FanNation - The Republic of Sport

   As a social conservative talk show host might say, this blogger has gotten too coast-centric.

   "Agganis, you're just another liberal mainstream media type," he might say. "You fell in love with the glitz and glamour of UCLA, and the flash and dash of North Carolina. Well, guess what? Two teams from the flyover states are playing for the national title Monday night. Deal with it, blog boy."

   Indeed, old-fashioned work ethic and attention to detail put Memphis and Kansas in the final two brackets. Maybe North Carolina and UCLA got a little too caught up in the hype.

   The Bruins' decision-making often didn't befit a Final Four team tonight. They didn't get Kevin Love the ball enough, even to get the Memphis big men in foul trouble at the very least. Love seemed a little tight, passing up a couple of open three-pointers early and eventually failing to hit any. And Darren Collison fouling out with just under three minutes left on a silly reach-in 40 feet from the basket?

    Stop bringing the hens to the Final Four, guys. That's three straight eggs you've laid.

     As for the Tar Heels...well, you should show up at a tournament game before getting 28 points down.

     Where was the discipline? Where was the teamwork? Where were the qualities that put you at Number 1? With the Jayhawks' emphasis on making sure Tyler Hansrbough wouldn't kill them, there were openings out there. Only the Heels didn't bother working hard enough to find them. So you were your team's top scorer, Wayne Ellington. Rah rah freaking rah. That was a pretty weak 18 points you chucked in.

     Sure, Kansas eventually got sloppy on the offensive end, and NC crept within five points midway through the second half. But the Heels packed a little too light and didn't fill their gas tank. Roy Williams will need a month in the shower to wash that WTF look off his face.

     But here's to the winners...

     Memphis brought not only the athleticism, but the defensive intensity. After a first few minutes in which we seemed headed for a six-digit final score, the Tigers turned up the D and completely frustrated UCLA. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts put on quite the show on the offensive end, with a combined 53 of Memphis' 78 points.

     Who said John Calipari didn't give a damn about discipline? He showed it before the game, when he suspended backup point guard Andre Allen for breaking team rules. He showed it midway through the second half when he jumped in Joey Dorsey's face with the Tigers up five. Dorsey responded with 15 rebounds.

     Rock chalk big start, Jayhawk. They were quick. They were explosive. They left the Heels completely discombobulated. Bill Self turned the marauding trio of Brandon Rush, Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers loose, and they just ran UNC off the court. Fortunately, the 28-point lead was enough to withstand the following 20 minutes of rope-a-dope before they gathered themselves for the big finish.

     And Cole Aldrich proved a valuable weapon off the bench. Kansas had waves of beef to throw at Hansbrough, even pestering him outside the paint. Not a horrible game, Psycho-T, but neither was it one becoming a nearly unanimous Player of the Year, either.

     As for Monday night...Kansas is a little inconsistent, and can't always sustain the big push. There will be no cruise control against Memphis. The Tigers, meanwhile, survived the obligatory life/death experience against Mississippi State in Round 2 and found another gear. And free throws may no longer be an issue - they hit 20 for 23 tonight.

     I can almost call this matchup the Barbecue Bowl. Memphis (Attleboro, Mass.) = low and slow Southern BBQ at its finest. I enjoyed a fine Kansas City platter at Wes' Rib House (Providence) not long ago. The finger-lickin' bounty within 20 minutes of me spoils me, but the victory meal will involve crossing the state line.

    MEMPHIS 80, KANSAS 76.