When I did Tyler Zeller's season in review, I stated that he must remain healthy for the Heels to be competitive. Apparently Jeff Goodman agrees because he writes a small piece on the health of Zeller for the upcoming season.
It is interesting to note that the Heels went 2-9 in Zeller's absence, which is very poor, but looking at some of the scores of those games, I only feel like the outcome would have changed in two games, had Zeller been able to play. This would cause UNC to be 4-7 over those 11 games, which probably stills puts them out of the NCAA tournament, but it is a dream.
Another interesting note is that Tyler Zeller was never really injured before his career at UNC, but that goes to show you the physicality of the next level and the demand on the body. Even with all the muscle Zeller gained, he still was hurt this past year. I do feel like he will come back strong though!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Season in Review: Will Graves
This past year, we finally saw some of that sharp shooter rumor that had followed Will Graves around since he arrived on campus. Graves started at the three spot all year except for a handful of games where he was injured. The issues that followed him last year and ended up getting him suspended, didn't rear their head and haunt him this year. Graves had some monster games for the Heels this year where he was launching threes and draining them. Graves was even a great team player by playing the four spot at times this year when the Heels were a little thin in the post or when they went small, therefore showing off his versatility. What I didn't like:
1. Inconsistency. As mentioned above, Graves did have some monster games this past year. In the NIT final against Dayton, Graves had 25 points, but he also had a three game stretch against BC, GA Tech, and NC State where he only totaled 16 points in those three games. If you look at the stats, this pattern happened quite often. Graves, as a senior needs to step up and be more consistent for the baby Heels.
2. Defense. Graves hasn't. been exceptional on the defensive end. He just needs to buckle down and start defending, especially since he will be needed to play some in the four spot again this year.
What I liked:
1. Shooting. Graves was one of the few Tar Heels who could stretch the opposing defense with the three point shot. Although I would like his consistency to improve, he did shoot at a 37% clip, but it seemed when he had his good nights, he was unstoppable and then when he had his bad nights, he wasn't a threat at all, which would explain the inconsistency.
2. Rebounding. Despite his size, Graves isn't a bad rebounder. He gets 5 a game and that was only in 25 minutes. He only had 1 double-double, but had quite a few 8 and 9 rebound games. Granted, he had to rebound because the Heels got thin in the post as the season progressed, but he did a commendable job and proved that he's just not a shooter.
'Will Graves is going to be the leader of this team, which is scary, but I hope he can pull through for this year's team. Although he doesn't need to be the leading scorer (I think Harrison Barnes will inherit that), he does need to be consistent for the Heels. I'm not sure if Graves will even start next year, but he needs to accept his role and perform that role to the best of his abilities.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Season in Review: Tyler Zeller
The Big Z got hurt again. I'm not sure if this is a sign of things to come, but hopefully not. He played well before he got hurt and returned to action quickly and was still able to contribute through the Heels' late NIT run. I like the stats from Zeller in just limited minutes of 9 points and 5 rebounds and am hopeful he is ready to be the main man for the Heels this upcoming season.
What I didn't like:
1. Playing time. As the only true center on the Tar Heels roster, I am a little surprised he only played 17 minutes per game. I am not one to openly question Roy Williams' decisions, I do wonder why Zeller didn't play more like 25 minutes per game. He seemed to do everything that Williams required, although his defense isn't what I would classify as amazing, but not terrible.
2. Injury. Big Z was making progress and was hurt again, but thankfully, unlike last season where he seemed sluggish when he returned, this go-around he bounced back quickly and still did well and didn't seem lost while he was out there. Oh the difference a year makes.
What I liked:
1. Skills. Tyler Zeller is a skilled big man and runs the floor well. He needs to keep improving because I am expecting him to play either the main man or second fiddle to Harrison Barnes. Remember in Zeller's first game as a Tar Heel, he lead the team in scoring with 18 points. We've seen flashes, similar to flashes we saw throughout Deon Thompson's career, but hopefully, Zeller can deliver!
