They've been in 18 Final Four appearances, won 43 ACC championships, been ranked #1 at the end of the season 11 times in various poles, been home to 8 National players of the year and won 5 national championships.
I am speaking, of course of the North Carolina Men's basketball team. Though many schools can be dubbed "power houses" of their respective sports, none has been more dominant in their field as the North Carolina Tarheels.
Throughout this year's NCAA tournament, several teams were heartbreakingly inferior to
their talent level. We saw teams which should have easily made the Sweet Sixteen fail to pass the first round. We witness teams which had been prophesized to take home the title fall in the Elite Eight and Final Four.
With all the upsets and letdowns, it is a comfort to know that North Carolina isn't letting anyone down or cracking under the pressure. Throughout the NCAA tourney, Hansbrough and Lawson put up impressive numbers, shining brighter than they had all year. Ellington and Fraser have stepped it up a notch, and Green has emmerged as Carolina's biggest three point shooter.
Tomorrow I look forward to watching these boys prove to the world that they are the best team in the nation. Though I don't believe they will pull a 33-point win over Michigan State again (they beat them by that margin earlier this year), I don't expect North Carolina to have a problem with the Spartans. So tune in, cheer for the NCAA and see just why North Carolina basketball is the only sport that has my heart.
*Image from Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment