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2009-02-20T06:37:00.003-05:00

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HC Williams reaches 200th games in the ACC...

2009-02-18T16:56:00.005-05:00

...but how is he doing in the all time wins ranking?

With head coach Roy Williams having coached in his 200^th game in the Atlantic Coast Conference against Miami (Fl), and having the most wins of anyone in their first 200 games in the conference got me to think about how he was doing in the overall wins. So, looking around a bit, I found the Top 10 active head coaches, where coach Williams is 8^th, and put them here below. You will find the name of the coach, the age, where he is coaching and the games won.

Here is the list of the Top 10 winningest active coaches:

Mike Krzyzewski (62 year old) - Duke: 823
Jim Calhoun (66 year old) - Connecticut: 798
Jim Boeheim (64 year old) - Syracuse: 790
Bob Huggins (55 year old) - West Virginia: 633
Tom Penders (64 year old) - Houston: 624
Gary Williams (63 year old) - Maryland: 620
Homer Drew (64 year old) - Valparaiso: 600
Roy Williams (58 year old) - North Carolina: 583
Bo Ryan (61 year old) - Wisconsin: 572
Ben Braun (53 year old) - Rice: 564

Some interesting thoughts here. First, there isn't much gap between the first and the second spot, with Coach K having a lead of 25 games over Calhoun as of Monday, February 16^th 2009. But, when you truly think about it, even if the Huskies were able to win five more games a season than the Blue Devils it would tie the two teams up when Calhoun is 71 and Krzyzewski is 67, making it evident that (barring any unpredictable things) even if the UConn coach was able to surpass the Duke one, by the time they retired Coach K would be back in the top spot. Same thing goes for Jim Boeheim, who is two years younger than his counterpart at UConn, but ten games behind him.

The fourth placed coach right now is Bob Huggins at West Virginia, who is 55, but is also 190 games behind the first place Krzyzewski. With the probability that WVU isn't going to win as many games as Duke, that number is only going to go up. If Huggins can win seven more games this season, thing that should happen, he will then have another three years before he reaches the seven hundred plateau. Dropping down some, and checking on where head coach Roy Williams sits at the age of 58, the first mark is pretty simple, as he is 17 games from being at 600, and even if he was able to win all the games that could be available to win, meaning the regular season, the ACC Post Season tournament and the NCAA Tournament, he would still not get there this season. However it is quite obvious that coach Williams will be at the 600 mark very early into the 2009-10 season.

Look at the numbers, but more importantly, look at the names. Yes, there are several teams that are household names with casual fans, but there are also some that aren't, such as Rice or Houston or even Valparaiso. But what stands out to me is this, how does it happen that there are three coaches over or close to the 800 mark and then that drop off to 633? It feels like there is a generation missing, like generation 700 wins. I also have to say that I would have thought that the top active coach would have more than 564 wins, not sure how many he should have had, but more than that number.

Another game and of course another rivalry...

2009-02-18T16:06:00.006-05:00

...when NC State comes to the Dean Dome.

Tonight at the Dean Dome there will be another rivalry game for the Tar Heels. It's North Carolina State (14-9, 4-6 in the ACC) versus third ranked North Carolina (23-2, 9-2 in the ACC) in round two for the season. And while this game should be for the Heels to take if they want to, do not think that the Wolfpack team that comes to town tonight is the same one that Carolina beat on January 30^th. On one side NC State has won three of their last games since facing UNC, including Wake. On the other side the Heels have won 11 out of 12 matches against their in-state rivals. But what I am really wondering about this game is the new equation of UNC...

And that equation is T to the 3. In other words: Is Ty Lawson going to be healthy? Is Tyler Hansbrough over the concussion he received against Miami? Is Tyler Zeller going to be on the floor? Is he going to make the difference down the line? I guess we will have answers to the first three questions tonight, but for the fourth one we'll have to wait until March Madness comes along. In the last game between these two teams, where North Carolina won 93 to 76, Hansbrough had 31 points, while five Tar Heels scored in double figures. This is due to the fact that while NC State might be a better offensive squad of late, they are still one of the worst when it comes to defense.

However, as we all know, when we talk rivalries and college basketball numbers and stats shouldn't be looked at too hard, what is needed to win these types of games is desire and willingness. Of late this Carolina squad has that, especially with a sparkling Ty Lawson leading the way as the floor general. As the junior point guard said in a quote yesterday about this game: “It’s one of our rivals, so if you can’t get excited for that, what can you get excited for?” I have to say that having followed UNC basketball for a long time I've had the chance to watch Lawson for three years, and the difference between this year and last is pretty visible.

After this game the Tar Heels will have four more games in the regular season, including the end of the season one with Duke at the Dean Dome. Then it will be off to the ACC Post Season tournament in Atlanta, Ga. and the NCAA Tournament. There is still lots of basketball to be played for these young men, with the core of them maybe on their last run as a Tar Heel. Watching them turning from youngsters from high school to players in Division I was something great, now starting the stretch run for the end of their road and towards the pro's sure has a weird feeling to it. So, do not over think what they do on the court, enjoy the game, enjoy them, as the times you will be able to see them is only getting smaller.

Anywhere you look it's about the Ty's...

2009-02-18T15:48:00.004-05:00

...Hansbrough, Zeller and Lawson, the triple combo!

For the game tonight it's going to be Ty to the second, or almost. What do I mean? It sounds like that freshman seven footer Tyler Zeller is going to be back on the court tonight against North Carolina State. And while this Tyler isn't going to be at his best, no one would be after sitting out 13 weeks and only practicing two, Zeller is not the only Ty that isn't at his best. From an article (one of many) it was clearly stated that Tyler Hansbrough suffered a minor concussion. While at the web site Buster Sports it seems that Andrew Jones believes the problem might be that Hansbrough is still dealing with shin splints. But wait, on the discussion of Ty's, we also have the speedy point guard to talk about.

Ty Lawson, who as we know played versus Miami while not feeling well was named the ACC Player of the Week. This is the second time this year that the speedy guard from Chapel Hill receives this award. Lawson averaged 23.0 points, 4.5 assists, shot 15 for 23 from the floor, 5 for 9 from 3 pt range and 11 for 11 from the charity stripe as UNC took two ACC road wins at Duke and Miami.

I have to say that in reading all the articles about Zeller coming back, the quote that sticks in my mind is the one from head coach Roy Williams:

“If it was 15 years ago, I wouldn't even let a young man consider giving up a year for five regular-season games and whatever postseason games we might have,” coach Roy Williams said Tuesday. “But he would really like to help this team; he would really like to play.”

Doesn't this show how much the world of college sports has changed? It's pretty simple to understand why coach Williams will let the freshman play. Because the Hall of Fame coach probably knows that he won't have him for more than four years, if that many. For an old Tar Heel and lover of this game knowing that Zeller is coming back is great, but on the other hand knowing why isn't as much.

Once again it's ranking and bracketing...

2009-02-18T12:46:00.005-05:00

...and once again UNC is a top seed.

I am way late on checking on the new rankings from both the main stream ones (AP & ESPN/USA Today) and the best of the best for bloggers, CollegeHoopsNet. North Carolina stayed put on all three polls, with the two media ones keeping the Heels third and CHN having them second. They are the only Top 5 team for the ACC, joining UConn who is first (and yes I know they lost), Oklahoma, Pittsburgh (who beat the Huskies) and Memphis (for the AP) and Michigan State (ESPN/USA Today). CHN has UConn, UNC, OU, Pitt and Memphis as the Top 50 teams.

The other teams from the conference to join North Carolina are the following:

Wake: AP- 8^th ESPN/USA Today- 8^th CHN- 7^th
Duke: AP- 9^th ESPN/USA Today- 9^th CHN- 8^th
Clemson: AP- 13^th ESPN/USA Today- 13^th CHN- 10^th

As you can see there is no difference between the two main stream media when it comes to the ACC teams, and very little between them and CHN's. This shows me, for what I understand of all of this, that this season the ACC is very top heavy, and while Carolina is the clear leader right now, being two games ahead of anyone with five to go in the year, the middle of the pack is pretty big and it should be interesting to see how many squads make the NCAA Tournament. If it was to start now let's see what Joe Lunardi's bracketology as well as Shawn Seigel's brackets would say about the ACC.

The World Leader of Sport has eight teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina is the number one seed of the MidWest according to Lunardi. In that bracket there is only one more ACC team, Boston College, an eleven seed. In the East bracket (UConn = top seed) there are two as well, third seed Duke and eighth seed Florida State. In the West, where Pitt is the top seed, there is Clemson (a 3 seed) and Miami (Fl) (a 11 seed). In the South brackets, which has Oklahoma as the top seed, Wake Forest is a two seed while Virginia Tech is a nine seed. Just for fun, the "best conference" still only has eight teams in the tournament according to Joe Lunardi, so much for the Big East being the end all in college basketball this year.

College Hoops Net has seven teams from the ACC. Once again, no change for the Heels, as they are the top seed on CHN's brackets as well. Duke and Clemson are both two seeds however (Lunardi has both of them as three seed). Wake, who ESPN has a two seed, on CHN has been placed as a three seed. Florida State is an eight seed, while Boston College is one step down at nine. The last team for CHN is Virginia Tech, who comes in as an eleven seed. I will finish this post with a find from the internet, where on FanHouse Bracketology Busters: No. 1 Pretender talks about a top seed, Oklahoma, being overrated, while a Big East team, West Virginia, being underrated, you decide!

The fun part about all of this? Is that next week all the polls, the brackets, and the experts will do it all over again, and I just love watching all of this unfold.

Heels in the League (02/17/09)

2009-02-18T07:27:00.003-05:00

Having finally caught up in this daily post of mine, let's get back into the swing of things and look at last night's games for the ex Carolina players in the National Basketball Association by doing my post called "Heels in the Leauge". The venue for the first night back since the All Star game was pretty big and there is plenty of carolina blue in it.

First game of the night was the match up between the visiting Charlotte Bobcats and the Orlando Magic, played in Amway Arena. In this one it was ex Heel Raymond Felton getting 42 minutes, while his team mate Sean May didn't play once again. The ex Carolina point guard had a good outing, getting a double double, scoring 22 points (10 for 21) and adding 10 boards. Felton has registered 5 assists and one steal on the night, but it was his last shot in the fourth quarter he would want back. If that shot would have gone the Bobcats would have gone home winners, but instead with the miss the game went into OT and Orlando (39-13, 21-6 home) won the contest, defeating Charlotte (21-32, 6-18 away) 107 to 102 behind Dwight Howard's 45 pts/19 boards/8 block performance.

Raymond Felton goes up for a shot in front of Courtney Lee during the overtime period of an NBA basketball game in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

In the next game it's a match up between two ex Tar Heels. For the visiting squad, the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's Raymond Felton & Sean May's ex team mate Rashad McCants getting eight minutes in all and scoring three points from them on a one for five shooting night. The ex Heel guard also had one rebound, one assist and a steal, while committing a TO.

For the home team of the Washington Wizards it was Antawn Jamison getting a double double off of 41 minutes played. The ex Heel forward scored 29 points (10 for 17 ~ 9 for 11 from FTs) while pulling down 11 boards. Jamison also had two assists, but turned the ball over six times in the game. In the end it was still Washington (12-42, 9-19 home) wins this one by the final of 111 to 103 over Minnesota (17-35, 9-18 away).

Antawn Jamison is double teamed by Kevin Love and Mike Miller during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

The third game of the night with a touch of carolina blue in it was held at the Palace of Auburn Hills between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons. Of course, this means find ex Heel big man Rasheed Wallace. In this one Wallace plays 34 minutes scoring 10 points and adding eight boards to his total. The center also gets two blocks and nothing more on the night, while Milwaukee (27-29, 11-20 away) defeats Detroit (27-25, 14-14 home) by the final of 92 to 86. Interesting thing is that the Vegas line for this game was Pistons -6^1/2.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Next game with an ex Carolina player in it is the match up between New Jersey Nets and the Houston Rockets. A game that the Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Rockets favored by 6^1/2 points. For the visiting Nets it's Vince Carter getting 35 minutes at the shooting guard spot, where he would score 30 points, along with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. The ex Heel would also have three turnovers on the night, but all of that would not matter as Houston (33-21, 20-6 home) crushed New Jersey (24-30, 13-14 away) by 26 points, with the final tally being 114 to 88.

Vince Carter goes to the basket around Yao Ming during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Last game of the night with a touch of carolina blue is the one between east coast Atlanta Hawks and the west coast LA Lakers, a game that has the Lakers as a 8^1/2 pts favorite.. For the cross country visitors it's Marvin Williams who gets 35 minutes but doesn't do too much with them at the STAPLES Center, scoring just 10 points and getting three rebounds, two assists, 2 steals and two blocks on the night. In the end it was the Lakers (43-10, 25-4 home) winning this one, led by a triple double from Pau Gasol, by the final of 96 to 83 over the Hawks (31-22, 12-16 away).

Marvin Williams drives to the basket past Luke Walton and Pau Gasol in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Heels in the League (02/11/09)

2009-02-17T10:28:00.004-05:00

As the NBA restarts tonight I am very happy to be able to say that I will be caught up and from tomorrow on the (not so) daily post about the ex Tar Heels in the NBA will be done on a real daily basis and will have some extra features in it. But right now I am dealing with the games from 02/11/09, where there were eleven games with five ex Heels playing. So here is the next edition of the post "Heels in the League".

In the first game with ex Tar Heels it's a head to head match between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Bobcats played in the Time Warner Cable Arena. For the visiting squad it's ex National Player of the Year Antawn Jamison playing 40 minutes and almost getting a double double in that time. The ex Heel forward got 23 points (8 for 19) while grabbing nine boards in the game. Jamison also got a pair of assists, one steal a block and turned over the ball three times in the game.

Antawn Jamison drives to the basket as Vladmir Radmanovic defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

For the home team it was the duo of Raymond Felton and Sean May. The ex Heel point guard got 45 minutes on the night and he too came close to a double double, going for 15 points (7 for 16) while dishing out nine assists and grabbing eight boards. Felton also had five steals and one block on the night, while he did have four turn overs against Washington. The big man only got three minutes of playing time, where he scored on his only bucket, getting two points, and grabbing a rebound, but also committing a TO. In the end it was the Bobcats (21-31, 15-14 home) winning this one by 12, defeating the Wizards (11-42, 3-23 away) 101 to 89.

Raymond Felton dunks over the Caron Butler during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the second and last game of the day it's another head to head match up, with the visiting team being the Atlanta Hawks, where Marvin Williams played 32 minutes and had 11 points (4 for 9) while grabbing eight rebounds on the night. The ex Heel and national champion also had one block while committing a turnover in the game.

For the home squad, the Detroit Pistons, it's Rasheed Wallace playing in the middle for 25 minutes in this one. The ex pupil of Dean Smith scored just nine points and got seven rebounds on the night. He also had one block versus the Hawks, while turning over the ball twice in the game. When it was all said and done at the Palace at Auburn Hills it was Atlanta (31-21, 12-15 away) winning the game, as they defeated Detroit (27-24, 14-13 home) by the final tally of 99 to 95, holding off a 4^th quarter rally by the Pistons.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Heels in the League (02/10/09)

2009-02-16T20:30:00.003-05:00

As I keep trying to catch up on this (and should be able to do so quickly) here is the 02/10/09 edition of my (not so) daily post entitled "Heels in the League". There are many ex Carolina players in this one as there were nine games on tap in the NBA schedule.

In the first game of the night it's a match up between old school Tar Heels and new school. For the visiting squad, the Washington Wizards, it's the old school being proudly rappresented by ex NPOY Antawn Jamison. The ex pupil of Dean Smith played 39 minutes in this one, getting a double double in it. With 17 points (5-16 ~ 7 for 9 FTs) and 12 rebounds the 6'9" power forward also got a steal while turning over the ball three times in the game.

For the home squad it's Marvin Williams for the new school part of the match up. In this on the national champion doesn't do much in the 29 minutes of playing time. The forward for the Atlanta Hawks just got five points (2 for 10) and 5 rebounds on the night. Other than that the ex Heel didn't have anything on his box score for the night, however Williams and his team mates did have the W when it was all said and done as Atlanta (30-21, 19-6 home) defeated Washington (11-41, 3-22 away) by the final of 111 to 90.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the second game of the night with a touch of carolina blue it's Jamison's Tar Heel team mate, Vince Carter, who with his New Jersey Nets play host to the San Antonio Spurs at the IZOD Center. The ex Heel guard had decent night as he scored a team high 25 points (11 for 25) and grabbed six rebounds. Carter also dished out five asssits and only had one TO on the night. However, all of this was not enough as San Antonio (35-15, 17-8 away) won this one, beating New Jersey (24-29, 11-16 home) by 15, 108 to 93, thanks in grand part to the third quarter where the Spurs out scored the Nets 28 to 18.

Vince Carter holds off Tim Duncan as he goes up with a shot during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game it's a match up between the Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves played in the Target Center. In this one we should have seen ex national champ Rashad McCants, but he was a "DNP - Flu Like Symptoms" and so he didn't see action in this one. A shame, since after a long stretch of not seeing playing time the ex Heel guard was finally getting back into the mix of things with the team. As far as this game is concerned it was Toronto (20-34, 11-19 away) winning by eight, as they defeated Minnesota (17-34, 8-17 home) by the final tally of 110 to 102.

Box Score

In the last game for the night with a touch of carolina blue we have the Detroit Pistons heading to the United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls. In this one for the visiting team it's Rasheed Wallace, who got 33 minutes in all and totaled a double double with that time. The ex UNC big man scored 20 points (7 for 11 - 4 for 4 FTs) and grabbed 10 boards. Wallace also had three steals and two blocks, while giving up the ball just twice in the game. However, in the end, it was the home team to come out with a W, as the Bulls (23-29, 14-10 home) beat the Pistons (27-23, 13-11 away) 107 to 102 thanks to a 36 to 17 4^th quarter.

Rasheed Wallace misses an inbound pass that was grabbed by Joakim Noah to end the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

It was a tough game...

2009-02-16T19:15:00.004-05:00

...and the best team won.

When I wrote my preview of Heels vs `Canes I said it could very well be a "trap game". In a lot of ways it was, but UNC had Ty "Indiana Jones" Lawson to make them steer clear of the pitfalls and get them a win in a tough road enviroment. Even if under the weather, as the announcers said, the speedy point guard was able to lead third ranked Carolina (23-2, 9-2 in the ACC) over a pesky Miami team (15-9, 4-7 in the ACC) by the final of 69 to 65, that had nothing to lose and much to gain. One interesting note, the Hurricanes had been 14 and 0 when holding the opponents to less than 70 points, now they are 14-1.

In a game with a lot of small runs by both clubs, with McClinton doing what he does best, hitting three's and Graham having a record night for himself with a 15 rebound performance, it was the point guard from Chapel Hill that showed how much he has improved over this season. In the last couple of games where a guard went off on the Heels it has seemed that Lawson took it personal and didn't play his way. Tonight, even if sick, Lawson played the way he should, not letting McClinton's 30+ affect him, and getting it done for head coach Roy Williams down the stretch.

Was it a pretty win for Carolina? No. Was it a conventional win for the Heels? No. Was it the way they want to do things? Definitely not! But what this game was is a sign that this team will win any way they have to, and that to me is a sign of maturity. To prove my point, let me ask you this, your All American scores less than 10 points, as a team you score less than 30 in the first half, do you see yourself coming out with a W in year's past? Or even at the beginning of this year? I would say no. Yesterday this team did take a bit too many three's than usual, thanks in large part to the 2-3 zone that the Hurricanes played. It didn't look enough down low, especially on those occasions when Miami went man to man. It also was lacking the speed of Lawson, due to his not being well. Yet, with all of that, the Tar Heels won their ninth in a row in the conference and are two games ahead of the pack, as both Duke and Wake lost yesterday.

I haven't talked about Danny Green yet, mostly because the senior guard/forward got two quick fouls in the first half, and then wasn't his usual self for most of the game. However, his block shot on a driving Jack McClinton was probably the key for the Heels to be able to hang on to this game. Another that didn't contribute too much on offense, but was good on defense, was Bobby Frasor. He was one of the four Heels that rotated on McClinton, and while the senior guard for the `Canes scored 35 points in all it wasn't because he was left wide open, but mostly by hitting several disputed ones, a couple on fast break and some ill advised shots that went in.

With a rematch against North Carolina State awaiting the Heels on Wednesday we shall see if Lawson is fully back from the flu and ready to go at 100%. I am sure we will definitely hear a lot more from Tyler Hansbrough in this game against the Wolfpack and most of all the Heels won't have to face that 2-3 zone that seems to have given them too many fits at times.

Another look at what the mock drafts are saying...

2009-02-15T12:11:00.004-05:00

...and it's not pretty for the most.

As I try to do each and every week, here is a look around the blogs on how the Fab Four from Chapel Hill are looking in the NBA mock drafts. I have to say I keep getting a bit shocked with one (Lawson), think the picks are pretty on for another (Hansbrough) and I am just scratching my head about the last two (Ellington and Green). There is also a surprise, which I am sure is not going to happen, but makes you wonder just a bit!

