Tar Heels Debut at #4

We all knew they were going to be a top-ranked team, but even I'm surprised that it's #4. Honestly, I was expecting a spot reserved at #5, but I won't complain. The expectations are obviously set high now and hopefully the Heels can deliever. I am also a little surprised that UNC did get one lone first place vote. I am not surprised that they were ranked higher than Duke. That's a given.

John Henson Better Be as Good as Advertised

Because he just sounds scary with the way everyone is talking about him. At the ACC Operations over the past weekend, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard were asked about the freshman and both gave great reviews for the freshman, but here's what Ginyard said about Henson:

“It’s impossible to watch John Henson play for more than five minutes and not say, ‘Whoa. Wow. Look at that,’ just with his size and athleticism. I continue to say that there are just a number of things that he will do out there on the court that I really don’t know that any other player on the court can do.”

I just can't wait to see this guy on the court. Come on Florida International game-day! But I just hope he is as good as people are talking him up to be.

Also, Scout ran an article about Ginyard, and something I didn't know about him last year was that he was up to 230 in the old weight department. This year, he is down to 205 and has the explosiveness back in his step that was lacking last year. From the article, it sounds like he is progressing into the leadership role nicely and Roy Williams said he is more pleased with Ginyard than anyone else on this year's team.

Duke and UNC Tie?

Unfortunately, though it is just a preseason poll, it happened at the ACC media conference, where all the coaches from their respective teams, as well as a handful of players attend. During this meeting, the preseason picks are made as far as order of finish, Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and ACC First team.

This year, Duke and UNC were both picked to win the ACC; Duke had more first place votes, but they both had the same number total points. This is the first time in the 41 year history, but it is the fourth year in a row that UNC has been picked to win, so that's a good sign.

When I first read that there was a tie, I couldn't believe. I really still can't believe. I know that UNC has some question marks - the backcourt, the perimeter scoring, and probably defense will be mentioned at time point during the season - but it seems like Duke has many more question marks, but that's why they play the games instead of picking the order.

Kyle Singler was picked as Player of the Year and I know that's the trendy pick among many of the talking heads, but I'm just not 100% sold on him. I do know that Marcus Ginyard will lock him down for 2 games. ROY was nominated to Derrick Favors from Georgia Tech, with John Henson coming in at a distant second.

ACC First-Team consisted of Singler, Trevor Booker from Clemson, Greivis Vasquez from Maryland, Virginia Tech's Malcolm Delaney, and Ed Davis because somebody from UNC had to be on the list - right?

One more thing. Tar Heel Blue has some pictures from the event. If you look through it, you'll see Deon Thompson in a suit and tie. Marcus Ginyard also went to the event, but is not seen in any photos. The rest of the players there are wearing polos from their respective schools. My point comes down to classiness. UNC has it, others don't.

Jackie Manuel has a Posse

Remember, when that was a big hit? I'm not sure of the exact context of that T-shirt that was made, but I know it caused some issues. Well now I can say that I am part of his posse.

Allow me to give you a little background. Remember in June, when I was non-existent in the blogging world? Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but I have a really good reason. I was married at the end of June and was busy running around with that, so Triumphant Tar Heel took a backseat.

But my wife, knowing that I am huge Tar Heel fan, allowed the two of us to go down to Chapel Hill for a day to visit the Smith Center and the Carolina basketball museum (See why I married her?)! Well, I took lots of pictures, which I will post at different times throughout the year, and we had lunch of Franklin Street. We were looking at some of the shops on the street and I even bought the 2008-2009 season review on DVD. As we were walking towards another shop, I looked at who was walking towards us and it was a really tall individual. As he got closer, I kinda stopped and looked and said "You're Jackie Manuel!"

He didn't say it, but he was basically like "Duh." I talked with him for a minute, asking him how the NBADL was and what he was currently up too. I told him he was the man, shook his hand and asked if I could get a picture with him, so here it it:

So now, I am officially part of Jackie Manuel's posse. It was a really awesome experience, not only meeting him, but touring the museum as well. When I walked away from meeting Manuel, I had goosebumps, and when I walked towards the Smith Center and saw other Tar Heel fans, wearing Tar Heel gear, and talking to me, I felt like I was part of the Carolina family. As I stated earlier, I will post some sweet pictures from the museum and Smith Center throughout the season.

But now for the bad news: I do not have cable or satellite to watch all the games this year. Last year I was able to, but viewing all those channels as a non-necessity, I do not have their availability this year, particularly ESPN, which is where the majority of the games are broadcasted. I will do my best to watch as many games as possible and am looking into watching them via the Internet as much as possible, but have not found any real leads yet. So my insight may not be as good as before, but as I always try to do, I will do my best. Thanks for reading!

Williams: Best Ever?

Recruiter? Yes. Coach? Possibly. Hersey you cry! Ah, but what if Ol' Roy comes through with another title? That would make it Dean Smith -2; Roy Williams - 3. At the rate that Williams keeps bringing in top 5 classes, it seems a good possibility that Coach Williams will be able to one-up his mentor in the next few years (maybe even this one).

