do that? I had to say that because, you know, I was asked not to say it. And they're right. I've just been asked not to speak to the facts of the case."

So why come back? Late in the night, he sounded like a man who might not return. "Some of the things, some of the disappointments I've had, particularly over the past couple weeks, some people that I really care about who -- benefit of the doubt is usually what I try to give to most people," said Calhoun, addressing one media member in particular, apparently a Hartford writer. "I think you and I go back a long way, we probably had a couple of spats, and I always try to give you the benefit of the doubt after we have our spats. I don't think with a lot of people who I care about, like, respect, I don't think they've ever given me the benefit of the doubt. For that, it's a personal thing."

Next came a shot at two other writers -- possibly the Yahoo! Sports team that broke the stories about alleged recruiting improprieties. "I probably shouldn't be expressing it, but that's just who I am. I couldn't be more disappointed in two people who just jump in and all of a sudden become the expert on who Jim Calhoun is," he said. "That's incredibly disappointing to me. And it would be to you, too, by the way. It would be to you because you have respect for them. Then you see the fact that they, in turn, say things without any factual basis whatsoever and just jump along.

"So those kind of things -- that's why (former North Carolina coach) Dean Smith told me at 67, he got out. It wasn't basketball. It was the other things. He wasn't winning enough championships. He was getting too old. I do love the kids, love the game. I don't plan to go anyplace. But I'm going to give it a lot of reflection, maybe more reflection than normal, because of that."

The dark clouds over Connecticut, where Calhoun blundered last month by fumbling a question about his $1.6-million pay in the current economy, are in stark contrast to the sunshine in The Izzone. If Detroit has quivered for days, might the city explode in glee Monday night? "I think that Tommy has done a masterful job of putting the woes of the auto industry and Detroit and Michigan on his back," Calhoun said. "I never thought they could do what they did to Louisville. I honestly mean that."

And what will it be like for Izzo to wake up Monday morning and play for a national championship 90 miles from campus? "I'm not sure that's registered yet," he said. "I'm trying to make sure my team realizes that the goal of great programs is to win the weekend, not win the game. We've got another game to play. I was on the CBS show after the game, and they were waiting and waiting. I think (broadcaster) Jim Nantz felt like, 'I'm keeping this guy forever.' I said, 'Jim, chill out. I can stand here for another day. If we can prolong our game and play it later, I don't mind standing here at all.'

"The day was surreal. And now it all turns to scouting and seeing if we can make the dream, the miracle, everything come true one final time."

If they do, it will be a vintage example of sports and young people healing human pain. Astonishingly, Detroit feels like paradise right now.

Green Dream Soothes Michigan originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For UConn, Death by Guard Play

Chas Rich — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:09:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Big Ten, Midwest Region, West Region

Specifically, the Huskies' own guards killed them against Michigan State. In one of those nights where the stats do not lie, A.J. Price, Kemba Walker and Craig Austrie were every bit as miserable as their numbers suggested. They took 29 of the Huskies 59 shot attempts, but only scored 26 of UConn's 73 points.

Sadly that includes points from free throws.

Credit Michigan State's defense.

The Spartans were aggressive and would not give A.J. Price and the guards clear lanes to the basket. The Spartans knew that UConn does not take many 3-pointers, so they packed it in to force long jumpers or well-contested shots. The Spartans did everything they could to keep it from getting inside to Hasheem Thabeet or Jeff Adrien. Wisely gambling on being able to contain UConn's guards.

That said, a lot has to fall on the UConn guards. They shot miserably the entire game. Whether it was from the field, or at the free throw line. Fans will look at the box score and just wonder what if.

Price shot a dismal 5-of-20, and only had one assist. The more shots he missed, the more frustrated he became.

Kemba Walker only took five shots in the game, making only one. His problem was an inability to make free throws. Walker was a 75 percent shooter from the stripe for the season. Tonight, he could only shoot 3-of-9. Whether it was the pressure of the big game on the freshman, or playing for the first time on the floating center court in a football stadium. He had no one to blame but himself for that.

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For UConn, Death by Guard Play originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spartans Tame the Beast

Dan Graziano — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:43:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Big Ten

Here's a question to nibble on between games: Where would Michigan State have finished in the Big East?

Remember the Big East? The monster conference of all-time? The beast? The 16-team behemoth that grabbed three of the four No. 1 seeds in this tournament? That just 10 days ago had a chance to have four teams in the Final Four?

Well, the champions of the Big Ten have just taken out two of those No. 1 Big East seeds en route to the NCAA title game, in which they will play the winner of tonight's Villanova-North Carolina game Monday night. They've done it with grit and toughness and hard-core rebounding -- qualities we normally associate with the Big East but of which Michigan State has brought truckloads to this tournament.

