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National Championship 2017: 3 keys to victory for North Carolina

By Charlie Maikis

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 01: Joel Berry II #2, nn44#2, Nate Britt #0, Kennedy Meeks #3 and Theo Pinson #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels look on late in the second half during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 01: Joel Berry II #2, nn44#2, Nate Britt #0, Kennedy Meeks #3 and Theo Pinson #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels look on late in the second half during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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A look at three keys for North Carolina to take the national title in a clash with Gonzaga

The National Championship is finally here. We’ve been through all the madness of March and it has boiled down to this. Despite all the upsets and wild finishes, we’re left with two top seeds facing off for the title. One, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, is a team that many considered the best team in the country all season. The other, the North Carolina Tar Heels, were the best team in the best conference.

In what is set to be a classic, what can we expect? Both teams rank inside of Kenpom’s top 16 of both offensive and defensive efficiency. Gonzaga is stronger on the defensive side of the ball while UNC is stronger on offense. In a battle of elite teams where strength meets strength, how can one side pull out the victory? Here, we’ll look at the three keys for North Carolina to take the title that so brutally escaped them last year.

3. Take advantage of experience and motivation

I wrote more in-depth here about why North Carolina’s experience made them the title favorite before the Final Four. After outlasting Oregon in a close game Saturday night, the Tar Heels will need to harness that experience once more. While UNC did begin to show some cracks that you wouldn’t typically expect from a veteran team — including missing four straight free throws in the final seconds — they showed their toughness in securing both offensive rebounds to clinch the game. It’s those kinds of tiny advantages that could win the game for North Carolina.

Their opponent on Monday night is similarly inexperienced. Gonzaga is playing in their first Final Four and the championship game will bring pressure like they have never before experienced. If they have any lapses like Oregon not boxing out on the final two possessions, North Carolina will have to take advantage of them. While Gonzaga has played like a veteran team thus far, they have yet to face a team as battle-tested as North Carolina. And after losing in the national championship last season, you can bet the Tar Heels are motivated. They should be laser focused having already experienced the circus that is Final Four weekend.

Related: Updated 2017 NCAA Tournament Bracket

2. Run, run, run

One thing that was not talked up much heading into Gonzaga’s matchup with South Carolina was Gonzaga’s defense. The Bulldogs boast the number one defense in the nation in terms of Kenpom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. One area they do struggle, relatively speaking, on that side of the ball is in transition. FanSided’s Will Schreefer detailed that a bit more in his piece on South Carolina’s offense. If North Carolina is going to score on the Zags, they will have to do a good bit of their damage on the run.

Luckily, transition opportunities are where UNC feasts. According to Hoop-Math, the Tar Heels take over a quarter of their total shot attempts in transition. Their effective field goal percentage, a number which takes into account the weight of 3-pointers, is nearly 4 points higher in transition than on all other possessions. North Carolina will need to continue to take advantage of run outs if they have any hope of cracking Gonzaga’s tough defense. Getting out on turnovers, missed shots, and made shots alike will open up their offense and give them some easy opportunities.

1. Win the battle of the bigs

This championship matchup is not going to be decided by the guards, as they often are. Both of these teams are built from the inside out and the battle down low will dictate the game. Gonzaga is anchored by their giant Przemek Karnowski. The 7-foot-1, 305-pound fifth-year senior can score inside and is an excellent passer. The guy backing him up is no slouch either. Seven-foot freshman and former five-star recruit Zach Collins is an excellent player and had a breakout game against South Carolina. But North Carolina’s bigs are the core of their team.

With Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks anchoring them, UNC is the best rebounding team in the nation. Not only that, but both are senior leaders on the team who are incredibly skilled and know how to win. After those two, they have two more excellent players backing them up off the bench. Freshman Tony Bradley was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and sophomore Luke Maye was one of the best players for UNC in their regionals. While not many teams can stand up to Gonzaga’s duo of big men, the Tar Heels have the combination of skill and depth to have the advantage.

Next: National Championship 2017, Gonzaga vs North Carolina: Preview, predictions

As North Carolina looks to exorcise their demons and win the championship they couldn’t last year, Gonzaga will be the toughest test they’ve faced yet. They’ll need that motivation and their experience to get through. As well as relying on that, they’ll need to get out in transition and get a great performance from their big men. If one or more of those things go right for the Heels, they will be in a great position to cut down the nets.

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