2. Accepting his role. Even though I felt Zeller deserved more minutes, no indication was made that he was unhappy with his role on the team. He did what was expected of him and should look to build on that success.
I can't stress enough how important Tyler Zeller will be next year, but even if he is not a great score, just his presence alone will be important. I say that because of the lack of post man the Heels will have available. He needs to stay injury free and I think the rest will take care of itself for Tyler Zeller.
What I didn't like:
1. Playing time. As the only true center on the Tar Heels roster, I am a little surprised he only played 17 minutes per game. I am not one to openly question Roy Williams' decisions, I do wonder why Zeller didn't play more like 25 minutes per game. He seemed to do everything that Williams required, although his defense isn't what I would classify as amazing, but not terrible.
2. Injury. Big Z was making progress and was hurt again, but thankfully, unlike last season where he seemed sluggish when he returned, this go-around he bounced back quickly and still did well and didn't seem lost while he was out there. Oh the difference a year makes.
What I liked:
1. Skills. Tyler Zeller is a skilled big man and runs the floor well. He needs to keep improving because I am expecting him to play either the main man or second fiddle to Harrison Barnes. Remember in Zeller's first game as a Tar Heel, he lead the team in scoring with 18 points. We've seen flashes, similar to flashes we saw throughout Deon Thompson's career, but hopefully, Zeller can deliver!
2. Accepting his role. Even though I felt Zeller deserved more minutes, no indication was made that he was unhappy with his role on the team. He did what was expected of him and should look to build on that success.
I can't stress enough how important Tyler Zeller will be next year, but even if he is not a great score, just his presence alone will be important. I say that because of the lack of post man the Heels will have available. He needs to stay injury free and I think the rest will take care of itself for Tyler Zeller.
Season in Review: Ed Davis
Oh Steady Eddie wasn't very steady for the Heels this past year. He was more like "I don't really care about being Steady Eddie." If you look at his stats of 13 points and nearly 10 boards a game, you may think that was pretty good, but the sky was the limit for this kid and he seemed to have gotten stuck in the terminal at the airport. His blocks peer game were good and his FG% was awesome, but he could have been so amazing, but he is now been drafted by the Toronto Raptors. Good luck in Canada, eh?I'm not going to elaborate on things I liked and didn't like because it has been awhile and Davis can no longer improve on things at UNC because of that whole Canadian thing now.
Back!
I apologize for my lack of blogging about North Carolina for the most 2 months. I think that because UNC did not do so hot this past year, I lost a desire, but with the hype of this upcoming season, I have decided to put in some more effort on the UNC news and insight. Here we go - again!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Season in Review: Justin Watts
I didn’t expect Watts to do much of anything this year and for some of the season, he didn’t, but at times, especially early on in the season. He didn’t blow you away with his numbers, but he was able to step in when some of the guards were injured and play to the best of his abilities and that’s all we can ask. There have been some transfer rumors around Watts at times, and I like him enough to keep him on the bench as an option.
What I didn’t like:
1. Skill. Although I like Watts, I wish he could be better than what he is. But in his defense, he did well in his limited minutes. Shooting percentages are pretty good, but also a little skewed because he almost always played in garbage time.
What I liked:
1. Effort. He tries hard and that’s all we can ask. I don’t expect him to go out and score 12 points per game. He does his best to do what the team needs - an excellent example of a team player.
Watts, again is a good option to have. I think he could get better, but he does what he does and that’s what we ask him to do.
What I didn’t like:
1. Skill. Although I like Watts, I wish he could be better than what he is. But in his defense, he did well in his limited minutes. Shooting percentages are pretty good, but also a little skewed because he almost always played in garbage time.
What I liked:
1. Effort. He tries hard and that’s all we can ask. I don’t expect him to go out and score 12 points per game. He does his best to do what the team needs - an excellent example of a team player.
