If you saw the final score of Saturday evening’s Round of 32 matchup versus Michigan State with no context, this title wouldn’t seem reasonable. Surviving? It was a 16-point win!
Yes, it was. North Carolina dominated the game for the last ten minutes, outscoring the Spartans by 13 after leading by just five. But it wasn’t without a little bit of anxiousness. The Tar Heels trailed by 12 and looked all out of sorts early, but this surviving narrative, at least for myself, goes back to when the bracket came out last Sunday.
When I saw Mississippi State and Michigan State as the 8/9 headed to Charlotte, I sighed. It doesn’t get much tougher than that in the second round, and the numbers agreed. While having 14 losses, Michigan State was top-25 in the NET and KenPom rankings (ahead of teams such as Clemson, Kansas, Florida, and Texas). They were preseason No. 4, had a lineup of top-25 talent, and had wins over Illinois and Baylor. They also looked concerningly dangerous against Mississippi State. The Spartans were also only 3.5-point underdogs against North Carolina in Charlotte. No. 1 seeds as a four-point favorite or less in the second round were 2-5 all-time going into Saturday, but the Tar Heels had different plans.
If you had known all this, you might have been slightly concerned, like I was. If not, it was likely a more peaceful Saturday for you leading up to the game, and you were significantly calmer than I was when North Carolina trailed 26-14 and had basically nothing working.
Don’t fret, though. I still knew Hubert Davis and his squad were more than capable of getting the job done. I just thought the Tar Heels got a brutal draw and were headed down a dangerous path early in the first half.
Now, I look at the final score and remember all of the impressive things this team has done this year that I should’ve considered while fearing a matchup with Izzo in March. All of the wins as an underdog and all of the success in what some called ‘trap’ games. The 42-point outburst from RJ and the 19-rebound game from Ingram. This group was always too special to lose in the first weekend, and they showed that Saturday night. The Tar Heels outscored the pesky Spartans by 28 in the last 29 minutes of the game clock. That’s a No. 1 seed pace, leading North Carolina coasting into the Sweet Sixteen.
The Tar Heels now look toward a meeting with the Alabama Crimson Tide in Los Angeles, and there shouldn’t be any more surprises about matchups. By the second weekend, everyone is dangerous. Until then, though, enjoy the security of your team playing terrific basketball in March and safely into the next round. Soon enough, the madness will be back in full swing.
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