The Tar Heels out-gunned and out-finessed the MSU men's basketball team in the second half on Saturday, but they never broke the team's spirit.
They never stopped junior center Paul Davis from fighting for rebounds in the paint.
They never stopped sophomore guard Shannon Brown and junior guard Maurice Ager from firing shots in a desperate attempt to fill an ever-widening scoring deficit.
You could see the hunger of a team that wanted to make a National Championship appearance, just not the touch.
Although the loss is disheartening, a Final Four appearance in St. Louis against a No. 1 seeded team is not a chintzy consolation prize for a season that was nothing short of awesome.
Going 26-7 overall and 13-3 in the Big Ten, the Spartans' record was largely overshadowed by Illinois (37-1 overall, 15-1 Big Ten) until they made it to the Final Four. The men validated their egoless, strategy-driven depth in front of the world as they defeated the likes of Duke and Kentucky.
The MSU men's basketball team's 2004-05 season will be one that sticks in the memory of Spartans fans for a long time. They'll remember a team that wasn't always on its toes, but turned it around at the crucial points. The depth of the squad - Ager, Brown, Davis, senior guard Kelvin Torbert and senior swingman Alan Anderson all contributed their fair share - will go down in history. This is one of the tightest units MSU students have ever had the honor of watching in Breslin Center.
Do you remember how the Spartans came out firing with three wins, far back in November, when the season began? The stifling loss to Duke, who eventually got theirs in the tournament? The wins against UCLA, Penn State, Northwestern, Michigan, Purdue, Iowa and Ohio State?
Remember the hype of the game against Illinois? Although it was a loss, Spartans fans believed their team could take the most-winningest club of the year. Those feelings of unity made for one hot game during the beginning of a bitterly cold February.
The men finished second in the Big Ten and first in the hearts of thousands of Spartans fans, who, despite what controversy might be ensuing now, paraded the streets to share in the joy of their team's accomplishments.
This men's team will not be forgotten.
Now, our hopes go to the MSU women's basketball team and its National Championship bid against Baylor. With a phenomenal comeback that sealed a victory over Tennessee, it seems impossible not to focus on the team's chances to secure the National Championship. Seriously, watch the game tonight. There's a great possibility MSU will bring home a national title, after all.
These last few weeks of tournament play by both teams have made it an exciting time to be an MSU student. March Madness provided fans with a reason to smile, a good conversation to have with family and friends and rights to brag about having two teams that tore up the NCAA Tournaments.
No matter what happens tonight, both teams have given East Lansing more to be proud of than any other college town in America can boast.
