Tar Heels' title victory no surprise, great conclusion for Hansbrough

Bracket | Doyel: Roy Williams | Freeman: MSU no match | Dodd: Heels all the way

DETROIT -- The fairy tale story was a Michigan State win at Ford Field.

But that was never happening.

Because this was always going to happen.

There was no reasonable way for the season to end other than with North Carolina celebrating, cutting nets, accepting the trophy and sending Tyler Hansbrough out on a tears-of-joy note, his remarkable college career no longer missing what many UNC fans feared it might. Yeah, but he never won a title! That's what the anti-Hansbrough crowd was prepared to scream for eternity. But Monday night's 89-72 victory over Michigan State took that bullet out of the chamber and solidified Hansbrough as one of the great college players of all time, statistically and by any other measuring stick.

And it wasn't close.

That's the other thing.

This NCAA tournament finale was over about the same time the Temptations finished the national anthem, out of hand quicker than a high school keg party. All afternoon, Michigan State fans roamed these streets, drinking and chanting and tricking themselves into thinking this rematch might be different than the Spartans' 98-63 loss to North Carolina four months ago. But the only difference was that Tom Izzo sported a different suit, Raymar Morgan wore a facemask and Goran Suton actually played. Beyond that, it was second verse, same as the first, the final margin closer, but the sheer dominance of North Carolina exactly as it was in December.

'I desperately wanted this [title] for that young man,' Roy Williams said of Tyler Hansbrough (above). (AP)

"We came out strong," said UNC point guard Ty Lawson, who finished with 21 points, six assists and eight steals. "We were knocking down big shots, playing defense real well. That's what we wanted to do."

It was 15-5 barely four minutes in, 22-7 barely six minutes in, 31-11 not even 10 minutes in, and somewhere, I just know it, former CBS analyst Billy Packer was relaxing, declaring the game over. In fairness, so were those of us sitting courtside who were watching the Tar Heels set a title game record for most points in a first half (55) and largest lead at the half (21), at which time Michael Jordan was introduced to the crowd of 72,922, and, you know, it just felt like one of those nights.

Or a Lions game.

A Lions game on Thanksgiving.

With the Tar Heels playing the role of the Titans.

"The only thing I feel bad for is the biggest crowd to ever see a [title] game, and it wasn't much of a game," coach Izzo said. "I feel bad for the fans."

For Michigan State fans, maybe.

But certainly not for North Carolina fans.

They were having a good ol' time the entire time, jumping around in the (Carolina) blue confetti dropped from the roof at the buzzer, no doubt reflecting on a season that lived up to expectations despite multiple obstacles and an 0-2 start to ACC play. Marcus Ginyard missed all but 37 minutes of the season, Hansbrough missed four early games, Tyler Zeller missed 24 contests and Lawson's sprained right toe was the story of the opening weekend of this NCAA tournament. But by the time tip-off of the title game rolled around, Hansbrough was good, Zeller was healthy and Lawson's toe was ready and able to move up and down the court at a unique speed, all of which combined to make the Tar Heels the kind of favorite they were labeled back in November when talk of an undefeated season seemed far-fetched, yet not necessarily impossible.

On that subject, I'll say this: If the Tar Heels would've played all season like they played in this NCAA tournament, you can bet the $250 Lawson won at the craps table the other night in Greektown that they would've finished undefeated. In this 65-team event, North Carolina rolled in its six games by an average of 20.2 points, and nobody -- not Radford, LSU, Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Villanova or Michigan State -- played the Tar Heels to single-digits, making their road to (and through) the Final Four a lot like the Autobahn.

They never really struggled.

They were never really in trouble.

So now they have a national championship.

Which means Tyler Hansbrough's college career is fulfilled.

"I desperately wanted this championship for that young man," said North Carolina coach Roy Williams, who is now one of just 13 coaches to win two NCAA tournaments. "Let me explain it to you this way: Yes, I earn a good salary. But if you put $10 million in that pile right there and say, 'Roy, you can have that $10 million, but if you take it you'll forget that feeling you had when that big rascal came over and hugged [you],' ... You guys can split that $10 million, because I wouldn't [take] $10 million for the feeling that I had at that moment."