COLLEGE BASKETBALL FINAL FOUR NOTES : NORTH CAROLINA : Lynch Lifts His Game at the Right Time

If it’s time for North Carolina to go to practice, it’s a great day for George Lynch.

Realizing that as a senior his career is nearly over, Lynch says he’s enjoying his afternoons and evenings in the Smith Center a lot more this March. The Tar Heels will shift practice to the Superdome on Friday to prepare for their Final Four semifinal against Kansas.

“It’s all over with after this week’s tournament,” Lynch said Tuesday. “‘I’ve been concentrating more and really enthused about getting in the gym and spending more time on my shot.”

The 6-foot-7 forward has raised his game to the occasion throughout the NCAA tournament.

Lynch recorded the 15th double-double of his career in the NCAA East Regional final against Cincinnati with 21 points and 14 rebounds. When he hasn’t been a terror on the defensive boards, he’s been a demon on the offensive end.

Through the four NCAA games, Lynch is shooting 62.8%. He is averaging 9.8 rebounds a game and also has 11 steals. If this were the regular season, Lynch admits he might not be so focused.

“A lot of times during a career, you take some things for granted, knowing that you have another day to prepare for it,” he said. “You pretty much tend to put things off.

“At this time of your career, you take advantage of each situation and each hour.”