Greetings from snowy Detroit. Only two teams remain to play on college basketball's biggest stage on Monday night: the Heels and Spartans. It will be a battle between two of the nation's top programs, each led by terrific coaches and some quality upperclassmen. I can tell you first-hand that Ford Field will be full of green and white, even more so than it was on Saturday night. The Villanova and UCONN fans had no problem getting rid of their tickets for the remaining game thanks to the hometown Spartans' appearance, which will make Monday night a road game for the favored Tar Heels. Some notes on Detroit and the environment first, then analysis on the game itself, and finally a prediction.
The Motor City has been hit hard by the economic downturn in America - duh. We are all aware of that, and it's not the only city with such issues. I will tell you, though, that you don't realize how bad things are until you see it in person. Building after building, street corner after street corner, empty or falling apart. Comerica Park and Ford Field are beautiful facilities and the Detroit River area is gorgeous overlooking Windsor, Ontario...but that's about it. The event planning folks have done their best with what they have, but that has surely been tough. Hoops City is a long way from The Big Dance which is a really long way from Ford Field. In between are tons of bars and some casinos, but no really great areas to hang out and enjoy the Final Four atmosphere. The Carolina team hotel is incredibly small and cramped compared to others I've seen. There is little directional signage to show fans where to go and I personally do not think there have been enough police and security personnel away from the stadium. They did do a great job planning The Big Dance, the free music festival along the river. Fergie, Gavin DeGraw, Jesse McCartney, Staind, Pussycat Dolls, and...Keith Sweat. Needless to say, we checked into the Sweat Hotel and jammed pre-game Saturday afternoon.
The venue itself is great for football, but leaves a bit to be desired for hoops. Setting up the court in the center of Ford Field has turned into a good thing for the NCAA simply because Michigan St has survived this long and filled the joint. Had Louisville been the fourth team instead of Michigan St, this would have been the easiest Final Four ticket in history. As it was, I know of ten Carolina people or so that actually turned down tickets this week (are you kidding me?) for various reasons. Now, Monday night's ticket is really, really hot. Again, had this game not included the Spartans, it would have been the complete opposite. Anyway, our seats are on the club level, some of the best in the venue...and we're probably 150 yards from center court. Some of the seats on the floor along the sidelines stretch fifty yards beyond the baseline and are set below the court itself, making it darn near impossible to watch comfortably. I really question this decision by the NCAA to expand the seating long-term, but it has (luckily) been a success this season.
Some friends and I journeyed to Ann Arbor today to poke around and ate some delicious cuisine at a local joint, Afternoon Delight. We checked out The Big House and the hockey arena (amazing), as well as some shops downtown. Ann Arbor is much bigger than I remembered, but the campus is just great. Consistent architecture, green spaces, trees, and tons of students - very nice.
Now, on to the reason we're here. Monday night's game is going to be a battle. These two teams have a lot of respect for one another and will compete like warriors with the biggest prize on the line. Rebounding is a hot topic, as it should be, considering the Spartans are reputed to be the best in the country from season to season. Carolina is going to have to crash the glass as a team and hold their checks until the ball is secured. I really think continued defensive pressure by the Heels will create some missed Spartan shots and potentially lead to easy buckets, provided that the Heels get the rebound.
Michigan St supposedly wants to continue pushing the ball Monday night; I think that's BS. I see the Spartans trying to ugly this game up and slow it down, forcing Carolina to execute in the halfcourt against their terrific defense. On the other hand, Carolina will push the tempo per usual and look for easy buckets like the got in December.
Individually, Travis Walton is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and can guard Lawson or Ellington. I would imagine he'll at least start out on Ellington and try to keep Wayne from heating up early. He could really make a huge difference in this matchup if he is able to neutralize one of Carolina's weapons. Delvon Roe is healthy now and playing great ball. No doubt he is looking for a huge performance to remind Roy Williams and Co why they recruited him so hard last year. Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan were both sensational Saturday night, but I think both could struggle against Lawson and Green. Lucas really had a hard time keeping up with Tywon in December, but he took it personally and elevated his game the remainder of the season (not too dissimilar from Lawson's response to being torched by Jeff Teague). Carolina has to continue to be balanced offensively, and some bench points from Frasor and Davis would go a long way in helping out. A great game from Tyler Hansbrough should be in the books, as Michigan State honestly does not have a guy who can guard him individually - not Suton, not Roe. Look for the Spartans to concentrate on throwing some different looks (fronting, double-teams, etc) and really trying to keep him from easy offensive rebounds. Finally, Ty Lawson remains the ultimate key for Carolina. If Lawson dominates this game, things could turn out well. Rebound, defend, hit your free throws, and Ty Lawson.
So what will happen? Ford Field will be as loud as it can be for Michigan St and the Heels will have to remember how to win on the road. The entire country will be pulling for the underdogs to win in their home state and further uplift a city in economic despair. And someone will win. Either way, it's the last ride for us to enjoy. Monday night is definitely Tyler Hansbrough's last game in blue and white. Same for Danny Green, Bobby Frasor, and Mike Copeland. Go ahead and add Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington to that list in my opinion. The next talented batch of players awaits to arrive on campus and try to win a national title. Next year, there will be new guys to have a man-crush on. But for now, live it up. This is why we watch every game and cheer with such vigor and passion. College basketball does not get better than playing for a National Championship on a Monday night in April, so soak up every moment and enjoy the last ride. Let's all hope this last ride ends with One Shining Moment.
Score: 82-71. Rah rah...
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