Overlooked Heels stomp out Butler
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — All the hype, attention and talk this week was focused on Kentucky and UCLA. It was billed as the game of the tournament so far, two teams that could win a national championship meeting in a regional semifinal.
North Carolina, meanwhile, was an afterthought, basically forgotten despite being the No. 1 seed in the South Region and perhaps the favorite to cut down the nets in Glendale, Ariz.
The Tar Heels reminded everyone Friday why picking against them would be foolish.
North Carolina started redhot, hitting 11 of its first 14 shots from the field and never looked back, treating fourth-seeded Butler like a sparring partner in the South Region semifinal. With Kris Jenkins, the Villanova star who broke their hearts in the title game a year ago in attendance supporting his adopted brother Nate Britt, the Tar Heels moved to within one victory of a second straight Final Four with a mostly spotless 92-80 victory at FedExForum.
“When we came in here, everybody was just talking about the Kentucky-UCLA game. We don’t get as much hype as the other two teams,” said North Carolina point Joel Berry II, who scored 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting, looking like himself after turning his right ankle in last week’s tournament opener. “I think today’s kind of a statement that we’re a high-caliber team as well. I know we’re a great team and I feel like we’re the best team in the country.
“We’ve got to keep that confidence.”
Theo Pinson echoed Berry, that North Carolina has been overlooked. But he held himself back.
“Let’s keep it that way. I could keep talking,” the junior forward said. “We’re just going to keep going and see what we can do.”
Kansas, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, has been the most dominant team in the tournament, averaging 30 points per victory. But North Carolina might be the most talented. It’s hard to argue after this performance.
The Tar Heels (30-7) toyed with Butler (25-9), a solid defensive team that had no answer for the ACC regular-season champions’ deep, balanced and potent attack. The Bulldogs couldn’t contend with them on the glass, and had to settle for challenged jump shots most of the one-sided evening. North Carolina shot 54 percent from the field and 37 percent from downtown, outrebounded Butler 38-25, and assisted on 22 of 31 made field goals.
“The team is so focused on getting back to where we got last year — and if we don’t win, you go home — that we’re at the point where we’re trying to do everything we can to come out of these games successful,” Britt said.