You can easily see that there is a pattern, or lack of patterns developing. Tyler Hansbrough seems the one that most people can agree will be a mid to late first rounder. While Ty Lawson goes from being a Top 5 pick (which I as a Tar Heel do not even believe to be possible) to being picked 21^st, which again I find highly unlikely. I think that the point guard will be on the fringe (outside looking in) of the lottery picks, while I do agree that Hansbrough is going to be in the mid to late first round.

Where I am shocked is how so many people are looking at both Wayne Ellington and Danny Green and not thinking they will be drafted. The way Green is playing in the last month you have to believe his stock should be moving up, but it's not. Ellington, even if he hasn't been a steady shooter, has shown what he can do when on the mark. Lastly, one note, HoopsWorld has freshman forward Ed Davis going as the 49^th pick. No site had any mention of Deon Thompson.

Heels in the League (02/09/09)

2009-02-15T10:52:00.003-05:00

As I keep going on the catch up mode while the NBA is on their All Star break, I am now doing the 02/09/09 edition of "Heels in the League", where there are just four games on tap and one of them features a pair of ex Carolina player.

In the game between the Los Angeles Clipper and the Charlotte Bobcats we finally see the return, even if for a very short stint, of ex UNC big man Sean May. The power forward gets six minutes in all, where he basically doesn't do anything, except for miss a shot and have a turnover, while his team mate point guard Raymond Felton has a better game. The speedster Felton gets 39 minutes, scoring 15 points (6-16 ~ 1-2 from 3) while dishing out eight assists. He also had four rebounds. two steals and a block, but his six TO's isn't anything to be happy about. What Felton could be happy about was the fact that Charlotte (20-31, 14-14 home) took this one easily against LA (12-40, 7-20 away) by the final of 94 to 73.

Raymond Felton drives past Eric Gordon the the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C. on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The Basketball Hall of Fame candidates are out...

2009-02-15T10:05:00.007-05:00

...and MJ is one of them.

In something that most old Tar Heels like myself have been waiting for, Michael Jordan leads a group of sixteen finalists to enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. You can read about each of the finalists at the official web site of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which I have to admit is a pretty impressive list, with the likes of Jordan, John Stockton and David Robinson probably being the highlights of the group, but definitely not the only well known ones. A small write up is also on TarHeelBlue.

To find out who gets in and who doesn't we will have to wait until the Final Four, with the enshrinement in September at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. The guidelines of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame state that all of the candidates could be elected, and while that might not happen, if you take a look at the players/coaches/contributors that are on the list all of them could be worthy of entrance. We will have to wait until April 6^th to see who is in and who isn't, but I doubt I'm going out on a ledge by saying that we will hear Michael Jordan's name come selection time.

Here are some of the things that MJ achieved in his great career at the college and pro level:

Awards:

NBA Most Valuable Player Award: 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98

The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award: 1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98

NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998

NBA All-Star MVP Award: 1988, 1996, 1998

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: 1987–88

NBA Rookie of the Year Award: 1984–85

Naismith College Player of the Year: 1984

John R. Wooden Award: 1984

Adolph Rupp Trophy: 1984

USBWA College Player of the Year: 1984

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year: 1983–84

The Sporting News College Player of the Year: 1983-84

Two NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Championships: 1987, 1988

Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year: 1991

16-time NBA Player of the Month

Honors:

10-time All-NBA First Team (1986-93, 1995-98)

9-time All-Defensive First Team (1987-93, 1995-98)

NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985)

All-NBA Second Team (1985)

Selected in 1996 as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History"

Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 75 Players of All-time

Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century

Team honors:

NCAA National Championship - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1982

Six NBA championships - Chicago Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98

Two Olympic gold medals - USA: 1984, 1992

Heels in the League (02/08/09)

2009-02-15T09:28:00.004-05:00

In what is the final stretch of the catch up job here is the 02/08/09 edition of the post called "Heels in the League". In this one half five players were in action that once played for either Dean Smith or Roy Williams.

In the first game of the night it's the Charlotte Bobcats heading south to visit the Miami Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena. For the visiting team it's a duo of players that were once at Chapel Hill, speedy point guard Raymond Felton and Final Four MVP of the 2005 national champion team Sean May. Felton had 42 minutes on the floor and scored nine points while dishing out 11 assists. The ex pupil of Roy Williams also had two rebounds, two steals and a block, while committing 3 turnovers on the night. May is still on the bench, or should we say the doghouse of head coach Larry Brown, and was a "DNP - Coach's Decision". When it was all said and done it was Miami (27-23, 17-8 home) winning this one over Charlotte (19-31, 6-17 away) by the final of 96 to 92.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Second game of the night is the one between the New Jersey Nets and the Orlando Magic played at the Amway Arena. In this one we should have seen ex Tar Heel Vince Carter for the Nets, but he was a "DNP - Sore Right Elbow" and sat watching the game. His team could have definitely used him as Orlando (38-12, 20-5 home) took this one in a rout, beating New Jersey (24-28, 13-13 away) by the final score of 101 to 84. The Magic used a first quarter 32 to 18 run to take the lead and never looked back.

Box Score

Third game of the night featured the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards, two teams both below .500 in the standings. For the home squad it was Antawn Jamison getting 42 minutes and doing a lot with them as he scored 34 points (12 for 21 - 4 for 7 from beyond the arc), but believe it or not that was neither game high or team high, as his team mate Caron Butler got 35. The ex Heel forward also hd six rebounds, three assists and two steals on the night, while committing no turnovers. In the end, in a game that was truly close, it was Washington () to win it, defeating Indiana by 2, 119 to 117.

Antawn Jamison goes to the basket against Maceo Baston during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game that has a touch of carolina blue it's the Minnesota Timberwolves going to New Orleans Arena and facing the New Orleans Hornets, who were without their leader Chris Paul. For the traveling squad it's ex national champion Rashad McCants getting very little time, three minutes, off the bench. In that time the ex Heel guard scored two points and grabbed a couple of rebounds. In the end it was the home team to prevail in this one, even if the score was a lot closer than one might have thought, New Orleans (30-18, 18-8 home) beat Minnesota (17-33, 9-17 away) 101 to 97 thanks to a 25 to 17 4^th quarter.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the fifth game of the night with an ex Tar Heel in it, it's the Phoenix Suns heading north to the motor city to face the Detroit Pistons in a game between two teams that have pretty similar records. For the home squad it was ex Tar Heel big man Rasheed Wallace playing 33 minutes and getting a double double out of it. Scoring 16 points (5 for 11 - 2 for 6 from 3) and grabbing 10 rebounds, the ex pupil of Dean Smith also added for steals, one assist and a turnover to his stats for the game. However all of this was just not enough as Phoenix (28-21, 14-11 away) won by 10, defeating Detroit (27-22, 14-12 home) 107 to 97.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The Heels head down to Miami...

2009-02-14T14:40:00.005-05:00

...in what could be a trap game.

I know that for us Tar Heels the victory against Duke is still on our mind and making us feel good, but as a blogger for UNC I have to move on to the next game, which for head coach Roy Williams and his squad is tomorrow night. Third ranked North Carolina (22-2, 8-2 in the ACC) heads south and will be taking on Miami (15-8, 4-6 in the ACC) at the Bank United Center tomorrow night at 7:45 p.m. (televised by FSN), in a game that the Heels must truly be on their toes in order not to have a let down. You have Carolina that is coming off a great game against their arch rivals, facing off against a Miami team that is looking for another signature win after defeating a Wake team that is plummeting and giving up a 15 point lead to Duke. Add to that the fact that Miami hasn't played a game in a week and is well rested and this, if you don't know it, has all the makings of a trap game!

But the key is pretty simple, will the Heels be ready to play this game? The answer is a simple, but confident, yes! Why? Because Carolina has suffered from "it's just..." already this season, when they didn't go at Boston College at full force. Coach Williams, who will be coaching in his 200^th ACC game (164-35), and his staff are going to make sure that the team doesn't misstep again. As we all know, UNC and Miami already met once in Chapel Hill this year, an 82-65 UNC win on January 17^th, and since then UNC has kept on rolling through the conference, while Miami has lost four out of six games. Again I say, this has the makings of a trap game if the Heels aren't ready, fully ready.

Furthermore, while UNC showed it can play defense against Duke in the second half, it's going to have to do it once more, with Miami being the best three point shooting team in the conference, with senior shooting guard Jack McClinton getting better and better as the season progresses. He's the second best scorer in the ACC, while leading all in 3 pointers made per game with 3.1 and 3 pt field goal percentage with .471. Without a doubt McClinton is going to get his, but Carolina's defense is going to have to stop him from repeating what he did last week, 33 points on 62.1 percent shooting (23 for 37 from the field, 11 for 16 beyond the arc), when he was named ACC Player of the Week.

Things I am going to look for in this game are quite a few:

Wayne Ellington. Will he be back in shooting form. Last time he played the `Canes he had seven three pointers in a row, in the game that got him out of his shooting slump.

Bobby Frasor. Will he be back in shooting form as well. The game against Duke got the senior guard into the groove, hitting a trio of three pointers. Will he follow Wednesday's performance and hit some more clutch shots? Hopefully so!

Ty Lawson. Is he going to get unleashed again or will the Tar Heels go back to the inside/out game first? I think that the combo of going to Hansbrough low or knowing that Lawson can drive anytime is going to make this team stronger.

The rest of the bigs. Deon Thompson and Ed Davis are going to be huge, especially with the guards hitting their shots and Lawson going off anytime he wants. They must be ready for the dish offs that the speedy point guard will be dishing out as he drives the lane.

Larry Drew. He is working hard, the learning curve is big, especially when you are backing up someone like Lawson, but in these types of games is where the frosh point guard can learn so much.

In the end, like most of the games for this excellent team, it's more about what North Carolina can (and will) do, than what the opposition can or will do. If the Tar Heels bring their game the Hurricanes will try to stop them, but they won't have the talent to do so. I am truly looking forward to this game, to see how the Heels play their next game after such an outstanding second half versus their arch rivals.

Heels in the League (02/07/09)

2009-02-14T13:26:00.003-05:00

With the NBA on a break for their All Star game this is the time I am hoping to be able to make a move and catch up with this (not so) daily post I call "Heels in the League". In this post we are going to look at the games from 02/07/09, where in all seven games were played and plenty of ex Carolina players hit the court.

First game it's the visiting Los Angeles Clippers going across the country to meet up with the Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena. For the home squad it's Marvin Williams getting the nod at the power forward spot and playing 41 minutes in all. In that time the ex Heel and national champ got 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. However, it was the visiting team getting the win in this one as the Clippers (12-39, 7-19 away) defeated the Hawks (29-21, 18-6 home) in a rout, with the final tally being 121 to 97.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game has the Denver Nuggets being hosted by the New Jersey Nets at the IZOD Center. In this one we have old school Tar Heel Vince Carter playing the shooting guard. The ex pupil of Dean Smith got 33 minutes, but didn't score as he usual does, only getting 12 points (5 for 10 - 0 for 2 from 3), addint eight assists, three rebounds, three steals and a block shot. Carter did also commit 3 TOs, but it didn't really matter as New Jersey (24-27, 11-15 home) won this one going away, defeating Denver (34-17, 14-11 away) by the final of 114 to 70, and yes, that is a 44 points difference.

Vince Carter pressures Carmelo Anthony during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The next game to have a touch of carolina blue is the one that matches up the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets. For the visiting squad in this one it's ex Heel Rashad McCants, who is finally seeing some playing time, getting 15 minutes and scoring four points in that time frame. The ex national champ also got one rebound and a steal, while losing the ball once. In the end it was the home squad that prevailed in this one as Houston (31-20, 18-6 home) beat Minnesota (17-32, 9-16 away) 107 to 90 thanks to a big 4^th quarter by the Rockets (29 to 19).

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The last game of the night is one that went into OT and it involved the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks. In the game for the visiting team it's ex Tar Heel big man Rasheed Wallace playing in the middle and getting 47 minutes in all. Wallace got 27 points (10 for 17 - 7 for 10 from beyond the arc) along with eight rebounds. The ex Heel also had two assists and two blocks on the night, while only committing one turnover against the Bucks. In the end it was Detroit (27-21, 13-10 away) winning this one, as they defeated Milwaukee (24-29, 14-9 home) by the final score of 126 to 121. Of course Wallace loves to pick up some "T's", and he didn't disappoint in this one.

Rasheed Wallace reacts after being called for a technical foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Another ranking with Hansbrough in it...

2009-02-14T12:14:00.003-05:00

...and once again he is on top.

I love rankings. Any kind, any type, anywhere. So, when the guys from Sports2Debate sent me a message about the top centers in college basketball and Tyler Hansbrough was on it how could I not do a small post about it, and of course, link to their site? The answer is I couldn't, so make sure you check out the link above posted and see the ranking they have for the best centers in the game. I have to say I was surprised to see Hansbrough as the top one, but hey, who I am to argue with people that put UNC as the best!

Kidding aside, I think that most people would have put UConn's Hasheem Thabeet above Hansbrough, even though I can not stand the Husky after he threw a ball at a SU's player and then laguhed about it on the bench with his team mates. Overall the list is pretty solid in my opinion, and while I might have put some a bit lower and some a bit higher, I tip my hat to the guy from S2D for doing such a complete list! From what I read on their web page the rankings were done by adding the following parts: 1) how the player has performed in the past five games, 2) conference competition, 3) role with their team, 4) stats and adding S2D writing staff thoughts. I think that is a lot to consider and makes this work worthwhile looking at.

Rivalry by the gut...

2009-02-14T08:05:00.004-05:00

...and by the TV numbers.

Everyone go back a while, to when North Carolina announced that it was Roy Williams' turn to lead the Tar Heels. Think about the moment you read it (scrolling across the bottom of your tv screen on ESPN or on a fan web board) or heard it (on the phone or by word of mouth) or saw it (on ESPN who televised the news conference). Remember the dark period before that when it came to UNC vs Duke, a rivalry well in hand for the Heels which had swung in the Blue Devils' direction, with the team from Durham winning 15 out of the last 19 meetings. Nothing much changed in the beginning, with Mike Krzyzewski winning the next three against Roy Williams. What was once a rivalry Duke seemed to have a big time control over, but then something happened.

In the last eight meetings North Carolina has come out victorious six times, four of those at Cameron Indoor Stadium, or should we call it, as the picture on WRAL says "Hansbrough Indoor Stadium". Making Roy Williams' record against Duke 6 and 5, and making UNC once again the team that seems to hold the edge when it comes to this not so friendly feud. This game was special, but not just for us Tar Heels, it was also special for Duke, to try and stop this streak, and in the end, when the chips were down, they couldn't and that is what rivalries are all about. I said it, as many others have, this was not about who had the best offense or defense, it was about who had the most heart to execute to win. When it was all said and done it was Carolina that did, and they did it because it meant something to them. It meant a lot to them.

So, for all of those that think that this rivalry is just a buzz engineered by ESPN or another media source I say this: learn about these two schools. Find out what it means to go there and what it means to root against the other, then think about this, many, but many players come to either one of those schools with two things on their mind: 1^st to win a national championship and 2^nd to beat the other. This is Tobacco Road, eight miles divide the two and the feud will keep growing, because that is just the way it is. And if you don't believe it, think about this, Duke now has a chance to ruin senior night for Hansbrough and Green just like they ruined JJ Redick's senior night as freshmen. Add to that, on that night, if Hansbrough in these next few games was to have a couple of 28-30 point performances he could end up being able to break Redick's record on senior night against Redick's ex team. Now if that isn't rivalry material I'm not sure there is such a thing as a rivalry!

The tv numbers also confirm that this is a game that people want to see, reading a small online article it told that the game between these two archrivals tied with "Top Chef" as the highest rated show in the land for cable on Wednesday night with a 1.4/4 in the demo and 3.3 million viewers. In another online piece I read that this game almost doubled the viewing audience of Duke vs Clemson and was up 27% from 2.6 million from the first battle between UNC and Duke last year, but down 41% from 5.6 million for the second match up. This all leads me to believe that the game at the end of this season should be once again be a well watched one.

(Picture on top of the blog was found on Google Search)

Heels in the League (02/06/09)

2009-02-13T09:39:00.002-05:00

After taking a couple of days off due to the great rivalry game between Carolina and Duke it is time to get back into trying to catch up on this (not so) daily post. The good thing is that with the NBA All-Star weekend I should be able to be caught up before the teams begin the second half of the season. So, without anymore discussion, let's check out the games of 02/06/09 with this edition of the "Heels in the League".

First game of the night is one that matches up several ex Carolina players, which are not only ex pupils of Roy Williams, but are also national champions. On the visiting team, the Atlanta Hawks, it is Marvin Williams who got 40 minutes of playing time in the game and had a nice output in them. In all the ex Heel forward scored a game high 29 points, while adding seven rebounds. Williams also had two blocks and an assist on the night, while turning the ball over only twice.

Marvin Williams shoots as forward Adam Morrison and Raymond Felton defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

For the home team it's the duo of Raymond Felton and Sean May, but only the speedy point guard got to play, while the big man is still not ready for action. Felton scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards while dishing out eight assists. The ex Heel guard also had four steals and a block, but did commit four turnovers on the night. In the end it was the visiting squad to come home with a "W", as Atlanta (29-20, 11-15 away) defeats Charlotte (19-30, 13-14 home) by the final score of 102-97.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game that has an ex Tar Heel is the one between visiting Denver and host Washington played at Verizon Center. For the home squad it was Antawn Jamison playing the power forward spot and getting 34 minutes in all. The ex Tar Heel and NPOY scored 26 points in the game (10 for 16 from the field) while grabbing eight rebounds. Jamison also added to the score box five assists and a block while giving up the ball twice in the game. In the end it was the Nuggets (34-16, 14-10 away) getting the "W", defeating the Wizards (10-40, 7-19 home) by 21, 124 to 103.

Antawn Jamison tries to get past Dahntay Jones and Nene during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Last game of the night is one that has the ex player from Chapel Hill not getting anytime. It's the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns, where Brandan Wright is once again not seeing any action. When it was all said and done at the US Airways Center it was Phoenix (27-21, 14-10 home) taking this one by ten, beating Golden State (16-35, 5-23 away) 115 to 105.

Box Score

The gridiron schedule is out...

2009-02-12T15:55:00.002-05:00

...and I like it!

After all the great emotions coming from eight miles down the road where North Carolina took care of Duke and has gotten the lead in the conference once more, it is time to move to the gridiron for a minute as the 2009 schedule has come out. In the following days I will give a bit more of a detailed account about it, but for now I will just post it.

Sept. 5 – The Citadel
Sept. 12 – at Connecticut
Sept. 19 – East Carolina
Sept. 26 – at Georgia Tech
Oct. 3 – Virginia
Oct. 10 – Georgia Southern
Oct. 17 – Open
Oct. 22 (Thurs) - Florida State (ESPN)
Oct. 29 (Thurs) - at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
Nov. 7 – Duke
Nov. 14 – Miami
Nov. 21 – at Boston College
Nov. 28 – at NC State

Have to say that after all the talk about not being able to host a game on Thursdays this season Carolina will be playing FSU in a Thursday night game, which will be followed by another one at Va Tech. Anyways, as I said before, I will do more in-depth posts about the schedule and what I think of it a bit later down the road. Until then enjoy what should be another schedule that leads the Heels to a post season bowl game.

It was a tale of two halves...

2009-02-12T11:46:00.008-05:00

...and of a fantastic Ty Lawson.

In the end, when the final buzzer had sounded, a packed house at Cameron Indoor Stadium had to soak in the fact that Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green would never lose in front of them. Those same fans that were watching third/third ranked North Carolina (22-2, 8-2 in the ACC) losing by eight points to their beloved sixth/fifth ranked Duke (20-4, 7-3 in the ACC) when the first half ended. Unfortunately for them, and all of the other Blue Devils fans, there are two halves in every game, and when the second one started it was very evident that whatever was said in the Carolina locker room was taken to heart by the players. In the end, after the second 20 minutes had been played, it was Carolina beating Duke 101 to 87, taking control of the ACC eight games after they had started 0-2 in the conference.

In a game amongst giants of the game it was 5'11" Ty Lawson the biggest of them all
(Picture from the net)

Let me just begin by saying this, the first seven minutes of the first half were very good for the Tar Heels, but then, all of a sudden, in the last part of the half they let go of everything that had gotten them an eleven point lead. Not so slowly, but definitely surely, Duke took advantage of that fact, and thanks to sub par defense (where Duke shot 63% from the floor), the eleven point lead became an eight point deficit, where it seemed that Hansbrough was non existent, Lawson didn't have his turbos, Ellington was back to missing shots and Green was not himself. Heck, if not for the ten points by Deon Thompson and the trio of three pointers by Bobby Frasor, the eight point lead by the Blue Devils would have been in double digits, without a doubt.

But as Duke fans rejoiced and UNC fans were either holding on strong, such as yours truly, or were finding one or more faults with their teams, as many web boards will point out, the two teams re huddled and when they came out of the locker rooms it was a different game. Could it have been what head coach Roy Williams said: "The streak is going to stop at some time, let's just put it off for another year." Or maybe the way Mike Copeland sparked up in the locker room, by throwing a chair. Or a combo of both this and many other things that we won't know about. I'm not sure, but whatever it was, Carolina's performance in the second half was the best twenty minutes they've had this season.

