Meeks shoots, and rebounds, and saves the day for Tar Heels

Following a thrilling second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, the 2017 Final Four is set for this weekend in Phoenix.

“They’re big just like us and they match up with us pretty well”, North Carolina’s Theo Pinson said.

With the Win: North Carolina will go for their seventh national title against the Gonzaga Bulldogs who are going for their first.

UNC achieved its season-long goal of making it back to the national championship game after a dramatic finish Saturday night, an ending in which they missed four free throws in the final 5.8 seconds. This was the best rebounding team in the country this season, grabbing an average of 13 more boards than their opponents over the course of the season.

The good news: He made it through OK and the Tar Heels survived to reach the national championship game for the second straight year.

Meeks’ rebounding was vital.

Berry missed both, too.

It’s this game that OR really missed Chris Boucher, one of the Ducks’ biggest players and best shot blockers – he suffered a knee injury before the tournament started. But after failing to secure the rebounds on the missed free throws, he buried his face in his hands as the clock expired and North Carolina celebrated. “We weren’t losing this game, and we weren’t going out with another team hitting a game-winner on us”.

“This is a bigger stage”, Altman said. We might see a lot more of Collins on Meeks against North Carolina.

Somehow, Oregon got close after a miserable shooting game.

Tyler Dorsey, nicknamed Mr. March for his sensational shooting in the tournament, led OR with 21 points, but scored more from the free-throw line (12) than from three-point range (nine). North Carolina is long and big and that proved to be a big issue for OR in the game.

Zach Collins, a 7-foot freshman, backs up Karnowski and he had 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks against SC in the national semifinal.

The game would seemingly be decided at the free-throw line.

Back on Selection Sunday, before the official madness began, both North Carolina and Gonzaga weren’t full-on locks as No. 1 seeds like fellow top seeds Villanova and Kansas. Especially with him in the building, rocking a Tar Heels shirt in support of his brother – UNC senior guard Nate Britt. Last year, the Tar Heels lost to Villanova in the title game when Kris Jenkins’ three-pointer gave the Wildcats a 77-74 victory. The South Carolina Gamecocks had a record breaking season for their program with 26 wins and only 11 loses. Eight of his rebounds were off the offensive glass. According to ESPN Stats, he joined Larry Bird, Danny Manning, Ed O’Bannon and Carmelo Anthony as players to go for at least 25 and 14 in a Final Four contest.

The Tar Heels of North Carolina led most of the game, though the Ducks held a brief first half lead of eight points.

Can Gonzaga 3-point ace Jordan Mathews be a shooting star?

Kris Jenkins, whose shot destroyed the Tar Heels nearly exactly one year ago to date, sat in the first row of the North Carolina cheering section, alongside the parents he considers family, rooting for Nate Britt, who he considers a brother. Only Jackson systematically picking apart Oregon’s defense and deflating another dazzling comeback before the Ducks could start one.

But Oregon, despite its shooting woes, wouldn’t go away. Totals 22-58 25-28 76.

Brooks fouled out with about a minute remaining, leaving the Ducks without one of their top threats.

SC still wasn’t done.

The Tar Heels have a rare and unique advantage heading into the championship. “They are really good”.

In the end, the Tar Heels had to sweat it out. After all, OR just beat the doors off Kansas in what was pretty much a home game for the Jayhawks.