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Lucas: March 29 Flashback
March 29, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Looking back at key Tar Heel moments from this day in NCAA Tournament history.
By Adam Lucas
The buildup prior to the Carolina-Oklahoma regional final in 2009 was largely focused on the battle between Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin. What we learned that day in Memphis was that Griffin was undoubtedly a very good player...but Carolina was undoubtedly a better team. The Tar Heels beat the Sooners soundly, 72-60, to earn a spot in the Final Four in Detroit.
Griffin had 23 points and 16 rebounds, but Ty Lawson had 19 and Danny Green had 18. Hansbrough was limited by foul trouble and had just eight, but Carolina had already built a 61-40 lead midway through the second half and didn't need much production from their eventual all-time leading scorer. In a foreshadowing of the performance they would turn in against Michigan State in the title game, the Tar Heels raced to an early 13-2 lead and forced a Jeff Capel timeout. The Sooners struggled from the perimeter, hitting just two of their 19 three-point attempts, as they were unable to provide Griffin with any additional offensive help.
The game featured an unusual Roy Williams wrinkle on Griffin, as the Tar Heels elected to double-team Griffin whenever possible. That put an emphasis on post defense, of course, but as the postgame column highlighted, it also forced the remainder of the Carolina defense to move and rotate appropriately--and in a sign of how much their team defense had evolved, they did it flawlessly.
Also on March 29
1982: With one of the most important shots in Carolina basketball history, Michael Jordan's jumper gave the Tar Heels a 63-62 victory in the championship game over Georgetown. Until that point in the game, Jordan had largely been overshadowed by junior James Worthy, who was on his way to a Most Outstanding Player performance with 28 points. But Dean Smith's famous instructions to Jordan--"Knock it in, Michael"--catapulted the freshman into the national consciousness. This game is widely considered one of the best championship games ever and was re-aired last weekend; some hypothetical Rapid Reactions are here.
2008: Tyler Hansbrough was already one of the most accomplished players in Tar Heel history when he debuted a new weapon in his arsenal against Louisville in the regional final: the midrange jumper. The Cardinals chose to give Hansbrough that shot, and he hit it early and often on the way to 28 points, 13 rebounds and a 83-73 win that led to a Final Four appearance. Louisville's full-court defense was not effective against Ty Lawson, who had 11 points and nine assists and hit a key three-pointer in the second half. Multiple members of the 2005 title team were on hand for the win, and the postgame column focused on the 2008 team trying to get their own ring.
The buildup prior to the Carolina-Oklahoma regional final in 2009 was largely focused on the battle between Tyler Hansbrough and Blake Griffin. What we learned that day in Memphis was that Griffin was undoubtedly a very good player...but Carolina was undoubtedly a better team. The Tar Heels beat the Sooners soundly, 72-60, to earn a spot in the Final Four in Detroit.
Griffin had 23 points and 16 rebounds, but Ty Lawson had 19 and Danny Green had 18. Hansbrough was limited by foul trouble and had just eight, but Carolina had already built a 61-40 lead midway through the second half and didn't need much production from their eventual all-time leading scorer. In a foreshadowing of the performance they would turn in against Michigan State in the title game, the Tar Heels raced to an early 13-2 lead and forced a Jeff Capel timeout. The Sooners struggled from the perimeter, hitting just two of their 19 three-point attempts, as they were unable to provide Griffin with any additional offensive help.
The game featured an unusual Roy Williams wrinkle on Griffin, as the Tar Heels elected to double-team Griffin whenever possible. That put an emphasis on post defense, of course, but as the postgame column highlighted, it also forced the remainder of the Carolina defense to move and rotate appropriately--and in a sign of how much their team defense had evolved, they did it flawlessly.
Also on March 29
1982: With one of the most important shots in Carolina basketball history, Michael Jordan's jumper gave the Tar Heels a 63-62 victory in the championship game over Georgetown. Until that point in the game, Jordan had largely been overshadowed by junior James Worthy, who was on his way to a Most Outstanding Player performance with 28 points. But Dean Smith's famous instructions to Jordan--"Knock it in, Michael"--catapulted the freshman into the national consciousness. This game is widely considered one of the best championship games ever and was re-aired last weekend; some hypothetical Rapid Reactions are here.
2008: Tyler Hansbrough was already one of the most accomplished players in Tar Heel history when he debuted a new weapon in his arsenal against Louisville in the regional final: the midrange jumper. The Cardinals chose to give Hansbrough that shot, and he hit it early and often on the way to 28 points, 13 rebounds and a 83-73 win that led to a Final Four appearance. Louisville's full-court defense was not effective against Ty Lawson, who had 11 points and nine assists and hit a key three-pointer in the second half. Multiple members of the 2005 title team were on hand for the win, and the postgame column focused on the 2008 team trying to get their own ring.
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