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North Carolina coach Roy Williams, center, celebrates with his team after the Tar Heels’ 89-72 victory over Michigan State. Carolina easily defeated the Spartans in the NCAA championship game on Monday in Detroit.

Carolina clobbering

Tar Heels claim fifth NCAA title with stomping of Spartans

Warm and fuzzy they were not. For a year, maybe more, North Carolina could feel this national championship coming. It was a calculated march, and behind the unrelenting play of Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, the Tar Heels stomped out Michigan State’s inspirational run Monday night with an 89-72 blowout that wasn’t that close.

April 7, 2009

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Special coverage: 2009 Bracket Challenge

KUSports.com contest winner takes home TV

After over twenty years of filling out brackets, Ben Hendricks finally has something to show for it. Hendricks was the big winner in KUSports.com's 2009 NCAA Tournament bracket contest, sponsored by Kief's Audio/Video.

National title game was clear cut

Yeah, fine. You Tar Heels go celebrate. But a little warning, fellas: Michigan State is going to kick your butt the third time around. Kidding, kidding. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the better team won Monday night. This truth should make the result easier on Spartans fans — and, eventually, easier on the Spartans themselves.

Michigan State gets another shot at Heels

The NCAA final between North Carolina and Michigan State is a rematch, though Carolina insists its even better than the team that beat the Spartans, 98-63, last time.

Four ways Michigan St. upsets UNC

I have a theory about upsets: They usually aren’t as big as we think they are. One team gets overhyped. The other team, the underdog, is outstanding, but people don’t realize it yet.

It’s UNC-Michigan State, Part II

Michigan State has been itching for this do-over since December.

Region honors Aldrich

Kansas University sophomore center Cole Aldrich on Sunday was named to the NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Regional team. Michigan State’s Goran Suton, Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton and Louisville’s Earl Clark also were voted to the squad by media members covering the tournament.

College hoops dynasties are history

Dynasties can’t exist in college basketball, not anymore. You have Florida, with its back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007, now working on a two-year streak of NIT trips. You have UCLA, with three straight Final Four appearances snapped this year, but no titles. ou have Kentucky (no Final Fours since 1998), you have Duke (no Final Fours since 2005), and you have a mishmash of everyone else.

North Carolina leaves Oklahoma behind 72-60

Blake Griffin might be the nation's best player. North Carolina brushed him aside with a total team effort. Ty Lawson scored 19 points and Danny Green added 18 to lead the top-seeded Tar Heels to a 72-60 win over Griffin and Oklahoma on Sunday in the South Regional final.

Michigan St beats No. 1 seed Louisville 64-52

Michigan State is marching on to Motown. The Spartans gave the Final Four a hometown feel, stopping overall No. 1 seed Louisville 64-52 Sunday to win the Midwest Regional.

Unfinished business

Jayhawks leave Indianapolis wanting a return trip in 2010

Kansas University’s basketball players and coaches boarded the team bus at 10 a.m. Saturday in front of the downtown Indianapolis Omni Severin Hotel, hoping they’d be back in Hoosier Country sooner rather than later.

It's 'Nova over Pitt 78-76 in East Region

It was physical. It was defensive. It was just the way they like it in the Big East. With bodies clogging the lane and 3-pointers clanging off the rim, Scottie Reynolds made a half-court dash for a last-second basket to give Villanova 78-76 victory over Pittsburgh and send the Wildcats to their first Final Four since the 1985 team made its stunning run to the NCAA championship.