North Carolina Tar Heels Stagger, but Do Not Fall

March madness is the one opportunity to watch the nation's best teams go head to head with solid, tested competition. To be selected as one of the 64 teams in the tournament a team has proven to be a winner, and while the top seeds most often prevail it is certainly true that any team in the competition can win it all.

Tiny Davidson with only 1700 students has shown that it isn't the size of the school that counts, it is the talent and heart of the 7-10 players who match up with an equal number of players from the other team......As the Davidson coach remarked, "no matter how large the school, they can only put five players on the floor at a time".

The tournament is now down to four very good teams, any one of which could easily win the two remaining games and become national champion.

Having watched each of the four play the one team that refuses to lose, no matter how good the competition or how well they play, is the team that entered the competition as the number one ranked team in the nation and remains number one as of today, March 30. That team is the North Carolina Tar Heels.

After breezing through the first three rounds and easily defeating St. Mary's (113 - 74), Arkansas (108 - 77) and Washington State (68 -47) the Tar Heels seemed to be on track for blowing away a very good Louisville team as the Heels dominated the first half with an aggressive defense and a fast breaking offense which the Cardinals could not handle.... Halftime score 44 - 32 Tar Heels. However, after half time adjustments the Louisville team turned the tables as they responded with an intense defensive effort which forced the Tar Heels into an uncharacteristically high number of turnovers and lowered the Heel's field goal percentage.

Inspired by defensive play the Cardinals then made an impressive scoring run, which included a fast break offense of their own, surprising the Tar Heels and at one point beating the Heels at their own game.

When the Cardinals tied the score late in the second half, it appeared that the tide had turned and that the number one ranked team in the nation might be eliminated.

It was at this point in the game that the real strength of the Tar Heels showed up. As a team they absolutely refuse to lose. Whenever this team is threatened either as a result of the loss of a key player due to an injury or by fouling out .........or as a result of poor play the five players on the floor gather themselves and turn up the defensive and offensive effort to a higher level of intensity, a level necessary to win.

Tar Heel fans and sports writers who follow the team will tell you this is best exemplified in the play of Tar Heel Center Tyler Hansbrough who when the Tar Heels are challenged dominates play as he grabs every rebound, blocks every opponent drive to the basket, and scores on every Tar Heel possession.

But, it is more than Hansbrough. The impressive thing about the Tar Heels is the entire team, like Hansbrough, absolutely refuses to lose and when a higher level of play is required the entire team gives it.

The Tar Heels may not win it all, but if they fall it will not be from anyone on this team quitting or failing to fight for the last rebound, the last shot, and a relentless effort to win.

They refuse to lose.