Adams: Tar Heels able to do what Vols couldn't

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.