Hansbrough finished the game with 17 points, and made his presence felt inside and outside, hitting a three pointer as the Heels were up by nine and the shot clock was winding down. He was a different player in the second half, maybe due to the fact that the first half he had two fouls on him and he might not have wanted to pick up a third. On the other hand, after hitting 6 out of 9 three pointers in the first half, the Blue Devils went 2 for 15 in the second twenty minutes, and that was largely due to the tenacious defense that the Tar Heels brought out with them for the second half. One of the biggest quotes I found about this game was from Kyle Singler: "In the second half, we kind of had the mindset that we were going to outscore them. But you're not going to outscore Carolina." No, you are not, as they proved it, by demolishing Duke 67 to 35 after the break.

But having said all of this, this was Ty Lawson's half, going in the lane anytime he wanted and scoring at will. No one could stop him, and last night, he played like the Lawson we have been accustomed to, or as coach Krzyzewski said: Ty Lawson was great. Lawson was a pro tonight. This showed what a year does, Lawson took over a game that needed a leader to take over. This was not only good for him last night, but it's also good for him in the months to come, when the NBA decides who they want on their team. I said in my preview that the big key to this game was going to be Lawson against Paulus, and when it was all said and done, it was Lawson that made the difference last night. Maybe, just maybe, this game was a bit of a payback for Lawson, since he had to miss last year's game between UNC and Duke, where the Blue Devils beat the Heels at the Dean Dome (the only victory they have against the Heels in the last six meetings). Who knows, but you have to admit that once Lawson got it going on, it was not personal, it was phenomenal!

The bench shows 4 fingers, one for each time that Hansbrough and Green have left CIS with a win
(InsideCarolina/JimHawkins)

What more can be said about this game except for hitting once more on the fact that the Tar Heels played as well as they have all season long in the second half of this game. If they keep that type of play going they are a lock to be in Detroit for the Final Four, and have a good chance to win it all. But I will end with this, and even though I am still a fan of his, Dick Vitale was so "lively" when Duke came back from 11 to take the lead and go ahead by 8. He, and his side kick, were not as "lively" when UNC did the same thing, and much more, in the second half. Dickie V and the PTI crew (Kornheiser and Wilbon) should think about being a bit less biased and a bit more sports media!

Throw away stats and records...

2009-02-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

...it's UNC vs Duke tonight!

"And so it begins", to steal a phrase from Lord of the Rings, the scenic battle between good and evil, between what is right and what isn't, between two universities that have divided families, friends, a state and some could even say a country. Tonight, in what is the biggest rivalry in college (if not all) sports, it's 3^rd/3^rd ranked North Carolina (21-2, 7-2 in the ACC) vs 6^th/5^th ranked Duke (20-3, 7-2 in the ACC), it's the Tar Heels against the Blue Devils, it's eight miles separating these two schools that could not be more different from one another. Why is this billed as the greatest rivalry? Do you see anyone from the east coast writing about SU/GTown? They do when it comes to UNC and Duke! Has HBO done a series about Kentucky/Louisville? They sure did about the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils! Any other game during rivalry week ever been the biggest game ever watched on ESPN? The one on March 4^th 2006 was the most watch college basketball game to be televised by the World Leader of Sports.

A rivalry that dates back to 1920, with the Tar Heels leading it 128-97 (Duke went 15 and 4 in the time between Dean Smith retiring and the hiring of Roy Williams) tonight will be a special game once again. The fact that the winner of tonight's game will take over the driver's seat in the ACC shouldn't surprise anyone. These two teams that have been the premiere powerhouses in the conference, together they have won close to 80% of the regular season titles and just above 55% of the ACC post season tournaments, have almost never let the other have a strangle hold on their turf. In all these years between UNC and Duke giving battle to one another only one Tar Heel, Buzz Peterson, has gone 4 and 0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. If the Heels were to pull off a win tonight, Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green could have a chance to be in that very elite group. This is UNC vs Duke, it's a classic, and with so much at stake (as there usually is) it should be a great game.

This is going to be a game of will, where the team that can set it's style of play and tempo will get the upper hand on the other. North Carolina is going to look to push and score the easy baskets on Duke, while the Blue Devils will look to make this into a halfcourt game moving the ball around for an open three. For both teams their own strategy has gotten them yet again another 20 win season, but now, when facing off against one another, which one will work? UNC started the ACC season with two huge missteps, big enough that a lot of the ABC'ers had Carolina over and done with. Duke has now faltered as well, so much so that Greg Paulus is back as the starting point guard in tonight's game.

And that is where we can start. Ty Lawson vs. Greg Paulus. Whoever gets the upper hand on that matchup is going to make his team a bit stronger than the other. If Lawson can play the way he has in the last seven games I believe that he will have the edge over Paulus, whose speed isn't going to stay with the guard from Chapel Hill. As I have said over and over this year, this Tar Heel team is going to go as far as Lawson leads it, he has to play for the team and not make it personal, if he does this the team has a great shot tonight and a great shot in the big dance. The next matchup to look at has to be the perimeter shooting of Duke against the perimeter defense of North Carolina. If the Blue Devils get off easy shots, and they make them, that is going to get the Cameron Crazies going, and won't help things for UNC. If head coach Roy Williams can get the Heels to play some good defense (for at least a good part of the game) than Duke will struggle in this one.

But the key for me has always been and will always be one, Tyler Hansbrough. Duke has no one that can shut him off down below and if he gets hot in this one and the refs don't lose the whistles while there is hacking going on, he alone can win this game with his presence inside. Adding to all of that the fact that the senior forward has learned to see and react to the double team, making crisp passes to the guards, who are all (Lawson/Ellington/Green) hitting above 40% from beyond the arc, could really be the edge that is needed for UNC to make it four in a row at "their house". Lastly, and this is going to be just as important as the starters, the bench for UNC might not need to contribute a lot, but they cannot be a liability for the team.

This is the game that players that signed letters of intent to go to either UNC or Duke live for. It's that game where records don't mean anything, where the only reality is that on the other side of the court is the team you just don't like and want to beat at all costs. The oddsmakers have this game from 1^1/2 to 2^1/2 for North Carolina, but that is worthless, because emotions, nerves and rivalries cannot be counted in point spreads, only in guts and heart. In my opinion tonight's game is going to be a very good one, that will have both fan bases going wild and the outcome will probably be unknown with a few minutes left in the game. Hang on tight folks, this is going to be a heck of a ride even if it is just eight miles from Chapel Hill.

AEM's NFL Mock Draft 1.0...

2009-02-10T18:01:00.005-05:00

...and hopefully there is more to come.

Ok, so everyone else is doing this mock draft thing, and I did promised to do one myself for both the National Football League as well as for the National Basketball Association, I am going to begin with the NFL one. This is version 1.0, but I am not sure if there will be 2.0 and so on and so forth, or at least probably not until the draft comes a lot closer. For those of you that think why should there be a football mock draft on a Tar Heel blog, the answer is pretty simple, I predict a Carolina player to go in the first round, and there are plenty of collegues from the conference headlining this draft.

01. Detroit Lions: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia
02. St. Louis Rams: WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
03. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Everette Brown, Florida State
04. Seattle Seahawks: OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia
05. Cleveland Browns: CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
06. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Andre Smith, Alabama
07. Oakland Raiders: WR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
08. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Michael Oher, Ole Miss
09. Green Bay Packers: DT B.J. Raji, Boston College
10. San Francisco 49ers: LB Rey Maualuga, Southern Cal
11. Buffalo Bills: DE Brian Orakpo, Texas
12. Denver Broncos: LB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
13. Washington Redskins: OT Jason Smith, Baylor
14. New Orleans Saints: LB Clay Matthews, Southern Cal
15. Houston Texans: CB Vontae Davis, Illinois
16. San Diego Chargers: RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
17. New York Jets: CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
18. Chicago Bears: QB Mark Sanchez, Southern Cal
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DE Robert Ayers, Tennessee
20. Detroit Lions (via DAL): LB Brian Cushing, Southern Cal
21. Philadelphia Eagles: RB Beanie Wells, Ohio State
22. Minnesota Vikings: DT Peria Jerry, Ole Miss
23. New England Patriots: CB D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt
24. Atlanta Falcons: LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
25. Miami Dolphins: DE Larry English, Northern Illinois
26. Baltimore Ravens: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland
27. Indianapolis Colts: WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina
28. Philadelphia Eagles (VIA CAR): OT Eben Britton, Arizona
29. New York Giants: WR Percy Harvin, Florida
30. Tennessee Titans: DT Fili Moala, Southern Cal
31. Arizona Cardinals: RB Leshon McCoy, Pittsburgh
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma

In all I have seven players from the Atlantic Coast Conference going in the first 32 picks, three of them going in the first ten selections. Of the seven, three are on the offensive side and four are on the defensive side, with two of them being wide outs, including Hakeem Nicks from Chapel Hill, who I have going 27^th to the Indianapolis Colts, but I would not be too unhappy if he slipped two slots where he could hook up with the other Manning for the Giants. With the NFL Combine and all of that coming up I will be able to be a bit more accurate on what could happen in this year's draft. Have any thoughts on this? Let me know at the comment box.

Heels in the League (02/05/09)

2009-02-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

Well, while I hate seeing no Tar Heels playing, it helps out when I am trying so desperately to catch up on this (not so) daily post called "Heels in the League". This is the 02/05/09 edition and it has just three games and no ex Carolina players on tap. But have no fear, in the next edition (which I am hopeful to do later this afternoon or tonight) there are nine games which should have five ex Tar Heels taking to the court.

Bob Cousy Award list is out...

2009-02-10T14:19:00.005-05:00

...and Lawson is on it.

Yesterday I did a post about the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 candidates. Today it is time to give you the seventeen finalists of the Bob Cousy Award finalists, given each year for the nation’s top college point guard. There are 13 student-athletes from Division I, 2 from Division II and 2 from Division III, which I have to say is very interesting that the award would put players from all three Divisions.

Of course on the list there is Ty Lawson from North Carolina, but along with the speedy point guard from Chapel Hill there are other five players that are on Wooden Mid Season list and on this one as well. Here is the complete list:

Sherron Collins, Kansas *
Darren Collison, UCLA *
Stephen Curry, Davidson *
Toney Douglas, Florida State
Levance Fields, Pittsburgh
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse *
Dominic James, Marquette
Ty Lawson, North Carolina *
Eric Maynor, VCU
Patrick Mills, Saint Mary’s
Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga
A.J. Price, UConn
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest *

(* = players on the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 candidates)

Division II
Virgil Buensuceso, BYU-Hawaii
Darren Duncan, Merrimack College

Division III
David Arsenault, Grinnell
Sean Wallis, Washington University

I have to admit that this will be taken as a homer statement, but with the team going the way it is and the way Lawson has been a huge part of that, seeing him win this award isn't all that far fetched. Of course all of that will depend on a lot of things, including the game from now until the end of the season and how the voters believe the team that the player is on did compared to what the pre season expectations were. So, for Lawson, this means a very deep run into the tournament or it might just cost him in the final voting.

Heels in the League (02/04/09)

2009-02-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

As promised earlier today here is another edition of the post I call "Heels in the League", where it's all about the ex Tar Heels in the NBA. In this edition it's the 02/04/09 games, which in all were eleven and had plenty of ex Carolina players on call.

First game of the night has a head to head match up, with the visiting squad, the New Jersey Nets, having a hot streaking Vince Carter, who on 02/03/09 had a triple double for his team. In this game, where the ex Heel played 36 minutes, didn't have the same output, not by a long shot. Carter scored 20 points on 8 for 15 from the field (4 for 8 from beyond the arc), adding five assists, two rebounds, one steal and a block. The ex pupil of Dean Smith also had a turnover on the night.

Antawn Jamison goes to the basket against Trenton Hassell (44) and Josh Boone (2) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, in Washington. The Nets won 115-88. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

For the home team, the Washington Wizards, had Antawn Jamison, who was also a team mate with Vince Carter at Chapel Hill. The ex NPOY for Dean Smith didn't have a great game, playing 40 minutes, and scoring just 10 points on 4 for 20 shooting (1 for 7 from 3). Jamison also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals on the night, while committing a TO. In the end it was New Jersey (23-27, 13-12 away) who won the game going away, beating Washington (10-39, 7-18 home) by 27, 115 to 88.

Vince Carter goes to the basket against Nick Young during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 in Washington. The Nets won 115-88. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game it's the Miami Heat taking a trip north to the Palace at Auburn Hills to face the Detroit Pistons. For the home team big man Rasheed Wallace played 37 minutes and scored 18 points (7 for 11) while adding six boards. The ex big man for Dean Smith also had two assists and committed just one turnover in the game. In the end it's Wallace & Co. that come out ahead, as Detroit (26-21, 14-11 home) beat Miami (26-22, 10-14 away) in a close one, with the final score being 93 to 90.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The third game of the night has once again a head to head battle between two Tar Heels. And again, just like the first one, it is a clash of ex team mates from Chapel Hill. For the visiting Atlanta Hawks it's Marvin Williams who has a very nice night in his 42 minutes of playing time. The ex Heel forward has a double double, with 23 points (6 for 13 ~ 11 for 14 FTs) and 10 rebounds. Williams also adds two asssists and two steals in the game, but does have 2 TOs as well.

For the home squad, the Minnesota Timberwolves, we finally see Rashad McCants have some playing time. The ex national champion gets 15 minutes of playing time and gets 10 points (4 for 7 ~ 2 for 4 from beyond the arc) off of them. McCants also has a block and a steal while committing 2 turnovers in the game. In the end it was Atlanta (28-20, 10-15 away) taking this one, as they defeated Minnesota (17-31, 8-16 home) by the final of 94 to 86 dispite a nice comeback from the home team in the last quarter.

Rashad McCants lays up as Zaza Pachulia defends in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Last game of the night is one that has Brandan Wright in it, which means two things of late. One, the Golden State Warriors are in action, this time hosting the Phoenix Suns. Two, that we will not see him in action, as he is not playing of late. In the game of the night his Warriors (16-34, 11-12 home) beat pretty easily the Suns (26-21, 13-11 away) 124 to 112, holding back a late rally by the guests.

Box Score

Hansbrough a finalist of the Lowe's Sr Class award...

2009-02-10T06:54:00.004-05:00

...but needs help in the voting.

Ok Tar Heel fans, it is time to get your vote in (and you can do it every day!) for Tyler Hansbrough in the Lowe's Senior voting, The link to vote is right here and I will put the link on the right side of the page for all of you to use for the rest of the voting period. C'mon Tar Heels, let's pull together and get Hansbrough from third to first, where he should be! Remember, as I said before, you can vote everyday for Hansbrough!

Heels in the League (02/03/09)

2009-02-10T06:26:00.003-05:00

Still in a big time catch up mode today I should be able to cut way back on this post since I am starting very early and hopefully will get plenty done. I am at the 02/03/09 edition of "Heels in the League", and while there were six games in all that night, only two Heels were in action, well, one was, the other watched.

First game is the one between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Indiana Pacers that was held at Conseco Fieldhouse. For the visiting squad we have ex national champion Rashad McCants, who once again sat on the bench for the whole game being a "DNP - Coach's Decision". For the ex shooting guard from Chapel Hill it has sure been a turnaround since new head coach Kevin McHale has taken over, going from 15-20 minutes a game to not playing at all. In this one McCants watched his team win, as Minnesota (17-30, 9-15 away) beat Indiana (19-30, 13-11 home) by the final of 116 to 111. The win by the T'Wolves stops a streak of three losses in a row, where in all of them McCants didn't play either.

Box Score

In the other game of the night with a touch of carolina blue we have the Milwaukee Bucks going to IZOD Center to face the New Jersey Nets. For the home team it's Vince Carter getting 40 minutes and doing something that is not too common. The ex pupil of Dean Smith got a triple double on the night, scoring 15 points (3 for 12 ~ 8 for 10 FTs), 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Carter's only blemish on the night are two turnovers, but if you get a triple double I think those can be forgiven. In the end the Nets () won the game, defeating the Bucks () by the final tally of 99 to 85.

Vince Carter goes up with the ball as he is guarded by Milwaukee Bucks' Dan Gadzuric during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Checking the polls and the brackets...

2009-02-10T05:40:00.004-05:00

...some things have changed, most have not.

Well, Sunday afternoon we checked out what the Magnificent Four are doing around the internet mock drafts, now, with the new polls out, it's time to see what the team as a whole is doing. The new main stream polls are both saying the same thing, putting the Tar Heels as the third ranked team, while CollegeHoopsNet has Carolina at the second slot. I would say that this is about right for the Heels, close to the top, but without a fall from UConn they aren't going back to the summit.

But UNC isn't the only team from the ACC to make it into the Top 25. Both the AP and the ESPN/USA Today have four other teams from the conference. The first one is Duke (20-3), who the AP has it at the sixth spot, while ESPN/USA Today is one spot above at the fifth and CHN agrees with that, having them fifth as well. The next team from the ACC is Wake Forest (18-3), where the AP puts them seventh and the other poll has them one notch lower at the eighth spot, but Shawn of CHN has them highest of them all at the sixth position. That keeps three teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Top 10, while the biggest conference (the Big East) has four on one side and three on the other, with UConn (1^st/1^st), Pitt (4^th/4^th), L'ville (5^th/7^th) and Marquette (10^th/12^th). So much for all those so called experts and what they were saying about the dominance of the BE in this season's play.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has two more teams in all in the Top 25, with Clemson coming in 12^th in the AP and 11^th in the ESPN/USA Today 8^th at CHN and Florida State being the last team in for both main stream polls, while at the CHN one they are not in the Top 25 (coming in 31^st). That gives five teams for the ACC, and checking our the BE also has two more teams in the Top 25, for a total of six teams. If we check the percentage, 5 out of 12 is 41.6% of the teams, while 6 out of 16 is 37.5%. I keep saying all the hype for that other conference is much more because of quantity than quality, but not until the Selection Sunday will my theory about this will be proven right (or wrong).

Talking about Selection Sunday, which means March Madness, let's have a look at Joe Lunardi's Bracketology as well as Shawn Siegel's Bracket. The first thing that I check is always how many teams from each conference Lunardi has in. Right now both the ACC has eight teams out of twelve in the dance, which would mean 66.6% of the conference. While the high and mighty Big East only places seven out of sixteen according to Lunardi, which would mean 43.75%. Which, in my opinion, it would show that this expert is agreeing with me, at least for now. However Lunardi does have both Cincinnati and Georgetown in the "first four out" category, meaning that the BE could easily see nine teams in if anything was to change, and you know it will.

Both Lunardi and Seigel have the Tar Heels as a number one seed, however ESPN's brackets only have two ACC teams in the two seed (Duke and Wake) CHN's has a third one, Clemson. In all CHN only puts in five teams from the ACC, a lot less than Lunardi's eight, and Shawn does have Georgetown in (as one of the last four in btw). To confuse you even more, there is a nice piece on CHN about the two polls and some analysis about what they got right and what they didn't. In my opinion something to check out if, like me, you really get into this type of stuff.

Wooden Award Midseason list is out...

2009-02-09T08:40:00.005-05:00

...and there are two Tar Heels on it.

A couple of days ago the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 candidates were released and on it there are two Tar Heels, senior forward Tyler Hansbrough and junior point guard Ty Lawson. Out of the thirty players named five come from the Atlantic Coast Conference, while the biggest (and for some the best) conference, the Big East, has ten players on the list. Besides UNC there are other four team with multiple players on the list, including arch rival Duke. While I am not going to go name by name, overall the 30 players seem fine, but there is a couple that I would have left out.

Here's the complete list:

A.J. Abrams, Texas
Jeff Adrien, UConn
DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh
Jon Brockman, Washington
Nick Calathes, Florida
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Darren Collison, UCLA
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Taj Gibson, USC
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
James Harden, Arizona State
Manny Harris, Michigan
Gerald Henderson, Duke
Jordan Hill, Arizona
Matt Howard, Butler
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Wesley Matthews, Marquette
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky
Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Kyle Singler, Duke
Tyler Smith, Tennessee
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
Terrence Williams, Louisville
Sam Young, Pittsburgh

The are two players I could have easily left off the list. First one is Luke Harangody, who does had high numbers, but if you look at the pts/per shot it is a lot lower than the other top shooters in the country. The other is A.J. Abrams, who I think is not as good as most others on this list. I also have to believe that the two selections from Marquette would probably just be one if not for the hot start to the conference season they have had. In the end, like most other races, I think it's going to come down to Hansbrough, Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry (because a lot of people love the small school angle of late).

Heels in the League (02/02/09)

2009-02-09T07:33:00.004-05:00

As I keep getting a day closer to being caught up, but I am so far behind it doesn't feel it, here is the 02/02/09 edition of the "Heels in the League" post. On this day there are eight, however just a handfull of them had ex Carolina ballers in it.

In the first game of the night it's the Memphis Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards squaring off in the nation's capital. In this one it's ex NPOY from the 1997-98 season, Antawn Jamison, getting a game high 45 minutes and making the most of it by getting his third double double in a row. The ex Heel forward scored a team high 29 points (10 for 22) and added a game high 13 rebounds. Jamison also has two assists on the night, while committing three turnovers against the Grizzlies. In the end it was Memphis (12-35, 3-18 away) that won this one by a pretty big margin, defeating Washington (10-38, 7-17 home) by the final of 113 to 97.

