University of North Carolina Athletics
Michigan State Game Guide
April 6, 2009 | Men's Basketball
April 6, 2009
By Lauren Brownlow
The Basics
No. 1-seed North Carolina (33-4) will try to win its fifth national title and second in the last five years on Monday night against Michigan State (31-6). The Spartans were the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and are coming off of an 83-73 win over Connecticut in the national semifinals. The Spartans will be seeking their third national title and first since 2000. North Carolina is coming off of an 83-69 win over Villanova in the second semifinal on Saturday night. A win would tie Carolina for the third-most national championships by a program with Indiana, which has five. Kentucky has seven and UCLA has 11.
This is the first time in Carolina history it has reached the championship game with five consecutive double-digit wins. In 1993 and 2005, Carolina had three double-digit wins in its first five games. Duke was the last team to reach the finals with five straight double-digit wins; the Blue Devils accomplished that in 2001 on their way to their most recent national championship. A win would also make Roy Williams the fourth active coach and 13th coach of all time to guide his team to multiple national championships. Williams is already the first coach to lead two different schools to multiple national championship game appearances. This is Roy Williams' seventh Final Four appearance and third with the Tar Heels; those seven Final Fours are fourth in NCAA history. Williams is 5-5 in the Final Four and 1-2 in the national title game.
Carolina's win over Villanova gave it a 9-9 record in national semifinals. The Tar Heels are 14-15 in Final Four games, including third-place games (1-2). Carolina is 4-4 in the national championship, winning its last three straight appearances (1982, 1993 and 2005). Carolina was 1-4 before that, beating Kansas in 1957 and losing three straight in 1968, 1977 and 1981. Carolina has an above .500 record against all NCAA Tournament seeds except No. 2 seeds; Carolina is 4-5 against No. 2's with the most recent win coming against Oklahoma. Michigan State is the first team since Duke to play in the Final Four (and the national championship game) in its home state; Duke lost to Arkansas in 1994.
Carolina has an 8-3 edge in the series with Michigan State, including a 4-0 record in the NCAA Tournament. Carolina has beaten Michigan State twice in the Final Four; both resulted in Carolina winning the national title in the next game. The last NCAA Tournament meeting came in 2007; Carolina beat Michigan State 67-56 in Winston-Salem in the second round. Michigan State's last win came on November 29, 2000 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
Game Time: North Carolina vs. Michigan State, 9:21 PM.
Last Time: Carolina traveled to Ford Field on December 3, 2008 and defeated Michigan State, 98-63. In a win that many Tar Heels have said made them "fat and happy", Carolina dominated the final 20 minutes of the game and won by a margin not even the team expected. The Spartans were without Goran Suton and had played three games in three days not long before. The fatigue showed in the second half as Michigan State shot 20% (after a 51.6% shooting first half) while Carolina shot 51.3% in the first half and 43.8% in the second half. Still, Carolina forced Michigan State into 22 turnovers while the Tar Heels committed only nine. Carolina also out-rebounded the Spartans, 46-40.
Tyler Hansbrough led Carolina with a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, making 13-of-13 free throws. Wayne Ellington had 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting (just 1-of-5 from beyond the arc). Ty Lawson had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go along with eight assists, no turnovers and seven steals. Deon Thompson and Ed Davis had ten points each. Raymar Morgan led the Spartans with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, adding a team-high six rebounds. Chris Allen came off the bench to score 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten Player of the Year, was held to just six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage begins at 8:00 PM.
Injury Report: Marcus Ginyard and the Tar Heel medical staff have decided it is best for him to take a medical redshirt this season. He had surgery on October 8th, 2008 to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. He attempted to come back and still had pain. He has gone through nearly a month's worth of intensive rehab to try to get back into game shape, but he still has pain in the foot. Will Graves has been suspended for the remainder of this season.
Storylines
Rebounding: Everyone knows that a Tom Izzo-coached team places a high priority on rebounding. But this year's group does it especially well. Michigan State is fifth in the nation (per Ken Pomeroy) in offensive rebounding percentage (40.9%) and 11th in offensive rebounding percentage allowed (27.4 percent). No other team ranks in the top 11 in both categories. Carolina is 17th in offensive rebounding percentage (39.2%) but 98th in offensive rebounding percentage allowed (39.1 percent).