Michigan State 82, UConn 73: Recap | Box Score

It's the Durrell Summers dunk that we'll all remember, and for good reason. It was nasty, loud, violent and history-making-ly awesome. Incredible that the ball went down. Incredible that Stanley Robinson's hand didn't break off between ball and rim (because Robinson got a LOT of ball). Kind of incredible that no foul was called. But just a tough, dominant play -- the kind that tells your opponent and everybody watching that you and your team are not going to be outworked or out-toughed.

Michigan State is scary tough. They have a tournament-tough coach who's got them all kneeling at the altar of the almighty rebound. They don't make many shots, but when they miss they go and get that ball. They send at least four and often five to the glass on every shot, steadfast in the belief that rebounding is one of those aspects of the game subject not to the whims of fate but instead to the competitive determination of your players.

You can shoot too much, and you can pass too much, but you can't rebound too much. Teams like Michigan State and Pittsburgh, who believe this to their core and play as if it's gospel, are tough, mean and miserable to play against. It's no coincidence that three of Connecticut's five losses this year were to those two teams. The Huskie had more talent than the Spartans, and more depth. But they couldn't match them in toughness. So far in this tournament, no one has.

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Goran Suton, such a factor in the regional, was somewhat neutralized in this one. No matter. Raymar Morgan, neutralized for the past two months, came up with 18 points and eight rebounds. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year, went off for 21. Korie Lucious hit big shots. Draymond Green morphed, according to a frenzied Clark Kellogg, into a dancing bear.

And really, how can you game plan for a dancing bear?

By the end of the first half, the North Carolina fans at Ford Field had adopted the Spartans, perhaps believing it best for their own chances Monday if the Huskies went home. But assuming Carolina even makes it to Monday night (and they still may not), they should be careful what they wish for.

Monday will be a home game for a Michigan State team that just took out two of the top three teams from what we all thought was the greatest conference of all time. If it's Villanova they face, well, at least they've proven they can play with the Beasts of the East. And if it's North Carolina, sure, the Tar Heels will be favored. But they'd better be careful. The Roy Williams Carolina teams of recent years -- the teams of drifting focus and lax defense -- would be vulnerable to this never-let-up bunch of Spartans. Some say this Carolina team has tightened it up, and that it's playing defense better than it gets credit for. But they'd need to lock in for all 40 minutes to beat Izzo's bunch.

No matter who it is they face Monday, Michigan State is going to have a chance. They've already proven they can play with anybody.

Spartans Tame the Beast originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tempers Flare for Huskies, Spartans

Matt Snyder — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:17:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Big Ten

Late in the first half of an incredibly entertaining national semifinal game, players from Connecticut and Michigan State had to be separated by officials. The incident stemmed from a hard foul on Michigan State's Travis Walton, where he got a good piece of Jeff Adrien under the basket.

As Walton first fell to the ground, Adrian attempted to push him but whiffed. Walton took exception and swiped back at Adrian, and then an amoeba formed under the basket. Little more than pushing and shoving -- really, just grandstanding, but you can't blame them -- occurred before cooler heads prevailed and the players were separated. Of note, Hasheem Thabeet really looked like he wanted to fight someone (pictured right with teammates restraining him).

In the aftermath, the officials checked the monitors to see if they needed to asses any further penalties than just the foul on Walton. They made the correct decision in doing nothing more than discussing the incident with both coaches.

One thing about this fracas, it certainly sets the tone for an intense second half. Michigan State holds a two point advantage, but this thing is going to the wire. It's been a physical, fast-paced, and well-played game by both sides thus far. If you aren't watching, I strongly suggest you find a way. If not, we have the FanHouse live chat machine fired up and waiting for your participation.

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Tempers Flare for Huskies, Spartans originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Four Live Blog

Chas Rich — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Midwest Region, West Region, South Region, East Region

This is what we have been waiting all week for, through non-stories like Ty Lawson legally playing craps, through analysis beaten into the ground, through the cycling of the coaching carousel. Well, Michigan State and UConn tip off at 6:07 PM EST. We will start the live blog at 6 PM ET. Join us after the jump.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;altcast_code=117bd8c793&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;FinalFour09&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Final Four Live Blog originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Michigan State Can Upset UConn

Dan Graziano — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:17:00 EST

Filed under: Big East, Big Ten

Rebound. Make the shooters beat you. Rebound. Make Thabeet roam. Rebound.

