This is it. The one we've been wanting to see. The one everyone
has been waiting to see. Carolina vs. Illinois. It's almost
as if we didn't need the regular season and the whole tournament
leading up to this. It was just for ceremony. The Illini
and Tar Heels have been on a collision course since November. At
9:21 Monday night, we'll get to see what happens on the floor.
I went to the UNC / Illinois game in Greensboro last season.
Certainly, that game (which the Tar Heels won 88-81) is not a predictor
for this year's meeting. Both teams were beginning their first
seasons under new head coaches. That game was the first time I
realized how good Deron Williams is. Dee Brown had an off night, but
Williams kept the Illini in the game.
How will things shake out Monday?
This is what I think I think:
The Tar Heels pulled away from Michigan State in the second half
Saturday when they started contesting shots. Hands in faces. Not
leaving guys wide open. The Spartans still made a few shots, but
not nearly as many. Long rebounds led to easy hoops for the Heels.
The Tar Heels will absolutely have to defend on the perimeter against
Illinois. Their shooters are too good for the Heels not to
contest shots. Even Roger Powell can step out and hit.
Both teams have excellent guards. Jackie has to play lockdown D,
and not get in foul trouble. I think the guards of these teams
are so evenly matched, that they cancel out. If that happens, the
game is won down low. May is better than Augustine, and the Jawad
of Saturday night matches up well with Roger Powell (whom HeelsBlog has
the utmost respect for).
The Illini bench is not as deep as the Carolina bench. Marvin
beats Nick Smith 99 times out of 99. Noel and Scott bring in
opportunities for breathers. David has played hard, and Melvin
has been a key component to this run.
Monday night, one coach will win his first championship in just his
second year at his school. That coach will be Roy Williams.
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Sunday, April 3
And then there were two...
by
jtw3
on Sun 03 Apr 2005 10:49 PM EDT
Dispatches from St. Louis
by
jtw3
on Sun 03 Apr 2005 07:09 PM EDT
 Our own Laura checks in with observations from Day 1 of the Final Four: Greetings from St. Louis!
A few observations from the site of the Final Four.
First, if I hear one more cheer of "ILL-INI" I think I might vomit. There's lots of orange here (and really, who looks good in orange?), too much in my humble baby blue opinion. Walking into the stadium I heard cheers for Louisville, MSU and Illinois, but not Carolina -- there just didn't seem to be that many of us here. But, once we all got seated and the 2nd game started, the Heels found a voice and we did our best to pull them through.
Things got a bit heated (maybe it was just me) during the first half. Could they have called a few more fouls on us? But the Tar Heels showed up in the 2nd half. And oh, was it fun. After the win, when we were headed out through the concourse, my spritely mother started the ol' "Tar!" "Heel!" cheer. It was AWESOME! Now, you know where I get my Carolina fire from.
Today, I'm off to shop and try not to think about the game tomorrow. It seems like all of the ESPN folks think Illinois has the best chance to win. I'm hoping they're wrong, obviously. But how fantastic is it that we've made it this far! What an accomplishment for Roy in his 2nd year! I'll be sending some pictures that we took yesterday as well. You'll get an idea of where we're sitting...
Talk to y'all soon! 
One to go
by
jtw3
on Sun 03 Apr 2005 12:00 AM EST
Yes sir. We'll take that. After what can only be called a lousy first half, the Tar Heels pulled away from Michigan State, 87-71. The Heels outscored the Spartans 54-33 in the second. Nice. Jawad Williams, thank you for playing within yourself again. Not trying to do too much, and bringing it. Keep it up, senior. Sean, you were trying too hard to start, but you found your rhythm and were explosive in the second. Rashad, way to go. Hitting big shorts early and keeping it going. Unselfish and finding yourself defensively. Raymond, the engine that keeps the machine going. A little sloppy early, but keeping it together, setting the tone and tempo. Nice job hitting shots and keeping people going. Contributions from everybody! The Spartans tried to get in Marvin's head, but no dice. Did you see The One try to high-five the player that was pushing him? He is a special player. Jackie, Melvin, David, Reyshawn (with the dunk!), Quentin. Even let the end of the bench see the floor at the end (but no Byron?). I like it. I'll preview Illinois tomorrow. What a night.
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