Home › Columns
Adams: Tar Heels able to do what Vols couldn't
STORY TOOLS
More Columns
- Adams: Tony P's is SEC of West
- Strange: UT 0-3 in SEC by mid-October?
- Adams: Hangover from UCLA loss will linger
Share and Enjoy [?]
Get Reprints
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - What worked against Tennessee didn't work against North Carolina. And it didn't take Louisville long to figure that out Saturday night at Bobcats Arena.
The Cardinals dominated the rebounding, held UT to 33.9 percent shooting and easily overcame 20 turnovers in a 79-60 victory Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
One round later, the difference was obvious from the outset.
No. 1-ranked North Carolina built a 12-point lead in the first 13 1/2 minutes, withstood a Louisville countercharge in the second half and pulled away down the stretch for an 83-73 victory that carried it to its 17th Final Four.
The Tar Heels did what UT couldn't. They beat the Cardinals on the boards and made them pay for their 19 turnovers.
"They overpowered us down the stretch," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "It's sometimes difficult to admit the other team's better. They just played better."
This wasn't just about what Louisville did wrong. It was about what Louisville didn't have: All-American center Tyler Hansbrough.
His talent and effort were never more evident than in the 28-point, 13-rebound performance against Louisville's talented, athletic front line. He made 12 of 17 field-goal attempts, most of which were hotly contested.
"The shots he made were unbelievable," Pitino said. "They were under duress. He had very little time to get it off. You've got to give credit to a great basketball player."
Pitino said he had never coached against a player who exerted so much effort on every possession. Louisville center David Padgett provided the "amen."
"I've never played against somebody who plays that hard," Padgett said. "He's just absolutely determined to be a great basketball player."
Hansbrough aside, Louisville at least made the Carolina-dominated crowd sweat. When the Cardinals tied the game at 59-all, imagine how many Tar Heels were flashing back to last year when their team blew an 11-point, second-half lead in losing to Georgetown in the Elite Eight.
"That was in the back of a lot of our minds," Hansbrough said. "The difference this year, we handled that run better and stayed poised."
This time, there was a finishing kick, rather than a collapse. The Tar Heels outscored Louisville 17-9 in the last 6:10.
Turnovers were a factor for the Cardinals both early and late. Six of the Tar Heels' first 12 points came off Louisville turnovers. And when the Cardinals were struggling to make a game of it in the last few minutes, they committed turnovers on three of four possessions.
"We made a few turnovers down the stretch that really shot ourselves in the foot," Pitino said.
Louisville's turnovers proved to be little more than an annoyance against UT. They were crucial against North Carolina.
Moreover, the same Louisville defense that repeatedly throttled the Vols couldn't hold off the Tar Heels, who too often got to the basket whether the Cardinals were playing man-to-man or their 2-3 zone.
And when the North Carolina offense couldn't produce a clear shot, there was still the Hansbrough option.
"(Hansbrough) made two shots that you pray they're gonna take," Pitino said. "I was following the flight of the ball. He couldn't even see the basket. He's going to make some pro team very happy."
And he's going to make a lot of college teams happy to see him go.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
- Game film makes Fulmer madder
- UT report card for UCLA
- Crompton suffered concussion in fourth quarter against UCLA
- UT to play UConn in football (not women's basketball)
- Craft ready to go 'all-out' for Pearl, Tennessee
- Next Bradshaw? UT gets commitment from combo guard Craft
- Call into the Vol frustration line
- It's a Hollywood disaster, but Fulmer says it's 'fixable'
- Chavis' goal for defense: Learn to finish
- Strange: UT 0-3 in SEC by mid-October?
Please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, or enable JavaScript for your browser to view the video player.
Posted by nicksjuzunk on March 30, 2008 at 1:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Another great cheap shot by Adams to point out about how UT athletics just can't seem to measure up.
