Go ahead and whine -- Heels deserve to be in N.C.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The notion is crap.

Roy Williams has made this perfectly clear.

So you can talk about his home-court advantage all you want, but just don't expect him to play along. Because the game happens on the court, between the lines, and he's never seen a fan come out of the stands and stick-back a miss or block a shot. N-E-V-E-R.

Cards coach Rick Pitino says UNC does have an advantage, but it deserves one. (Getty Images)

And the rims are 10 feet from the floor wherever you play. This much, Williams knows for certain. And that's why he rejects the theory that his North Carolina Tar Heels will benefit in any noticeable way from playing just 142 miles from their campus, so much so that he looked out at every single one of us here the other day at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena and proclaimed he -- and I quote -- does not "believe that crap."

Naturally, that crap was taken to Rick Pitino.

For the record, the Louisville coach does believe that crap.

"Tell Roy to get on a plane for the first time and let's play the game at Freedom Hall," Pitino said Friday. "No, I don't think there's a home-court advantage; I think those are mostly mannequins dressed in powder blue."

Oh no he didn't!

"I say this in all honesty," Pitino added. "It's a very strong home-court advantage, but they deserve it."

There's a game scheduled Saturday night, one between traditional powers led by coaching legends. There are pros on each roster, former McDonald's All-Americans and future stars. And regardless of anything anybody else might suggest, just trust me when I tell you this East Region final could be decided by the "home" crowd.

That's how college basketball works, you know?

When all things are equal, the home team usually wins.

And North Carolina is the home team in this set-up, thanks to the selection committee placing UNC in Charlotte. Which is where the Tar Heels ought to be, by the way. Don't get it twisted. They were the No. 1 overall seed in this NCAA tournament, the obvious top seed for the East Region. So while in other years that would've meant an Elite Eight game in New York (2005), New Jersey (2006) or D.C (2007), this year it means an Elite game in North Carolina, and North Carolina should not be blamed for the NCAA's scheduling.