MBB: North Carolina 83, Villanova 69

[dukie8]

The original post wasn't sour grapes!

Yes, most of us realized the heels were very good at the start of the year.

However it's also been said that it takes not only talent, but a bit of luck to win it all. The heels have met several teams along the way that they probably shouldn't have.

Crocker goes off for 30 against the Cuze and then lays an egg against the heels.

Reynolds looks all everything against Pitt and then becomes an automated brick launching machine against the heels.

MSU has taken out UCONN and Da Ville, both teams, which match-up on paper alot better with the heels than the Spartans do. I guess come Monday night those two scrubs for MSU who had big games Saturday won't be anywhere to be found.

I could be wrong, but I think the heels will rout MSU.

Which teams did UNC face that it "shouldn't have?" Oklahoma was its 2 seed, Gonzaga was its 4 seed and LSU was its 8 seed. That's as chalky as it gets.

How does UConn match-up on paper better than Mich St? I think Mich St, with its 11-man rotation, great defense and best rebounding in the country, matches up great with UNC. Toss in probably 50,000 fans rooting for them and probably the best coach in the country and UNC will have its hands full tomorrow night. Izzo completely outcoached Self, Pitino and Calhoun in his last 3 games. That is damn impressive.

[moonpie23]

sorry, 8, but ....exactly WHEN has UNC had it's 'hands full" since this tourny started? they have faced up with just about every defensive arrangement and still just scored, scored, scored...


i can't see coaching being the "weak spot"...


roy has got himself a rocket ship, and the only team that can beat them now is unc...

[ncexnyc]

Which teams did UNC face that it "shouldn't have?" Oklahoma was its 2 seed, Gonzaga was its 4 seed and LSU was its 8 seed. That's as chalky as it gets.

How does UConn match-up on paper better than Mich St? I think Mich St, with its 11-man rotation, great defense and best rebounding in the country, matches up great with UNC. Toss in probably 50,000 fans rooting for them and probably the best coach in the country and UNC will have its hands full tomorrow night. Izzo completely outcoached Self, Pitino and Calhoun in his last 3 games. That is damn impressive.

It's fine to talk about seed numbers, but we all know it's the personel match-ups that really make the difference.

Oklahoma beat the Orangemen, because Crocker had a once in a lifetime game. The kid was MIA in their game against the heels as was just about every other Sooner except the Terminator. I really would have prefered the heels against the Cuze.

Are you telling me you don't think the trio of Blair, Young, and Fields wouldn't have been more of a challenge for the heels than Nova was yesterday?

I concede that Izzo is a great big game coach, but he has only what amounts to 1 1/2 days to prepare his team for the heels. Can the Spartans slow the heels down so it resembles one of those ugly Big 10 games? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[AnimalFriendly]

Ok, putting aside 1991 when Duke came back from the previous year's blowout from UNLV to beat them in the Final 4 onto the NC since it was two different years. Can anyone remember the last time a team lost to the team it's facing in a championship game in a blow out during it's season, only to come back in that year's championship game and win???? This look's to be the scenario we will see between MSU and UNC.

Closest thing I can remember is UNC losing, albeit in a very close game, to Michigan in December 2002 then winning the NCAAs vs. them in 2003. UNC also won vs. Indiana in the 1981 season & Michigan in the 1989 season only to lose vs. each team when playing them in the NCAAs same season. Maybe Villanova lost sometime during the 1985 regular season to Georgetown - not sure. Or maybe Kansas lost to Oklahoma sometime during 1988 season.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

Part one: Absolutely I'm saying that. Teams get up for Duke more than they do for Carolina, regardless of the venue.

Now that's some funny stuff, I don't care who you are...

UNC is a very interesting team. They beat down a good Villanova team and really didn't play well offensively beyond solid outside shooting. The defense was down right tough. Vill didn't shoot lights out, but UNC forced them to do things they didn't want to do all night. That's what good defense does.

Anyone who thinks other teams that have played the Heels in this run have been laying down is nuts. UNC has played good defense and better offense the whole tourney. No one has been able to defend all the UNC options so far.

If UNC wins the title, it will surprise me. and I hope they do. I have thought all year that they make too many mental mistakes to do it, but their overrall talent level has allowed them to push past those mistakes...so far.


I just want to see them put together a complete game one time, smart play with max effort...it would get ugly for a title game if they do.

DG almost took himself out of the game last night with 3 stupid early fouls, that's the sort of thing I'm talking about.

I expect this to be a physical title game. I just hope the refs call the pushes, bumps and hacks that give the offending guy an advantage. I don't mind seeing strong, tough play, but they need to draw the line at allowing it to take away a player's ability to make a play. College Basketball has lost enough of the finesse game already.

