University of North Carolina alum Joel Wasserman received a text message Monday, one he didn't have to open.

Considering it was from a Coeur d'Alene friend, he already knew what it was about.

"No offense, but Go Zags," the message read.

Wasserman, a 2012 Coeur d'Alene High graduate, was peppered with pro-Zags messages soon after his home area's favorite hoops program was set to meet his Tar Heels in Monday's NCAA Tournament title game.

UNC went on to douse the Bulldogs' championship hopes, clipping the Spokane school 71-65 in Phoenix for its sixth crown.

"I was a little apprehensive because we basically tried to give away the game in the last couple minutes against Oregon (in the Final Four)," Wasserman said. "But (after losing to Villanova in last year's championship game) this was our revenge tour."

A software engineer, Wasserman proudly donned Columbia blue at a Charlotte sports bar, where Zags allegiance was slim.

"It all goes back to that East Coast, West Coast rivalry," he said. "It reminded me of when the Seahawks played the Panthers in the playoffs. It had that kind of feel to it."

His older brother, Andrew, a 2002 Coeur d’Alene High graduate, also earned his degree at UNC and was a member of the football team.

Andrew, who works for a virtual reality company, watched the game in San Francisco along with other UNC alums in the Bay Area.

"Definitely rooting for a team that my friends back in Idaho are rooting against," Andrew admitted before the game.