Entering this college basketball season, the 2016 Tar Heels found themselves atop the national rankings carrying massive expectations–despite never having reached the game’s biggest stage.
After the top-seeded Tar Heels’ knocked off Syracuse 83-66 in the National Semifinals on Saturday night in Houston, the team head coach Roy Williams said is his favorite of all-time is now one game from fulfilling all of its preseason promise.
Ever since the start of March, after the Tar Heels beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium to clinch the ACC regular season crown, UNC has been on a death march of sorts.
Kennedy Meeks had 15 points to go along with Brice Johnson’s 16–as UNC’s front-line had its way with Syracuse’s zone. (Todd Melet)
First the Tar Heels won the conference tourney in Washington D.C., and now over the last three weeks they seem fully intent on taking what they believe is rightfully theirs—the national championship.
Joel Berry powered through the Syracuse zone with ease on his way to a near triple-double (eight points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds) while UNC’s lovable big man tandem of Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson wreaked havoc in the middle—combining for 31 points and 17 rebounds— as the Tar Heels have now won every NCAA tournament game by at least 14 points on their way to the finals.
“Couldn’t be prouder for a team than I am for this team right here,” Williams said during the postgame press conference. “We beat a Syracuse team that had been great down the stretch, and is very difficult for us to play.
“These guys up here were sensational,” the coach continued, referring to Berry, Johnson, and Meeks—who were next to him at the table. “I couldn’t be having a more fantastic ride than I’m having right now.”
It was also known at the beginning of the year that the Tar Heels would struggle with their perimeter shooting. The truth is though, not even an 0-for-10 start from beyond the arc could stop them on Saturday.
Berry’s ball penetration created a number of good looks inside and helped the Tar Heels build a comfortable double-digit halftime lead.
Syracuse, however did manage to cut its deficit to just seven points after taking off on a 10-0 run midway through the second half.
Justin Jackson (left) tied Johnson with a team-high 16 points in what was a balanced scoring night for UNC. (Todd Melet)
Of course, then the man picked as UNC’s Player-of-the-Year candidate in the preseason—Marcus Paige—put a stop to that run with the Tar Heels’ first three of the night.
“I got a little excited on the sideline at that,” Williams said of Paige’s shot. “If you think about it, and if I had time to reflect, I’d say ‘Yes,’ that it couldn’t be more appropriate that it was Marcus Paige that did that.”
Following Paige’s big play, sophomore wing Theo Pinson stepped up and drilled a three of his own, as UNC then marched easily to victory—showing that when this Tar Heel team makes its shots from beyond the arc they’re basically unbeatable.
Pinson–the team’s Energizer Bunny who finished with five points–and senior forward Joel James—the bench celebration leader who had four points–each made solid contributions as substitutes in a balanced effort where no player shot the ball more than 12 times.
Johnson’s 16 points and 9 rebounds topped the stat sheet, but all he wanted to talk about afterwards were the team’s unsung heroes.
“Theo stepped up and really made some big-time shots,” Johnson said. “And Joel [James] too. Joel played some terrific minutes in the first half.
“That’s how we wanna play,” he continued. “We just wanna play together. It’s a team sport. We don’t really care who gets the most points. We’d rather it be spread out the way it was today.”
Joel James (42) and the rest of the Tar Heels have shown they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win a national title. (Todd Melet)
And that’s the thing. This special group of Tar Heels has proven all season long that they’re everything everyone thought they might be—and then some.
They’re talented, experienced, and unselfish—playing for something bigger than themselves.
Now only Villanova stands between UNC and its sixth national championship–and for Williams his third since returning to Chapel Hill in the summer of 2003.
It’s been an emotional run filled with all the clichés you can think of, but now they’re here one game away—which is why the coach took some time afterward to thank those that have inspired it.
“I really wish Stuart Scott was here tonight,” Williams said, referencing the late ESPN anchor and Tar Heel alum. “And I really wish [former UNC head coaches] Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge and my best friend in Chapel Hill, Ted Seagroves, were here.
“The last year and a half’s been awfully difficult because of all that,” he continued. “But they’re up there somewhere smiling and having a good time—and Stuart’s saying ‘Boo-yah.’”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will take on the Villanova Wildcats for the title starting at 9:09 p.m. It’ll be yet another late tip time for UNC, but at least this time it’ll be with the biggest prize of them all on the line.
Game Notes:
- After his fourth rebound in the game, Brice Johnson broke the UNC all-time single season record for rebounds, which he now holds at 408.
- Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim went to the full-court press defensive strategy that helped his team claw out of a 16-point deficit in the Elite Eight against Virginia, but UNC quickly put an end to it by making a couple of easy fast break layups.
- Monday will be the 10th time UNC has played for a National Championship.
- UNC is now 31-1 this year when scoring at least 30 points in the paint (50 on Saturday).
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