And Your 2009 National Champion Is...

The end is near for this edition of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Six games, at the most, remain for the nucleus of this squad. So before we analyze their potential path to a national championship, take a second to think of all the great things we fans have been blessed to see the past few years. Really, stop reading and think...

Ok, now smile. It has been so much fun, hasn't it? Disappointing and frustrating at times, sure, because the ultimate prize is still elusive. But, they have given us so much to appreciate and remember, so many times we've all lept out of our seats or fallen off the sofa with uladulterated elation. You find yourself shaking your head and smiling ruefully as Tyler grabs another gritty rebound and pounds it back for an and-one. You raise your hands when Wayne pops a high-arching three ball. You beat your chest after Danny Green blocks a shot on one end, then runs the floor and dunks on somebody at the other end. You give a high-five to Frasor in your mind after another drawn charge and find yourself wanting to fist-bump Mike Copeland everytime you see him. And, you try to keep up with Lawson when the afterburners kick in and he zooms down the court, weaving for another layup. All the wins over Duke, the ACC titles, the ACC Tournament titles, the thrilling wins that you'll tell Lil' Kyle about. This team, this group of players, does not need a national championship to become special - they already are.

But that does not mean they don't want to win the whole darn thing. So how do they do it?

1) Get healthy and stay that way. This needeth no explanation.

2) Rebound like it's your job. Every matchup will favor Carolina on the frontline unless they play UCONN or Wake Forest. Four guys 6-9 or taller will do that. But this team has not been quite as dominate on the boards as those prior to them in recent years. I promise this was a point of emphasis in practice this week.

3) Defend.

4) Don't get ahead of yourself. It has been a long, arduous season already. A marathon as Ol' Roy likes to say. Well, the time for the sprint is upon us. However, this group cannot afford to start thinking about anything but the next game. They cannot get behind and panic because the dream appears to be dying before them. They must keep grinding and focus only on small segments at a time (and the same goes for the fans in case you're wondering).

5) Have fun playing together and enjoy the ride.

Ladies and gentlemen, I challenge you to do the same. Enjoy this time and be thankful for basketball and this team. Furthermore, remember that there are many, many things much more important than hoops. On to my picks...

Midwest Region:
First Round Winners: Louisville, Ohio St, Arizona, Wake Forest, WVU, Kansas, USC, Michigan St
Second Round: Louisville, Wake Forest, WVU, Michigan St
Sweet 16: Louisville, WVU
Elite Eight: Louisville

West Region:
First Round: UCONN, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Utah St, Missouri, Cal, Memphis
Second Round: UCONN, Purdue, Utah St, Memphis
Sweet 16: UCONN, Memphis
Elite Eight: UCONN

East Region:
First Round: Pitt, Tennessee, FSU, Xavier, UCLA, Villanova, Texas, Duke
Second Round: Pitt, FSU, Villanova, Duke
Sweet 16: Pitt, Villanova
Elite Eight: Villanova

South Region:
First Round: UNC, LSU, Western Kentucky, Gonzaga, Temple, Syracuse, Michigan, Oklahoma
Second Round: UNC, Gonzaga, Syracuse, Michigan
Sweet 16: UNC, Syracuse
Elite Eight: UNC

Final Four:
UCONN over Louisville
UNC over Villanova

Rah rah...