Watts, again is a good option to have. I think he could get better, but he does what he does and that’s what we ask him to do.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Season in Review: Larry Drew II
Oh Drew 2. Larry Drew did ok by me this year. He did what he had to do and he did it in the face of adversity quite a few times. As the most scrutinized position in basketball and at UNC, Drew held his own against the naysayers time and time again. It looked like it took him most of the season, but towards the end of the year, he asserted himself as a strong point guard. No, he is not Ty Lawson, but he was needed to run the team and he did a decent job of it. Sure, he needs to improve, but he was the quarterback of a young, weak offensive team. Next year, surrounding him with more talent will only improve his ability.
What I didn’t like:
1. Assertiveness. He didn’t always have the urgency, the mojo, the swagger. He seemed a little to laid back to run the point. He did get better, but teams can often read the point guards language and if the point guard isn’t able to focus or get his team focused, you end up with a record like UNC had this year.
2. Shot selection. Sometimes, he just tried to pull one out or win it all in one shot. He didn’t shoot a lot, but sometimes, he was way off the mark.
What I liked:
1. Holding his head up. Who didn’t crucify Drew at some point this year? I know I did by saying that Kendall Marshall would probably be starting next year. Drew was dissected at the point guard spot and though he knew people didn’t think he was doing a good job, he listened to his coach and kept playing and towards the end of the season, people seemed to change their mind a bit.
2. Improvement. What I wanted Drew to improve on last year – his shooting percentage and his assist to turnover ratio – both improved, especially the shooting percentage. His regular field goals need to improve still as he only shot 40%, but his 3 point percentage was respectable, which it needed to be in order for defenses to not load the paint with defenders. Although his assist-to-turnover ratio wasn’t awesome, it did improve throughout the year.
Drew II has committed to North Carolina, amidst transfer rumors and fans being upset at him. I am also committed to Larry Drew. He isn’t the worst PG in UNC history (insert Adam Boone), but he is who he is – a pass first, verily dependable option.
What I didn’t like:
1. Assertiveness. He didn’t always have the urgency, the mojo, the swagger. He seemed a little to laid back to run the point. He did get better, but teams can often read the point guards language and if the point guard isn’t able to focus or get his team focused, you end up with a record like UNC had this year.
2. Shot selection. Sometimes, he just tried to pull one out or win it all in one shot. He didn’t shoot a lot, but sometimes, he was way off the mark.
What I liked:
1. Holding his head up. Who didn’t crucify Drew at some point this year? I know I did by saying that Kendall Marshall would probably be starting next year. Drew was dissected at the point guard spot and though he knew people didn’t think he was doing a good job, he listened to his coach and kept playing and towards the end of the season, people seemed to change their mind a bit.
2. Improvement. What I wanted Drew to improve on last year – his shooting percentage and his assist to turnover ratio – both improved, especially the shooting percentage. His regular field goals need to improve still as he only shot 40%, but his 3 point percentage was respectable, which it needed to be in order for defenses to not load the paint with defenders. Although his assist-to-turnover ratio wasn’t awesome, it did improve throughout the year.
Drew II has committed to North Carolina, amidst transfer rumors and fans being upset at him. I am also committed to Larry Drew. He isn’t the worst PG in UNC history (insert Adam Boone), but he is who he is – a pass first, verily dependable option.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wear Twins are Out
So, David and Travis Wear decided they didn’t want to be Tar Heels anymore. Looking at the big picture for their two roles, I can’t say that they were going to be more than role players anyway, but they could have done some shocking. I feel the ceiling had already peaked with them and they weren’t going to get much better, but they did surprise me with how much playing time they actually received throughout the year.
They are heading back west, which I’m sure is hard on twins being away from their family, but where they go doesn’t really matter to me because now we have no frontcourt depth. We’re looking at Tyler Zeller and John Henson as the bigs and Will Graves playing the 4 occasionally. With Harrison Barnes coming in, I feel he could play the 4 occasionally, but the need for another big man is very pressing right now.
