Spartans are “close to special,” North Carolina is just nasty

After Michigan State upset UConn in the first of yesterday’s Final Four games, Jim Calhoun said, “We’re pretty good, but they’re close to special.” But are the Spartans special enough now to handle North Carolina? State came out hot like cayenne pepper on UConn, seemingly scoring on every offensive possession for the first five minutes, punching UConn in the mouth first and maintaining that momentum throughout … Kalin Lucas scored 21, Raymar Morgan had 18 points, nine boards and five steals, and Durrell Summers provided the “One Shining Moment” image with his poster dunk on Stanley Robinson. MSU’s defense took A.J. Price out of his game (5-20 FG) and made Hasheem Thabeet a non-factor early, and the offense ran better than anyone expected, showing an athleticism that could help them hang in there against UNC … Now about those Tar Heels. They didn’t quite play their “A” game, yet they still dispatched of Villanova pretty easily. The Big Three of Ty Lawson (22 pts, 7 rebs, 8 asts), Wayne Ellington (20 pts, 5 threes) and Tyler Hansbrough (18 pts, 11 rebs) carried UNC, and the defense was too much for ‘Nova on an off shooting night … You notice how State has already been cast as the ultimate good guys? No only are they underdogs, Tom Izzo has played up the feel-good story of representing Detroit in these tough economic times for the city. Surprisingly, Carolina and its lineage of rich plantation owners doesn’t come off as sympathetic … What was up with ESPN’s Hubert Davis acting like it’s just a “possibility” Thabeet is going pro? Nate Miles will play another game at UConn before Thabeet does … Some of the Dime crew is in Detroit for some Final Four-related business. We’ve been watching the MSU fans drink all weekend like they’re gearing up for battle, and after they beat UConn somebody warned, “The city may be destroyed tonight.” … We were at UNC’s hotel a few hours before tip-off, and some former Tar Heels were getting mobbed by their fans (guys like Eric Montross). And for at least an hour, there was this older man with a huge crowd of people around him. For the longest we couldn’t tell who it was. Bill Guthridge? No. “The Kangaroo Kid” Billy Cunnigham? No. Turns out it was Tyler Hansbrough’s dad. Seriously. People were treating him like a rock star, asking him to autograph Psycho T’s #50 UNC jersey and pose for photos. That’s how nuts the Final Four can get …CONTINUE READING..