North Carolina throws knockout punch

DETROIT — There was a lot of talk about preparation around here the last few days, about how Michigan State’s coaching staff gets its basketball team ready to play big games on quick turnarounds, about how the Spartans have enough video experts to open a film school, about numerous 20-minute sessions for players throughout the day and sometimes late into the night.

Problem: National titles aren’t won on a screen or during walkthrough practices, and there isn’t a tape going that precisely can illustrate the talent North Carolina owned this season.

Expectations can be daunting. The Tar Heels on Monday evening took those that have been fastened to their backs since October and conquered them with an exclamation point that perhaps no NCAA Tournament title game has witnessed.

Not since UNLV pounded Duke in 1990 has a Final Four ended with the level of domination North Carolina displayed in its 89-72 win at Ford Field.

The Rebels that evening in Denver led by 12 at halftime and slowly built what became a laughable 30-point winning margin. This was more first-round knockout.

This was over not seven minutes into the game.

If not by final margin, this is the most impressive finals win in history by other measures. The gathering of 72,922 was the largest to witness a finals game and the Final Four total of 145,378 the most to attend college basketball’s most important weekend. And all but a small percentage sided with Michigan State.

But the idea of winning a title as the visiting team didn’t faze North Carolina, and nor did the idea that Michigan State was playing for a state bleeding from economic woes.

What we saw was a team that began the season a unanimous pick as No. 1 and which many felt had a better-than-even chance at going undefeated. That part didn’t happen, but what was undisputed six months ago remains today.

The best team had the best point guard (Ty Lawson) and, while not as deep as some recent champions, was better than anyone from players 1-7.

"I think the expectations affected our players to (begin the season), because I can’t control families and friends and people around them," Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said. "I just kept talking to them about dreams and goals. This is a great accomplishment."

It was achieved in a blink Monday.

North Carolina advanced to this point in large part because how it opened tournament games, how it jumped on the likes of Gonzaga and Oklahoma and Villanova. Michigan State began the final as if that was the only portion of film it hadn’t watched on the Tar Heels.

You can’t beat North Carolina with good offense. It has to be great, because even on an off night the Tar Heels are going to get 80. Michigan State hardly was great. It fell behind and panicked. Took bad shots. Rushed sets. Settled for jumpers. Turned the ball over 14 times in the first half against a team that doesn’t press.

It committed the worst kind of sin against a great team. It became afraid to fail. On one first-half defensive possession, three Michigan State players properly boxed out their opponent and then watched as a missed shot fell untouched. No one wearing green pursued the ball, as if terrified releasing contact from their man would result in something bad.

Instead, Deon Thompson grabbed the ball and scored untouched for North Carolina.

"I did feel a little deer-in-the-headlights look," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. "I’m sure our players were a little nervous. I felt good we didn’t quit. It was nice the place stayed full to the end when I thought our fans could’ve left.

"We played a damn good team. When you play a Connecticut, there are people you can cheat off of. When you play North Carolina, there’s nothing you can do."

Not when you are hit with the best first half of any final. Connecticut in 2004 led Georgia Tech by 15 at halftime, but it was 21-16 after 10 minutes. On Monday night, North Carolina led by 16 with 13 minutes left in the half and by 20 with 10:21 remaining.

The school’s fifth national title was in hand so early, the only reason to keep watching at home was because you either were cheering for the Tar Heels or wanted to see how bad the carnage might become. The lead never went under 13 in the second half.

UNLV long ago won a title in a dominating fashion but took its time dissecting the prey. North Carolina chose a different route Monday. It needed only one plunge of the knife through the heart of a shocked team and the struggling state that hoped it could find something to celebrate in these dire times.

"We had a cause, a bunch of causes," Izzo said. "But they had a cause, too. I was pretty impressed by that. The best team won. That’s an easy statement to make."

They could have called the thing following the second media timeout.

No amount of film can prepare you for that.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at 702-383-4618 or egraney@reviewjournal.com