The Spartans have out-rebounded opponents in the NCAA Tournament by an average of +5.8 per game. After out-rebounding Robert Morris and USC by +13.5 in the first two rounds, the Spartans were out-rebounded 37-31 by Kansas. But Michigan State out-rebounded the athletic Louisville Cardinals 37-29 and pulled even with Connecticut 42-42 in the semifinals. But it seemed like the Spartans were pummeling the Huskies on the backboards, largely because they turned their 18 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points.
"It is my biggest concern, there's no question. They just killed UConn on the backboards last night," Williams said. "I watched about 12 minutes of the game looking at my scouting report, because there was a TV in the coach's room back here. I'd watch a couple plays, then go back to reading the scouting report. Every time I looked up, they're getting an offensive rebound. The announcer started saying, `That's 14, 15, 16 (offensive rebounds).' So it is a huge concern, but it's a concern any time you play Tommy's (Tom Izzo's) teams."
Michigan State averages the same amount of second-chance points in wins and losses - 12.8. But opponents have averaged 7.5 points second-chance points on 8.2 offensive rebounds in six Michigan State losses compared to 8.9 second-chance points on 9.5 offensive rebounds in Michigan State wins. What is especially ridiculous is that in all games, counting missed field goals alone, Michigan State has rebounded 45.6% of its own misses while opponents managed to get only 29.8% of their misses.
Carolina's offensive rebounding has been a secret strength and one of the reasons that the Tar Heel offense has been so efficient - miss a shot, get the rebound and put it back in or reset the offense for a better shot. Carolina has nabbed 42.9% of its own missed shots. In the NCAA Tournament, that number has dropped to 39.5% but Carolina has turned 12.4 offensive rebounds into 14.4 second-chance points. That combined with Carolina's 18.2 points off turnovers makes it very difficult for opponents to lapse against the Tar Heels on either end.
But Carolina's defensive rebounding has been a problem; the Tar Heels have allowed opponents to rebound 33.8% of their missed shots. Over the course of the Tournament, that number has dropped to 29.9% but the Villanova number of four offensive rebounds skewed it somewhat. Radford pulled down the most offensive boards against Carolina - 20 - but missed 58 field goals. In the last two games alone, Oklahoma and Villanova have combined to rebound 41% of their missed shots. Carolina's opponents have averaged 13.4 second-chance points; prior to the Tournament, they averaged 11.
Villanova is a team that is much smaller than Carolina and still managed to collect 22 offensive rebounds, 41.5% of its own missed shots. Fortunately, the Wildcats turned those into only 14 second-chance points but it could have been much worse. LSU rebounded 45.7% of its own misses and turned them into 17 second-chance points. That was Carolina's closest game of the Tournament, and for good reason. Florida State, the last team to beat Carolina, scored only 12 second-chance points but rebounded 48% of its own missed shots.
Just like Carolina prides itself on efficient offense and fast-breaking style, Michigan State has always prided itself on rebounding and toughness on the backboards. The Spartans have even used football equipment to take part in no-holds-barred rebounding drills in practice. Carolina will have a smaller margin for error than it usually does on the backboards and must make sure it is in good position on both ends to secure a rebound and start a new possession, whether it's on offense or defense. It also can't waste the opportunities that it does get.
The Detroit Factor and other intangibles: Carolina is used to being the favorite, the team that people in the building tend to root against at a neutral site if the plucky underdog is making a good run. But this is a little bit different of a situation for the Tar Heels. They are playing for a national championship against a team that is playing in its home state, a team that is being portrayed as giving hope to a state that has been hit by the economic downturn harder than any other state, mostly because of the auto industry. Michigan State is the team that is giving the residents of this state the ultimate distraction - a sports team having some success.
"The whole country is going through an extremely difficult time period right now. I think Michigan, particularly with the auto industry, what they're going through, the people losing jobs, it's perhaps even a little more harsh," Roy Williams said. "It's a little more difficult for those people here, and I appreciate that and understand what they're grabbing onto. They're latching onto Michigan State. Tom, his club, what a great run they've had. I do appreciate that and understand it. I'm happy for them. I will not be as happy on Monday night, okay? Let's understand that. But I think it is great.
"Even in playing basketball, I always say to our players, give me something to hang my hat on to keep putting you in the game. Do something to make me feel good about you. I think that's what Michigan State's basketball team is doing for this state. They're giving them something positive to latch onto."
