JetsJetsJets' Crystal Ball NCAA Finals Prediction

Monday night will provide us with an interesting matchup as North Carolina faces Michigan State for the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. To me, the game will boil down to the following factor:

"Tangibles vs. Intangibles"

North Carolina has a fairly significant tangibles advantage in this game. They have the edge in almost every position on the court. These teams met in December at Ford Field in the ACC/Big 10 challenge -- the Heels obliterated the Spartans by 35 points. To be fair, Michigan State was battling injuries back then & are playing much better now. However, that game can serve as an indication that UNC has the significant talent advantage tomorrow night. However...

Michigan State clearly has all of the intangibles in their favor. 80% of the arena will be pulling for the guys in green. They will have some extra motivation knowing they were defeated by 35 against this same Tar Heel squad. I have also yet to hear one expert pick the Spartans...giving them more bulletin-board material. All of the pressure is on the Tar Heels. Plus, Tom Izzo might be the best bench coach in the game today. He does more with less talent than any other coach in the country. Finally, this team does have a "team of destiny" aura as the school seeks to win a title to give the folks in Michigan something to cheer about in this dreadful economy.

If this game is close with 5 minutes to play, the Spartans could parlay these intangibles to a victory -- feeding off the crowd's energy. The Tar Heels will want to pounce on Mich St early...as they have done against their past 3 opponents. This will take the crowd out of the game and could enable UNC to coast to an easy win.

My pick? I have to go with my Alma Mater here. They are the most talented team in the country and will be tough to beat Monday. I look for the gritty Spartans to make it a great contest, however. Any team that can beat Kansas, Louisville, and UConn is no fluke. I just think the Heels will be a little too much for the Big 10 Regular Season Champions. UNC 78 Mich State 70

I hope everyone enjoys the game!