Coach Williams has been on the recruiting trail a bit, trying to find some unsigned big man, who can fit the system. The hard part is though you don’t want to just throw a scholarship to a player who has the ability of Byron Sanders. North Carolina actually had a player named Justin Knox visit recently and according to Knox’s uncle, was offered a scholarship by UNC. This is a potentially good situation we could be in if Knox does sign because he only had one year of eligibility left. He played 3 years for Alabama and finished his degree in 3, so he can transfer and still play in the 2010-2011 season because of being a graduate transfer. If he does sign, you don’t lose a potential scholarship player in the future because he’s only a one year rental. It looks like a win-win for everybody. Knox is also visiting Georgia Tech.
Knox isn’t going to wow anyone, but he does seem to fit the system and could really be a big help because we have no frontcourt depth and can’t afford a timely Tyler Zeller injury again. Knox was interested in going to another SEC school, but Alabama said no way, Jose’. We’ll see how this situation plays out.
They are heading back west, which I’m sure is hard on twins being away from their family, but where they go doesn’t really matter to me because now we have no frontcourt depth. We’re looking at Tyler Zeller and John Henson as the bigs and Will Graves playing the 4 occasionally. With Harrison Barnes coming in, I feel he could play the 4 occasionally, but the need for another big man is very pressing right now.
Coach Williams has been on the recruiting trail a bit, trying to find some unsigned big man, who can fit the system. The hard part is though you don’t want to just throw a scholarship to a player who has the ability of Byron Sanders. North Carolina actually had a player named Justin Knox visit recently and according to Knox’s uncle, was offered a scholarship by UNC. This is a potentially good situation we could be in if Knox does sign because he only had one year of eligibility left. He played 3 years for Alabama and finished his degree in 3, so he can transfer and still play in the 2010-2011 season because of being a graduate transfer. If he does sign, you don’t lose a potential scholarship player in the future because he’s only a one year rental. It looks like a win-win for everybody. Knox is also visiting Georgia Tech.
Knox isn’t going to wow anyone, but he does seem to fit the system and could really be a big help because we have no frontcourt depth and can’t afford a timely Tyler Zeller injury again. Knox was interested in going to another SEC school, but Alabama said no way, Jose’. We’ll see how this situation plays out.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Season in Review: John Henson
I like John Henson. He seems to be a special talent and although he wasn’t as awesome as I thought he was going to be, he did come around late in the season. Part of that was because of injuries, part of it was moving to a more comfortable position on the court. He’s just so lanky. Imagine what he will do when he puts some muscle on his body.
What I didn’t like:
1. Lack of muscle. This hurt quite a bit during the season for two obvious reasons. Henson was unable to guard big post players because they would simply out muscle him. Henson tried hard, but he just didn’t have it. Another reason is that if he puts on some muscle, he might be able to finish plays a bit more. Most opponents could foul him and Henson wouldn’t be able to put the ball in the hoop a-la Tyler Hansbrough. Hopefully he can add some weight this summer. Work him with Jonas!
2. Overhyping. Similar to how the Heels were overhyped, John Henson, as much as I like him, was overhyped. People were talking about how he was the next Kevin Durant. Not so much. Henson has the potential to be a really special player with his unique size and skill set, but he still was some work to do.
What I liked:
1. Shotblocking. Henson is a nice guy to have as your help defender. He is a truly talent shot blocker and decent rebounder too. I think Henson will make up for the departure of Ed Davis pretty well because he can just come out of nowhere and block shots.
2. Ability. Henson is a freak of basketball art. One thing I like about him is his ability to put the ball on the floor a little bit. We saw him stretch the floor a few times in the NIT and it generally led to a baseline dunk. It would be nice if he could add an outside shot to his offensive arsenal in order to take pressure of the other interior players.