Carolina does have an advantage in that it is certainly used to playing the role of spoiler to an underdog that everyone embraces. But playing for a national championship in an arena that will be likely 75-80% filled with Michigan State fans is the kind of challenge this team hasn't ever had to face. "I didn't see any of the game or the crowd. But just driving around the city in our bus, just looking out, you see a lot of Michigan State shirts everywhere, a lot of tailgate parties and things like that. So I'm expecting probably 80% of the crowd is going to be Michigan State. We play well on the road," Ty Lawson said.
There is an added storyline to this as well - Carolina faced and soundly beat this same team on December 3rd, in the same arena. But Ford Field was not nearly as full as it will be on Monday night, and Michigan State was not playing at full capacity, either. The Spartans were without center Goran Suton and had just finished playing three games in three days two days before in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. The Spartans hung with the Tar Heels for a half but lost their legs in the second half. Carolina will have to know in their hearts that this is not the same team. Even Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun, who studied tape of the Spartans for a week, said that the team that defeated his team was not the same one he studied - it was close to special.
"We are a confident team, but we will not be overconfident Monday night. That's just not going to happen," Williams said. "We'll be intense. We'll have a sense of urgency. We'll have a tremendous amount of respect for what Michigan State has done. ... I've coached in games before where we beat a team easily or got killed and turned around and beat them the second time. ... My team will not be overconfident. My team will be confident. But my team knows that they'll have the battle of the state of Michigan. We're not in New Orleans. But the battle of Detroit is what we will have Monday night."
The "us against the world" attitude is not something Carolina often gets to take. But it has thrived when it does get to have that attitude, but Carolina is 41-4 outside of the Smith Center in the last two seasons. This senior class is 25-7 in ACC road games. It is 4-0 at Duke, perhaps the most hostile environment in the ACC. In the end, it's not the environment alone that's going to determine who wins or loses the game. But the good news is that this team is used to being, if not the road team, the team that everyone is rooting against.
But if this team has had a mantra, even if it's not official, it's "find a way." When Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough struggled offensively against Oklahoma, other people stepped up and Carolina found a way. A big part of that has come from this team learning that while it might be more talented than many of its opponents, talent means nothing if a team that has talent plays with more hustle. Williams showed Carolina a tape of the Villanova game in which Dwayne Anderson dove for a loose ball late in the second half when Villanova was up 23 points. That's why while some pundits were saying that the Wildcats were tougher than Carolina, the Tar Heels proved that wasn't necessarily the case and were not only prepared for that hustle, but countered it with plenty of their own.
"That's the way we've got to play. I think Bobby Frasor has struggled all year long with his shot. Sophomore year, he had a stress fracture. Junior (year), he had an ACL. I think he showed some sense of urgency and effort on that (getting five offensive rebounds)," Williams said. "We talked about it last night, a great deal about we can't allow somebody to out compete us on this stage."
In a way, the Michigan State team is covered like Tyler Hansbrough - a gritty competitor who isn't that talented but just fights his way to great statistics. Obviously, that's not true and a reporter made sure to make that point; Tom Izzo mentioned repeatedly that you can't "grit" your way to a national championship game. But Roy Williams pointed out that grit and hard work are skills. Hansbrough, someone who can appreciate that kind of one-sided coverage that tends to slight one part of your game over another, sees what kind of group Michigan State is. "They're definitely talented. They have the Big-10 Player of the Year, defensive Player of the Year," Hansbrough said. "They have very good guys, and they also, when you combine that with people who work hard, I think it's a good combination. It's what makes them tough."
At The Game
Listening to the Tar Heel Sports Network at the game: The in-stadium frequency at Ford Field will be 90.3 FM.
Watching At Home
Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via Carolina All-Access, there will inevitably be some delay. For the reason - and a possible solution - click here.
A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.
CBS coverage: The game will be available on CBS. Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will have the call.
Names To Know
Wayne Ellington: Not only were Wayne Ellington's five three-pointers against Villanova the most he has hit in an NCAA Tournament game, but his 71.4% shooting from beyond the arc was also his highest in the Tournament. After starting out the NCAA Tournament hitting 6-of-11 three's, he hit 3-of-11 in Memphis last weekend, somewhat quietly because of how well he played overall. But he appears to be finding his stroke again, and it is opening up everything for the Carolina offense. Teams can't collapse in the paint to stop Ty Lawson or double-team Tyler Hansbrough as freely as they normally would have without Ellington reliably hitting three-pointers.