Note: I'm on the road and probably won't be able to post this week...will be around next week.

Go Heels!

[captmojo]

Note: I'm on the road and probably won't be able to post this week...will be around next week.

There are no tarpon on the road. Careful not to get run over. Cast from the ditches. I keed, I keed!

You probably have it won. Your boys got through the first game in the venue looking comfortable. Unfortunately, I expect this comfort to continue, but it is not going to be easy when you consider the defensive competition you must face now. This ain't your December Spartans now.

[_Gary]

Now that's some funny stuff, I don't care who you are...

Anyone who thinks other teams that have played the Heels in this run have been laying down is nuts.

Ah, now there's the Wheat I've known and loved for the last 10 years or so. Snippy remarks don't negate what I see with my eyes (and I have 20-15 vision). Teams don't get up for UNC like they do Duke. I've seen this over and over and over for at least the last decade and there's just no doubt about it. Don't expect Heel fans to acknowledge it though, so I'm not disappointed in you.

I think UNC has played better defense than they did during most of the regular season, but they aren't playing lights out defense by any standards (don't think they can do that - it's just not in their "genes"). But I do concur with those that say the Heels have had very, very favorable matchups throughout the tournament. It's not about chalk, by any stretch. It's about matchups and the Heels haven't faced anything close to a bona fide contender yet. And the teams they have played have shot horribly from the outside, and only a minor portion of it has had to do with their D. Teams are getting good looks from outside and just not hitting.

I'm positive MSU will lay down for UNC. If, by some miracle, they do show up and actually give the Heels a run for their money early on, I fully expect the refs to start calling the game tight - and we all know which team that will favor.

Gary

[dukie8]

It's fine to talk about seed numbers, but we all know it's the personel match-ups that really make the difference.

Oklahoma beat the Orangemen, because Crocker had a once in a lifetime game. The kid was MIA in their game against the heels as was just about every other Sooner except the Terminator. I really would have prefered the heels against the Cuze.

Are you telling me you don't think the trio of Blair, Young, and Fields wouldn't have been more of a challenge for the heels than Nova was yesterday?

I concede that Izzo is a great big game coach, but he has only what amounts to 1 1/2 days to prepare his team for the heels. Can the Spartans slow the heels down so it resembles one of those ugly Big 10 games? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

What does "it's the personel [sic] match-ups that really make the difference" mean? You complained that the "heels have met several teams along the way that they probably shouldn't have," which doesn't make any sense given the fact that they had chalk opponents until last night. Were you expecting Pitt and UConn to have been stuck in their region as 2 and 3 seeds?

Oklahoma beat Syracuse because Crocker had a career night? Did you miss Griffin going 12-15 for 30 points and 14 rebounds? How about Syracuse shooting 29% from 3-point range? Or Syracuse getting outrebounded 35-26? You might have "preferred" Syracuse but UNC would have murdered that sleepy zone they sit in.

Yes. Did you watch Pittsburgh's games in the NCAAT? They looked terrible against E Tenn St (it was a 2 point game with 4 minutes to go against a 16 seed), they looked terrible against Ok St (it was a tie game with 2:42 to go), they should have lost to Xavier (they were losing with 23 seconds to go) and they did lose to Villanova. Do you actually think that a team that had played that poorly all tournament was going to give UNC (a UNC team that is playing its best basketball all season) a game?

Izzo had the same short amount of time to prepare for Louisville, the team that was the #1 #1, and Mich St completely outplayed them. I don't know if Mich St can beat UNC but I like their chances against UNC over any other in what amounts to a home game for them.

[ncexnyc]

What does "it's the personel [sic] match-ups that really make the difference" mean? You complained that the "heels have met several teams along the way that they probably shouldn't have," which doesn't make any sense given the fact that they had chalk opponents until last night. Were you expecting Pitt and UConn to have been stuck in their region as 2 and 3 seeds?

Oklahoma beat Syracuse because Crocker had a career night? Did you miss Griffin going 12-15 for 30 points and 14 rebounds? How about Syracuse shooting 29% from 3-point range? Or Syracuse getting outrebounded 35-26? You might have "preferred" Syracuse but UNC would have murdered that sleepy zone they sit in.

Yes. Did you watch Pittsburgh's games in the NCAAT? They looked terrible against E Tenn St (it was a 2 point game with 4 minutes to go against a 16 seed), they looked terrible against Ok St (it was a tie game with 2:42 to go), they should have lost to Xavier (they were losing with 23 seconds to go) and they did lose to Villanova. Do you actually think that a team that had played that poorly all tournament was going to give UNC (a UNC team that is playing its best basketball all season) a game?

