Hall of Famer Bill Walton knows a thing or two about playing in national championship games from his time at UCLA.
Prior to tonight’s showdown between Kansas and North Carolina, Walton previewed the title matchup on “The Rich Eisen Show.” The big redhead’s major concern with the Tar Heels is will they have an emotional hangover following Saturday’s monumental win over Duke.
“The problem for North Carolina is they put so much into that game,” Walton said. “They were celebrating at the end of that game as if it was the championship. You can not get up for the championship until you come down and hopefully they can come down.”
With that being said, Walton said the goal for the Jayhawks is to not let UNC settle in. They have to push them to the limit physically from the outset.
“They’re going to be emotionally tired,” Walton said of the Heels. “Caleb Love and R.J. Davis, Leaky Black, they can play all day long and never have any sort of problems physically. Brady Manek and Armando Bacot, with his ankle (injury), they’re not in that same situation. So if you’re Kansas, your mindset is we are going to run, and we are going to run, and we are going to run. We are not going to stop and at some point they’re going to wear down.”
What to expect in tonight’s #NationalChampionship?
Let @BillWalton take you home:#MFinalFour #MarchMadness#UNCvsKANSAS pic.twitter.com/IcKWzcdETC
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 4, 2022
Walton added that while North Carolina–which relies heavily on its starting five and really only plays six guys–does not have the depth, Kansas can’t take it for granted that they’ll outlast them.
The Jayhawks’ stars have to show up, Walton said.
“You don’t get a championship by sort of hanging around and hope that the other team is going to not get it done,” Walton said. “If your success is based on the failures of others, that’s not what championships are all about.”
Walton and fellow legendary UCLA and NBA big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be hosting a HANG watch party during tonight’s game.
Kansas and UNC will tip off at 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS.
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