photo - Getty
Monday Morning Point Guard
4/6/09
If you caught any of the Michigan State/UConn game Saturday, you could see that Ford Field in Detroit was electric for it’s hometown Spartans. Tom Izzo has his squad playing at a level even he never imagined, and their magical run has fans believing something special will happen tonight. Something special will in fact occur, but fans of the green and white may not enjoy it.
Back in December, North Carolina traveled to Ford Field as the number 1 team in the country, at the time 8-0, and facing one of its first true tests of the schedule. In was dubbed a “neutral” site, the Tar Heels did battle with Michigan State in a far smaller crowd than what is expected tonight. Nearly 25,000 people saw UNC put on a show, led by Tyler Hansborough scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and Ty Lawson dominating the tempo of the game, with 17 points, 8 assists, and 7 steals. Carolina won easily, 98-63. The Spartans fell to 4-2, and many thought this team could be “good”, but I dare anyone that called them to go this far. If you are just a casual college basketball fan, you have to be impressed with the play of UNC on both ends of the floor. Their players just dwarf their opponents often, and while they have some lapses in defense at times, other times they seem to be bored on the court. Spartans guard Kalin Lucas told the media after the 35 point loss, they were embarassed. Many of Michigan State’s players families and friends were in the stands to see that blowout. So fast forward to nearly four months later, and the stakes are so much higher.
One game, for the national title, and a chance for the Spartans to get revenge on the same court they felt that national beat down. For Roy Williams, he gets an opportunity to cement his legacy as a UNC coach with a group of players he recruited and brought in, and have taken to the Final Four back to back years. This time though, Carolina wants to complete the journey. For as rich as the history of North Carolina basketball is, a win Monday night would only be the school’s fifth national title, having won in 1957, 1982, 1993, and 2005. On 18 different occasions, the UNC program has made it to the Final Four, which now places them on top of the college basketball universe. On the other side of the bench, you have Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, who have been to the Final Four now five times over the past decade, more than any program in America. The Spartans have won the national title on two different occasions, and both times were very special teams. The 1979 team, led by Magic Johnson, played in the epic battle with Larry Bird and Indiana State in a game that changed modern college hoops. The 2000 team was led by Mateen Cleeves were the embodiment of Tom Izzo’s coaching style.
Expect this game to be much closer than the first one, though I believe the outcome will be the same. North Carolina will defeat Michigan State for the national title, much to the dismay of the 70,000 plus in attendance in Ford Field. Even if the Spartans do not win it all, their fans, family, and team have plenty to be proud of, and they had an amazing run this past month.
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