From out of nowhere, like a powder-blue-and-white Humvee, North Carolina center Sean May rambled into the lane for a fast-break layup looking as if nothing could stop him.
Nothing did.
At times Monday night at the Edward Jones Dome, it seemed like nothing could.
May took a first-half pass from Raymond Felton and finished the play for two of his 26 points in North Carolina’s 75-70 victory over Illinois in the NCAA championship game.
A few minutes after that show of force and grace, May blocked Jack Ingram’s shot, picked up the loose ball and again led the Carolina fast break down the court, this time as he dribbled.
May day, May day, indeed.
The Illini never found enough help to stop the Carolina center but never surrendered, either, as they relied on their guts to offset May’s advantage in muscle.
“That made the difference,” coach Bruce Weber said of May.
Whether it was starting or finishing the fast break or hitting the key shot, May ensured that his father, Scott, would not be the only family member with a national championship ring or a Final Four Most Outstanding Player trophy.
“My dad’s not a very emotional person, but he might be a little bit emotional tonight,” said May, who planned to celebrate his 21st birthday with a bottle of champagne a buddy gave him.
Even Illini fans would have to raise their glasses.
Their team refused to go away, but the 6-foot-9-inch, 260-pound May did not budge, either, scoring 18 of his points in the second half.
Illinois tried all three big men on May without success. The Illini even tried double-teaming May, but the extra help bothered him like a mosquito bugs an elephant.
James Augustine fouled out, and Ingram had four. Weber might have been better off borrowing one of Ron Zook’s tight ends.
May clearly was the biggest factor in a classic championship game, but not the only one in a matchup that lived up to its No. 1-vs.-No. 2 billing.
Here are five reasons for the Illini’s demise:
1. Illinois had no match for May.
The physical resemblance to dad Scott, a member of Indiana’s 1976 national champs, always has been obvious, but against Illinois, Sean May looked more like Charles Barkley in his prime. His girth prevented Illinois’ smaller, leaner bodies from moving him off the block and his soft touch gave every shot a chance. May’s three-point play with 12:54 left gave Carolina a five-point cushion, 55-50, and restored a measure of confidence after the Illini started to stage a sequel to the Miracle at Rosemont. Had the Tar Heels located him in the blocks more down the stretch, the game likely would not have come down to a missed three-pointer by Luther Head.
2. They used poor judgment in their shot selection to fall behind early.
Illinois shot just 39 percent from the field because of bad decision-making as much as bad aim. On a telling sequence in the first half, Dee Brown stole the ball and began a three-on-one fast break. But instead of ending the way it usually ends–with Brown zipping by everybody for an easy layup–he dished to Head, who retreated behind the three-point arc. Head missed the shot, and Illinois missed an opportunity. Williams and Powell also took shots in the first half that were not necessarily bad shots until they hesitated in taking them. If any team can attest to what the type of impact such an extended perimeter defense can have on a game, it is Illinois–except this time, the Illini were feeling what their opponents felt all season. Discombobulated.
3. They failed to penetrate to draw defenders and kick out passes to set up open three-point shots.
Carolina’s quickness matched or exceeded Illinois’, and that was evident by how quickly guards Raymond Felton and Jackie Manuel cut off driving angles attempted by Williams, Brown and Head. Illinois attacked mostly from the baseline, and without the middle of North Carolina’s defense becoming soft, the Illini got fewer open looks from three-point range usually created by dribble penetration. Nothing illustrated that better than Head shooting 5 of 16 from three-point range as Carolina defenders recovered too quickly.
4. They needed James Augustine to contribute more offensively than he did.
Even before Augustine picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench with 18:50 left in the second half, Illinois missed him. He looked overmatched against a North Carolina interior whose length and quickness made Augustine seem slow and methodical. “I’m sure he’s not going to have great memories of St. Louis,” Weber said. A missed jumper that clanked off the rim at the start of the second half, the kind of shot that was automatic for Augustine at the beginning of the tournament, showed how out of sync the junior was. A scoreless Augustine shrugged after he walked to the bench after fouling out, his frustration obvious.
5. They looked intimidated and lost their poise during the pivotal first half.
With Illinois down 10 in the first half but in position to get back into the game, Head made an unforced error by throwing the ball over Williams’ head on a routine pass. Later, near the end of the first half, the Illini let the shot clock expire during a key possession that might have given them momentum heading into the locker room. Whether it was the sharper edge Carolina brought into the game or the burden of being No. 1 finally overcoming them, the Illini wore that deer-in-the-headlights look on too many possessions. By the time they regained their swagger, the hole that had been dug was too deep.
