The college basketball season has run its course and North Carolina has won a sixth national championship, moving within two of Kentucky’s eight for second place all-time. How did the Tar Heels manage to prevail in a game in which they hit only 4 of 27 three-point shots and made just 15 of 26 free throws?
Joel Berry
The point guard who entered the Final Four with two sprained ankles called himself “85 percent” healthy heading into the college basketball semifinals against Oregon on Saturday. Berry played 35 minutes in that game and then had to turn around and play two nights later against a very tough defensive team with a lot of length on the perimeter. It was easy to envision a national championship game in which Berry struggled against Gonzaga’s defense, and while 4 of 13 on three-pointers isn’t great, it was not bad on a night when just about every player on the floor struggled to shoot well. More precisely, it was great when compared to every other North Carolina player. No other Tar Heels hit a single three-pointer on Monday. Justin Jackson went 0 for 9 on threes. Theo Pinson was 0 for 4. Berry’s four three-point baskets, a few of them coming late in the game, were highly important in swinging a close contest in North Carolina’s direction. Berry finished with a game-high 22 points, six more than Jackson, who was the game’s second-highest scorer at 16. No Gonzaga player scored more than Nigel Williams-Goss’s 15 points.
Isaiah Hicks
The ability of Hicks and Joel Berry to bounce back from terrible shooting performances on Saturday against Oregon truly enabled North Carolina to win this hard-nosed defensive game. Berry was 2 of 14 from the field on Saturday, and he came back with 22 points. Hicks was 1 for 12 on Saturday, and he responded with 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in a complete performance. Hicks hit the game’s biggest basket inside the final 40 seconds with North Carolina leading by one point. Kennedy Meeks needed help in the paint, and Hicks was there to give it to him and the rest of the Tar Heels. Meeks was spectacular against Oregon. It was not likely that he would come up with an equally great game against Gonzaga, and he didn’t. Other guys needed to raise their games, and Hicks stepped into the breach to boost North Carolina.
Defensive Length On The Perimeter
The length of Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson on the perimeter made it hard for Nigel Williams-Goss, Josh Perkins, Jordan Mathews, and Gonzaga’s other shooters to feel comfortable. No one was really all that comfortable in this game, but Gonzaga had the ability to contest North Carolina’s shots near the basket. North Carolina was able to counter when it played defense. Lots of teams get beaten when making only 4 of 27 threes and 15 of 26 free throws. Defense has to overcome those shooting numbers. North Carolina defended incredibly well. When you take a look at the cold, hard numbers, Gonzaga shot just 33.9% from the field. That’s a terrible number and that’s one of the main reasons why they lost. Remember, their offense had been one of the best in the nation throughout the regular season but it simply wasn’t as crisp in the college basketball Championship game.
Kennedy Meeks
This is the man who should have been named the college basketball Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four, not Joel Berry. Meeks might have scored only seven points against Gonzaga, but his size and bulk kept Przemek Karnowski from settling into a groove. A leaner, thinner low-post defender might have been overpowered by Karnowski, but Meeks did not let that happen. Gonzaga got fewer easy baskets, and that mattered a lot for North Carolina. The challenge is that Meeks did dirty work that didn’t necessarily show up in the box score. As per usual, though, awards like MVP, MOP and so on typically go to players who pile up strong numbers. Meeks was definitely one of the keys to the Tar Heels’ success as he limited Gonzaga’s biggest weapon.
Click here to bet on the NCAA Tournament futures for the 2018 college basketball season right now. DSI will have all of the latest lines, spreads and props as we get closer to the season!