Hopefully this next season, Henson will become what Ed Davis was supposed to be for us this year – a real force. He needs to work on his shooting, but I judging from some of his twitter comments, I believe he’s a real worker and will continue to hone in on his game.
What I didn’t like:
1. Lack of muscle. This hurt quite a bit during the season for two obvious reasons. Henson was unable to guard big post players because they would simply out muscle him. Henson tried hard, but he just didn’t have it. Another reason is that if he puts on some muscle, he might be able to finish plays a bit more. Most opponents could foul him and Henson wouldn’t be able to put the ball in the hoop a-la Tyler Hansbrough. Hopefully he can add some weight this summer. Work him with Jonas!
2. Overhyping. Similar to how the Heels were overhyped, John Henson, as much as I like him, was overhyped. People were talking about how he was the next Kevin Durant. Not so much. Henson has the potential to be a really special player with his unique size and skill set, but he still was some work to do.
What I liked:
1. Shotblocking. Henson is a nice guy to have as your help defender. He is a truly talent shot blocker and decent rebounder too. I think Henson will make up for the departure of Ed Davis pretty well because he can just come out of nowhere and block shots.
2. Ability. Henson is a freak of basketball art. One thing I like about him is his ability to put the ball on the floor a little bit. We saw him stretch the floor a few times in the NIT and it generally led to a baseline dunk. It would be nice if he could add an outside shot to his offensive arsenal in order to take pressure of the other interior players.
Hopefully this next season, Henson will become what Ed Davis was supposed to be for us this year – a real force. He needs to work on his shooting, but I judging from some of his twitter comments, I believe he’s a real worker and will continue to hone in on his game.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Season in Review: Leslie McDonald
I believe when Leslie McDonald was first recruited, he was touted as Jackie Manuel with a jump shot. I can’t say that he was Manuel with a shot all the time. In fact, I would say he had more of a shot than he had of Jackie Manuel. If McDonald was a defensive threat, I didn’t see it, but perhaps it would be more evident with more playing time. With Marcus Ginyard as the primary defensive stopper, McDonald was unable to see the floor much.
What I didn’t like:
1. Defense. I just didn’t see it and maybe it will be better as he matures as a player and gets some more time. He didn’t play a lot, so it’s hard to get in a grove and rhythm, but if he comes off the bench, he has to be able to come in and give all his energy because he doesn’t get a lot of playing time, so he has to give it all.
What I liked:
1. Contributions. When McDonald did play, he would actually be an offensive threat from my perspective. He would typically be good for a few buckets if he got over 10 minutes and even had a few games where he cracked double digits.
I like McDonald and think he will do well with more experience. I consider him a good option off the bench, even though his shooting percentages need to improve. I hope the defensive does become more evident, because we all know what opposing guards tend to do against UNC.
What I didn’t like:
1. Defense. I just didn’t see it and maybe it will be better as he matures as a player and gets some more time. He didn’t play a lot, so it’s hard to get in a grove and rhythm, but if he comes off the bench, he has to be able to come in and give all his energy because he doesn’t get a lot of playing time, so he has to give it all.
What I liked:
1. Contributions. When McDonald did play, he would actually be an offensive threat from my perspective. He would typically be good for a few buckets if he got over 10 minutes and even had a few games where he cracked double digits.
I like McDonald and think he will do well with more experience. I consider him a good option off the bench, even though his shooting percentages need to improve. I hope the defensive does become more evident, because we all know what opposing guards tend to do against UNC.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bye Bye Ed Davis
Ed Davis is heading pro, which I thought would happen anyway, but now it's official. He is projected to be a first round pick Terry Davis said the potential NBA lockout weighed heavily on his son's decision. Davis did say that he would finish out his degree in the future, but gave no indication as to when that would happen.
Here's what Roy Williams said about Davis's leaving early:
"Ed is a wonderful young man who I am proud to have coached. He was having a very productive season before suffering a broken wrist. He helped us win a national championship as a freshman and his injuries this past year were certainly an obstacle in us returning to the NCAA Tournament. We wish him great success and look forward to supporting him and following his professional career."
