Carolina must neutralize MSU's speed and athleticism by playing tough perimeter defense against their backcourt. MSU needs Paul Davis to have the game of his life, and force McCants and Felton to have a tough night from the field.
Tipoff will start in about another half hour or so.
8:53: Tipoff starts, and Carolina's already got two fouls in the game. However, Michigan State seems a little off balance at the defensive end, and if that happens throughout, Carolina will score 90 tonight. Tied at four.
9:00: MSU's quickness is getting the best of Carolina on the offensive end, but their post game so far isn't working. Meanwhile, May hasn't been able to establish anything yet in this game, and it's important to get him started early, just like he did against Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. 8-6 MSU.
9:03: North Carolina at it's finest: making plays that no other team can possibly make. A huge alley by McCants wakes up the crowd. Next time down court (after a block forces the turnover), Felton gets a great pass to Noel for a nice dunk. Maybe they can deal with MSU's athleticism. The only problem I see so far is that they're allowing MSU more attempts under the basket than they should. 13-12 UNC.
9:12: If you like an athletic contest, this will be the game for you. Beautiful plays by both teams. Sean May hit a basket in the paint and gets the foul, but misses the ft. He's still a bit rusty, and takes a break on the bench. A McCants three makes it a four point lead with less than 10 left in the half.
9:21: MSU's rebounding is dogging UNC, which I'm sure surprises a lot of people. Just as soon Carolina gets some kind of leverage, MSU comes roaring back and starts hitting. Sean May also seems fatigued by the pace of the game. A 7-0 run puts MSU back on top, 27-25 with 5:39 left in the half.
9:36: MSU is taking advantage of UNC defensive flops. Carolina is getting some success inside, but their defense is going to be the death of them. Two three pointers by MSU makes it a 35-29 ballgame with 2 minutes left in the half.
9:39: Carolina's using their athleticism to cut this lead. But the missed-shot-and-done thing is getting tired, and Carolina needs some rebounds. They need to stop shooting the trey, as they've been cold from beyond the arc for a good part of the half. MSU leads 38-33.
9:39: Carolina's using their athleticism to cut this lead. But the missed-shot-and-done thing is getting tired, and Carolina needs some rebounds. They need to stop shooting the trey, as they've been cold from beyond the arc for a good part of the half. MSU leads 38-33.
9:40: Halftime. Carolina's shooting went cold at the end of the first half, and MSU outscored them 18-8 to close it. Their rebounding is also surprisingly horrible, and they are getting outhustled on both ends of the court by MSU. They need to come out fast and set the pace in the second half.
MSU is playing smart by using their bench effectively and keeping a fresh man on Sean May. May went 2-8 in that half. That isn't going to work. Carolina's going to need him to produce in the second half on both ends to pull this game out.
10:05: Second half starts, and UNC starts out well. May gets a good shot in the paint, and a turnover gives them a 3-1 fast break to get another one. An Jawad Williams alley gives UNC the lead and a 6-0 run, 39-38.
10:14: MSU and UNC are going toe-to-toe. Carolina seems to come close to go on a run, but then MSU comes up with the needed basket. However, Carolina seems to be asserting itself on the boards, as they're grabbing much needed rebounds. Poor ballhandling though, as they've turned the ball over on a steal twice in the second half. Jackie Manuel has four fouls and has to sit, but David Noel has great athleticism, so he should be able to hang in there with these speed demons. 53-49 UNC.
10:25: Michigan State has gone cold, and they're not been able to produce in the last few minutes. They have gotten plenty of open looks, but they're missing each one and UNC is taking advantage of it. Carolina's doing a much better job on the boards as well, and not allowing MSU a second chance like they did throughout the first half.
Carolina led by as much as 11; they lead by nine now with 11:35 left.
Carolina led by as much as 11; they lead by nine now with 11:35 left.
10:33: Carolina sees blood. They are doing a helluva good job on defense, and MSU can't hit a lick. And now they are pushing the ball down the court and making quick baskets. MSU surprisingly can't hang and execute with this tempo, but then again they haven't played a team that can score like this. Carolina leads 69-56 with nine minutes left.
10:40: I can't believe I'm saying this, but Carolina has ran Michigan State ragged. They look tired, they're playing sloppy, and Carolina's making it look easy right now. Considering MSU hasn't shown a penchant for putting up huge numbers all year I don't see an Illinois-type comeback right now. Carolina ties their biggest lead at 15, 73-58 with 6:53 to go.
10:47: This is a tale of two halves. Carolina's playing the best defense I've seen them play all year. MSU is shooting only 32% from the field. They're still fighting though, but UNC isn't letting up. May gets the basket to put Carolina up by 14 with less than four mins to go.
10:55: Oh man. Carolina's now showing off with back-to-back alleys by May and Williams, respectively. You can stick a fork in this one. 83-68 with 2:00 left.
- Well I thought the Wisconsin game was impressive, but this one was definitely better. HUGE adjustments in the second half allowed Carolina to dominate the boards, get May active, and simply turn this into a sprinting contest, and no one does it better. And the funny thing is, Jawad Williams led the team on both ends of the court through both halves. Not May, and not McCants or Felton.
If you told me at halftime that Carolina would be able to turn the game around like that, I would have thought you were crazy. But they did, and it started at the defensive end.
If they carry that defensive aggression into the national championship game, they'll finish that Big Ten sweep with a national championship.
North Carolina is going to the National Championship Game, 87-71.
Party on Franklin Street Monday night.
10:55: Oh man. Carolina's now showing off with back-to-back alleys by May and Williams, respectively. You can stick a fork in this one. 83-68 with 2:00 left.
- Well I thought the Wisconsin game was impressive, but this one was definitely better. HUGE adjustments in the second half allowed Carolina to dominate the boards, get May active, and simply turn this into a sprinting contest, and no one does it better. And the funny thing is, Jawad Williams led the team on both ends of the court through both halves. Not May, and not McCants or Felton.
If you told me at halftime that Carolina would be able to turn the game around like that, I would have thought you were crazy. But they did, and it started at the defensive end.
If they carry that defensive aggression into the national championship game, they'll finish that Big Ten sweep with a national championship.
North Carolina is going to the National Championship Game, 87-71.
Party on Franklin Street Monday night.