These are the five keys for Michigan State if it's to win its Final Four game. The most important are the first, third and fifth, but Nos. 2 and No. 4 could make the difference if the game is close.

Connecticut has only lost four games this year. One was in six overtimes, so we're going to throw that out. The other three all offer clues on how to beat the Huskies.

More Coverage: Spartan Fans Hit in Wallet | NCAA's Lost Innocence

We'll start with the very first loss -- at home to Georgetown on Dec. 29. Now, given everything that happened to/with those two teams after that night, that game stands as one of the biggest upsets of the year in the whole country. But on that night, the Hoyas beat one of the best teams in the nation, and they did it by messing with Hasheem Thabeet's feet and head.

Georgetown coach John Thompson, figuring (correctly) that Connecticut would defend his star freshman center, Greg Monroe, with the 7-foot-3 Thabeet, decided to deploy Monroe away from the basket. Monroe, a skilled passer and a decent jump-shooter for a guy who's 6-foot-10, had four assists and hit a 3-point shot in the first six minutes of the game as the Hoyas raced out to an 18-3 lead. Thabeet continually drifted out away from the basket to play Monroe, and the middle was open for the Georgetown offense, which ran cuts to the basket with Monroe making the passes.

The result was the shockingly huge early lead and an obviously upset Thabeet, who never got back in sync and finished with just four points (though he did come up with seven blocks once he was able to get himself back under the basket).

The reason this is a blueprint for Michigan State is Goran Suton, the 6-foot-10 center with the sweet outside jumper. If UConn uses Thabeet to play Suton at the outset, it's possible that he could open up the middle for the Spartans' offense by canning a couple of jumpers and forcing Thabeet to come out and play him.

Now, Jim Calhoun is no dummy, and if I can figure this out, I'm sure he can too. My guess is you'll see either Jeff Adrien (just 6-foot-7 but tough as hell and built like a house) or Stanley Robinson (at 6-foot-9, possibly better suited to play Suton man-on-man) play Suton at the start of the game, and that Thabeet's instructions will be to camp out under the basket and make sure nobody in green gets anywhere near it. If Tom Izzo does come up with a game plan that moves Thabeet around, though, a lot of things could open up for Michigan State.

Latest College Basketball Images

Michigan State's Durrell Summers (15) does an acrobatic dunk during the Spartans' practice for the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Villanova coach Jay Wright watches his players workout during practice for the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Michigan State's Raymar Morgan (2) works out with his teammates during the Spartans' practice for the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo watches his players during the Spartans' practice for the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun watches his players during the Huskies' practice for the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet (34) works on his free-throws during the Huskies' practice for the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, center, speaks to his team during the college all-star basketball game at the men's Final Four NCAA basketball tournament, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Washington State's Aron Baynes, of Australia, slam dunks in front of Findlay's Josh Bostic during the college all-star basketball game at the men's Final Four NCAA basketball tournament Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber talks with his players from left, Findlay's Josh Bostic (21), Boston College's Tyrese Rice (5) and Wisconsin's Marcus Landry (31) during the college all-star basketball game at the men's Final Four NCAA basketball tournament Friday, April 4, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Villanova's Dante Cunningham takes a water break during practice in the NCAA Final Four at Ford Field, Friday, April 3, 2009, in Detroit, Michigan. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

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On defense, Michigan State needs to pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses of the UConn guards. A.J. Price has a nice outside shot, but with injured Jerome Dyson on the bench in a suit, Price is really its only outside threat. The UConn guards succeed by driving and penetrating, not by shooting from deep. MSU would do well to assign one defender to Price and then sag with the rest of the defense, closing off the lanes to penetration and forcing Connecticut's guards to beat them with outside shots.

If the Spartans do that, and UConn misses those shots, that leads right into the real major key to the game -- the rebounding. Michigan State is the best rebounding team in the country, and it absolutely must control the boards on both ends if it's to have a chance in this game. Aside from Georgetown and the six-OT epic against Syracuse, UConn's other two losses were to Pittsburgh, which was the toughest rebounding team in the Big East. Pitt outrebounded UConn 43-30 in the first game and 41-40 in the second, and won both games easily.

UConn has size and strength inside, but so did Pittsburgh. And rebounding very often comes down to determination. Pitt preaches rebounding like it's religion, and so does Michigan State. The way they hammered the glass in the second half of their game against Kansas and then against Louisville, the Spartans had the look of a team that wasn't going to allow the other team to win the game on the boards.

If they can get Connecticut into a close game, and they can attack the glass the way they and few other teams can, the Spartans have a good chance not just to stay with the Huskies, but to be playing one more game on Monday night.

How Michigan State Can Upset UConn originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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