I bring this up because Any Katz had a sit-down interview with the current Tar Heel coach to discuss the possibility of winning another championship. Roy being his typical humble self said that he doesn't like to think in those type of scenarios, and that he and Smith don't belong in the same sentence, but the fact is that this will probably become a reality in the next five years.

Now, please do not think that I am disrespecting Coach Smith in any way shape or form. I have great respect for the man, but probably not the same amount that older fans have for him. That's only because I didn't truly follow until after he was gone, unfortunately. But I think he is a great coach; one of the all-time greats. I love that he put Carolina basketball on the map. I love that he took the Duke/UNC rivalry to another level. I love the fact that he had players thank the passer. Coach Smith did a lot of great things on and off the court and certainly deserves to have his name attached to the home of the Tar Heels, but Ol' Roy is cementing his own legacy as Katz put it.

Coach Williams has said that he will coach as long as his health holds up. Knowing he doesn't have too many pains, besides a bad back (we all know it's because of the stance in the picture above) and suffering from vertigo occasionally, it's reasonable to expect him to coach for 10 more years. Let's say that for those 10 years, he averages a modest 25 wins per year. My multiplication skills tell me that is 250 wins. Add that to his already 594 (Yeah, seems like he just got his 500th a year ago) and that puts him at 844 while Smith sits at 879. Only 35 wins between the two. Since returning to North Carolina, Williams has averaged 29 wins for 6 years. So if he stays on that pace, that puts him at 290 for 10 years and that puts him at 884. Granted, Smith did this all in one school, but one must give credit where credit is due. Credit goes to Williams.

I'm not saying he is better or will be better that Dean Smith because for all we know, he could have a scandal tomorrow and be out of coaching, but I am saying that he is certainly building his resume to rival Smith. I know that he is not trying to out-due his mentor, but he is certainly keeping pace with him. The only question is what will they name after Williams when it's all said and done? Roy's Roof? Williams Court? Hansbrough Indoor Stadium? Oh, sorry!

I'm very thankful for the job Roy Williams has done and will continue to do. He is a real character coach and has made a big impact on lots of players out there.

Late Night Optimism and Concern

Late Night with Roy has come and gone, and now the season is officially under-way! Hooray! I'm pretty pumped about the upcoming season and I'm sure you are too. For some Late Night festivities, go here to ACC Now and it gives some summaries of what went on, as well as Scout. Scout also has an excellent photo gallery and Tar Heel Blue has not one, but two.

From what I gather, the scrimmage between the White and Blue teams was competitive, but still not a scrimmage and might as well be a pick-up game for as often as those players have played against each other since class has started. But it looks like John Henson is as good as advertised. He had 10 points in the scrimmage and here's what Marcus Ginyard said about him:

"That size and athleticism is just one of those things that's tough to describe; he’s a guy who can do some interesting things out there. We’ve got to let it play out and see what he does, but there’s no question he can be a big help to the team."

That's what I like hearing. I can't wait to see this guy throwing down on Duke a few times a game. He's just a freak of athleticism, which is something that will certainly help out this year quite a bit.

Two concerns that Roy Williams has had is the backcourt - with it's lack of experience and depth, and shooting - with every reliable shooter gone now, but with Will Graves scoring 12 points, including three 3's, he may have answered the question of who is the best shooter for this year's team, a question that Tar Heel Blue asked and discussed in their recent article. In that article, Ginyard is asked who the best shooter is and he said that he would put himself up there. Now, knowing Ginyard as a shooter, that's a bit of a red flag for me. With that said, I have no doubt that he has improved on his shooting, just like Larry Drew and Ed Davis. But Graves is the guy who needs to be the best shooter because that's all we as fans have heard about is his shooting and unfortunately, we haven't seen it in the games. I believe we will this year.

Are You Hungy?

For more Tar Heel pre-season? It's hard to believe that Late Night with Roy Williams is on Friday, the 16th. I know I am eagerly waiting for it and I know the players have been working on their new skits for the evening of festivities via their Twitter pages. But we have more pre-season previews. One from Tar Heel Blue and the other from the FayObserver.

The one from Tar Heel Blue is quite lengthy, so I would encourage you to read it for yourself. It talks about the returning upper-classman and some of what Roy expects them to do. He did say that Marcus Ginyard would be starting at shooting guard, but would be expected to play up to four different positions. There is also a little preview about the freshman, with John Henson sticking out in my mind because Williams said he would probably be at the 3 spot and would be expected to block a lot of shots. Williams also said that this team could be one of the best shotblocking teams he has ever had. Scary!

The other piece from the Observer is all about Drew. Larry Drew knows he is under a bit of pressure, but understands his role and knows he doesn't have to be the man, but just play in the system and pick his spots. I have full faith in him, as does Roy Williams or he would have probably pushed more for a point guard in the offseason.