Posted by Gigavol on March 30, 2008 at 1:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you have not noticed, the KNS has a pattern of tying National news to their circulation area. This is a regular pattern throughouth the KNS. Unfortunately for you people who want to read UT marketing propoganda, there was little he could do but state the facts.
I would not have read "North Carolina handles Louisville", but I did read whatever title they used. The article was exactly what I expected, though. I appreciate the story.
Adams summarized the game without pointing fingers. And fingers need to be pointed. I think Pearl rocks, but I will not stand and hold Pearl's 'coffee cup' while he does his mornthing stretch.
Again, this forced localization is KNS-wide, not John Adams.
Posted by grvol on March 30, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I knew they would wilt against NC if they made 20 turnovers. Too must slopiness carried over from the TN slopfest Thursday night.
Posted by TheVolMan on March 30, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Re post #1, the Weenie conspiracy theorists continue their head-in-the-sand boycott. No, wait, they are still reading Adams' columns. LOL...
Good points JA about the Heels. What they did to a good physical UL team was impressive.
Posted by invisiblekid on March 30, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I believe the stat of the game was 9 points off of 14 Louisville turnovers in the first half Thursday night. Not capitalizing off of those turnovers was the Vols downfall. It put them in too deep of a hole and, to their credit, they fought back within one point in the second half. However, the Vols faded down the stretch against a team that was athletically better than them.
Posted by littleorange on March 30, 2008 at 6:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I only read the typical Adams "cheap shot" headline....Can you please go back to La.?
Posted by b on March 30, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for the story, Captian Obvious.
WTF, does Adams actually add???
STFU and go away, Adams!!!
Posted by TommyJack on March 30, 2008 at 11:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good article, Adams
Posted by cdldoc on March 31, 2008 at midnight (Suggest removal)
And none of us already knew the game's outcome? STFU Adams.
Posted by alfrizzle097 on March 31, 2008 at 6:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No need to be so hostile. I'm not a fan of the weaasle, but Adams simply made some observations about the differences in two programs. He has had plenty of positives about the basketball team and wasn't calling for someone's job this time. Back off of the STFUs and grow up people. You aren't six.
Posted by johnlg00 on March 31, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here in Greensboro, NC, the local paper made much out of Louisville's apparent fatigue against the 'Heels. Although they did not precisely say so, the clear implication was that Louisville had to expend so much energy in subduing the Vols that they wilted late against the 'Heels. I would have to say that UNC is the clear favorite for the title right now, though (ugh!) Memphis was impressive in crushing Texas. This year's Vols did well with what they had. UNC would have likely embarrassed us. We must be, and I think will be, much tougher mentally and physically to advance farther than we did this year. The Vols' future remains bright. Please stay, Bruce and Tyler! Please get better, everyone else! The best is yet to come!
Posted by GlennMaxwell on March 31, 2008 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hold your heads high, VolNation. If all goes well, you'll be able to say next week that you were the only team to beat this year's national champs.
Go Tigers!
Posted by gravegr on March 31, 2008 at 4:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
good article john. you are not always right, but who is?
Posted by hueypilot on April 1, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess I don't get the Memphis (ugh) comment. I am for Tennessee. If they can't win it, I'll pull for whoever else is in the running that I feel some connection to. Kansas? UCLA? North Carolina from the ACC? I don't think so. Go Tigers. Bring that trophy home to Memphis and never forget that if you do win it all, one night in Memphis, in the middle of your magical season you were bested by a better team, your bitter rival, the Vols.
Posted by Bigger_Al on April 2, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
John Adams cheats at 4-way stop sign intersections.
Posted by johnlg00 on April 2, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My Memphis comment was somewhat tongue-in-cheek payback for some of the Memphis idiots posting on here. I too favor Memphis over any of the other Final Four participants. Frankly, they have surprised me with how well they have played in the NCAAs. I am usually one of those who prefers that UT's opponents look good, because, whether WE win or lose against them, it makes us look better if they win. It would be nice to be able to say that we have a winning record against the last THREE National Champs!
(Requires free registration.)
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.