Carolina Remains Confident Heading to the Alamo

CHAPEL HILL — The Carolina men's team is headed to its third Final Four in the last four years. The Heels are the favorite to win the national title. This Carolina team likes that role. UNC is a confident team with some big time players who don't mind taking a risk to make a big play.

Call it the defining moment of this UNC team. Connecticut took a shot that would have given the Huskies the lead late in the game in Greensboro. Rebound Carolina. The Tar Heels' Shammond Williams spotted a streaking Vince Carter and lofted a 75 foot ally-oop pass.

"As soon as I knew he got the ball in his hands, I stared running down the court," Carter says. "I see Al Amin and Richard Hamilton running after me as fast as they could."

Antawn Jamison says Vince is the kind of guy who can jump in any situation. When Jamison saw what was going on, he just tipped the ball to Williams for the dunk without ever seeing the end of the play.

UConn had made a strong push cutting a double-digit Tar Heel lead to just one point. After Carolina's high wire show stopper, the Huskies never threatened again.

To a spectator, the play must rank as the most high-risk improv ever attempted in a tight NCAA tournament game. For the UNC team, it was a play that lead to the thrill of victory.