It's Olynyk's Zags vs. Zeller's Tar Heels tonight in NCAA title game

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BOSTON – Kelly Olynyk is pretty pumped up tonight, and it has little if anything to do with the Boston Celtics (50-27) being tops in the East, or their upcoming home date with Cleveland.
 
Olynyk’s alma mater, Gonzaga, is playing for the school’s first national title against one of college basketball’s bluebloods, the University of North Carolina.
 
“I was juiced man,” Olynyk said after watching the Bulldogs advance to the national title game for the first time in school history. “I was really juiced, juiced up, not juiced off alcohol. Yeah, for the record. I was not drinking. I was really excited …”
 
He’s not the only Celtic who’s giddy about tonight’s game.
 
Celtics center Tyler Zeller, a UNC alum, is also excited about tonight’s matchup.
 
And yes, it has been a topic of discussion among the two since their respective schools advanced to the national title game.
 
“We joke about it,” said Zeller, who won a national title with Carolina in 2009 and was named ACC Player of the Year that season. “We have fun with it. We tease each other, but at the same time, you know, I think we’re just excited for a good game and whoever wins, I’m sure we’ll have a little bragging rights for a while. But it’s just all good fun.”
 
Zeller seems a bit more subdued about all this, and that may be because UNC has been here plenty of times. When the Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four, it was the 20th time they got to at least the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Gonzaga doesn’t have that kind of history but you can’t ignore the tradition of winning that has engulfed this team in the past 15 years or so.
 
“They’re probably the most consistent basketball team in the last 20 years …,” Olynyk said. “They’ve been there every single year knocking on the door, knocking on the door, knocking on the door. And if you knock enough, someone’s going to let you in.”
 
Olynyk added, “It was a long time to get to where they are but they deserve it. Everybody from top to bottom; everybody that played there, that went to school there, that taught there, the community, all the fans. Everyone deserves it; it’s such a special time and I’m just so proud of them.”
 
 

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