North Carolina Tar Heels: Final Four Bracket Game 4

The North Carolina Tar Heels Final Four Bracket continues with the last game of the first round between 1967 and 1991 Tar Heels.

The final play-in game of the North Carolina Tar Heels Final Four Bracket includes the 1967 Tar Heels and the 1991 Tar Heels. The bad news here is that once again there will be no using of convenient simulation tools to decide this matchup. It will be all on me and how I see this game.

Having just looked at the 1969 Tar Heels in the last game, I can see immediately the inclusion of players who were seniors on that team but only sophomores on this one. That would be Rusty Clark, Dick Grubar, and Bill Bunting. However they were clearly not the stars of this pre-Charlie Scott roster. That role would belong to the combo of Larry Miller and Bob Lewis. This team navigated their way to the Final Four before losing to Dayton.

Like the 1967 team, the 1991 team was made of players who would make their own marks later on mixed with a few holdovers from the previous era. The mid to late eighties were something of a desert for Final Four appearances. 1991 marked the influx of new talent that the team would ride to the national title in 1993, but those players were not starting as freshmen and would have to earn their keep. Instead 1991 was the last hurrah of Rick Fox, Pete Chilcutt, and King Rice.

More from Old North Banter

1991 Rotation

Starters

C Pete Chilcutt

F George Lynch

F Rick Fox

G Hubert Davis

G King Rice

Key Reserves

C Eric Montross

F Brian Reese

G Henrik Rodl

F Clifford Rozier

G Derrick Phelps

Comments

In terms of sheer depth, the 1991 team has a better balanced roster. The ability to bring Montross off the bench particularly looks good here against the lack of deep size on the 1967 team. Other key matchups would include Grubar on Davis and Fox on Miller. The same sorts of modern versus pre-three point line problems exist here as they have with other matchups.

In the end there would be too many horses on the 1991 squad. Even if Lewis and Miller delivered their season averages, Clark and Bunting simply don’t have the experience yet to deal with senior Chilcutt down low. They would also find it hard to outplay Lynch for rebounds if he if did get into foul trouble.

Result

Next: Final Four Bracket Game 3

The 1991 Tar Heels advance to face the 1957 Tar Heels in the second round. We actually get to start second round action next time and see some really intriguing matchups…and 2008 vs 2009 (facepalm).

Home/North Carolina Tar Heels