Antawn Jamison shoots over Darrell Arthur during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game,
Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Second game of the night has the Charlotte Bobcats going cross country to meet up with the Utah Jazz, and of course that can only mean two things. First, Raymond Felton is starting at the point for head coach Larry Brown, and secondly, Sean May is still not playing because of his injury. The ex national champion from Chapel Hill got a game high 44 minutes in this one and almost pulled off a double double in that time. Felton scored 16 points on 5 for 11 shooting, while getting nine assists. The ex Heel also had six rebounds, four steals and a block on the night, while turning the ball over five times. In the end it was Utah (27-22, 19-6 home) winning the game against Charlotte (19-29, 6-16 away) by the final tally of 105 to 86.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the last game with a touch of carolina blue it's a game where the ex Heel is not playing. The game has the San Antonio Spurs heading to the Golden State Warriors for a west coast match up. On the court we should have seen Brandan Wright, but he is still out, and no news on when he comes back. As far as the game tonight it was a great one, that went into overtime, unfortunately it was the visiting team winning this one as San Antonio (33-14, 15-7 away) beats Golden State (15-34, 10-12 home) by 5, 110 to 105.

Box Score

We are Carolina...

2009-02-08T16:44:00.007-05:00

...and with the Duke game coming up, let's not forget that!

A good friend of mine on CB.com, Mike Irby, has this great letter who I asked to use here to remind one and all what is coming in three days. It's UNC vs Duke, it's the hated rivalry, maybe the biggest rivalry in sports, big enough to have HBO do a show about it. It's us against them, it's the right shade of blue against the wrong one, it's about the Carlyle Cup and so much more. If you haven't lived it you can not understand it, but if you have been part of it, you know what it means! Thanks Mike for reminding this old Heel (and anyone else that read this) what it means to be a Tar Heel, because in the end We are Carolina!

We are Carolina.

So as you settle in to watch Wednesday's game, whether in Seattle or Shanghai, Wake County or West Jefferson, LA or NYC, keep in mind that still, as ever, we're in this thing together, and we're bound across these many miles by that which outsiders simply do not understand: a deep, profound, fiery, spitting hatred of all things dook.

Start now, this evening, and begin prepping yourself for victory. Begin to focus. Rearrange your schedule if you must, but resolve to get to your chosen game venue in plenty of time. Drink fluids - lots of fluids. And start building your outrage:

Think about ratface and how it's all about him.

Think about how the soulless @#%$ named a "center of leadership and ethics" after him. Think about how they're actually proud of this. (*see below)

Think about paulus' off-arm push-off on every drive. Think about how Vitale and Patrick will sing his praises to the highest heavens.

Think about Singler, and the fouls they won't call on him. Think about how he'll be allowed to assault Hansbrough, and how he won't be made to pay for it by the referees. Think about his vulgar outbursts any time something doesn't go his way, yet the refs will never "T" him up for them.

Think about how dook will be allowed to slap, bump, and dive on every defensive possession.

Think about how dook will be allowed to slap, bump, and dive on every offensive possession.

Think about how paulus will go flying across the court to "save" a loose ball that's 35 feet away, that he has no chance to get to. Think about how hard, and with what primal enthusiasm, his teammates will subsequently embrace him.

Think about how the students there will greet our starters with "Hi ______, you $uck" - and not only does k* or the University try to stop this classless act, but they encourage it. As do dookie V and his $uck-up Dan Patrick.

Think about how k* has ??Burger Boys, yet the announcers will make such a big deal of what he is doing this year in light of losing so much talent off of last year's team. As if the cupboard is bare. Fact is, k* lets most of his Burger boys sit until they rot.

Think about Montross' bloody face.

Think about Tyler’s broken nose by HendoThug!

And Krats explanation of it!!!

Think about Stack's baseline dunk.

Think about dahntay jones' uncalled, three-stitch-producing face scrape on the great Raymond Felton.

Think about how, after that incident, dook scrub andre buckner PUSHED OUR COACH WITH TWO HANDS, ON TELEVISION, IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF VIEWERS, and not only did not receive a technical, but was praised afterwards by ratface as a "peacemaker." (I still can't believe this happened. Leadership and ethics, my bleeping a$s.)

Think about wojo. Think about his pansy a$ slapping the floor at "coach k court".

And think about chris collins.

Mother. bleeping. chris. collins.

Think about Dockery face-shoving Tyler, in the game's final seconds, when the outcome was decided.

Think about Tyler coolly hitting a big 3 when the dookies were making a run, and Bobby stepping up to the free throw line and calmly smiling and nodding to his teammates that he had 'em, then delivering the proof through the nets.

More than anything, begin this fine morning and start remembering how much you hate dook. Get yourself into a gnarled, throbbing, full rolling boil of hate. Tell your dook co-workers to eat $hit and die. Sit someplace dark for a while if you can, to organize the your tangled hatred into a single coherent mantra. Let it guide you. Let the hate permeate every cell in your Carolina blue soul until you are one giant biomass of I Hate dook.

It should feel good.

And on Wednesday, take that to the game/bar/living room, yell like you mean it, and get ready to win.

Cause it's "the game", and WE ARE CAROLINA.

No word on Zeller...

2009-02-08T16:16:00.003-05:00

...but it's going to be coming in a week or so.

Looking around a bit I found a pretty interesting and rather lengthy quote on the Scout web site from head coach Roy Williams about Tyler Zeller. The seven footer is now beginning to practice from what coach Williams said, but it does not seem that any decision about playing this year or not will be made in the near future. This definitely puts a damper on a lot of internet chat "rumors" that we could see the freshman back soon, and the way Roy Williams has dealt with Marcus Ginyard, I would not be surprised to see Zeller redshirt this season.

Here is the quote from the press conference:

"He started practicing Thursday and Friday. He was on the court half of the time and practiced half of that. He and Marcus both, I had them with Jonas. Half of the practice they were doing rehab, and then they came out and practiced....So if you're good in math, they practiced a fourth of the time... Somebody asked me about whether I thought Tyler Zeller would play today. I mean, my gosh, guys, he only missed 12 weeks. He doesn't even know what offense and defense is. He thinks ‘defense’ is something that goes around your yard. So it's going to be a while, then we're going to make decisions later on. Don't ask me this week, there will not be a decision. We'll look at it down the road a little bit. There's a reason they give you four and a half weeks of preseason practice, so you can get ready to play."

Tyler Zeller could have had many of those type of dunks if not for the injury.
{Picture by: Google Search}

What does all of this mean? To me it means that in about ten days we are going to find out if the seven footer from Indiana is going to come back and play anywhere between 8 and 12 games. I also believe this is going to be a struggle between a coach who is looking out for his player's best interest and the fact that most players as tall as Tyler Zeller do not stay four years at the college level (for the most part). The whole process is all going to come down if Zeller can heal and learn to be a positive for the Heels before the season is all but over. If that was not to happen then he won't be back for the 2008-09 season, if it was to happen then I would say (that just like he did with Ginyard) head coach Williams will sit down with the frosh and talk to him about what he wants to do with the remainder of the season.

If I was to venture a guess, if it was to come down to the meeting, coach Williams would go along with what Zeller asked. And I would say the young man, seeing how thin the bench has been for the Heels after all the losses (Ginyard and Graves) might just ask to come back and play for whatever remains in the season. I am not sure if that would be the best thing for him, but having a seven footer on the floor, even if not in the total flow of the team, can not be a bad thing.

What are the Mock Drafts saying about the Big 4...

2009-02-08T13:31:00.007-05:00

...watch out, you might not like it.

As the basketball team is doing a lot better I snooped around to see what the mock drafts are saying about the amazing four and their value in the next National Basketball Draft. Before I tell you what I found let me say I was pretty amazed by it, and not in a positive way. By all means, each of us have our own opinion, which reminds me to tell you that I am going to have my first mock draft in the next week or so, but what I saw around the net kind of felt that the majority of the mock drafts aren't giving enough credit to the Heels on this squad.

The first Tar Heel we are going to look at is of course the reigning National Player of the Year, Tyler Hansbrough. The senior forward is averaging 22.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. All of this gets the following with CollegeHoopsNet mock draft: going 24^th and being the first Tar Heel to be selected. The DraftXpress goes even lower, having the senior from Poplar Bluff ending up as the 26^th slot and being the second UNC player going in the draft. The third site I looked at is Sports2Debate and they have Hansbrough as the 20^th player picked in the 2009 draft, also being the second Heel chosen. On the ESPN site their take on the 6'9" forward is that he is going to be a mid to late first rounder.

The second player from Chapel Hill I am going to look at is Ty Lawson, who has truly shown to be the motor that makes this team go. The Heel playmaker right now is averaging 15.3 points to go along with 6.4 assists per game. When Lawson plays without making it personal he can be one of the best players in the college game this year. CHN's site has the junior point guard going 27^th, while DraftXpress sees the speedy guard from Chapel Hill heading to the Bulls as the 11^th spot of the draft (and being a lottery pick). S2D is thinking that the 5'11" junior point guard is going to be selected in the teens (at 18), but that would have Lawson out of the lottery. The World Leader in Sports puts the young man as a lottery to mid first round pick.

Going on, we have the Heel that is getting hot, Wayne Ellington. Also a junior, some said that Ellington should stay one more year, but after the last stretch of games (where he has hit for 20 points four out of seven games) that theory is quickly heading out the door. Overall Ellington is scoring 15.0 pts per game, while getting 4.5 rebounds and 2/7 assists. Shawn Siegel and his site of CollegeHoopsNet does not buy much into the hype of the junior shooting guard, since CHN has Ellington still pretty high, going in the second round at the 34^th spot. But it does get worst, as DraftXpress doesn't even list Ellington in their mock draft. S2D doesn't have a round two, so there too he is not mentioned. As far as ESPN is concerned the 6'5" junior should be going to teams anywhere between the late first round and early second.

Lastly, we come to another senior, Danny Green. He too is doing pretty well this season, averaging 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists this year. The swingman from NY state has stepped up above and beyond the box score though, becoming the leader that UNC lost when Marcus Ginyard was lost due to a foot injury. Unfortunately all of that didn't seem to matter for CHN as they did not list him on their mock draft. DraftXpress has him going 56^th to the Charlotte Bobcats (in a trade), which would mean he would be ending up on a team with point guard Raymond Felton, forward/center Sean May, head coach Larry Brown and part owner Michael Jordan, who are all ex Tar Heels. S2D (as I said before) doesn't have a second round, so no mention of the senior and ESPN said that the 6'6" forward should be just like Ellington, going late first to early second.

In all I have to say that for Ellington not to be in one draft and Green in another made no sense to me. They have both shown improvement this season and should both easily be in the top 60 players in the next draft. Also, ESPN has both Ed Davis (who I do not see coming out this year) and Deon Thompson (who I definitely don't see leaving UNC this year) listed as players from Chapel Hill that could be in the draft. I think that is both pretty bold, but, on the other hand, how many of us thought Danny Green would be looking to jump last year? Davis is listed as a mid to late second rounder, while Thompson as a late second rounder to undrafted. Without a doubt both of them will gain a lot by being in college for a year longer.

(All pictures taken from official web site of North Carolina)

It wasn't the prettiest...

2009-02-08T12:36:00.008-05:00

...but it was what was needed in some ways.

The game between third/fourth ranked North Carolina (21-2, 7-2 in the ACC) and Virginia (7-12, 1-7 in the ACC) was probably a lot different than most of the fans expected, but for me it was the type of game that might just have been needed with the Duke Blue Devils coming up next. I mean, how many people would believe that Carolina could shoot 33%, score just 33 points and yet have the lead? But that is exactly what happened in this game, as head coach Williams had his squad up by eight points after 20 minutes against a UVa team that knew they were outmatched but also knew they had nothing to lose.

The reality in this game was that the Heels were thinking way too much about their last outing, when anything/everything was falling for them. When they saw that the Cavaliers were going to play zone all of them decided that shooting the three would be enough to beat the visitors, and were not going to their bread and butter, the inside/out game, and that is why Tyler Hansbrough ended up with just 15 points (4 for 11 from the field - 7 for 9 from FT) (good enough to be tied with Dickie Hemric for second place on the all time scoring list) as well as 13 boards.

But when one of the amazing four has a game that might not be as good as it can be, it seems that the rest of the group unite to fill the void. Starting with Ty Lawson who almost had a double double, with 10 points and nine assists (without any turnovers), going to "do it all" Danny Green, who had 17 points, plus six rebounds, two steals and a block, and all of that with the senior forward being somewhat sick. Last, but definitely not least, it seems that Wayne Ellington has found his groove, once again having a very good game with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists on the night, with a dozen of those points coming in the second half of the game. To be noted, the junior shooting guard has scored 20 or more points in four of the last seven games.

All of this calmed one of my fears, this team was not looking ahead, and that is why this game, even if won in a way most didn't expect, wasn't a trap game. Ellington talked about this point after the game, saying: "We’re not even looking at Wednesday yet." I would say that with the next practice that is all they will be looking at, as is most of the college basketball world, because it is the biggest rivalry in this sport, and it's the last time that most of these young men will be playing at Cameroon Indoor Center. Playing a game like Carolina did last night is perfect going into the rivalry game, as they will not be too high from a huge rout or low from a real bad performance. They will be even keel after having played a good game.

Lastly, one of my favorite stats of the game, minutes played. With Duke going to overtime most of its starters played over 38 minutes, while Roy Williams was able to keep all of his starters from having more than 33 minutes. Now, if the Heels can go down low and feed their big men on Wednesday night, this should be a good game for Carolina.

Two impact players for UNC Football...

2009-02-08T11:52:00.005-05:00

...according to Sports2Debate (and others).

As I check out one of my favorite sites, the Sports2Debate, I see that they have put up what they believe are the East and West coast All High School teams. In them, for the East coach, they have a Tar Heel on offense and on defense, and you have to say that is good news for a team such a Carolina who is on an upswing towards the upper echilon of the ACC. On a side note, I have to say that this web site sure has some great debates when it comes to sports, and anyone that reads this post of my should check it out.

Now, let's check out who the Sports2Debate have from North Carolina. On the offensive side it is wide receiver Jheranie Boyd (6'2"/185 lbs), who I blogged about a while back. There is no doubt that with the trio of Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster, who are all going to the NFL Combine, having a top notch wide out coming in is going to help out head coach Butch Davis and the offense as a whole. I have to say that if Boyd turns out to be what most so-called experts believe he is he is going to be one of the special players that ends his first season as much more than a freshman.

Here is a YouTube about this young man who has the potential to be a top notch wide out at Chapel Hill:

Here is the complete list that the guys from S2D have as far as the offensive squad of the East Coast All High School team:

On the defensive side the man picked from the site that is heading to UNC is defensive end Donte Moss (6'4"/235 lbs.), and as one of those that has followed recruiting for a while now, I have to say this young man could become one of the best ever. In a class that has the Heels anywhere from a Top 5 to, at the lowest, eleventh, Moss is the centerpiece of the 25 players coming into Chapel Hill. From what Rivals.com says he is the number one weak side DE of the 2009 class and the top player from N.C. in this class. This is a player that is going to not just contribute from day one, but have an impact from day one.

Here is some YouTube to show what type of player Moss is:

Here is the complete list that the guys from S2D have as far as the defensive squad of the East Coast All High School team:

Heels in the League (02/01/09)

2009-02-08T11:16:00.004-05:00

In this edition of "Heels in the League" (where we are finally in Febraury) we do not have many games, just four, but do have two ex Carolina players in them. One of them will be with his team for not much longer, while both didn't get to play.

In the first game it's the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Boston Celtics. For the visiting team it is ex national champion Rashad McCants, who, as usual, is yet again a "DNP - Coach's Decision", and sits on the bench watching his team play the reigning world champs. In the end it was Boston (40-9, 24-2 home) winning this one by 8 points, beating Minnesota (16-30, 8-15 away) 109 to 101.

Box Score

In the other game of the night it was the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons squaring off at the Palace at Auburn Hills. In what will be one of the last game for Jawad Williams on the Cavs, he was once again a "DNP - Coach's Decision", sitting on the bench watching his squad play. Cleveland (37-9, 15-9 away) won this game thanks to a 32 to 14 fourth quarter, defeating Detroit (25-21, 13-11 home) by the final of 90 to 80.

Box Score

Yesterday some very special people were honored...

2009-02-08T10:42:00.005-05:00

...and it made this old Heel proud.

If you ever forget what the Carolina tradition means all you have to do is look at the picture below:

These five men (Front Row: HC Roy Williams, ex HC Dean Smith - Back Row: Billy Cunningham, James Worth and Bob McAdoo) are just a part of a very special group, the Hall of Famers that have come from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And while they are not the only ones to fit that bill, they do show what it means to be part of that very special group. A group that has proven their worth on and off the field and has had a great impact in the game of basketball as well as in life. And by no means is this to lessen the contributions of the many great people/players that have come and gone from UNC and didn't make it to the Hall of Fame!

While most of the Tar Heel nation is right now hoping that this 2008-09 team will make it through the hard schedule of the ACC and then be able to win it all in April, I look at that picture and just smile. Maybe because I am a bit different, maybe because I am a bit older, maybe because I like to dwell on the past (since I find it the gateway to the future), to me having people like the five above mentioned being honored is just (if not more) important as winning national titles.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love North Carolina, I love what it stands for (on the fields of play as well as off of them) and when I see people such as Dean Smith honored I know that it can only be a good thing, because he is what UNC stands for as well. I can only say "thank you" to those of the university that decided to honor these men, because it gave this old Heel one heck of an emotion!

Heels in the League (01/31/09)

2009-02-08T08:59:00.003-05:00

As I keep falling more and more behind due to family things and non blog related work, today, with nothing to do, is the day I am hoping to take a pretty big chunk out of these way late posts I call "Heels in the League". In this post I am going to deal with the 01/31/09 games, which were 10 in all, with plenty of ex Carolina players in it.

First game in tonight's schedule is the one between the New Jersey Nets and the Philadelphia 76'ers, played at the Wachovia Center. In this one the ex Heel Vince Carter didn't have a great game, scoring seven points (3 for 9) and grabbing six rebound in 25 minutes of play. The ex pupil of Dean Smith also had three assists and a TO in the game. In the end, thanks to a real bad 4^th quarter by the 6'ers (who scored 8 points in the last 12 minutes), New Jersey (21-27, 12-12 away) defeated Philadelphia (23-23, 13-10 home) by the final of 85 to 83.

Vince Carter shoots over Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Iguodala during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Miles Kennedy)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the second game is the ex team mate of Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, which his Washington Wizards hosted the Los Angeles Clippers in the Verizon Center. In this one the ex Heel got a double double in 39 minutes of playing time, scoring 25 points (8 for 16) and grabbing 12 rebounds. Jamison also had two assists and two steals on the night, while committing no turnovers. In the end it was Washington (10-37, 7-16 home) winning this one by the final of 106 to 94, as the LA Clippers (10-37, 5-17 away) slides once again on the road.

Antawn Jamison shoots over Los Angeles Clippers' Brian Skinner during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the only game of the night where the ex Heel does not play is one that has the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets squaring off at the Toyota Center. I am talking about Brandan Wright and he once again didn't play as his squad took to the floor. In this one there was probably not much that the ex pupil of Roy Williams could have done as Houston (29-19, 16-6 home) beat Golden State (15-33, 5-22 away) by the final tally of 110 to 93.

Box Score

Last game of the night is the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks squaring off at the Bradley Center. For the visiting squad it's Marvin Williams taking the floor for the Hawks at the power forward spot, where he gets 33 minutes, but doesn't do much with them. The ex national champion under Roy Williams only scores eight points and grabs eight boards in that time, adding three assists and three steals to the score box. In the end it was the home team winning this one, as Milwaukee (24-27, 14-8 home) beat Atlanta (27-20, 9-15 away) in a close one, winning 110 to 107.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

UVa comes in for round two...

2009-02-07T11:55:00.003-05:00

...but the outcome should not be any different.

Today UNC goes for their seventh win in a row in ACC play when third/fourth ranked North Carolina (20-2, 6-2 in the ACC) plays host to Virginia (7-11, 1-6 in the ACC) at the Dean Dome. (Tip off time is 4:00 p.m. EST, with the game being televised by Raycom). This is the second game in a row that the Tar Heels can say they're facing a conference foe that is way inferior to them, but with the Boston College game still on a lot of people mind's I doubt that head coach Roy Williams takes any team for granted anymore.

Before I talk about the game let me just say the following. For an extra bonus at halftime the Carolina's living Basketball Hall of Famers will gather for a banner dedication ceremony. Billy Cunningham, Bob McAdoo, James Worthy, Dean Smith and, of course, Roy Williams are expected to be on hand. For more information on the even you can check out the small blog on it on UNC's Web Site.

So, why should someone that bleeds/cheers carolina blue be somewhat worried as the game comes closer and closer ? Because next Wednesday it's going to be UNC at Duke and the victor will lead the ACC. If the players are thinking too much about that game today, they might just overlook a game against a team that has nothing to lose and beating the Heels would be the only highlight they could put on their resume. Again, as I have said to anyone and everyone that will listen to me, when teams have UNC on their schedule the players circle that game, because they are facing what is the "creme de la creme" of the college basketball world.

