The 2009 NCAA Basketball National Championship game between North Carolina and Michigan State ended just the way America had expected, with a UNC blowout. The Tar Heels jumped out to an early 22-7 lead and never looked back to coast for an easy 89-72 victory. The game was being played in MSU’s backyard at Ford Field (the Lions’ stadium) where the Tar Heels had already thrashed the Spartans earlier this year for a 35-point victory. Regardless, Michigan State seemed to have an immediate advantage. Over 72,000 screaming fans showed up to watch the massacre and most of them were wearing green instead of Tar Heel blue. All we heard about in the hours leading up to the game was how the home court advantage would catapult Michigan State to an upset. The only problem with that prediction is the fact that fans do not actually play the game. North Carolina is too good of a team to let fans play any type of role and they flexed their muscle on Monday night. They were the better team in all aspects of the game.

From the get-go, it was all UNC. Ty Lawson stepped up the intensity on defense early and recorded 7 first-half steals. He finished with a record 8 in the game and 10 for the Final Four, another record. The Spartans committed 21 turnovers total for the game. Tournament Most Outstanding Player Wayne Ellington shot 7 for 9 in the first half, including 3 of 3 from three-point land, to tally 17 first-half points. In all, North Carolina put the game away before it even started. Their 55 first-half points are a record and their lead at the half (21 points) was the largest in 42 years. Michigan State never really had a chance. North Carolina’s clostest game in the tourny was a 12-point win against an Oklahoma team with the nation’s best player. They cruised through the tournament and made it look easy. I could count 6 guys on North Carolina’s squad who could be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft, whether it’s this year or next year. They could go down as one of the most stacked college teams in history once all is said and done. We will just have to wait for these guys to make their marks at the next level, which I know most of them will.