Izzo had the same short amount of time to prepare for Louisville, the team that was the #1 #1, and Mich St completely outplayed them. I don't know if Mich St can beat UNC but I like their chances against UNC over any other in what amounts to a home game for them.

Of course I didn't miss Griffin having a huge game against Syracuse, it's a given. Those who watch the games know it's usually some unsong kid who steps up and makes the difference between two evenly matched clubs and especially if we're talking about an upset. Crockers 30 was without a doubt the difference in that game. Yes, Boeheim's boy's shot terribly and that is exactly what I'm talking about, as again the majority of those shots were WIDE OPEN looks, shots Cuze has been burying all season long.

Yes, I totally agree with you that Pitt didn't look very good in these past few weeks, but we're talking about on paper and what appears to be the best potential match-up against the holes. Nova didn't exactly blow away Pitt and I believe Pitt's bigs would have been more of a challenge to the holes than Nova was. Again Nova rode Reynolds over Pitt and the kid was absolutely horrible yesterday.

Hopefully we will both be smiling after tomorrow night. I just don't believe some unknown back-up is going to step-up and shine.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

It's about matchups and the Heels haven't faced anything close to a bona fide contender yet. And the teams they have played have shot horribly from the outside, and only a minor portion of it has had to do with their D. Teams are getting good looks from outside and just not hitting.

I'm positive MSU will lay down for UNC. If, by some miracle, they do show up and actually give the Heels a run for their money early on, I fully expect the refs to start calling the game tight - and we all know which team that will favor.

Gary

The "snippy" remark was just that. I've heard UNC fans say the same thing about the Heels for many years. Everybody plays hard against us...Whyaaaaa! It's all a bunch of bull and seems to show up after somebody loses. If you want to be the best, strap on the target and face the music. Accept the other teams challenge, expect their best, every time. Don't cry when you get it. Just play.

I certainlty don't expect MSU to lay down. UNC will have to play well to win.

Good teams create matchup problems. Every team that has faced UNC has faced a matchup problem.
See a pattern there? This a a very good UNC team. There is not a team in college basketball that UNC does not match up well with this year.

And I doubt Oklahoma and Villanova would agree that they were not "bona fide" contenders. but if you are right, I guess at the least you are saying Duke couldn't beat a team that wasn't even a bona fide contender? I don't buy that.

I start a tournament tomorrow from Alabama, daylight to dark stuff all week and the weather is not going to exactly be nice. I shouldn't even be up this late...We'll have all offseason to debate the season, I'll be around no matter the outcome tomorrow night.

[Greg_Newton]

This a a very good UNC team. There is not a team in college basketball that UNC does not match up well with this year.

The scariest thing about this years UNC team to me is that they have a 1st team All-American (Hansboro), a lottery pick (Davis), a legitimate ACC starting center (Thompson) and a mobile 7-footer (Zeller) all in the post... yet what's been making them so dominant recently has been their guard play (Lawson/Ellington/Green).

They just don't have any weaknesses.

[eddiehaskell]

They just don't have any weaknesses.

I would say it's their bench, but then again, with Davis, Zeller, Frasor and Drew I can't say it's all that bad. Heck, those 4 could probably start for many ACC teams.

[shoutingncu]

If I'm understanding much of this thread... not only did the teams that UNC played lay down, but the teams that UNC didn't play (Syracuse, Pitt) also laid down to make the path easier.

Wow, teams must love UNC even more than they hate Duke. Or do teams hate Duke so much that they'd give UNC the easiest path to a possible championship, knowing how much that would bother the Blue Devils?

[Matches]

I would say it's their bench, but then again, with Davis, Zeller, Frasor and Drew I can't say it's all that bad. Heck, those 4 could probably start for many ACC teams.

Their weakness is, as it has always been, their defense. When they give max effort on D they play it very well, but they don't always give max effort. The bench isn't that deep but it really doesn't need to be with a starting five like they have. I expect a seven man rotation tonight with Drew and Frasor really being the only significant contributors, and that works just fine.

[RelativeWays]

This is getting stupid. UNC played who they played (usually the highest possible seed for that matchup) and you can't blame them because Louisville, UConn or Pitt didn't hold up their end of the bargain. Simply saying that their opponents just laid down for them is just as disingenuous as those IC fans who tried to say UNC didn't really want to win the ACC title. This is the best UNC has played all year. They're shooting well and while their defense is better, its their rebounding and limiting their second chance opportunities thats the real difference. UNC played to their strengths. They'd get a rebound, clear it out for a quick layup. The Zags, OU and Nova started to panic a bit when UNC started to outpace them and forced them to take outside shots that wouldn't fall. When UNC was picked preseason number 1, it was this team that everyone was envisioning, not the one that struggled with UMD, BC and FSU.