UNC and UVa have already played this year, in Charlottesville, where Carolina won the game by the final of 83 to 61. Since then the Heels have won all of their games coming into the rematch, while the Cavaliers have lost of all theirs. This shows you once again that just like many other games this season, the game itself is more about what UNC will and won't do than what the opponent can or can't do. If Lawson can lead the charge and have the offense going on all cylinders, while the team itself can wrap their arms around the fact that just a bit of defense can go a long way, and this game is over at half time.

But what the Heels cannot do is give life/hope to a team that has nothing to lose. They can't give them easy baskets on a break, they can't let the opponents win the battle of the boards and most of all, coach Williams' squad cannot let the other team dictate what type of game is going to be played on the court. UNC has suffered plenty of injuries this season, with senior guard Marcus Ginyard (foot) and freshman 7 footer center Tyler Zeller (wrist) gone for the year, plus redshirt sophomore forward Will Graves being suspended for the season. That has made this team go from the deepest one in the country to one that is pretty thin in the bench department. But they still have four first rounders for next year's NBA draft, plus another player that will go high in two years (Ed Davis) and a sixth that will play pro ball at the next level (Deon Thompson). So this team can still do what most people believed they would, which is win the national title.

But with a smaller lineup this team has to put teams like Virginia away early, so that the starters can get off the floor and get as much rest as they can for the games they will have to be in for most of the minutes, like the one coming against Duke. This game should be a glorified practice, that works on the defense (in general) and gets them ready for Duke (specifically). The Vegas experts have the Heels as a 25 to 25^1/2 point favorite, this should mean that at half time the game is over and the second half is just about working on the basics and getting the blue team in. If that happens then I think Carolina will be ready not just for this game, but for the remainder of this season.

Heels in the League (01/30/09)

2009-02-06T10:22:00.003-05:00

With yesterday being a work day, today I am hoping to come back strong and get some of the things I missed on. Of course the first thing is to try to put up some of the ex Chapel Hill players in the NBA now by doing one of my (way late) posts I call "Heels in the League". In this edition (01/30/09) there are 11 games in all and plenty of ex Heels on the court.

The first game in the mix is the one between the ex world champions Boston Celtics going to the Palace in Auburn Hills and squaring off with the Detroit Pistons. For the home squad it's ex UNC big man Rasheed Wallace getting 38 minutes at the center spot, where he got 12 points and six rebounds in that time frame. Wallace also had two steals and a block in the game, while committing just one turnover. In the end it was the visiting squad taking this one as Boston (39-9, 16-7 away) beats Detroit (25-20, 13-10 home) by the final of 86 to 78.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The next game on tap for this night with an ex Heel is the one that has the Washington Wizards heading to the Wachovia Center and facing the Philadelphia 76'ers. For the visiting team it was ex Carolina forward Antawn Jamison, who played 40 minutes and had a great game, registering a double double. The ex NPOY for Dean Smith scored 25 points (11 for 21 - 1 for 5 from beyond the arc) and grabbed 15 boards for his team. Jamison also had a steal in his playing time, along with a turnover. All of that was for not, as Philadelphia (23-22, 13-9 home) won the game by 10, defeating Washington (9-37, 3-21 away) 104 to 94.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the third game with a touch of carolina blue it's a match up of two ex Tar Heels, with one being from the Dean Smith era and the other from the Roy Williams one. On the visiting team of the New Jersey Nets it's Vince Carter playing at the shooting guard spot and getting 37 minutes. In that time the ex Heel got 18 points (6 for 18 - 4 for 9 from 3's) to go along with four rebounds. Carter also got five assists and two steals while getting two turnovers on the night.

Vince Carter reacts on the bench during the final minutes.
(AP Photo/John Amis)

For the home team, it's Marvin Williams and the Atlanta Hawks, playing in front of their home crowd at the Philips Arena. The ex Heel forward got 36 minutes and got a double double in that time frame. Williams scored 16 points off of a so-so performance (5 for 11) and adding 11 rebounds. The ex pupil of Roy Williams also got an assist and a steal while committing two TO's. In the end it was the Hawks (27-19, 18-5 home) winning this one pretty easily, as they took care of the Nets (20-27, 11-12 away) by a final of 105 to 88.

Marvin Williams dunks the ball during the first half.
(AP Photo/John Amis)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The next game has an ex Tar Heel who is just not getting off the bench anymore it seems. I am talking of Rashad McCants and his Minnesota Timberwolves, who in this game played host to the Los Angeles Lakers. In what was a very high scoring game for both teams, it turned out to be a win for the guests, as the Lakers (36-9, 13-5 away) won going away, defeating the T`Wolves (16-29, 8-15 home) by a final tally of 132 to 119.

Box Score

Moving forward, the next game has a team that one of the ex Heels is playing and starting while the other is still dealing from coming back from injuries. I am talking of the Charlotte Bobcats who headed west to face the Denver Nuggets. In this one ex Heel point guard Raymond Felton got 39 minutes and scored 9 points in all (3 for 10) while adding nine assists as well. The ex national champion for Roy Williams also had one rebound, one steal, one block, while giving up a turnover in the game. His team mate, Sean May, didn't see the floor, and is still in the dog house with the third member of this team from Chapel Hill, head coach Larry Brown. As far as the game was concerned it was Denver (31-16, 19-6 home) to get the W, defeating Charlotte (19-28, 6-15 away) by a final of 110 to 99.

head coach Larry Brown directs his team in the third quarter.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Last game of the night has another ex Carolina player who would watch his team from the bench. It is the match up between the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Hornets, where Brandan Wright should have been playing for the visiting team. In the end it's still good as Golden State (15-32, 5-21 away) pulled off an upset and defeated New Orleans (28-15, 16-6 home) by the final tally of 91 to 87.

Box Score

The more things change...

2009-02-05T12:04:00.003-05:00

...the more they stay the same.

Not too long ago the shouting from the mountain tops (or better said web boards/newspapers/blogs) about third/fourth ranked North Carolina (20-2, 6-2 in the ACC) being a bottom feeder in the conference was pretty loud. Let's be realistic here, some so-called fans had jumped off the Carolina bandwagon faster than the passengers of the Titanic when the ship hit the iceberg. Well, last night, as I turned in for the night, seventh ranked Wake Forest was ending their game against Miami, which they lost, dropping their ACC record to 4 and 3, fifth in the conference. And as the night proceeded it was more and more evident that fourth ranked Duke was also going to lose their game against tenth ranked Clemson. This meant, once the games were officially over, that UNC had gone from two games back to all even, and on top of the ACC in six games.

By all means there is no way that I am going to say that the Tar Heels now have the regular season wrapped up, but what I will say is that they have their destiny in their own hands, and that is the most you can ask for. Head coach Roy Williams and his squad still has to face Duke twice, go down to Miami as well as a visit to Va Tech in the schedule. Plus, this is the ACC and any game can be a trap one, meaning the remaining eight games on the schedule all need to be looked at very carefully and not be taken lightly. But, it is definitely a lot nicer being in a position of knowing that if you do what you need to do you can win the regular season, instead of hoping/needing this team to beat that team.

Less than a month ago, January 4^th, UNC was losing to BC, a week later they would go down to Wake. Now they have won six in a row and while they have many things to get tweeked (which team doesn't) and with a much smaller bench (gone are Ginyard, Graves and probably Zeller) than they thought, this team can still be the ACC RS winner, the ACC Post Season tournament winner and fight for the national title. How many teams without a starter, a 20 minute off the bench player and another one that would have contributed some, could say that? I would venture to say the answer is none!

Am I saying that this team is going to win it all this season? No, and I have never done so with any team because, as all that follow this game know, to win it all is about talent, but it's also about luck, and you never know if you get that or not. The draw of the brackets, the off night of someone (or more than one), the night one has foul trouble, so on and so forth. Too many things go into factoring who cuts down the nets, but it's nice to know that this squad, who a lot had begun to not believe in, has just as much of a chance as about 3-4-5 others. As I keep saying, and won't ever change my mind about, get that seatbelt on, hang on tight, it still should be a great ride till the end.

The Terps came to play but...

2009-02-04T19:35:00.006-05:00

...realized this was not going to be a replay of last year.

When the game between Maryland (14-8, 3-5 in the ACC) and third/fourth ranked North Carolina (20-2, 6-2 in the ACC) was all said and done, what was heard after the game mattered more than what happened on the hardwood of the Dean Dome. Yes, Carolina won the game 108 to 91, with a great offensive output and a so-so defensive effort. Yes, as I pointed out on a web board, the score is a bit skewed since seven buckets happened either on broken plays that should have been steals or turnovers and the rest was the Terrapins scoring when the bench players were on the floor with two minutes to go. Nonetheless, a bit less scoring would have helped ease the minds of those fans that think UNC and defense just don't go together.

As I said, the offense was outstanding last night, with Wayne Ellington being the top scorer, and the team as a whole going off from beyond the arc. In all Carolina shot 16 for 25 from three point land, with Ellington (7 for 9), Green (4 for 6), Lawson (4 for 5) and Hansbrough (1 for 1) all getting into the action from the outside. While Hansbrough had a 24 point and 6 rebound night, going 9 for 10 from the charity stripe, giving him a good game, but not the one I thought he would have against a smaller front court. Actually, with the Terps getting 16 offensive boards it was a lackluster performance by all of the big men last night.

Am I worried about this team right now? Yes and no. I am because I don't think Maryland should have gotten that many offensive rebounds, even if for those of us that saw the game, a bunch of those offensive fouls were off long shots, meaning long rebounds and, while I am not going to blame the refs, some of those board crashing could have heard a whistle had the game been called just a bit tighter. The more I am watching this team, and the more I am truly believing the following: Carolina is going to meet Duke a week from now, and that is going to tell us what the Heels are all about. That is a game with rivalry all over it, with the top two teams in the conference, both Top 5 teams in the country, and in that game both squads will not hold back anything.

But what about the after the game news? With head coach Roy Williams telling the press that senior defensive specialist Marcus Ginyard will redshirt and redshirt sophomore William Graves has been suspended. Add to this that freshman Tyler Zeller, who broke is hand at the beginning of the season, is probably going to redshirt as well, and this squad went from being the deepest one in the country, to being a seven (maybe eight) man rotation when it's all said and done.

Ginyard said this about his redshirting:

"This is the best decision for me as a player," Ginyard said. "At the end of the day, I have to do what is best for me. I almost felt like if I would continue to play on it at this point, I wouldn't be at 100 percent. And to be out there and not be at 100 percent, I would feel like I was cheating my teammates. That would be an even worse feeling than not being on the court.

Graves, who didn't speak to the media, said this in a release:

"I dreamed of playing basketball for Carolina as a kid, so I am very disappointed that I am not able to play the rest of the season," Graves said in a release. "But I respect the decision Coach Williams made and apologize to him and everyone who loves Carolina basketball for putting him in that position. I promise to do my best in practice to make my teammates better and will work hard to try and regain my position on the team for next season."

Coach Williams believes that Graves will be a Tar Heel next season and is going to allow the young man to keep practicing with the rest of the squad. From what I have gathered (reading around) the decision was made in the last two days, and Williams thought long and hard before pulling the trigger on this, and through it all the head coach believes that the forward will be back in Chapel Hill for the 2009-10 season: "In my mind and in his mind, I think it is 100 percent that he will be with us"

Six in a row in the ACC, with UVa coming in next and then the showdown with the Blue Devils. That is the good. Some worries with the bench, and now with two (possibly three) players gone for good and that is the bad. The offense seems to be revving on all accounts, again the good. The defense needs some toning up, and that is the bad. This team still has the talent to win it all, will they be able to do it? That is something that only time will tell, so hang on and get those seat belts locked tight, it still should be a great ride from here on in.

Heels in the League (01/29/09)

2009-02-04T12:44:00.001-05:00

As I continue my catch up duties for the post I call "Heels in the League" I will say this one is pretty simple, since on 01/29/09 there were just a couple of games and none had a Tar Heel in them. Later on today I will try to put up a third one of this post so that I can get as close as caught up by the end of the week.

Happy belated birthdays to...

2009-02-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

...Steve Hale & Melvin Scott.

Belated birthday wishes to two ex Tar Heel basketball players that just turned a year older yesterday. The first one is Steve Hale, who was born in 1964, and was a Tar Heel from 1982 to 1986 where he played in 131 games, which puts him in the Top 25 in Carolina's all-time games played, where Brendan Haywood leads that category with 141. His 503 career assists puts him 8^th all-time at Carolina. Hale was a key member of the `84 team that reeled off 21 straight victories to start the year.

But there is another part of Steve Hale, the after the game part. As the official web site wrote: "At some point, every Carolina basketball player has to become a member of the real world. Sometimes, it can be a difficult transition, as the adjustment in going from a well-recognized hoopster to a faceless member of the working world can be a shocking one. Some players struggle with it. Others, like Steve Hale, embrace it. "

He could have used his four years at Chapel Hill to make something after college in the hoops circles, but Hale choose to move from North Carolina and head to Vermont, where he went from being Steve Hale ex Tar Heel, to Steve Hale M.D. A tid bit about this ex guard under Dean Smith, he decided to become a doctor when in his junior year at UNC, switching over from chemistry. He applied to UNC's Medical School, was accepted, and once done headed to Vermont to begin his residency. From what I have read from the above link article the northeastern state does have one drawback, it's full of Duke fans. (Living in that part of the country I would say the cold is also something I could do without as well!)

The other ex Heel to have a birthday yesterday was also a basketball player, Melvin Scott. Born Febraury 3^rd 1982, in Baltimore, Maryland where he played at Southern High School and was part of the USA Today Super 25 selection as a senior. Scott decided to go to North Carolina and was part of the 2004-05 national championship team under head coach Roy Williams. The ex Heel ranks 7^th in North Carolina history in career three-point field goals made (183). Started 59 of 129 career games. Scored in double figures 34 times.

Scott was not drafted at the next level and went overseas to play for a couple of years. Now, I am not sure where he is or what he is doing, but will try to find out. To both of these ex Tar Heel ballers a belated happy birthday and the best of everything to each of them.

Heels in the League (01/28/09)

2009-02-04T09:41:00.004-05:00

Having caught up a bit yesterday on this (not so) daily post, I am going to try to do the same today. This is the 01/28/09 edition of "Heels in the League" post, and there is plenty of action as 12 games are on tap and many ex Carolina players should be making their way on to the courts.

In the first game of the night it's the Washington Wizards heading south to play the Miami Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena. For the Wizs you have ex Heel and NPOY Antawn Jamison getting 42 minutes of action and using them to get another double double for the forward. Jamison scored 21 points (9 for 22 - 0 for 4 from 3's) and added 12 rebounds on the night (both game high). He also had three steals and one assist, while committing 3 turnovers against the Heat. In the end it was a good night for the ex Carolina player, but not a good game for his team, as Miami (25-19, 15-7 home) wins the game in a big fashion, defeating Washington (9-36, 3-20 away) by 22 points, 93 to 71.

Antawn Jamison shoots a free throw during the third quarter.
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game with a touch of carolina blue is the one that has the New Jersey Nets hosting the Toronto Raptors at the IZOD Center. For the home team it's old school Vince Carter, who played next to Antawn Jamison at Chapel Hill under Dean Smith, who gets 39 minutes and just like his ex team mate Jamison gets a double double on the night. Carter scored 27 points on the night, going 9 for 21 (5 for 10 from beyond the arc) while adding ten rebounds as well (both game high). The ex Heel got five assists and one steal on the night, but all of this was for not, as the visiting squad took the game, as Toronto (19-28, 10-16 away) won by the slightest of margin against New Jersey (20-26, 9-15 home), with the final tally being 107 to 106.

Vince Carter during the first quarter.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Vince Carter drives to the basket during the first quarter.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Third game of the night has a new school Tar Heel, Marvin Williams, in it, as the Atlanta Hawks traveled north to face the New York Knicks at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. In this one the ex Heel forward got 43 minutes, scoring a game high 28 points (9 for 13) as well as grabbing seven boards. Williams also had an assist, a steal and a block on the night, without committing a TO. However, even with this good performance for the ex pupil of Roy Williams it was just not enough, with the Knicks (20-25, 14-9 home) winning the game over the Hawks (26-19, 9-14 away) by the final of 112 to 104 thanks to a 35 to 19 third quarter.

Marvin Williams knocks the ball from the hands of a New York Knicks in the second quarter.
(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The next game is one with two Heels going head to head. For the visiting squad it's the Detroit Pistons, which means ex UNC big man Rasheed Wallace. The ex center for Dean Smith had 40 minutes where he took full advantage of, being the third out of three old school Tar Heel to get a double double tonight. Wallace scored a game high 25 points (9 for 16) and grabbed game high 10 rebounds as well. The ex Heel also had five steals, two assists and a block on the night, while just committing one turnover.

Rasheed Wallace goes up for a dunk in the fourth quarter.
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

For the home team of Minnesota it was Rashad McCants being on the sideline, but once again not getting into the game. The ex national champion from the 2005 team it is yet again another game where he is labeled as a "DNP - Coach's Decision". Unfortunately for McCants, and his team mate, the game didn't go their way as Detroit (25-19, 12-10 away) took this game, beating Minnesota (16-28, 8-14 home) at the Target Center by the final of 98-89.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Last game of the night has yet again another 2005 national champion playing, while the fourth of that group is on the bench as a "DNP - Right Knee Inquiry". This has to mean it's the Charlotte Bobcats, who in this game traveled to the Rose Garden to play the Portland Trail Blazers. The ex point guard for Roy Williams played 36 minutes scoring just seven points (3 for 11) and getting five rebounds. Felton also had eight assists on the night while committing two turnovers. In the end it was the home squad winning, as Portland (28-17, 17-5 home) beat Charlotte (19-27, 6-14 away) by the final tally of 88 to 74.

Raymond Felton drives to the basket during the first half.
(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Maryland vs UNC: The Last Thoughts

2009-02-03T18:26:00.003-05:00

There is about an hour or so to go before the game betweeen Maryland (14-7, 3-4 in the ACC) and #2, according to CHN's Top 50 (#3 AP/#4 ESPN/USA Today) ranked North Carolina (19-2, 5-2 in the ACC) gets under way, and that can only mean one thing. It is time for me to do my " Last Thoughts" on this ACC game. Without a doubt this game will be played in front of a packed house at the Dean Dome, with tip off time being at 8:00 p.m. EST and televised on the Raycom Network. If you'd like to read my preview of this important game, feel free to do so. So, with about one and a half hour or so before the Terps and the Heels take to the floor at the Dean Dome, here are my thoughts on this game...

To read my " Last Thoughts" head on over to my CHN U Group blog.

Five Heels going to the NFL Combine...

2009-02-03T11:56:00.002-05:00

...and this trend should keep going in the future.

As signing date comes closer and closer and according to many North Carolina has one of the best classes in the land I thought we look for a second at what the Tar Heels are going to lose and will try to make it at the next level. In this article is the complete list of the players that have been invited to the NFL combine. Looking at the list you can see that there are five players from Chapel Hill going to the combine, and I think this is great for the program and its future.

You have to admit that with a basketball team that has the possibility of winning it all this year, the baseball squad that is also on top of its game (and of the college baseball world), the men's (coming in second) and women's (winning it all) soccer team having great seasons, the men's lacrosse team also a Top 10 squad, having the football team turning its fortune around in the last two seasons and looking better and better is the cherry on top of a very good looking cake for Dick Baddour and the Athletic Department.

Of course we can not believe that star ranking will turn into great players, but if they I am very sure that there will be many more players from Chapel Hill heading to the NFL combine, just like there will be many players from other sports heading to the next level from North Carolina. With signing day coming up, remember that ESPNU will have full day coverage of the event when it comes to national signings, while on TarHeelBlue.com there will be a live feed (for free) from 10:00 a.m. til 1:00 p.m. EST.

Heels in the League (01/27/09)

2009-02-03T11:23:00.004-05:00

Trying to catch up a bit here, it is time for me to get to the 01/27/09 edition of "Heels in the League", where we look at the ex Carolina players who are now at the next level. On this date there were only five games on tap and just two ex Heels dressing up, and one playing.

First game, which squares off the Sacramento Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers, we have ex Carolina player (and national champion) Jawad Williams on the home team roster. But, as is the norm for the young man from Chapel Hill, he is once again a "DNP - Coach's Decision". Williams sat on the bench and watched his team mates keep their home record perfect as Cleveland (35-8, 21-0 home) defeated Sacramento (10-36, 3-21 away) by seven points, 117 to 110, mainly due to LeBron James' triple double.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the second (and last) game of the night with a touch of carolina blue it's the Charlotte Bobcats going west to play the Los Angeles Lakers at the STAPLES Center. In this one, for the visiting team, it's ex UNC speedy guard Raymond Felton, who gets 53 minutes (the game went into double OT) and almost registers a triple double. The ex national champion under Roy Williams scored 21 points (8 for 17) (2^nd most on the team), while adding a team high 11 rebounds and dishing out nine assists (also a team high) on the night. Felton also had one block on the night and the only bad stat is the two TOs he had on the night. In the end I think everyone will forgive the point guard those two mistakes as Charlotte (19-26, 6-13 away) defeated Los Angeles (35-9, 23-4 home) 117 to 110 (which is the same score as the first game with a Tar Heel in it)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Maryland is coming to Chapel Hill...

