(1) North Carolina -8 vs. (5) Southern Cal (O/U: 149.5)
The final game of the Sweet 16 round features some of the most exciting young talent in the country, as Ty Lawson, Brandan Wright and North Carolina take on Taj Gibson, Nick Young and USC.
Tyler Hansbrough played out of his mind against Michigan State, single-handedly fending off the Spartans at times, and looking much more comfortable without his schnozaroo mask on. But anyone who's followed the Tar Heels the last couple years know Hansbrough can be very streaky and UNC very well might need their other talented youngsters to take this game over. Hansbrough might have his hands full on both ends of the court with USC freshman big man Taj Gibson.
USC had a very interesting year, it started in tragedy with the shooting death of standout Ryan Francis, continued with the surprising and possibly shady recruiting of O.J. Mayo, and the Trojans had one of their best seasons in a long time under Tim Floyd, who is probably just happy to no longer be known primarily as "The Guy stuck with the Bulls after Jordan and Pippen left town" (similar to fellow Trojan faculty member Pete Carroll, happy to shed his image as "The Guy who almost ran the Patriots into the ground between Parcells and Belichick").
The Trojans play some stout defense, similar to their Bruin counterparts in Westwood. They can, however, suffer an occasional lapse, as they did in the Pac-10 title game vs. Oregon. North Carolina isn't nearly as tough on the defensive end, but they'll pressure you and pressure you well with Roy Williams bringing in wave-after-wave of subs to wear down the opposition. They're also an excellent rebounding team, something USC might struggle with.
Battle of the Mascots: Trojans are totally hot right now, with the success of 300. Tar Heels refers simply to inhabitants of the state North Carolina. So, a bunch of ancient warriors with a big wooden horse or a bunch of hillbillies with bare feet and their pet rams. Surprisingly closer than you'd think. Edge: Even
Battle of the Famous Alumni: UNC can claim Peter Gammons, Andy Griffith, Lewis Black, Julius Peppers, Dan "MTV Sports" Cortese and old what's-his-name, the guy who's GM of the Bobcats now. USC has all the typical athletes (Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush, Ronnie Lott), actors (Will Ferrell, Forest Whitaker, Tom Selleck), directors (George Lucas, John Carpenter, Ron Howard), hot chicks that Matt Leinart has probably nailed (Kelly Preston, Lisa Ling, Sophia Bush) and murderers (O.J. Simpson) you'd expect. Also, Neil Armstrong. Dude went to the fuckin' moon. Edge: USC
The play to make: A lot will depend on whether UNC can use their pressure defense to rattle USC and force them into some turnovers. Because if USC can hang around and keep this game close, their defensive prowess will be a serious advantage late in the game, when the Tar Heels might struggle to get stops in the half-court. The 8 points seems like a lot, but if you expect UNC to win, you're expecting them to probably cover the number and vice versa... if you expect USC to cover, you're probably expecting them to win. Play: USC +8 (medium confidence); Under 149.5 (low confidence)
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