Ellington is averaging 19.2 points in this NCAA Tournament and shooting 14-of-29 from beyond the arc (48.3 percent), adding six rebounds and 3.2 assists. But the specter of Ellington's struggles from beyond the arc - 2-of-15 - remains. If he struggles, it's not impossible for Carolina to win. After all, he shot just 33.3% from the floor against Oklahoma and turned it over three times to just one assist. Ellington has shot 50% or better in 18 of 37 games this season, 11 times in the last 17 games. Carolina lost two of those six games when he failed to hit 50% - Maryland and Florida State. Yet he still shot a combined 12-of-28 in those games (5-of-14 from beyond the arc) compared to 16-of-46 (5-of-22 from three) in the other four sub-50 percent games. Carolina still won those four games by an average of 15 points.
Ellington has played against the Spartans twice; as a freshman in the NCAA Tournament, he made just 1-of-4 shots (1-of-3 from beyond the arc) on his way to five points in 22 minutes, adding one assist and one steal. His game against Michigan State in Ford Field showed how far he has come as a well-rounded player; he made just 1-of-5 three's but 8-of-14 shots overall on his way to 17 points. He also had four rebounds, one assist, two steals and no turnovers in 28 minutes.
Ty Lawson: The junior point guard, lovingly referred to by Williams as "Dennis the Menace" seems to have made the full transition into Williams' other, more recent, nickname for him - "Rambo". Ever since Phil Ford graced the Carolina campus, point guards were thought to be the be-all, end-all at Carolina. Names like Ford, Derrick Phelps, Jimmy Black and Raymond Felton hold a special place in the heart of Tar Heels, either because of their national title or because of how great they were, title or not. Lawson has certainly moved into the Carolina point guard pantheon; he might not always be as demonstrative as a Raymond Felton or as great an on-ball defender as Derrick Phelps, but when Carolina needs something to happen, he has shown that he can make it happen. Lawson has 28 assists to six turnovers in the NCAA Tournament, a 4.7 assist-turnover ratio. He has also averaged two steals and hit 54.3% of his shots (60% of his three-pointers). His 8.3 free-throw attempts per game in this NCAA Tournament rank behind only Hansbrough, but barely - Hansbrough has averaged 8.7 attempts.
Prior to this season, Lawson had attempted ten or more free throws just three times. This season, he has attempted ten or more foul shots four times. The fourth was against Villanova when Lawson attempted 17 foul shots and made ten. He held his own very well against the talented Villanova guards, weaving through traffic and finding soft spots in the defense. His four turnovers were his most since the game after he hurt his toe against Duke and his three fouls marked the first time that foul trouble has really affected him in a game since he had four against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Lawson has to be wary of staying out of foul trouble, something he has done very well this season so far. But Carolina needs him in the game.
In two games against Michigan State, Lawson has averaged 18.5 points on 57.1% shooting, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc (62.5% from beyond the arc), eight assists and four steals. In the most recent meeting, Lawson had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting (2-of-3 from beyond the arc), eight assists, seven steals and no turnovers in 28 minutes. As a freshman, he and Tyler Hansbrough dominated the NCAA Tournament meeting in a game that was really Lawson's first such performance. The then-freshman had 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting (3-of-5 from beyond the arc), adding eight assists, one steal and one turnover in 36 minutes. But Kalin Lucas wasn't in school yet and even though Lucas struggled some in the first meeting, he has been on quite a hot streak, just like Lawson. It will be an intriguing battle between the two point guards who play so similarly and can change games.
Tyler Hansbrough: There's such a thing as wanting it too much in the sense of getting too excited or pumped, Roy Williams likes to keep his teams on an even keel, but Hansbrough has been dreaming about this moment since he was a freshman and arguably longer than that. Hansbrough had 18 points against Villanova but shot just 5-of-13 from the floor. He did add 11 rebounds, one assist, four steals and two turnovers. Foul trouble has been an issue for Hansbrough in this Tournament; after playing an average of 34 minutes against LSU and Gonzaga and picking up five total fouls, he has picked up six fouls in the last two games and had to play just 29.5 minutes per contest.
He picked up four fouls against Villanova, his most in an NCAA Tournament game this season. His two early fouls against Oklahoma limited him but he came back with a strong defensive second half. Those foul problems and an overall lack of rhythm has led to Hansbrough going from shooting 14-of-24 in the first half in the last four games (and committing four fouls) to shooting 7-of-14 in the second half and committing seven fouls. Taking out the second half against Gonzaga, he has shot 2-of-9 from the floor in the second half of three of the last four games.