2009-02-03T10:46:00.004-05:00

...but the result isn't going to be like last year.

After a bad start, UNC has won its last five games in ACC play. Tonight, however, they face a team that doesn't care about the Heels winning streak, or how good they are, they just care that last year, with Carolina being top ranked they upset them in Chapel Hill. Yes, tonight third/fourth ranked North Carolina (19-2, 5-2 in the ACC) hosts Maryland (14-7, 3-4 in the ACC) at the Dean Dome (tip off: 00 p.m. EST), and if you think that both teams will have last year's game in the back of their minds, well, then you should just read around the net some.

Maryland junior guard Greivis Vasquez said the following of this game: "We can win games. We can do some damage down in North Carolina, but we have to play for 40 minutes." Add to that comment this one: "I've been here for three years, and we haven't lost to North Carolina yet," by junior forward Landon Milbourne, and you have to admit that if the Terps hadn't knocked off UNC last year when they were number one those words might not be coming out of the young men's mouths. Honestly, while Maryland's record isn't great, Gary Williams' club has had a couple of stunners, beating Michigan State 80-62 was one (on the positive side) and losing to Morgan State 66-65 at home was another (on the negative side). You have to wonder which team will show up at the Dean Dome before thinking what kind of game the Heels will encounter.

Having said that, if North Carolina plays the way they know how nothing else will matter, as the Heels are a much more talented squad than the Terps. The two Terps that led the charge against UNC last year are no longer on the roster, and while Maryland could be a problem for Carolina if the game is close at the end, as it has one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country, in all the other categories they rank amongst the worst in the ACC. With a lineup of 6'7" in the middle I have to believe that the reigning National Player of the Year should have another big game, and hopefully that rubs off on his partner down low, Deon Thompson.

The fact that Gary Williams just plays a seven man rotation for the most part should play in UNC's favor as well, as Ty Lawson's speed can easily wear out the opposition with his sparks from end to end. Now, I am not saying this is a game that the Heels can mail it in and still win, but I am expecting to see a good lead by half time and probably the game in the bag way before the final buzzer. The Vegas oddsmakers have the Tar Heels as a 21^1/2 point favorite and that's probably going to be just about right, as head coach Roy Williams will put in the blue team at the end of the game. But before that group goes in I'm looking forward to seeing certain things from this team:

Ty Lawson leading the squad. The point guard makes this squad go, when he is on the Heels are like a fine tuned machine, when he isn't UNC suffers from it. He needs to play for the team and not make it personal.

Thompson getting back to his early season look. Against a much smaller team Thompson should be able to have a great game. A great game will give him the confidence needed for him to be back into the right frame of mind. Add the fact that Ed Davis loves to swat shots away and with a small line up like Maryland had he should have a field day in this one.

Frasor needs to go in for a layup or get a cheap basket, anything. Ellington's slump finished when he drove to the basket and got his own shot and then put it back in for two. I think the same could be good for Frasor and his slump. It's worth a try.

Danny is doing it all, and more. Senior leadership? We've got that now. Hansbrough in the middle, working as hard as all should and Danny on the perimeter trying to do all he can (and more) in order to keep this team going when no one else was able to do so. If Danny keeps going like this the Heels are in good shape.

It should be a good game, that will bring Carolina to 20 wins and one step closer to the matchup that all of these players live for, UNC vs Duke. Remember to check back an hour before the game to see The Last Thoughts.

Heels in the League (01/26/09)

2009-02-03T09:29:00.006-05:00

Once again trying my best (and not doing well at it) to catch up with my (not so) daily post about the ex UNC players in the National Basketball Association. This "Heels in the League" is about the games played on 01/26/09, where there were seven games on tap and plenty of carolina blue on the court.

First game, held at the Verizon Center, featured the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards, and of course this meant that Antawn Jamison was on the floor for the home squad. The ex Heel and NPOY got 41 minutes of playing time that he used to register himself a double double with. Jamison, off of a 8 for 20 shooting night, scored a team high 27 points in all, adding (also a team high) 13 boards. The ex Heel aldo had two assists and one steal on the night, but all of that was just not enough to keep the visiting team down, as Phoenix (25-18, 13-10 away) beat Washington (9-35, 6-16 home) by the final of 103 to 87.

Antawn Jamison smiles after scoring in the first half.
He would not be smiling at the end of the game with the score 103 to 87 for the Suns.
(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game to feature an ex Heel is the one between the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat, where ex national champion Marvin Williams played 38 minutes and scored 17 points on a 4 for 13 night. The ex Tar Heel forward also had eight rebounds, one assist and a block in the game, but unfortunately for Williams and his team, it was Miami (24-19, 14-7 home) to win the game, as they defeated Atlanta (26-18, 9-13 away) by the final tally of 95 to 79. To be noted, the Heat kept the Hawks from scoring a field goal for almost 14 minutes in a row.

Marvin Williams saves a loose ball from going out of bounds during the forth quarter.
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game we find the first ex Heel not to get any minutes, since he was listed as a "DNP - Coach's Decision". It is Rashad McCants, which means that the Minnesota Timberwolves were in action, playing against host Milwaukee Bucks. Since the change in the head coach McCants is giving some serious competition to Jerry Stackhouse (Dallas) and Jawad Williams (Cleveland) for who gets the least amount of minutes as an ex UNC player. As far as the game is concerned McCants should be happy, as his Minnesota (16-27, 8-14 away) squad won the game, defeating Milwaukee (22-26, 13-8 home) by 7, 90 to 83.

Box Score

last game of the night with a touch of carolina blue is the one that has the New Jersey Nets heading down to play the Oklahoma City Thunder. In this one it is old school Vince Carter, who gets very little playing time, 25 minutes, probably due to his bad shooting night, 2 for 12 from the floor and 2 for 7 from beyond the arc. The ex Tar Heel also gets three rebounds and two assists and nothing more. In the end it is Oklahoma City (10-35, 7-17 home) getting the W in this one as they defeat New Jersey (20-25, 11-11 away) by the final of 94 to 85.

Vince Carter goes up for a shot between two defenders in the second quarter.
(AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Vince Carter goes up for another shot again against two defenders in the second quarter.
(AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

New rankings and brackets...

2009-02-02T19:42:00.004-05:00

...and UNC moves up in all.

So, the new Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls are out and as expected North Carolina has moved up in both the AP and in the ESPN/USA Today polls. But the Heels have also moved up in the CHN's Poll, one of the best blogs/community when it comes to college basketball. Now, the key, is to see how much/little did Carolina move up. From what I see, each of the three polls have them at a different spot.

The AP moved the Tar Heels to the third spot in the rankings, behind top ranked UConn and Oklahoma. Duke comes in fourth, with Louisville being the last team in the Top 5. The next ACC team in the AP poll is Wake Forest, at the seventh spot, followed by Clemson at the tenth slot, giving the ACC four teams in the Top 10, the same amount that the Big East has. The only difference between the two conferences is that the BE has two more teams from the 11^th spot to the 25^th while the ACC is without any.

The ESPN/USA Today has Carolina at the fourth spot, just behind UConn, Oklahoma and Duke. While Pittsburgh is sixth in the AP, it rounds out the Top 5 on this side of the rankings. Both Wake (6^th) and Clemson (10^th) are in the Top 10 on this side of the rankings. And just like in the AP, this poll has 6 Big East and 4 ACC teams in the Top 25.

The College Hoops Net's ranking has the Huskies ranked first, the same as the other two polls. However Shawn Siegel then puts UNC as the second team (higher than either the AP or ESPN/USA Today has them) followed by Oklahoma (second in both of the major polls). Pittsburgh and Duke round out the Top 5. And just like the other two polls CHN gets four teams from each of the two conference in the Top 10. For the ACC it's Wake (6^th) and Clemson (8^th), for the BE Marquette (7^th) and Louisville (9^th).

Joe Lundardi's Bracketology was kind to head coach Roy Williams and his squad, as the ESPN March Madness guru has put the Tar Heels back into a number one seed, even if in the West. Joining the Heels as the top seeds are: Duke (MidWest), Oklahoma (South) and UConn (East), who would be the best of the best, having the play-in game. Three teams from the Big East made it as a number two seed: Marquette (UConn's bracket), Louisville (Duke's bracket) and Pittsburgh (UNC's bracket) along with Wake Forest (OU's bracket). One more interesting tid bit from all of this. A couple of weeks ago UNC was a second seed and SU was a third seed, so I said that if it was all chalk the two would meet. Well, in this week's edition, UNC is a top seed and Syracuse is an eight seed, so they would meet once again.

Happy Birthday to...

2009-02-01T19:45:00.005-05:00

...Wallace S Wright II.

Here is a post about something I am going to try and keep up with, Tar Heel birthdays. This time it's about Wallace S. Wright II, who turns 25 today. Wright played at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the football team. Born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina he attended Pine Forest High School before trying out as a walk on with the Tar Heels. After three games he became the starting punt returner bringing back 29 kicks for 624 yards (21.5 avg.), but it was not until his junior year that the university offered him a full ride.

Wallace graduated from UNC with a degree in exercise and sports science. He was undrafted, but found a roster spot as undrafted free agent with the New York Jets, the team he is still with. Wright is the 5^th wide receiver as well as an integral part of the Jets' special teams. So, once again, happy birthday to you, Mr. Wright, and many more to come!

What's in a number...

2009-02-01T13:21:00.005-05:00

...sometimes a lot more than we think.

How much noise has been made about a lot of other people and not Tyler Hansbrough for this year's National Player of the Year? Well, being that I follow that, I can tell you, there has been plenty. Blake Griffin, who is (as you can see by the chart below) behind Hansbrough in scoring per game, is a front runner for the award. Stephe Curry, the top scorer this season is another one, Luke Harangody (the ex NPOY of the Big East) is also a name frequently mentioned. Heck, if you go by the "bare/raw" numbers or data, Hansbrough is only 13^th in scoring this season.

You see the numbers, but do you reall want to know what those numbers say? To me, by dividing the points into the minutes played, they say that besides Curry, who has been asked by his head coach at Davidson to carry that team, Hansbrough is tied for second (with Lester Hudson and Jermaine Taylor) as the one scoring the most per minute. Add to that the fact that Hansbrough came back from an injury, which means a few games he didn't play his whole load of minutes, and that should tell you what type of season the reigning NPOY is having once again.

Just to break it down for you here is the list of the players scoring per minute:

Stephen Curry ... 0.85 ........... 1^st
Lester Hudson ... 0.775 ......... 2^nd
David Holston ... .0.76 ........... 3^rd
Luke Harangody ... 0.723 ...... 4^th
Jodie Meeks ... 0.723 ........... 4^th
Ryan Toolson ... 0.649 .......... 9^th
Jermaine Taylor ... 0.775 ....... 2^nd
Ben Woodside ... 0.694 ......... 6^th
Josh Akognon ... 0.661 ......... 7^th
Jeremy Hazell ... 0.661 ......... 7^th
Eric Maynor ... 0.653 ............ 8^th
Stefon Jackson ... 0.643 ...... 10^th
Tyler Hansbrough ... 0.775 .... 2^nd
Blake Griffin ... 0.696 ........... 5^th
James Harden ... 0.649 ........ 9^th

So, before all of you "anti Tyler" out there decide that he doesn't have the numbers to be in consideration for another National Player of the Year award, make sure you dig just a bit deeper into the numbers, because the raw data usually never a good indicator of how good/bad a player truly is. In the coming days I will break down the rebounds per minute as well, just to make sure that no one thinks I am trying to use the numbers just in my favor.

Some things I can deal with...

2009-02-01T11:50:00.005-05:00

...some I just can not!

I've been a player, I've been a fan and for those that don't know, I've been a coach as well. There are some things I might not like, but understand, or better said, I have to accept, because that's the way things are. One of those things is when Ty Lawson was called for a foul and the whole building exploded into a "DUI" chant. I know for a fact, if it had been me, I would not have done it to anyone, but that is just the way I am, and as I said before, I can understand and/or accept the people that do that. But in the game between North Carolina and N.C. State two things happened that I will neither understand nor accept.

First, before the game began, there was a moment of silence for head coach Kay Yow, who passed away after 20 years of fighting cancer, with the funeral just a couple of days earlier. In that timeframe of silence someone had the "smarts" to yell for everyone to hear "I hate you Tyler", referring, of course, to Tyler Hansbrough. Had this been done at any other time I would say good for the kid, he wants to say things like that and get a guy that is an All American fired up even more, great, you think Hansbrough is going to go cry or do you think it's just going to motivate him even more? Check the box score, 31 points, and then let me know.

But the problem, the major problem here is that this was done when it was time not for basketball, not for rivalries, but to remember someone who gave so much. That person, and I don't know who it is, and I don't care who it is, took what was supposed to be a very special moment for all and made it all about his immature self. And that I definitely have a problem with. But hold on, there is more, during/finished the game, a mural done in coach Yow's memory was defaced, in Carolina Blue colors from what I have read. Of course now there is the finger pointing, because that is just the way it is.

Here is how I see it, for both the bravado of the lone idiot in the stands yelling his stupidity and whoever did this to the mural. You, whoever you are, you do not, and let me repeat this clearly YOU DO NOT, represent anyone but your moronic and childish selves. Do not come out when caught, with the line that this was for UNC or for NC State, because it wasn't. It was for just yourself to make you feel like a "man", because that is how it is. And for those of you that say that no one knows who did it, just wait, these people, however many they are, cannot hold their mouths, they have to tell their friends, or at least, tell who they think are their friends, about this stupidity. Finally, when he/she/they are caught I hope that they have the book thrown at them both from the legal side of things and if they are in school, whichever it may be, I hope they are thrown out of there as well.

Are we kidding? Have we as a society fallen so low that we have to deface something meant as a tribute to the passing of a beloved coach? Be it someone as famous as coach Yow, or someone no one knew about, it doesn't matter, it should be left alone, for people to remember them by, and not used as a way to prove manhood. It's a basketball game for god's sakes, you win, you lose, you wake up the next morning and go at it all over again. When people pass away, there is no winning or losing, there is just death and lots and lots of people left behind to mourn. Being an old, old Tar Heel, I will end by saying this, I apologize for whoever did this, because it should have never happened, and I hope that coach Kay Yow understands that while this mural on a wall was defaced, the millions of murals that are in the hearts of those that love and cherish her will never be anything other than pristine reminders of a brave woman gone long before her time.

UNC and NC State went at it...

2009-02-01T11:35:00.004-05:00

...in some instances even a bit too much.

When it was all said and done fifth/sixth ranked North Carolina (19-2, 5-2 in the ACC) had just won its fifth ACC game in a row by beating in state rival N.C. State (11-8, 2-5 in the ACC) by the final of 93 to 76. While the game itself might have left a bit to be desired from the Tar Heels, who kept the Wolfpack distant enough to never be a true threat, they were never able to put them down for good. Once UNC got the lead in the middle of the first half the deficit went up and down like the high seas, from 14-15-16 points to 4-6-8. Just like a good roller coaster, it went up and down enough to scare you, but you always knew you were going to be safe. At the end of the game it was the fifth victory in a row for the Heels and the eleventh of the last twelve.

Before I go on with my whole game talk let me just say how great it was to see all of the students (and others) wearing pink and the many, many signs remembering coach Kay Yow, whose funeral was Friday. These two teams have now played 214 times against one another, but certain things, such as the passing of head coach Yow goes far beyond any rivalry, as was demonstrated by head coach Roy Williams when talking in a presser about the Wolfpack coach. Today was also part of the "Coaches vs Cancer" weekend, and that too was fitting as Yow passed away from this dreaded disease and both she and Jimmy Valvano (also ex NC State coach) fought so hard to defeat the disease through the V Foundation.

As fas as the game goes, Ty Lawson had a very good game, with the exception of maybe one turnover that shouldn't have happened, the speedy point guard played well and directed his team to a good showing, with 16 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough had a good game, scoring 31 points (only the seventh time the senior forward had 30+ points in a game) and also adding six rebounds. But that is nothing new for Hansbrough, since he has always liked playing at the RBC Center, averaging 26 points and eight rebounds and hitting 27 of 33 from the charity line.The combo of Ellington/Green had 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while the two other big men (Thompson and Davis) contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds on the night. It was a good game for all that played major minutes, which was eight players in all.

The game could have finished a couple of minutes earlier, but there was an incident with 1.9 seconds to go, I will say that both players in my opinion were wrong, and will let the events be described by the AP recap I found on ESPN:

"The rivalry game ended in heated fashion when N.C. State's Ben McCauley delivered a hard foul to North Carolina reserve Michael Copeland on a scoring attempt in the paint with 1.9 seconds left. Copeland jumped up and went after McCauley, forcing the officials to step in and Tar Heels coach Roy Williams to wander on the court to calm Copeland down. The officials huddled with Williams and N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe before issuing technical fouls to both players. Williams then sent Copeland to the locker room early."

In the end, when the dust settled, I think that UNC played a very solid game. It was not a blow out, it was not a big time squashing of a rival, but it was a game that you have to feel pretty good walking away from. There was no need for a last second miracle shot to win and there was no need to go into panic mode when the opponents tried to come back. I am pretty tired of hearing that all the best shooters have great games against North Carolina. Folks, wake up here, that is what happens when you play against one of the top teams in the country, they're all gunning for you. The Wolfpack is 11-8 and probably not going to the big dance, so this was the big dance for them, a chance to say "we might not make it to the NCAA Tournament but we beat the odds on favorite to win it all". And just like them, all of the other opponents, with the exception of very few, think like that when they are about to face the Heels.

Heels in the League (01/25/09)

2009-02-01T11:14:00.004-05:00

On Super Bowl Sunday what better thing to do than to write about the ex UNC players now in the National Basketball Association. So, with that being said, let me try to once again catch up some more on my "Heels in the League", where in this edition I talk about the games from 01/25/09.

First game of the night has the Atlanta Hawks being hosts to the Phoenix Suns at Philips Arena. In the game ex Tar Heel and national champion Marvin Williams gets the nod at the power forward spot, getting 37 minutes in all. His 6 for 13 shooting gets the ex Heel 17 points, while he also contributes six rebounds and two steals on the night. All of that isn't enough however, as Phoenix (24-18, 12-10 away) wins this one on the road, defeating Atlanta (26-17, 17-5 home) by the final of 104 to 99.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Second game of the night is the one matching up the Houston Rockets and the Detroit Pistons. Of course that means that ex UNC big man Rasheed Wallace is taking the court for the home squad in this one. The center gets 39 minutes, where he registers a double double, with 22 points (9 for 15 from the floor) and 11 boards. Wallace also adds two steals and a block, while committing one turnover. In the end, in a close game, it is Houston (28-17, 13-12 away) taking the W home, as they beat Detroit (24-19, 13-9 home) by the final tally of 108 to 105.

Rasheed Wallace shoots a three-pointer that would have tied the game late in the fourth quarter.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Third game with a touch of carolina blue is the one matching up the Charlotte Bobcats and the Indiana Pacers. In this one we see ex UNC point guard Raymond Felton, who starts and gets 37 minutes in all, almost getting a double double in the process. The ex UNC guard scored 9 points, with a sub par 4 for 11 showing, while adding 12 assists on the night. Felton also had five rebounds, one steal and a block, with the blemish being he did have two TOs in the game. However, when it was all said and done, it was the home team winning the game, as Indiana (17-27, 11-9 home) wins its 17^th game, handing Charlotte (18-26, 5-13 away) its 13^th road loss of the season. Felton's ex team mate from Chapel Hill, Sean May, didn't play in this game, and there is no news when he will ever get back onto the court.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game on tap with an ex Heel is the one that faces the Chicago Bulls against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But, as we have grown accustomed to, in this one the ex national champion Rashad McCants, doesn't play, being a "DNP - Coach's Decision". The ex Heel got to sit and watch a great game between the two squads, as Minnesota (15-27, 8-13 home) prevailed by the narrowest of margins in OT, with the final score being 109 to 108. Meanwhile Chicago (18-27, 5-17 away) fell for the 17^th on the road.

Box Score

Last game of the day also has a Tar Heel not playing. This time is it Brandan Wright, who's Golden State Warriors play host to the Los Angeles Clippers. In this one it is the home team prevailing, as Golden State (14-31, 10-11 home) wins going away against Los Angeles (10-33, 5-15 away) by the final of 107 to 92.

Box Score

UNC is on ABC...

2009-01-31T11:38:00.005-05:00

...and the station scares me more than the opponent.

It might not be the same as the UNC vs Duke rivalry, but when fifth/sixth ranked North Carolina (18-2, 4-2 in the ACC) and N.C. State (11-7, 2-4 in the ACC) meet for the 214^th time you know that the "rival" word comes out as well. Add to that the fact that the Tar Heels just won a squeaker in Tallahassee and, maybe even worse, the game is on ABC, and yes, I will admit it right here and now, I am a bit tense when it comes to this game that shouldn't be a problem whatsoever.

