A very fun game to watch last night. Every time I thought Illinois was dead, they somehow managed to crawl back into it. In the end, though, the shots just didn't fall when they were needed the most. Sean May certainly carried the Tar Heels, but what really hurt Illinois was suspect shot selection in the first half. In the second half, although Illinois was still jacking up the threes, they seemed to be much more open looks. Had UNC lost the game, their inability to fight through screens and contest shots in the second half would have been the main culprit. It would have been interesting to see how things would have been different had James Augustine not been in foul trouble the whole game. Perhaps the Illini's offense would have been less perimeter-oriented, especially during the last two minutes of the game when Illinois really didn't need three-pointers any more. However, I doubt Augustine's presence would have slowed down May, as Channing Frye had a similarly dominating game against Illinois just last week with Augustine playing 30+ minutes.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me last night: hearing that the basketball powerhouse that is North Carolina had just won its fourth national title. Only four? I know, there is more to a basketball program than just the number of past championships, but this really puts into perspective how special UCLA's basketball history is. Winning championships is not easy. Many argue that it was easier back in Wooden's day, but before the Bruins won 10 in 12 years, only one team had even won more than two (Kentucky had won four), and no team had ever won more than two in a row. So it was extremely difficult to win national titles back then too.

Anyway, I'm glad last night's game turned out to be competitive and pretty much lived up to the hype. Hopefully, in one of these next few years, we again will have the opportunity to watch UCLA win on a Monday night in April.

Go Bruins!