The article from the Observer did bring up a great point that I know I have found myself wrapped up in and maybe you have too. I often compare this upcoming team to the 05-06 team, but we expect this year's team to make a run to the Final Four. Lots of expectations for this team, but the 05-06 team didn't have any expectations. I remember Bracketology on ESPN had that team as a 9 seed in the tournament. UNC was picked 6th in the ACC. I'm not saying they can't make a substantial run towards the Final Four, but as Drew proved this past year and many others, on a team that relies on freshman, there will be some ups and downs all season. The 05-06 team might have been fun to watch, but the time they played Duke at UNC was one of those inexperienced games for the freshmen. That team ended up losing 8 games and the year after was torturous as a fan because, again, a team relied on so many young players, that the season had ups and downs and we ended up choking in the Elite 8, plus had enough close loses to last me for quite awhile. So be forewarned, it could be a bit of a struggle this year for this team. I am in no way saying it will be, but it could be. But my predictions are at least an Elite 8 appearance and #1 in the ACC. Go Heels!

What If: Upperclassman returning

I have been wanting to do this “what if” post for awhile, but just haven’t found or made the time, but now here we go. I remember instantly after North Carolina won the 05 title, I was thinking repeat with all those players coming back and then the incoming freshman class – it was almost guaranteed. But then I remember reading the recap of the championship game on ESPN and there was a link that said “McCants declares for draft.” My world shattered a little bit there, but there was hope because Sean May had said he was coming back and he wanted to repeat, but then he saw his stock go up. But there was Raymond Felton still, who had wanted to leave for awhile, and then he was gone, and then Marvin Williams, but his mom had some medical problems and he was gone. So we were left with a bare cupboard, but it turns out it was ok, but my question is this: what if one or more of the upperclassman had stayed?




It would have been my dream to watch some of these players crush the competition with Tyler Hansbrough and I often imagine that they somehow did, but it will still never become a reality and that’s ok too.

First, we have to think that if one or some of these players stayed, Hansbrough might not have become the force he became. To me, that is reason enough for these players to have left really because Tyler Hansbrough is the model now for being amazing. Those records probably wouldn’t be broken and JJ Redick would still have his ugly mug atop the ACC scoring record and that just wouldn’t be cool with me. Plus, we have won another national title, so that’s perfectly fine with me. I could gladly win a championship every 5 years.

Secondly, if someone had stayed, would it have really mattered? We probably would have been first or second in the ACC, maybe played for the ACC championship and then gotten into at least the Sweet 16, if not farther. What does that matter in the long run? It would be another banner or two, but if it meant that Hansbrough’s numbers have to suffer, then I wouldn’t want it. Plus if you think about team chemistry, I can’t see Rashad McCants getting along with Hansbrough too much. David Noel was the leader of this team and I just can’t see it any other way.

But hypothetically, if someone would have stayed, who would you have wanted? We could have had the potent scorer in McCants; the maestro in Felton; the big man down low with May; or the 6th man, turned superstar with Williams. Oh the possibilities!

If I could have had my pick at the time, I would have wanted Felton because I enjoyed watching him as a point guard, but in all honesty, we needed a big man. The three man rotation that UNC after that year was ok, but it would have been nice to have either May or Williams down low too. Noel, Byron Sanders, and Hansbrough probably doesn’t scare a lot of frontcourts. Ok, Hansbrough probably does, but throw in May or Williams and BOOM! I thought May would have been the most likely to stay and to see him and Hansbrough bump heads in the paint would have gotten old after awhile. Williams would have been interesting to see because we would become the Ed Davis we expect and hope to see. The potential for Marvin during his sophomore year would have been amazing.

So there you have if. Your “what if” scenario that will never happen, but it could have and it would have been ridiculously awesome. But the story still has a happy ending – hoisting another trophy.

Pre-season Goodies

Sorry, no Twitter updates today, but we are getting closer to the college basketball season and that means preview time around the main sports sites on the World Wide Web.

First up on the agenda is from Fox Sports with an ACC preview. This article touches on a few Tar Heel topics, such as the incoming freshman class, and one of the main story lines of Larry Drew taking over the reigns to the Roy Williams-coached talent train. They say that Drew has plenty of talent around him, but not sure about his talent. My only thought is that it is true about the talent around him, but I think he has enough talent and obviously Coach Williams has enough faith in him to let him lead, so I'm not worried.

Fox Sports also says that North Carolina will finish first in the ACC, which is my feeling as well. They also have no Tar Heel on the ACC first team, which I'm not sure will happen and I find it outrageous that FS is picking Kyle Singler to be Player of the Year. I'm not sure about that and that may be a more default pick then anything else because there doesn't seem to be an outright favorite to win this year.

North Carolina also is highlighted with the three top non-conference games, with the games against Kentucky (with the all-time wins record on the line?), Michigan State, and Texas. Yeah, a big-named schedule this year, plus through in the ACC.

The other pre-season blurb is from Sportsline with their top 26 (yeah, I know), with the Heels coming in at #5. This is what is says:

It seems crazy that a program could lose Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green and still be ranked in the top five. But this is UNC under Roy Williams, and the cupboard is never bare. The only concern is at point guard, where Larry Drew is the option, but only by default.

This is all a credit to Roy Williams ability to recruit. I have full faith in him as a coach and recruiter and realize that the only way UNC could go 8-20 anytime soon would have to be with Williams taking a leave of absence or we have to play only walk-ons for the year. Again the Larry Drew issue comes up, but I've already addressed it, so I won't waste your time by having you read it again.