I guess I would be a bit less tense if the game was being played in the friendly confines of the Dean Dome, but it's not, it's going to be at the RBC Center (tip off time: 3:30 p.m. EST). But I won't be all doom and gloom here, because when I look at this game one thing is certain, if Carolina comes out and plays as they should, both as a team and as individuals, head coach Roy Williams and his squad goes back to Chapel Hill with their 19^th win of the season. And once again, it all starts with the speedy point guard Ty Lawson. It's going to be on him to get the team moving on offense as well as putting a bit of pressure on the defensive side. Lawson himself has stated that when he starts off the right way he has a much better game. Here's to hoping that's exactly what happens today, so that the whole team can get back on track after the cliffhanger game against Florida State.

There are many positive signs in this game for the Tar Heels. Last year's two matchups were won by Carolina by a combined 45 points, while NC State has struggled in close games and they have lost 13 of its last 15 ACC games. The Heels have won the last four games against the Wolfpack, and since coach Williams returned to Chapel Hill his squads are 10-1 against the team from Raleigh. But this is a new team, or better said, a new lineup that the Heels will face. Head coach Sidney Lowe has moved some of his players around to give NC State more rebounding power, as well as having a taller perimeter guy who can hit the three. Those two things are something that have bothered the Heels during this season, but then again, they aren't the things that got coach Williams and his squad the two losses.

Yes, this squad has to once again bounce back. Even if they didn't lose the game against FSU, it had most of the players off balance due to the fact that Hansbrough was out for most of the game. When you've lost an All American, whatever team you are, it's going to make you play differently. Fortunately for UNC Danny Green has become, as HC Williams said about his 6'6" senior:

“Clark Kellogg coined this phrase several years ago – ‘a stat sheet stuffer.’ Danny’s the original. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a player that’s gone through so many games and not having any zeros on this thing, except several times earlier in the year he didn’t get to the free throw line. He’s always got some number up there, whether it’s in the good column or bad column, he’s got something up there. But he has played much better. With the exception of the game the other night, he’s been much more under control.”

At that same presser coach Williams said that there was nothing new on Marcus Ginyard. Reading around and sending a few emails here and there, the replies I am getting is that the senior defensive specialist is probably going to sit this season out and get a medical redshirt, coming back for a fifth year in 2009-10. Staying on the subject of injuries, Tyler Zeller seems to be another player who is going to red shirt this year as well. And while talking about these two players I have wondered if the players have had them on their minds while playing. Like if the Heels are down by a couple does the team wonder "if Marcus was on the floor" or if they needed a true big man if they would be thinking "too bad Zeller isn't in the lineup". Let's remember, while they are college players, they are still young men, and not professionals.

Getting back to the game at hand, here's the way I see it: if Ty Lawson gets the team on track right off the bat the Heels should have this one in the bag pretty quickly. The scary part is this, when you have a team with nothing to lose, with playing the Heels being their March Madness, if Carolina let's NC State stick around, or lets them get ahead and have to catch up, it could lead to a bad finish. The Vegas oddsmakers have the Heels as a 15 point favorite, and I have to say that the number is a bit small if the Heels play as they should. If UNC is ready to play from the first whistle, I can see the Heels winning this by over 20 points, if not 25. If UNC needs to warm up like a diesel on a cold day, watch for the Wolfpack to keep it close and the Heels to win it by single digits.

Lastly, and this has nothing to do with the basketball game, but with the rivalry. I hope this game is a blow out, to make up for the one that the Wolfpack handed us in football. It would be nice to have NC State stop talking about the 41-10 wipe out, especially if we can then talk about a 100 to whatever shallacking!

Heels in the League (01/24/09)

2009-01-31T10:58:00.003-05:00

With today being a day that can be called "snowed in" I am hoping to catch up with my blogging. I will start by working on my (not so) daily blog called "Heels in the League", where I am right now at 01/24/09, a day that didn't have many ex UNC players on tab.

First game is one that is probably followed by CHN's Shawn Siegel, who is a passionate Nets fan. New Jersey went on the road in this one, taking on the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum. Carter started at the shooting guard, getting 39 minutes in all (most for his squad), while scoring a team high 23 points and adding five rebounds. The ex Tar Heel also had eight assists and one steal in the game, while recording not one turnover. In the end it was New Jersey (20-24, 11-10 away) to win the game, defeating Memphis (11-32, 9-15 home) by 11, with the final score being 99-88.

Vince Carter, left, works against Quinton Ross in the first half.
(AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Second game is the one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz, where as usual we find Cavs' Jawad Williams watching the game from the bench. The ex national champion didn't get in the game yet again, being a "DNP - Coach's Decision". As far as the game is concerned, it was Cleveland (34-8, 14-8 away) winning this game on the road, taking down Utah (25-19, 17-5 home) by the final tally of 102 to 97.

Box Score

The last game of the night that has a touch of carolina blue is the match up between visiting Washington and home Portland. For the Wizards its Antawn Jamison getting the nod at the power forward spot, where he got 33 minutes of playing time. The ex NPOY in college got 19 points and four boards, while also recording three assists and one block. Jamison also had two turnovers, but even worst, his team got the loss, as the Trail Blazers (26-17, 16-5 home) brought home a W in this one, as they beat the Wizards (9-34, 3-19 away) 110 to 87.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Is refereeing getting bad...

2009-01-31T00:29:00.004-05:00

...check out the picture and judge for yourself.

For those of you that know me somewhat, know that my love for the NCAA isn't very big. However, after the past couple of games I am beginning to think that even worst than the NCAA's greed is the pathetic way that referees are calling games of late. In UNC's last game, as Hansbrough and Company faced a front line that was bigger than them but less experienced, the reigning National Player of the Year got four fouls in the game, two in the first minutes of the game. Maybe one was warranted, two were borderline to be nice and one was called a "ghost foul", this said by an announcer who has been always open about not liking the senior forward from Chapel Hill.

I know that anyone that doesn't bleed carolina blue and reads this post will immediately think "homer". But they would be wrong, because there are problems, many of them, that the refs are provoking by not being consistent, and that is not just bad for Hansbrough, it's bad for the Atlantic Coast Conference and college basketball as a whole. It feels like the ACC zebras are going to let the rough play go on down low, resulting in Hansbrough now being the proud new owner of braces for his loosen tooth against Clemson, while calling the cheapie/touch fouls 20-25 feet away from the basket, making the game choppy and just not fun. I know, I know, the "let them play" chants are coming, or the fact that it's about Hansbrough is making the "UNC haters" scream that the senior from Poplar Bluff is just being treated like everyone else.

And this was NOT called a foul!!!
(Picture found on the Today's ACC Headlines web site)

He isn't, because most of the big men in the ACC don't get the ball as much as he does. If the Atlantic Coast Conference decided to knuckle down on palming, carries, and so on and so forth, you would hear most every team with a good point guard complaining how this isn't fair. And no, I am not saying to do like the NBA, where it feels like the super stars are given a couple of free passes because David Stern and the front office knows that it's them that the fans come to see. What I am saying is that it is time that the whole lot of the men that call the games be brought together, be told what is going to be the norm and that they follow it, whether it's in the ACC or the BE or the SEC or whatever else league.

If the ACC let's play go down low, and then the five or six teams from this conference make it into the NCAA Tourney and find a crew from a conference that don't let that type of play go, you are going to have a major problem, won't you? It would be nice if the refs went back to being part of the game and not taking over the game. When you talk more about the fouls being called then the playing there is something wrong, very, very wrong. And I for one am tired of always thinking that it's about "homers" or "hating" or whatever else, it's about being fair to all. To let the fact that one player works hard get rewarded and not handicapped for it. So, while I still can't stand how the NCAA works, the way the referees are doing their jobs of late is probably my number one rant for college sports.

Heels in the League (01/23/09)

2009-01-31T00:02:00.004-05:00

Trying to working back into the mix here, we have the 01/23/09 edition of "Heels in the League", where many ex Carolina players were on tap with their teams in the NBA. So, without any more interruptions, let's get it going...

In the first game with an ex player from Chapel Hill we find Rasheed Wallace and his Detroit Pistons hosting the Dallas Mavericks at the Palace of Auburn Hills. In this game the ex big man from UNC played 28 minutes going 2 for 7 for 4 points only, then adding nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Wallace wasn't the only Piston to have a sub par performance, and in the end it showed, as Dallas (25-18, 12-11 away) won this one, defeating Detroit (24-18, 13-8 home) by 21, 112 to 91.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Second game with a touch of carolina blue is another game with the host team having the ex Heel on it. In this one it's speedy point guard Raymond Felton and the Charlotte Bobcats hosting the Phoenix Suns at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Felton started at the point and played 37 minutes in all, scoring 11 points (5 for 14 from the field) and adding 2 rebounds. The ex Tar Heel also had five assists and a block, while also picking up two turnovers. In the end, it was the home squad winning the game, as Charlotte (18-25, 13-13 home) defeated Phoenix (23-18, 11-10 away) by 22 points, with the final score being 98 to 76.

Nazr Mohammed, Raymond Felton, and Emeka Okafor (left to right)
share a laugh as they watch the final minutes of the Bobcats' 98-76 win.
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Another game and another ex Tar Heel playing with his team at home. This time it's Marvin Williams, with his Atlanta Hawks playing host to the Milwaukee Bucks. The power forward started for the Hawks and played 27 minutes, and in that time he was close to getting a double double, with 11 points (5 for 8) and a team high nine rebounds. Williams added three steals on the night and had no TOs. In the end it was Atlanta (26-16, 17-4 home) winning this one by 30 points, defeating Milwaukee (21-25, 9-18 away) by the final of 117 to 87.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Fourth game of the night, and yes, you guessed it, it is once again a home game for an ex Heel. This one has the New Orleans Hornets going to play at the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the ex UNC guard (and national champion) Rashard McCants calls home. However in this game he would sit on the bench (being a "DNP - Coach's Decision), a place that he has become accustomed to since Kevin McHale took over as head coach. In the end McCants watched as the Timberwolves (14-27, 7-13 home) was victorious in this one as they beat the Hornets (26-14, 12-9 away) by the final score of 114 to 108.

Box Score

We finally find one ex Tar Heel go on the road as we look at the match up between the New Jersey Nets and the San Antonio Spurs. In the game it was ex pupil of Dean Smith, Vince Carter, that started at the shooting guard spot and played 40 minutes in the game (game high). In that time frame the ex Heel scored 26 points and added 3 rebounds. Carter also added six assists and one block in the game, while having no TOs. Unfortunately all of this was not enough as San Antonio (29-13, 17-7 home) won this squeaker, beating New Jersey (19-24, 10-10 away) by the final of 94 to 91.

Vince Carter, center, is defended by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker during the second quarter.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The first edition of TMAI...

2009-01-29T19:19:00.004-05:00

...the Q & A post between two shades of blue.

Tell Me About It - First Edition

What happens when you put a Duke alumni and a Carolina one together to talk about sports? Well, in this instance, you get something that Tom, my good Blue Devil friend, and myself, decided to call "Tell Me About It" (TMAI). The two of us, made some rules to this TMAI post, and they are pretty simple, if it's about sports it's fair game and if we agree there must be something wrong. We hope you enjoy this, since this should be the first of many editions of "Tell Me About It".

The first part of TMAI is called "Point & Counterpoint", where one of us asks a question, and each of us give our point about it...

Tom My question is simple, come the end of the first weekend of March Madness which of the two conference is going to have more teams left?

A.E.M. Well, the way I see it, and I hate to admit this, it's going to be the Big East, just because of the number of teams they will have in the tournament. I believe that both teams will have their top 3-4 teams make it past the first two rounds of MM, but then the Big East will still have from 4 to 6 teams that will have a shot at making it, while the ACC might have 2 at the most. That gives the BE a big edge in getting 5 or 6 teams to the Sweet Sixteen.

Tom You of no confidence, it's going to be the ACC, and mostly because as I watch the season unfold I think that a lot of these big time teams in the Big East aren't as big, or good, as they had been hyped. Georgetown can self explode at any time, Notre Dame might have the best player from last year, but they aren't winning much, Syracuse might once again be going down with a variety of injuries. All the people that say that the Big East will have nine or ten teams in the post season tournament are people that do not get a vote on it. I say they will get eight, maybe one more, and that the ACC will get six, but will have better seeding, and will get better draws.

A.E.M. Since your question was simple, I will try to make mine a bit more complicated. Great teams from the BCS conferences, plus many, many more mid majors showing their worth, should the tournament stay at 64/65 or go up?

Tom Not only should the tournament stay as is, the NCAA or who for them needs to ban all these other stupid tournaments that are coming about. I am beginning to feel that this is college football and there are bowl games springing up everywhere. Not sure how many one and done you are going to get when you win the "I never heard of it tournament" that is the fifth one after the NCAA, the NIT and the other two that no one knows about either.

A.E.M. I will say this, I love the 64, have to either go to it or go to 68, that 65^th spot is the dumbest thing ever. And while I am at it, get rid of the rule that if you win your conference post season tournament you are in. Win the regular season, where you have to be good for months and not the post season tourney, where with some luck and a bit of a hot streak you can take it. As far as the new tournaments, I say get rid of them now, including the NIT, which doesn't do anything but make Madison Square Garden a bit more money to embellish the place so that the Knicks fans can watch losing seasons in style.

...And that is it for the first part of TMAI, now we are going to have our guest section, that we call "A few good Questions". Today's guest is "Da Beat of N.Y.", who has been a guest blogger for me on my old SU blog.

A.E.M. Thank you for joining us on this inaugural post, the question I have is pretty straight forward. You have covered the Big East for a long time, and you know that area well, what time is the one to beat when it comes to the Big East?

Da Beat Right now it has to be Connecticut. They have all the pieces and they have some experience, which when you go into a rough enviroment like the Big East is sometimes worth more than talent. Not going to sign off on them winning the conference, but they have the best shot at it, and most of all, they have the players to do it with. I also say this because the Huskies do not have any back to back tough games remaining. Will be interesting to see their last game of the season, as they face the Pittsburgh Panthers on their court.

Tom I have more of an individual question for you Da Beat, who are your top candidates for player of the year?

Da Beat Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansbrough and no one else. For the record: I am tired of hearing about players like Curry and the likes, who are scoring a lot for sure, but at the end of the line they are not bringing their team to the next level. Look at the two I said and then anyone else, and ask yourself this simple question: without that player how many more losses would his team have. The higher the number and the more that player is worth. There is no way I can see Curry having that same impact as Griffin or Hansbrough.

A.E.M. We will let you go by asking this question, today, as we speak, who do you believe is going to win it all come tournament time?

Da Beat I do not know, but if you have to make me choose, I would go with North Carolina, because in the end, that team has the talent and the experience mix to win it all. They have a great head coach, one of the best big men in the country, one of the best back courts in the country and one of the most all around players in the country. If they can find it to play defense for half a game at a time they should be able to win the championship.

...With that we end the second part of TMAI, and hopefully one day, you reading this can be the person answering the questions. All you have to do is ask to be part of this by saying so in the comment box. Lastly, it's time for "Rapid Fire", where we give a question and the other answers it in a one liner.

Tom Coach that ran the score to 100-0 got fired, thoughts?

A.E.M. I hope he never coaches again. Speaking of getting fired, Felton at the University of Georgia just got the axe, your thought?

Tom He was lucky to survive last year thanks to a late season run in the SEC post season tournament. Houston's Aubrey Coleman only got one game suspension for stepping on Arizona's Chase Budinger face, what do you think of that?

A.E.M. I think it's funny, to give a game, don't suspend him, you will look better in the long run. Indiana stinks, it has pretty much since Knight left there, will they ever turn it around?

Tom One and done's, conference who is getting more and more competitive, two plus years of wasted time with the messes they made, they might one day turn it around, but if you a fan I would not hold my breath. Last one... Sunday, Super Bowl, food, food, drinks, oh yeah, and there is a game too, who you got?

A.E.M. Steelers going away in the second half, winning by double digits. And your pick is?

Tom Damnit, took until the last question of the night to agree? Well, then, just not to be the same, Steelers winning by less than a touchdown.

...There you have it, the first of what we hope to be many posts called "Tell Me About It" (TMAI). As you can see even if we are a Heel and a Devil we didn't go off on last night's games of the two schools. We wanted to, but we figured it would be best if the first one stayed civil and people could understand what we were doing and not focusing on the little jabs we have thrown at one another for close to two decades. Now that you have seen how this works, look for plenty of shots between the two of us come the next edition.

It might have been ugly...

2009-01-29T13:53:00.004-05:00

...but it was a win nonetheless.

As I said in my preview, the game between fifth/sixth ranked North Carolina (18-2, 4-2 in the ACC) and Florida State (16-5, 3-3 in the ACC) worried me. Somehow the Tar Heels just don't do well in the first game after a layoff, and this was no exception. This is the ACC, and while the top and the bottom are very much different, FSU has a good point guard and lots of size to give up front. I could go on and on, but the reality is that my fears were right, so when Carolina can take home an 80 to 77 victory from Tallahassee you can do one of a few things. Be an optimist or a pessimist, or be like me, and be a realist.

Like it or not the officiating left much to be desired, and when you have your All American that cannot afford to go close to anyone with the risk of getting a third foul with more than 10 minutes to go in the first half that isn't going to make the Heels, or any other squad for that matter, play as they should. I am not just talking about this game, or about the Atlantic Coast Conference, I am talking about the whole college basketball landscape when I say that the officiating this year is at an all time low. Non consistency even during the game, what is being called in the first half isn't in the second, instances of pounding down low where there isn't even a hint of a whistle but then on a touch foul 40 feet from the basket we stop play. I just don't see it and I'm sorry, it's hurting the game in a big way. For the record, after last night's game anyone who thinks that Hansbrough gets all the calls can go to their local "UNC Haters" chapter and become a verified member.

Having said all of that, it was, as usual these days, Danny Green that stepped it up for North Carolina. He played a good all around game, scoring, rebounding and dishing the ball when a teammate was in a better position for a shot. Yes, the senior guard/forward did have a bit too many turnovers, but I'm not going to bash someone who in the last several weeks has kept this team in the mix while the other starters were trying to regroup. Ty Lawson didn't make this game personal, and even if his counterpart was tearing it up from all over the field, the UNC point guard kept up his part of the game and when needed hit the shots he was given, including the last one of the game, where FSU forgot that they do have to play defense until the clock says 0.00. Ellington didn't have as good a game as he has had of late, but he hit the shots that he needed to and played good on the defensive side of the ball.

Head coach Roy Williams reacts to an official's call during the second half.
(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

The main concern I have in this game is how does this team take control of the game, going up by a dozen points, and then lose it so nonchalantly? How the Seminoles came back was like watching the tide rise, it does so slowly, but you know that with every little wave crashing to shore it's just a bit higher and higher. Same with FSU and their comeback, while they didn't get 2-3 steals in a row to get it all back at once, it was chip away here, chip away there, and soon enough it was under double digits, then it was a two possession game, then a one possession affair and finally it was tied, and with the next wave coming in the `Noles had gone from losing big to having the lead.

Ty Lawson (center) celebrates with teammates after his game winning shot.
(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

I have to say it was pretty fitting that the player who paid the most in last season's game against FSU, last night made them pay at the end, by hitting a very tough shot to win the game. Lawson was hurt last year in the game against the team from Tallahassee, and this time he took revenge on them by hitting a running three pointer with 0.01 left on the clock, and that just has "sweet revenge" written all over it, I believe. This is what the junior point guard said after the game:

"I know I can get up the court in 3 seconds, so I knew exactly how far I can go to knock the shot or at least get the attempt off," Lawson said. "I know in at least 4 seconds I can get back down to the other end. I knew how far to go. I saw 1 second left on the clock, so that's when I let it go."

I have to say he knew exactly what to do, and he did it perfectly. But, while Ty Lawson knew exactly what to do, it was Danny Green that might have had the quote of the night in this game, when he told the reporters the following:

“That’s a tough shot – I taught him well."

Danny surely taught Ty well, didn't he?

Yes, yes, yes, this is what I want to see with this team, the camaraderie that makes them a unit and not just 7-8 players playing with the same uniform on. It was a tough game, a tough win, and a way to grow up and gel together. Hopefully that happened and head coach Roy Williams will have a team that now knows they can win a close game against anyone. We'll have to wait for the next game to see if this team learned two things: that they are more united and if they can start getting into the game quicker than they do this season. If the answers to both of those questions are yes, then I would say an ugly win turns into a good thing.

UNC faces FSU...

2009-01-28T18:27:00.006-05:00

...in what could be the biggest momentum game of the year

After this year's missteps, with this game being played on the road after a week layoff, with the fact that tonight's opponents have a very big front line (7'1" - 6'9" - 6'9"), I have to say this old Heel isn't all that relaxed waiting for 9:00 p.m. EST at the Donald L. Tucker Center. That is when fifth/sixth ranked North Carolina (17-2 ~ 3-2 in the ACC) will tip off against Florida State (16-4 ~ 3-2 in the ACC) and their big, but young, front line. So, in tonight's game we're going to see if experience is really going to help the Tar Heels be ready for the post season, or if there is no counter measure to height. This is one of those games where we're going to see if Hansbrough should be the National Player of the Year or not, and it is one of those matches where you are going to see who wants to step up for his team and who is forced to do so. In other words, this game is going to tell us a lot about this Carolina team, a lot more than we would have thought we needed to know.

