{"id":1140,"date":"2017-04-04T01:17:17","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T01:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2017-04-04T01:17:17","modified_gmt":"2017-04-04T01:17:17","slug":"championship-game-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/?p=1140","title":{"rendered":"Championship Game Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s all the important information that you need to know to get you ready for the National Championship game.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>#1 South Regional &#8211; North Carolina (32-7, ACC Regular Season Champions) vs #1 West Regional &#8211; Gonzaga (37-1, WCC Regular Season \/ Tournament Champions)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Vegas Line: UNC (-1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Over\/Under: 155.5<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Covers.com Experts favorites:\u00a0\u00a0 Gonzaga (+1 &#8211; 59%),\u00a0\u00a0 Over (155.5 &#8211; 78%)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Lunatic Pool Biggest Fans for Gonzaga (unofficially, of course):<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Standard Pool: Martin Poteralski<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Upset Pool: Kyle Kelly<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Second Chance Pool: Michael Cheung and Patti Carini<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Lunatic Pool Biggest Fans for North Carolina (unofficially, of course):<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Standard Pool: Lauren Martin<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Upset Pool: Greg Williams<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Second Chance Pool: Tony Bisese<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Gonzaga Roster:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Last Starting Lineup<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">G &#8211; Nigel Williams-Goss (6&#8217;3&#8243; Jr) &#8211; 16.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.9 RPG (49.3% FG, 88.4% FT, 36.8% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">G &#8211; Josh Perkins (6&#8217;3&#8243; Soph) &#8211; 8 PPG, 3.1 APG (42% FG, 72.3% FT, 39.5% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">G &#8211; Jordan Matthews (6&#8217;4&#8243; Sr) &#8211; 10.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG (40.8% FG, 74.2% FT, 39.2% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Johnathan Williams (6&#8217;9&#8243; Jr) &#8211; 10.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG (59.2% FG, 56.3% FT, 40.5% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">C &#8211; Przemek Karnowski (7&#8217;1&#8243; Sr) &#8211; 12.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG (59.7% FG, 58.1% FT)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Key Bench Players<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">C &#8211; Zach Collins (7&#8217;0&#8243; Fr) &#8211; 10 PPG, 5.9 RPG (65.2% FG, 74.1% FT, 47.6% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">G &#8211; Silas Melson (6&#8217;4&#8243; Jr) &#8211; 7.3 PPG, 1.5 APG (44.9% FG, 84% FT, 38.9% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>North Carolina Roster:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Last Starting Lineup<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">G &#8211; Joel Berry II (6&#8217;0&#8243; Jr) &#8211; 14.5 PPG, 3.6 APG (42.9% FG, 79.1% FT, 38.7% TPG)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Theo Pinson (6&#8217;6&#8243; Jr) &#8211; 6.1 PPG, 3.8 APG (39.4% FG, 68.9% FT)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Justin Jackson (6&#8217;8&#8243; Jr) &#8211; 18.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG (44.7% FG, 74.6% FT, 38.2% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Isaiah Hicks (6&#8217;9&#8243; Sr) &#8211; 11.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG (57.7% FG, 78.6% FT)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Kennedy Meeks (6&#8217;10&#8221; Sr) &#8211; 12.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG (55.5% FG, 63.3% FT)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Key Bench Players<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">G &#8211; Nate Britt (6&#8217;1&#8243; Sr) &#8211; 4.6 PPG, 2.4 APG (35.4% FG, 73.0% FT, 33.8% TPG)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Luke Maye (6&#8217;8&#8243; Soph) &#8211; 5.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG (48.1% FG, 57.9% FT)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">F &#8211; Tony Bradley (6&#8217;10&#8221; Fr) &#8211; 7.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG (58.8% FG, 62.1% FT)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Keys to the Game:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Experience &#8211; UNC has been on this stage before.\u00a0 They know what to expect out of a National Championship game. \u00a0 They have felt the pressure.\u00a0\u00a0 And while you never know what a team is going to do in this situation, you can not underestimate how big of a deal it is to have played in this game before.\u00a0 These players came back to win this title &#8211; this is their chance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Can anyone stop Gonzaga&#8217;s Nigel Williams-Goss?\u00a0\u00a0 The Tar Heels play with 4 forwards, which means it likely is up to Joel Berry II, and he is playing on two bad ankles.\u00a0\u00a0 It is a tough task to ask to guard Williams-Goss when you are healthy &#8211; I am not sure Berry can keep up with him when he is not.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Can anyone stop UNC&#8217;s Justin Jackson?\u00a0 The same way that UNC might not have an answer for Williams-Goss, Gonzaga might not have an answer for Jackson.\u00a0\u00a0 Jackson is an amazing talent that has the ability to shoot outside or drive to the basket.\u00a0\u00a0 He will also likely have a size advantage unless Gonzaga decides to bring Williams out to guard him (which will obviously create a bigger mis-match elsewhere).\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Who wins the lane &#8211; this might be the best matchup and most important of the night.\u00a0\u00a0 Kennedy Meeks is a beast inside &#8211; he carried the Tar Heels against the Ducks by his play inside.\u00a0\u00a0 However, Gonzaga has a pair of 7 footers that simply have a lot more size than Meeks is used to going against.\u00a0\u00a0 And both Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins are good enough to challenge Meeks for rebounds and post play.\u00a0\u00a0 That should be a great battle, because both teams like to go to their star big men.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Will UNC need to hit free throws to win the game &#8211; the Tar Heels are really good at all the intangibles except one &#8211; they are not a good free throw shooting team.\u00a0 That flaw was more than evident in their stunning finish against the Ducks where they missed 4 straight free throws (2 from their best free throw shooter) and still kept the ball out of Oregon&#8217;s hands.\u00a0\u00a0 With Gonzaga&#8217;s big men, it is unlikely that they will be able to get away with missing end-of-game free throws and get the offensive rebound.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It should be a great game tonight &#8211; it is such a great storyline.\u00a0\u00a0 UNC is trying to win the National Championship that eluded them last year.\u00a0\u00a0 Gonzaga have been on a Cinderella journey for the last 20 years, building a program that was a mid-major champion to one that is a National Championship contender.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gonzaga is no longer a Cinderella &#8211; they are a dominant team that has only lost one game all season.\u00a0\u00a0 But North Carolina is not going to back down to anyone &#8211; they have focused all season to get to this moment.\u00a0\u00a0 Should be so much fun!!!!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s all the important information that you need to know to get you ready for the National Championship game. #1 South Regional &#8211; North Carolina (32-7, ACC Regular Season Champions) vs #1 West Regional &#8211; Gonzaga (37-1, WCC Regular Season \/ Tournament Champions) Vegas Line: UNC (-1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Over\/Under: 155.5 Covers.com Experts favorites:\u00a0\u00a0 Gonzaga (+1 &#8211; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2017-blog","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1140"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1143,"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140\/revisions\/1143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.tehodgson.com\/stompthelunatic\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}