Archive for the ‘Game Analysis’ Category
Analysis: 1 North Carolina def. 2 Michigan State
1 North Carolina 89
2 Michigan State 72
NCAA final • Ford Field, Detroit
By Doug Tifft
– Leading 31-11 after 10 minutes, North Carolina steamrolled to its fifth NCAA championship. The Tar Heels were the best team in college basketball at the start of the season and dramatically proved they still hold that mantle by dismantling Michigan State in almost every area the Spartans had to focus on.
Analysis: 1 North Carolina def. 3 Villanova
1 North Carolina 83
3 Villanova 69
NCAA semifinal • Ford Field, Detroit
By Jeff Greer
– Villanova never really had a shot in this one. North Carolina’s up-and-down tempo toyed with Villanova’s guards, baiting them into thinking they could run with Carolina. But Villanova ended up taking a ton of rushed jump shots in transition, which allowed Carolina to dominate the boards and limited Villanova’s ability to crash the offensive glass. On defense, ‘Nova’s guards didn’t come up with loose balls as often as they had all tournament, and they certainly didn’t rebound or defend at the rate that they had.
Analysis: 2 Michigan State def. 1 UConn
2 Michigan State 82
1 UConn 73
NCAA semifinal • Ford Field, Detroit
By Doug Tifft
– Michigan State, a team that is underrated on the national scene despite winning the Big Ten and earning a No. 2 seed, gets the chance to play for Tom Izzo’s second national championship in East Lansing, and the school’s third national title.
Analysis: 2 Michigan State def. 1 Louisville
2 Michigan State 64
1 Louisville 52
Midwest Region final • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
By Jim Reedy
– The Spartans just generally worked harder, taking control in the second half and gradually squeezing the life out of the Cardinals. No shame for Louisville in falling short of Friday’s record output of 103 points against Arizona, but 52 points on 38-percent shooting just wasn’t going to get it done against a Michigan State that got contributions from all over the court.
Analysis: 1 North Carolina def. 2 Oklahoma
1 North Carolina 72
2 Oklahoma 60
South Region final • FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn.
By Jeff Greer
– Presumed player of the year Blake Griffin won what was billed as a colossal battle against last year’s top player, Tyler Hansbrough. But Hansbrough’s side won the war. Stocked with great offensive players, the Tar Heels turned to Danny Green (18 points) and Deon Thompson (10) to help star point guard Ty Lawson carry the team’s scoring load. Lawson had 19 points, five rebounds and five assists, showing no signs of the nagging toe injury that had slowed him in the earlier rounds.
Analysis: 3 Villanova def. 1 Pitt
3 Villanova 78
1 Pitt 76
East Region final • TD Banknorth Garden, Boston
By Jim Reedy
– Complain all you want that Cinderella went home early this year; thrilling, well-played games like this only happen when the best teams in the nation advance to the later rounds. Here, Scottie Reynolds was the last in a long line of heroes, saving Villanova from a last-minute collapse by driving from midcourt for a game-winning layup with 0.5 seconds left.
Analysis: 1 UConn def. 3 Missouri
1 UConn 82
3 Missouri 75
West Region final • University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
By Wyndam Makowsky
– Ever since Jerome Dyson went down in February, Connecticut has been looking for someone to take his place as the team’s spark plug and most erstwhile contributor. Some nights, it’s A.J. Price, but his play can be sporadic. On other days, it’s Stanley Robinson, who explodes every week or so for a big game. Tonight, it was Kemba Walker, the freshman guard who may be the best professional prospect on the team. He had one of the best nights of any perimeter player in the tournament so far, drilling 7-of-9 shots and picking up five assists and rebounds. His field goal with just over two minutes remaining — and double zeros on the shot clock — to push the Huskies’ lead to five points and keep them in control.
Analysis: No. 1 North Carolina def. 4 Gonzaga
1 North Carolina 98
4 Gonzaga 77
South Region semifinals • FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn.
By Wyndam Makowsky
– What toe? Ty Lawson was the MVP, looking perfectly healthy as he guided the Tar Heels to a relatively easy win. Of course, Lawson wasn’t 100 percent—he needed to come out of the game for retapings and a rest, and he didn’t see much action in the second half—but he was eerily efficient in his time on the floor and showed few signs of duress, scoring 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting and dishing out nine assists. He was instrumental in the initial surge that helped the Heels create some early separation against a Bulldogs team that, at first, seemed like it came to play.
Analysis: 1 Louisville def. 12 Arizona
1 Louisville 103
12 Arizona 64
Midwest Region semifinals • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
By Jim Reedy
– In a Sweet Sixteen that featured an average margin of 16.1 points and only two games decided by single digits, Rick Pitino’s Cardinals were far and away the most dominant team. Attribute some of that to facing an opponent that received one of the final at-large bids and got here by beating a No. 13 seed in the second round. But mostly, credit Louisville for tearing the Wildcats apart, unblinking and unmerciful, over the course of 40 minutes.
Analysis: 2 Michigan State def. 3 Kansas
2 Michigan State 67
3 Kansas 62
Midwest Region semifinals • Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
By Jim Reedy
– Someone please get Sherron Collins some help. The junior guard, one of two contributors left from last season’s championship team, did all he could to carry the Jayhawks, helping them build an early 13-point lead and a five-point lead with less than four minutes left, but the Spartans rallied and Collins couldn’t win it alone.