Without a doubt, head coach Roy Williams is concerned about the front line of the Seminoles, saying this in an article about the big men of FSU:

"You can't simulate that (height) in practice," Williams said. "You can't make your walk-ons (taller). Patrick Moody is 6-4, and I can't make him 7-1. You try to get better ball movement and quicker moves inside and see what can happen."

On the other hand, Seminoles' head coach guard Toney Douglas said in an article that his team doesn't have an answer for North Carolina All-American forward Tyler Hansbrough. Adding he could live with that, but what he couldn't live with is all the rest of the very talented squad that Carolina has on its roster.

"The thing about Tyler is that as good as he is, if you give him too much attention, you open up everything for all of the other players," Hamilton said. "You have Lawson shooting 47 percent from 3-point range. You have a team of guys that play off of each other. I think you have to defend North Carolina's entire system and make sure you make them work for what they get and hope you are scoring on the other end."

And while the coach from Tallahassee is worried about the whole Tar Heel team, coach Williams is not just focusing on the Seminoles' front line, but is also concerned with FSU's guard Toney Douglas, calling him the key to Florida State's offense. If I had to guess I would say that coach Williams is going to be more worried about a line up that is bigger than his on the front line than someone going against the new and improved Ty Lawson.

Without a doubt there are two programs that are going to collide tonight and who puts their system onto the court is the one that will have the "W" at the end of the 40 minutes. It's going to be high powered offense and tough defense. It's going to be going full force compared to going tight on their opponents. If UNC, who scores 93 points per game, can get out and run, get the opposing big men tired of having to run up and down the floor, meaning they will then begin to get cheap fouls because they aren't moving their feet anymore, then look for Carolina to have a great game and for Hansbrough to have another NPOY type game. If FSU can pound it down low because the perimeter guys give them the possibility to do so and the Carolina big men allow easy passes, then look for a grind out game, which is what the `Noles like as they only score 68.1 points per game.

The great matchup might just be the two point guards. Douglas can be a scorer for FSU, averaging close to 20 points per game, but he's part of an offense that gives up the most turnovers in the ACC, facing a Ty Lawson, who thrives on steals for easy points. And the Heels point guard might just have some pay back in mind, as it was against FSU that he went down with an ankle sprain and was never the same for the remainder of the season. This should be a very good game and it's going to be a team game, where Hansbrough will work hard down low and Lawson will be the engine of this team that resembles a Ferrari. As I keep saying, hang on tight everyone, it should be a great ride!

The more I look...

2009-01-27T14:34:00.002-05:00

...the more it seems Nicks will be a 1^st rounder

A couple of days ago I had talked about how ESPN's Mel Kiper, the NFL Draft guru for the World Leader in Sports, liked Hakeem Nicks in this year's draft. Kiper had the junior wide receiver at the 22^nd spot (to the Minnesota Vikings). Now, as I skim through the Tar Heel Times web site, I see that Kiper isn't the only one that believes that Nicks can be a first rounder.

Sports Illustrated has the wide out from Chapel Hill heading to the Meadowlands, and becoming another target for Eli Manning of the New York Giants. The explanation for this move, done by Don Banks, goes like this: "Finding a tall receiver who gives them a replacement for Plaxico Burress should be Job 1 for the Giants in this year's first round. Nicks runs great routes, and while he doesn't have difference-making speed, he's as fast as he has to be to get open and make plays downfield."

I would have to say that Nicks could definitely fit the bill for the Giants, but if this team has thoughts of going through the free agency market to fill this void Nicks might not be their top pick in the 2009 draft. On the other hand, if he is still around this late, and the team/front office hasn't yet decided how they are going about finding the next "big" target for their qb, Nicks could definitely be a valid option.

Scout.com has their NFL Draft out as well, and they have the UNC wide out going a bit more south than the Meadowlands, ending up in Miami, where he could be another piece in the big time turnaround of the Dolphins. Pete Fiutak, who wrote this mock draft, says this about the receiver: "The offense got away with Chad Pennington and his woeful receiving corps last year. It won't be so lucky a second time around. Bill Parcells likes big, strong receivers."

I have to say that this option is the one I like the best. I could easily see Nicks being the "go to" guy for Pennington and being a great one at that. Not many NFL squads are going to double team Nicks at the beginning of the season, and if they don't he could have one heck of a first half of the season. Overall, the more I look, the more I have to say that Nicks should/could be a first rounder, which would mean that North Carolina would have a first rounder for the second year in a row. While that doesn't help the team, since the players are leaving, it will help the recruiting process as it will show the future players that if you come to Chapel Hill you can be a top notch draftee in the NFL.

There is an ACC All Conference team...

2009-01-27T14:00:00.005-05:00

...with one huge mistake on it.

Having been half under the weather and half under too many things to do other than blogging, today is a bit of a catch up day. One thing I definitely wanted to talk about was this small article at FanU. It is about the first team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and while I do not have many problems with the list that was made, there is one that I have to argue about.

I do not have a problem with Jeff Teague at the point guard, especially since the author puts "honorable mention" Ty Lawson. I think as the season goes on it is going to be neck and neck between these two for the best at the position. Shooting guard it has Jack McClinton, and again, while I could sit here and argue that Wayne Ellington is coming into his own, once again I don't have much problem with the selection, especially when you think that the senior is first in three point shooting, at over 46%, and fourth in scoring with 17.8 points.

At the forward spot it's Kyle Singler, and while I could argue with the selection I won't because of the fact I am a Tar Heel and people will just take this as another attack on my archrival. Singler could be the player there, just as a couple of others, but they are all pretty close that for one to choose any of them I think is only nit picking. In the middle the author puts the reigning National Player of the Year from Chapel Hill, and who is (or who should) argue with that? He leads the conference in scoring, is in the Top 10 in rebounding and is probably the Y2K version of the little engine that could, because somehow, someway Hansbrough is one of those players that just gets it done.

Here is my problem, Tyrese Rice was put in as the "guard" slot, which personally that already made no sense to me. But if you are going to put someone just put them in there, the player that needs to be inserted is Danny Green from North Carolina, who has been the "do it all" for a team that needed someone to step it up when it was faultering. Last year's best sixth man in the land, this season the senior had to step into a starting role, and did so very well with his scorebox reflecting it as he picks up points, rebounds, blocks and steals each and every game.

Maybe this list was done without wanting to put more than one player from each team, but that shouldn't matter, because the best is the best, and if you are going to argue about things like this, we should keep in mind what each player means to the team. Rice has had good games, but also bad ones, and while UNC has had a few missteps in this season, Green has shown up for each and every conference game. When you think #3 on a roster in the ACC it should be the 6'6" senior from Chapel Hill you think about and no one else, not even Rice.

Heels in the League (01/22/09)

2009-01-27T11:15:00.003-05:00

As I keep working back from being half sick and half due to family things I am now at the 01/22/09 edition of the "Heels in the League". In this post there won't be much to talk about as there are just two games on tab and just one ex Carolina player.

In the only game of the night it's the Washington Wizards going cross country and playing against the Los Angeles Lakers. The ex pupil of Dean Smith, Antawn Jamison, had a team high 19 points and five boards in 31 minutes of playing time. The 6'9" forward also had three assists and one steal on the the night, while recording a turnover as well. All of this was for not however, as Los Angeles (34-8 ~ 22-3 at home) won this game going away, defeating Washington (9-33 ~ 3-18 on the road) by 20, 117 to 97.

Antawn Jamison goes up for a shot as two Lakers defend during the first half.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

New polls are out...

2009-01-27T10:35:00.003-05:00

...but the Heels remain the same.

The new polls are out for the Men's Basketball, and while nothing changes for North Carolina, staying at the fifth spot in the AP and sixth in the ESPN/USA Today, there is a new number one, beind Duke, followed by two Big East teams, UConn and Pitt, as the top three squads in the land. The first changes come at the fourth spot, where the AP has Oklahoma, followed by UNC and then Wake, while on the other poll it's Wake, then OU and then UNC. From there until the fifteen spot, both polls are the same, for the exception of 11^th & 12^th spots, where Texas and Clemson are reversed, with the Longhorns being eleventh in the AP and twelth in the ESPN/USA Today.

The ACC has four teams (Duke, Wake, UNC and Clemson) in the Top 12, but then nothing in the rest of the polls, making it seem that this year the conference is pretty much top heavy. This has been a discussion on plenty of shows and telecasts, where most so called experts believe that the ACC has the top four teams in any conference, but the Big East has the best conference overall. I will agree with that, and I am looking forward to seeing how the second part of conference play will shape up the brackets come March Madness. While we are talking about bracketology, let's check out what Joe Lunardi and CHN are saying about it.

Lunardi has two ACC teams, Duke and Wake Forest, and two Big East, Connecticut and Pittsburgh (top of the number one seeds), as the four number one seeds right now. North Carolina is a number two seed as of now, in the South, where Pitt is the top seed. Michigan St., L'ville and Oklahoma are the other three second seeds. Here I have a problem with Lunardi already, since if the Panthers have the play in game it would mean that the Tar Heels would be the worst of the second seeds, yet UNC beat on a neutral (but more away) court MSU. I know that number one and two can not be from the same conference, but this is going to definitely hurt the Tar Heels in my opinion.

College Hoops Net instead has the two Big East teams in the top seed, but just Duke makes it from the ACC, with OU replacing Wake at the top. Carolina is a second seed here as well, along with Wake Forest, Michigan State and Louisville. Clemson is a three seed for CHN, and not to be outdone, the Big East has Marquette as a 3 seed, so both conferences would have their top four teams in the best 12 spots, not bad, and definitely a great way to see who is going to have the best of the best in 2009. And while you might think why CHN's bracket? Because who does it, Shawn Siegel, is amongst the best at doing this, and this is not me saying so, it's what happened last year according to this article.

Heels in the League (01/21/09)

2009-01-27T09:51:00.004-05:00

After having been under the weather for a couple of days, if not more, and my blogging has paid the price for it, here we are back at it in full swing (or as close to it as possible). In this edition of the "Heels in the League" there is plenty to talk about as over half a dozen ex Carolina players took to the court.

In the first game it was ex speedster Raymond Felton and his Charlotte Bobcats taking on the Memphis Grizzlies at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Felton played 38 minutes in all and had a pretty good night, ending up with 19 points (7 for 13 shooting), along with six assists and five steals. The ex Carolina guard also had one rebound, but did commit six turnovers. In the end it didn't much matter, as Charlotte (17-25 ~ 12-13 at home) took this one going away, defeating Memphis (11-30 ~ 2-16 on the road) by the final of 101 to 86. On a side note, it seems that Sean May is still struggling to get to where both head coach Larry Brown and part owner Michael Jordan want him to be at.

Raymond Felton and O.J. Mayo battle for the ball during the first half.
(AP Photo/Rick Havner)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

The next game with a touch of carolina blue is the one involving the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons. For the home squad it is big man Rasheed Wallace getting the nod at the 5 spot, but definitely not having a great performance. In the 24 minutes the ex pupil of Dean Smith scored just 3 points (1 for 6 shooting) and added 2 rebounds and 1 steal in all. Wallace's performance didn't much matter overall, as the Pistons (24-17 ~ 13-7 at home) took care of business at the Palace of Auburn Hills, easily beating the Raptors (16-28 ~ 8-16 on the road) by the final score of 95 to 76.

Rasheed Wallace guards Chris Bosh in the first half.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Third game of the night as the Nets going to the New Orleans Arena and facing the Hornets. In this one we have old school Heel Vince Carter, who starts for the visiting team and get 44 minutes in all. Carter scores a team high 20 points on the night (9 for 19) while also having seven rebounds. The ex Heel did also manage to get 3 assists on the night, to go along with 2 blocks, but did, however, have three turnovers. In what was a good game, with the teams going back and forth with the lead, it was New Orleans (26-13 ~ 14-5 at home) that got the "W" (thanks in great part by Chris Paul almost triple double) over New Jersey (19-23 ~ 10-9 on the road), with the final score being 102 to 92.

Vince Carter drives to the basket in the second half.
(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Next game has the first Tar Heel not to see the floor in the game. It's Jawad Williams and the game is between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland TrailBlazers played at the Rose Garden. Once again the ex Tar Heel and national champion is a "DNP - Coach's Decision", watching by courtside as his team wins yet again another game this season. The Cavaliers are now 32-8 (12-8 on the road) with this win as the TrailBlazers fall to 25 and 17 (15 and 5 at home) after losing 104 to 98.

Box Score <~> Video Highlight

Next game on tap for this night was the one between the Washington Wizards and the Sacramento Kings. For the guest squad, it was ex Heel forward Antawn Jamison doing a lot of the damage in the 42 minutes played. In that time Jamison scored a game high 33 points (12 for 21 shooting - 8 for 10 FT's) while adding 9 rebounds (2^nd highest on the night). The power forward also managed an assist in thei one and if you want to give a blemish to it, he did have one turnover as well. In the end, thanks in great part to the ex Heel, it was Washington (9-32 ~ 3-17 on the road) that won this one, defeating Sacramento (10-33 ~ 7-15 at home) by 3, 110 to 107. Have to give credit to the home team who came back 16 points in the fourth quarter, but just fell short.

Antawn Jamison dunks over Shelden Williams during the fourth quarter.
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Last game of the night is the one that features the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. For the home team we should have seen ex Heel forward Brandan Wright, but he is out, and will likely remain that way until the All Star break. Wright missed a great game, as Oklahoma (9-34 ~ 3-17 on the road) won a squeaker hitting the winning shot at the buzzer and defeating Golden State (13-30 ~ 9-10 at home) by one point, 122 to 121.

Box Score <~> Video Highlight

A hero passed away yesterday...

2009-01-25T10:57:00.003-05:00

For years and years I have harped on the fact that too many people use words like "heroic" in sports. Finally, even if in a very, very sad post, I can say I will be able to use that word in sports as well. Yesterday, at the age of 66, after 20 years of fighting cancer, the head coach of NC State Women's Basketball team, Kay Yow, lost her battle against this dreaded disease. If you want to call someone a hero in sports, here is your chance, because she fought with all she had and then some, never letting down her team, nor the people that depended on her.

As one article read: "She was a Hall of Fame basketball coach, but more important, she was a Hall of Fame person." For old Heels like me, who have watched the evolution of this conference, the things it has done/accomplished, part of that is thanks to Kay Yow. She could have given up, but she fought. She could have done this privately, but she made it public to help others. She could have just worried about herself, but she did so much more for others. Each and every quote you will find on the net about this tragic passing will show one thing, today, here, now, you can say that "heroic" and sports have a place hand in hand.

I am a Tar Heel, but for now, for this post, and forever, I will be a fan of a woman who fought fiercely on the court (winning 737 games) and even more off the court, being part of the Jimmy V Foundation and showing us that you can fight for what you want! Life does go on, but from yesterday on there will be a hole in the Triangle area, in the ACC, in the NCAA, because a hero has left us. Gob bless you Kay Yow, and your family, your team, your friends, and God bless all of Wolfpack Nation as they cope with the loss of this wonderful woman.

Mike Paulus leaving UNC...

2009-01-25T10:48:00.005-05:00

...not for now, according to some.

I know I am a blogger, and I know that the "real" media has said that people like me can write whatever they want because no one is going to hold them responsible for anything. While this can be true or not, I'd like to say this here and now, I would never write an article like the one Donnie Webb did about Mike Paulus. Please read the article first and then come back to read the rest of this post of mine.

Read the article? Good. Now, let's discuss the missing details in this whole story that Webb wrote, especially this part, where Webb says this: "Cameron Sexton, who played in eight games last season", when in reality it should be a bit more like this: "Sexton got a new life this season. Starting quarterback T.J. Yates broke his ankle against Virginia Tech. Redshirt sophomore Mike Paulus came in the game and found what Sexton had discovered several years before: Life is severe for young quarterbacks playing before their time. The next week against Miami, Paulus started the game after getting most of the snaps. Once again, Sexton had been relegated to an afterthought, but came in the second quarter and took the Heels to victory, earning the starting job".

The job for starting qb at North Carolina was wide open this season. With Yates coming off a shoulder injury and not getting any snap in Spring Ball, all three of the gunslingers had a chance. Paulus came in second, and when he could not do it, went down to the third string qb on the team. Having said all of that, what is the coaching staff and the players going to think about Paulus in Spring Ball this year, if they believe he is going to transfer? How much playing time is he going to get during those weeks? More, or less? My guess would be less, and this is because some Post Standard writer thought it best to put this story out into the open.

I have to wonder, if this was a story about a player on the SU team thinking about going elsewhere would it have made it to ink? I can't be sure, but I would say my guess would be correct, however, since I am just a blogger that would be speculating on things without proof and you know the media harps about that!

Plenty of ACC in the Super Bowl...

2009-01-23T19:17:00.004-05:00

...and plenty of UNC on the Steelers.

As I do everyday, I was over net surfing at the best site for UNC information, the Tar Heel Times, where I found this article about the Super Bowl. In it is says that the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten both have 22 players between the two Super Bowl teams, followed by the SEC (14), PAC-10 (11) and the Big 12 (10). It doesn't mention the power house of the Big East, so we have to assume that they have less than ten between Arizona and Pittsburgh. But since this is a North Carolina blog, let's check out how many each of the teams have coming from Chapel Hill.

If you look at the list I guess you will have to be a Steeler fan during the Super Bowl, since the Cardinals have no ex Tar Heel on their team. On the other hand, the NFC rappresentative has three ex players from UNC on their team. Starting with running back Willie Parker, then kicker Jeff Reed and finally long snapper Greg Warren. The funny thing is that both teams have eleven players coming out of the conference, even if the Steelers only have ten that will be dressed for the game, due to the fact that Warren is the lone ACC player on the teams’ reserve list.

For a guy like me, that truly doesn't watch much else besides UNC sports, and in general is always at the college level, not the pro, finding these tid bits makes watching a game like the Super Bowl more bearable. Yes, bearable, all those extras that aren't needed, and the hours of pre game that just annoys you to no end, now can be just a little bit less stressful since I know who to root for and why. Plus, with the fact that EA Madden says that it's going to be the Steelers over the Cardinals gives me even more hope that this Super Bowl can be a watchable one.

Hansbrought NPOY...

2009-01-23T16:05:00.005-05:00

...not according to CHN.

As I look around for something to talk about I head out to CHN's Web Site, where I am part of the U Groups and see their Mid Season All American list. There is not much to discuss with their first and second team, since I agree with a good bit of it. Well, then you must be thinking, why this post? Well, because of the twelve voters of this list nine of them voted Blake Griffin as their Mid Season Player of the Year. And there I do have a problem, because the numbers are not all what basketball is all about.

Here is the CHN's First Team:

And this is their Second Team:

First off, check out the link I put above, because the only player I do have a problem with this in the first and second team is Luke Harangody. His scoring is nice and all, but to take 25 shots to score less than 30 points does not make you an All American, it makes you a hog in my opinion. I will also put this into the equation, I think that Notre Dame was way over rated by the so called experts, and keeps getting way too much love from Digger Phelphs. He is becoming to the Fighting Irish what Dick Vitale is to Duke and Coach K, with the exception that Digger has his crayolas (ok, so they are high lighters) and Dicky V can't write, well, no, he can but has others doing it for him.

But enough with Harangody, that is not my fight, and plus the Big East fans might think I am getting mad at them. Let's look at Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough, and why the senior from Chapel Hill should be the top man of the year and not the sophomore from Norman. With the exception of the game against Evansville the only two games where Hansbrough scored the least points while playing at least 25 minutes are the two losses for UNC. Meaning to me that how the senior forward goes, so does the team. On the other hand, Griffin is averaging just .4 more points per game, while playing close to 4 more minutes per game. Yes, without a doubt there is doubt that the boards are in Griffin's favor, but on the other hand Hansbrough doesn't dip in scoring like Griffin has, with games of 11, 14 and 16 points this season.

In the end I am not too concerned with this all Mid Season thing, because March Madness is going to prove who is the true NPOY, and I have to believe that just like last year against Louisville, it is going to be Tyler Hansbrough that will put his team on its back.

Heels in the League (01/20/09)

2009-01-22T20:49:00.003-05:00

As I try to catch up, and doing a good job with it actually, I am here doing the "Heels in the League" post for 01/20/09, where there are only four games in all, and just two ex Carolina players playing.

In the first game of the night is the match up between Atlanta and Chicago played at the United Center. In this one we should have seen Marvin Williams playing for the visiting squad, however he was not on the floor for any part of the game. In the game it was the Hawks (25-16) won the game, beating the Bulls (18-25) by the final of 105 to 102, mostly thanks to a great game by Mike Bibby.

Box Score <~> Video Highlight

The second game with a touch of carolina blue is yet another Heel that didn't play. It is the game between visiting Minnesota and host Utah played at the EnergySolutions Arena. Ex Carolina player and national champion Rashad McCants sat this one out as a "DNP - Coach's Decision". In this game it was the home team that won the game, as the Jazz (25-17) took it by 5, beating the Timberwolves (13-27) 112 to 107.

Box Score <~> Video Highlight