Commentary

Insider Intel: Too Much, Too Fast

Michigan State's reckless pace played right into UNC's hands

Updated: April 7, 2009, 9:27 AM ET
By Elena Bergeron | ESPN Insider

Those national championship tees fit like seersucker on the North Carolina kids. As much as the Ford Field faithful was loathe to admit it, the Tar Heels were built to speed along -- all the way to an NCAA title -- and it was obvious that a rubber-burning style of play didn't suit the Spartans the same way.

Heading into Monday night's 89-72 pasting of Michigan State, UNC had already walloped tourney foes by an average of 20.8 ppg. And Roy's boys didn't need no stinkin' adjustments to make that happen. No, these start-first, finish-first Heels played at a breakneck speed all season, whether the victims were visitors from a foreign conference or local rivals who knew exactly what to expect. They never had to deviate. They won their way.


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Elena Bergeron

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