The North Carolina Tar Heels are NCAA Champions for the fifth time in college basketball history for many reasons, but one sticks out more than the others.
The Tar Heels’ nucleus -seniors Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green and juniors Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington – all tested the NBA draft waters in 2008, but decided to return to college to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a national championship.
The members of the ‘Fab Four’ would have been drafted, and some could have been preparing for the NBA playoffs while watching March Madness on television.
However, the group led by two-time national champion head coach Roy Williams decided to postpone the Cadillac Escalades, late nights at the club, endorsement deals and new houses for 10 a.m. classes and the NCAA Tournament.
Usually, coaches don’t expect top recruits to stay more than one year, let alone two. The Tar Heels, however, had Hansbrough on their squad for four years, resulting in four selections to the All-America team for the 6-9 forward.
Lawson’s toe injury gave fans a reason to doubt the Tar Heels at the beginning of the NCAA Tournament, but Lawson and his teammates pushed their critics aside and finished the job. UNC rolled through a March Madness that was dominated by power conferences, winning all six games by a combined 121 points and each game by double-digits.
Michigan State fans were excited to see the Spartans play in the Final Four in Detroit, which spurred the team to defeat Connecticut, 82-73, on Saturday. But they ran into a team that was all business Monday.
The Tar Heels had already pummeled the Spartans, 98-63, Dec. 3 at Ford Field. Revenge was in the minds of Michigan State until it was punched in the mouth by a Tar Heels team that proved why it was the top-ranked team when the season started.
When players come back to school and set their eye on the prize, like this bunch did, it does opponents no good. Before the Spartans knew it, they were down 55-34 at halftime. The 55 points scored by the Tar Heels were the most ever scored in the first half of the title game.
Michigan State had a great run in the Big Dance, knocking off Southern California, Kansas, Louisville and Connecticut en route to the title game, but North Carolina’s athleticism and speed stunned the Spartans, resulting in their 89-72 defeat.
North Carolina had to be completely focused this season, considering it couldn’t have called this season a success unless they cut down the nets in Detroit. The Tar Heels must have felt exhilarated and relieved when they were putting on their championship T-shirts and hats.
The championship was not a surprise to most college basketball fans, as North Carolina was the No. 1 team in the country at the start of the season. This created a lot of pressure for Williams’ squad, but it finished the year on top of the college basketball world despite a few hiccups during the regular season.
College basketball loses a lot of great players to the NBA because they enter the draft well before their eligibility runs out. However, the 2008-2009 Tar Heels should be a prime example of what can happen if players stay in school.
Hansbrough and Green are done wearing Carolina blue, but Lawson and Ellington – the Final Four Most Outstanding Player – are juniors and could have another season of NCAA basketball. The consensus, however, is that they will take the next step and go to the NBA with their two senior teammates.
Hansbrough, the ACC’s all-time leading scorer, has been a wonderful player to watch in four unbelievable seasons in Chapel Hill, N.C. His legacy as one of college basketball’s best players should lead to a great career at the next level.
The Tar Heels could lose 11 players to the draft or graduation, leaving next year’s title up for grabs. But don’t count out the boys in Chapel Hill. They may not have the best shot, but they will make their presence felt again soon.
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