Last time against Michigan State without Suton, Hansbrough hit 6-of-13 shots and 13-of-13 foul shots on his way to 25 points. He also had 11 rebounds, a steal and a turnover in 27 minutes. But in his first-ever game against the Spartans when he was just a sophomore, Hansbrough (along with the then-freshman Lawson) literally carried Carolina to victory. Hansbrough had 33 points on 10-of-17 shooting, adding 13-of-17 foul shots. He also had nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and just one turnover in 38 minutes.
If there is a weakness for Hansbrough in this game, it would be rebounding. He is relentless on the boards but has at times had problems boxing out this season, even leading Roy Williams to bench him for the first time in his career for a poor effort on that end. Michigan State will be absolutely relentless and if Hansbrough - and the rest of his teammates - can't consistently find a body and block out, it will be a long day for the Tar Heels. It's cliché at this point, but while people might want it as badly as Hansbrough, no one wants it more than he does. He has done so well at playing within himself and the team to get Carolina to this point and if he - and the team - stays in that kind of rhythm, working the inside-outside game to perfection, they have a good chance.
Kalin Lucas: The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year has been huge for the Spartans all season long, a floor leader who takes care of the ball and scores consistently. The 6-0 sophomore is one of the four or five point guards who would be competitive against Ty Lawson in end-to-end speed, and he has shown over and over again this season that he is capable of penetrating and creating. He has averaged 14.7 points per game this season but after averaging just 11.4 in Michigan State's first 11 games, he has averaged 16.2 points in the last 26 games. He has averaged 5.5 free-throw attempts per game this season and has been consistent in that department, making 80.9% of his attempts. He has averaged 4.6 assists and 2.1 turnovers per game. In the Spartans' six losses, he has 19 assists to 19 turnovers and has shot 33.8% from the floor. In the 31 wins, he has shot 41% from the floor and dished out 150 assists to 59 turnovers.
In the NCAA Tournament so far, Lucas has shot 42.3% from the floor (43.8% from beyond the arc), averaging 14.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.4 turnovers. He has 27 assists to 12 turnovers, a 2.25 ratio, and has gotten to the foul line an average of six times per game. He had his NCAA Tournament-best scoring day against Connecticut, pouring in 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting (3-of-6 from beyond the arc), adding five assists and three turnovers in 33 minutes. His 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc was his best shooting day since a loss to Northwestern earlier this season when he also hit 3-of-6 three's. He has also hit 21-of-24 free throws in the NCAA Tournament, 87.5 percent. It's certainly important to have someone like that in big games, particularly someone who gets to the line as much as Lucas.
Raymar Morgan: After a January 14th game against Penn State in which he scored 17 points, Morgan began a battle with walking pneumonia and a mild form of mononucleosis for more than a month. He missed three games and saw limited action in eight more. The 6-8 junior appears to be getting healthy at just the right time; his 30 minutes against Connecticut were his most in a game in over two months. Michigan State is 21-2 when he plays 20 or more minutes, but one of the losses was to North Carolina. Against Connecticut, Morgan had 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added nine rebounds, one assist, five steals and no turnovers.
His presence has been that important to the Spartans. In the 28 wins he has played in, despite the illnesses, he has shot 53.7% from the floor and averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists. But in the six losses he has played in, he has shot 45.2% and averaged 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and one turnover. Morgan is somewhat of a matchup nightmare for most teams; an athletic big man who can rebound and score around the basket but who can also shoot three's. He hasn't done that nearly as well - he has made just one since his return - but his nine rebounds were the most since his return and his five steals were a career-high.
Carolina has had plenty of issues with Morgan as well. Even though his teammates struggled quite a bit against Carolina, Morgan has faced the Tar Heels twice in his career and has averaged 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, one assist and one block in the two meetings. He hit 10-of-11 free throws on his way to 19 points against Carolina in the NCAA Tournament; in the meeting earlier this season, he had 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and added six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 30 minutes.
Goran Suton: The 6-10 senior has struggled this year with injuries, particularly early on, but he is back and playing very well. Suton was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional and in the NCAA Tournament, he has averaged 12.2 points and 10.6 rebounds, shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc and 42% from the floor. He has also averaged 2.2 assists and 2.2 steals. He led the Big Ten in rebounding this season and had seven double-double's. In the win over Louisville in the Midwest final, he had 17 of his 19 points in the first half on 7-of-10 shooting (3-of-3 from beyond the arc, a career-high for three's made).
