Illinois might not have the best Final Four talent he has seen, but Louisville coach Rick Pitino says the Illini are the best example of the team concept he has seen in quite a while.
North Carolina is described in loftier terms–as the most talented team in the nation, with three future NBA draft lottery picks. Saturday’s 16-point dismantling of Michigan State did nothing to diminish that reputation.
The Tar Heels have ideal inside-outside balance with Sean May (17.1 points, 11 rebounds per game) and Rashad McCants (16 points). They have a savvy veteran point guard in junior Raymond Felton (12.7 points, 7 assists), two athletic slashers in senior Jawad Williams (13 points) and freshman Marvin Williams (11.7 points) and a lock-down defensive specialist in Jackie Manuel.
Carolina is one of the few college teams still committed to fast-break basketball, scoring a national-best 88.4 points per game. The Tar Heels have the depth to run all night, with eight players averaging more than 16 minutes per game.
They have been characterized as indifferent defenders, but they totally denied Michigan State any access to the basket Saturday night, forcing the Spartans to settle for jump shots. And MSU probably was the Big Ten’s most athletic team this season.
Carolina comes in with 14 victories in its last 15 games, though it absorbed a stunning loss to lightly regarded Santa Clara in its season opener. McCants’ attitude also has been questioned, but he was engaged fully against Michigan State, hitting 7 of 11 shots and scoring 17 points with six rebounds and four assists.
Illinois’ task is twofold: Keep May from dominating underneath and rebound with the Tar Heels to keep them from getting their break under way.
That’s clearly a tall order. But these are just as clearly the two best teams in the country. This isn’t college football. There can be only one national champion, and they will settle it on the floor Monday night.
