So it will be North Carolina and Michigan State playing for a national championship on Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit.

In the first semifinal, Michigan State got off to a great start against Connecticut and the pro-Spartan crowd helped lift MSU. UConn made a run midway through the first half to take the lead, and it looked like it could be lights out for the Spartans. But Michigan State hung in there, took the lead back and cruised at the end.

The win was surprising enough for the Spartans, but that it came so easily is shocking. It’s UConn’s only loss to a team outside of the Big East.

In the second semifinal, North Carolina also got off to a good start and before Villanova could blink, it was down. The Wildcats fought back to make it a nine-point game at halftime, and trailed by five early in the second half. But the Tar Heels were just too much.

UNC now looks like the team everyone expected it to be before the season started. But can the Tar Heels overcome the home-court advantage MSU is sure to have?

I know what you’re saying - what happened to the guy who picked Michigan State to lose in the second round? Where is the guy who said the Spartans were the most overrated team in the country?

Hey, we all make mistakes, even yours truly.

Unlike the two semifinal games, we have a previous matchup to look at for the national championship game. On Dec. 3, UNC beat MSU 98-63 at Ford Field.

So that means the Tar Heels are going to cruise to another title, right? Don’t be so sure. Michigan State played most of this season with a player or two injured or sick at some point. The Spartans got back to full strength just before the tournament.

While UNC is the more talented team, there are three things in MSU has going for it - its health, the crowd and the physical style of play the Spartans like to play. Everyone talks about how tough the Big East is, but the Big Ten wasn’t that far behind this year. Of course, UNC is probably the most physical team out of the ACC, and after seeing Villanova on Saturday, Michigan State’s toughness shouldn’t be much a of a surprise.

So let’s say, 79-72 North Carolina.

Tags: ACC, Big East, Big Ten, college basketball, Connecticut, Final Four, Michigan State, national championship, NCAA Tournament, North Carolina, Villanova