After a rough game against USC in which he made just 1-of-10 shots (and his shot was a three-pointer), he has shot 17-of-36 from the floor in the Spartans' last three contests, averaging 14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds (2.7 offensive), 2.0 assists and 2.7 steals. He was limited by foul trouble against Connecticut, playing just 28 minutes and picking up four fouls on his way to just four points. He did add seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. It appears the key to neutralizing Suton, win or lose, is by getting him into foul trouble. In eight games this season in which he has picked up four or more fouls, Suton has averaged eight points on41.4% shooting compared to 11 points on 54.8% shooting in the 23 other games with three or fewer fouls. His steals also drop from 1.3 per game to 0.8.
Suton has only played in four Michigan State losses this season but has not played much differently in both, shooting over 50% in wins and losses and averaging double figures in points and over eight rebounds in wins and losses. But Suton's presence in the Tournament, particularly on the backboards, has made a huge difference. He has only faced off against Carolina once, as a sophomore in 2007. He had just six points on 3-of-7 shooting but did add eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and four fouls in 23 minutes. He showed the glimpse of the versatile player he was to become, one who can shoot from all over the court but is still tough enough to battle inside. He and fellow senior Tyler Hansbrough will be very important to their respective teams on both ends in terms of staying on the court.
"Suton I think is a guy that is capable of shooting a 15-foot jumper and is a pretty good shooter outside," Hansbrough said. "So it adds a little bit different aspect than some guys down low banging all the time. I understand he goes to the boards, is a good rebounder, but you also have to contest him outside."
Quotables
"I have not looked at that (Kansas) tape, not one time. Until I die, at the Pearly Gates, if I happen to be lucky enough to go there, I'll ask St. Peter to give me the tape and I'll watch it at that time." -Roy Williams
"If you've got any motivational ideas, it's 1-800-Izzo, just call me." -Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
"I love to hate him is what I do. I hate him because he knocks you on your tail. He's tough as nails. He loves contact. There's two kinds of players I always talk about: seekers and avoiders. He is a seeker. I mean, if you're there, he's going to go hit you. That's what I love about him. But when I have to play against him, that's what I hate about him, because he is the ultimate competitor. He's going to find a way to beat you, whether it's with a rebound - said he couldn't shoot the ball, now he's shooting 17-footers. They said he couldn't go over his right shoulder, now he's going over his right shoulder. I'm going to tell him you can do everything well. He's like Scott Skiles, I don't want to tick him off. I think when you do, he raises his game a level. He's such a good free-throw shooter, when he gets to the line, which he does an enormous amount, it makes it harder to defend. For a college coach, if we didn't have to play them, I'd love him a lot more. To see him come back, go after something that was very important to him, it reminds me of what Mateen (Cleaves) did for me. You have to have great respect for people that will put team and university and coaches and all that ahead of your own individual things. I think he's proven his mettle by doing that." -Tom Izzo on Tyler Hansbrough
"If we're playing against the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan, they outnumber us. We don't have as good a chance at that one. But the other thing is you guys have to understand, we left here last night at 12:45. We went back, we had a nice little snack and some ice cream and the kids went to bed. I saw them this morning at 11:00 for 30 minutes. We haven't exactly exhausted the state of the nation's economy in the last 18 hours. So for us, we're playing Michigan State. I do realize they have a cause. Well, we also have a cause. We want to win a national championship, period, the end. And if you would tell me that if Michigan State wins it's going to satisfy the nation's economy, then I'd say, `Hell, let's stay poor for a little while longer.' I don't think that's going to happen. So if all the workers of America come down and start guarding my butt on the bench, then I'll start being concerned about it." -Roy Williams
"Yeah, probably when we go out to warm up, I'll just look around, see everybody out there. That's why I'm probably going to take my time to just envision and see how it's going to be, just look around in the crowd. I probably have dreamt about winning a national championship since I was little, even playing like on my Fisher Price court, counting down from five, me hitting the game-winner. I've been waiting for this (smiling). I've been thinking about it a lot. So I'm ready for it." -Ty Lawson
Lauren Brownlow is the managing editor of Tar Heel Monthly.
