Best Didn’t Play Like the Best”

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The nations two best teams didn’t play like that in the Monday night NCAA championship game.

North Carolina and Gonzaga put on a show for the ages…bad show…of offensive basketball.

Winning ugly beats losing, so in Chapel Hill, they will celebrate the trophy. In Spokane they will feel awful that they had 2-chances to win and they didn’t.

The best players didn’t play their best either in the (71-65) UNC verdict, but that probably had more to do with the number of explosive athletes playing defense.

Nigel Williams-Goss took two bad shots on the final two possessions, playing on a gimpy ankle, as he tried to drive to the basket. Driving and dishing to an open man would have been a better choice.

Przemek Karnowski, the man-mountain Gonzaga center had an awful night around the rim, shooting (1-for-8), again probably intimidated by the Heels jumping jack baseline players.

UNC hero Justin Jackson, who scored 5-vital points at the end, a layup..a free throw..and a slam dunk off a turnover, was MIA for much of the night.

Joel Berry had a struggle shooting, but did finish with 21 in the win.

The winners shot 35%..the losers 33%. Between them (4-for-27) and (8-19) on 3-pointers. A combined 44-fouls, with all the bigs in foul trouble.

Mark Few has done a spectacular job over 18-years with the Zags. Roy Williams was coaching his 100th NCAA tourney game in a great career.

Maybe fatigue took too much out of the teams to get here. It just wasn’t a pretty game to watch for two champions, but the defense caused the offenses to stagger all night long.

Up next, waiting to see who stays, who goes to the NBA from both teams.

Waiting too for the long coming NCAA sanctions for the academic scandal probe that has gone on way too long at North Carolina.

They are champions, but it’s obvious they were cheats for a long time too,with bogus course credits for players to keep them eligibile.

Gonzaga, goes home, with lots of respect; the little engine that could. The Zags are really something special.

North Carolina is the royalty of the sport, and wears the crown, dented as it might, their reputation tainted as it should be.

The best didn’t play like the best last night. Carolina wins NCAA Trophy. NCAA, time to do your job now.

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