North Carolina and Junior Tyler Hansbrough will head to the final four for the first time since they won it all in 2005 thanks to an 83-73 win over Louisville and maybe more importantly, thanks to Hansbrough’s double double.
Hansbrough recorded 28 points and 13 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels past the Cardinals. After midway through the first half, Carolina had control of the game but Louisville made it interesting at times as Rick Pitino’s scrappy defensive minded Cardinals tried to upset the overall one seed.
With Hansbrough leading them, Carolina outlasted Louisville to get the win. Hansbrough was named Eastern Regional MVP after the game.
“He does the same thing in practice every day,” Carolina head coach Roy Williams said. “He is the most driven, focused player I’ve ever seen in my life. He wants to be the best player he can be and win. That’s Tyler Hansbrough. That’s Tyler Hansbrough at practice every day. That’s Tyler Hansbrough on off days. That’s who Tyler Hansbrough is.”
Since winning the title in 2005, Carolina has struggled to get back to premier championship form. Last year the Heels lost in the Elite Eight to Georgetown.
“My feelings right now are great,” Hansbrough said. “This just kind of takes all those bad experiences away. At the same time, we want to accomplish more.”
It wasn’t just the Tyler Hansbrough show though. Ty Lawson and Denny Green had 11 points themselves and Lawson had nine assists. Jerry Smith led the Cardinals with 17 points followed by Terrance William’s 14 and Earl Clark’s 12. Clark also led the Cardinals in rebounds as he finished off his sensational tournament with good stats but no victory.
“We played exactly the style of play we needed to win,” Pitino said. “It’s very difficult sometimes for people to admit when the other team is better. But we’re a very good basketball team this year, very good, and they were better tonight.”
The Tar Heels will advance to play Kansas in the final four, an interesting match up because Williams coached at Kansas until he left for his alma mater in 2003. The win also gives Williams his sixth final four appearance, good enough for fourth all time.