The old injury bug popping in again. Most fans know that Davis missed the final 13 games on the season with a broken wrist, but also, he missed some time earlier (I believe against Wake Forest), with a hamstring injury.
I would have been nice to see Davis develop more as an offensive threat. One could consider him the defensive Brandon Wright, as Wright was more developed on the offensive end and Davis the defensive side.
Chemistry wise, I think the departure will improve the team. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but Davis does not seem like a team player that Carolina needs. One example that comes to mind is when UNC won the 09 Championship, Davis was in his warm-ups with a towel created to be a hood. During postgame celebrations, he was rather non-expressive. Maybe he was upset about not playing as much, but that was something I noticed about Davis. Next year, you might as well pencil Tyler Zeller and John Henson as the starters with Travis and David Wear playing back up. David is still out until at least June with his hip injury and may not even be able to play next year. Stay tuned on that one.
Here's what Roy Williams said about Davis's leaving early:
"Ed is a wonderful young man who I am proud to have coached. He was having a very productive season before suffering a broken wrist. He helped us win a national championship as a freshman and his injuries this past year were certainly an obstacle in us returning to the NCAA Tournament. We wish him great success and look forward to supporting him and following his professional career."
The old injury bug popping in again. Most fans know that Davis missed the final 13 games on the season with a broken wrist, but also, he missed some time earlier (I believe against Wake Forest), with a hamstring injury.
I would have been nice to see Davis develop more as an offensive threat. One could consider him the defensive Brandon Wright, as Wright was more developed on the offensive end and Davis the defensive side.
Chemistry wise, I think the departure will improve the team. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but Davis does not seem like a team player that Carolina needs. One example that comes to mind is when UNC won the 09 Championship, Davis was in his warm-ups with a towel created to be a hood. During postgame celebrations, he was rather non-expressive. Maybe he was upset about not playing as much, but that was something I noticed about Davis. Next year, you might as well pencil Tyler Zeller and John Henson as the starters with Travis and David Wear playing back up. David is still out until at least June with his hip injury and may not even be able to play next year. Stay tuned on that one.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Season in Review: Dexter Strickland
As I did last year, I will review each scholarship player numerically with the underclassman going first and building up to the seniors. So first up on the list is Dexter Strickland.
Dexter showed some flashes of being a good player and was somewhat forced to play out of position for the majority of the season by being the backup point guard. Next year, it will be nice to see him slide over to shooting guard and see if he fares better.
What didn’t like:
1. Inconsistency. Some games he would have a double figure scoring, but others, he would barely show up in the stat book. I would like Strickland to be able to establish himself more as a consistent player.
2. Shooting %. Strickland shot 43% from the field, 29% from 3, and 69% from the free throw line. As the shooting guard, you have to be able to shoot and Strickland was not always effective from a shooter’s perspective. In his defense, he did play some point guard, but the percentage needs to be brought up.
What I liked:
1. Drive. One thing I especially liked about Strickland was it seemed he was the only Tar Heel fully capable of creating his own shot. That comes with being the backup point guard and shooting guard at the same time, but at times, he was the only Tar Heel who would drive to the basket and see what happened. He was aggressive and I like an attacking guard. Next year, he should be better able to attack from the wing.
2. Willingness. Strickland showed some leadership potential by willing to play 2 positions. That means he has to learn the plays for two positions and handle setting up the offense and guarding one of the other team’s best players (because what guard hasn’t gone off the Tar Heels before?) Credit should be given to Strickland for being able to step up into a role that is a little out of his comfort zone.
I like having Strickland come off the bench. He can be the Danny Green with the spark and energy and leader of the second squad. He’ll improve, and I look forward to watching him develop into a better overall player.
Dexter showed some flashes of being a good player and was somewhat forced to play out of position for the majority of the season by being the backup point guard. Next year, it will be nice to see him slide over to shooting guard and see if he fares better.
