When You're In the Game, You've Gotta Give It Your All

If you watched last night's two NCAA Final Four matchups, then you know that they were nail biters, with the two Number 1 seeds Gonzaga and North Carolina fighting off their tenacious opponents until the final seconds of both games.

This was the headline that greeted us today in the Raleigh News & Observer:







Who will win the NCAA Championship Game on Monday night is anyone's guess, but UNC has a long record of reaching the top (34 Final Four or Championship appearances) in this league. As one announcer said last night, if you are willing to submit yourself to the coaching and players of a winning program, then that program will help you to develop and mature into a far better player than you could ever have been on your own.

And it is that kind of team spirit that allows Carolina to play effectively through injuries and adversities as lesser players rise to the occasion when their main players are sidelined in some way. When a player submits his own glory for the good of the team, then something greater is at work.

In this particular year, the player at the center of the storm is Joel Berry who is playing on two sprained ankles as he continues to provide leadership for his team.







“Sometimes you can be selfish and just think about yourself and your well-being,” Berry said. “That’s the one great thing about this program: you’re such a family to where sometimes you put yourself aside to where you start thinking about other guys.

“And I think that’s just why people [on past UNC teams] were motivated to play through the injuries. I’m the same way. Even though I’m hurting I just want to do whatever it takes to be able to help my team out.”

ESPN announcer Jay Bilas said of Berry, “He brings toughness, leadership and then he’s an attack guard. He attacks off the dribble and he’s a great finisher, even at his size. And he provides them another 3-point shooter. … That takes a weapon away if he’s not 100 percent.”

But it's Berry's teammate Justin Jackson who states the reason that UNC has the ability to win the final game on Monday night:

“That’s one of our leaders, one of our best players — any aspect you want to throw out there, he’s at the top of it,” Jackson said. “Not having that type of guy out there, it can hurt a little bit. But Coach always says the Tar Heels are playing, not Joel Berry or Justin Jackson or whoever. So whoever’s out there has got to be able to play.”

Life is a lot like basketball.

Go Heels!
Ronda

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