What didn’t like:
1. Inconsistency. Some games he would have a double figure scoring, but others, he would barely show up in the stat book. I would like Strickland to be able to establish himself more as a consistent player.
2. Shooting %. Strickland shot 43% from the field, 29% from 3, and 69% from the free throw line. As the shooting guard, you have to be able to shoot and Strickland was not always effective from a shooter’s perspective. In his defense, he did play some point guard, but the percentage needs to be brought up.
What I liked:
1. Drive. One thing I especially liked about Strickland was it seemed he was the only Tar Heel fully capable of creating his own shot. That comes with being the backup point guard and shooting guard at the same time, but at times, he was the only Tar Heel who would drive to the basket and see what happened. He was aggressive and I like an attacking guard. Next year, he should be better able to attack from the wing.
2. Willingness. Strickland showed some leadership potential by willing to play 2 positions. That means he has to learn the plays for two positions and handle setting up the offense and guarding one of the other team’s best players (because what guard hasn’t gone off the Tar Heels before?) Credit should be given to Strickland for being able to step up into a role that is a little out of his comfort zone.
I like having Strickland come off the bench. He can be the Danny Green with the spark and energy and leader of the second squad. He’ll improve, and I look forward to watching him develop into a better overall player.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Sun Will Come Out
Yes, the sun still rose after Duke was labeled national champions. It hurts, but they did win. It's hard as a Tar Heel fan to see your arch rival win, especially when your team wasn't in the Dance to defend it's title. We went from the highest of highs to a low. Probably not the lowest of lows, but a low nonetheless.
But take heart because we have some young studs in the stable to build around and there is hope coming. Some of the early top 25 polls for next year have UNC ranked anywhere from 10 to 20. First, those polls are way to premature because who knows what's going to happen between now and the NBA draft, but I'm not going to be a sucker for the hype next year. I firmly believe that UNC can be good, but they have to earn that ranking before I give it to them. I gave them the ranking this year and we ended up in the NIT. I'm looking forward to it though.
As far as some future blog postings, I will be doing player-by-player reviews soon and also some book reviews for you to take a look at. Thanks for reading!
But take heart because we have some young studs in the stable to build around and there is hope coming. Some of the early top 25 polls for next year have UNC ranked anywhere from 10 to 20. First, those polls are way to premature because who knows what's going to happen between now and the NBA draft, but I'm not going to be a sucker for the hype next year. I firmly believe that UNC can be good, but they have to earn that ranking before I give it to them. I gave them the ranking this year and we ended up in the NIT. I'm looking forward to it though.
As far as some future blog postings, I will be doing player-by-player reviews soon and also some book reviews for you to take a look at. Thanks for reading!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Addition by Subtration
One of the biggest offseason questions will be whether or not Ed Davis does go pro. At the beginning of this year, I would have said that was a bad idea, but that’s when I thought Ed Davis was going to be an 18 and 11 guy every night. Since Davis was not like that and then was injured, I’m not convinced he would be willing to stick around and risk another injury. Most mock drafts have him as a top 10 pick. In fact, I can’t think of one that doesn’t have him as a top 10 pick.
If Davis did leave, I don’t think it would be the end of the world. In fact, I think this team would be better for a few reasons:
1) I don’t think Davis is a true team player. He doesn’t strike me as a team oriented guy. Not to say that he is a selfish guy who demands the ball all the time, but that fact that he doesn’t seem to put a lot of work into his game and that can hurt team chemistry because people see that he doesn’t work very hard and is still getting playing time. Ed Davis is a talent, but it seems like he is Ty Lawson as a freshman, where Lawson was not allowed to start because he kept messing around. Ed Davis is not a trickster like Lawson, but he just seems to not put the effort in, similar to how Lawson was, when he just got by on talent and not being a complete player.
2) If Davis leaves, I think that would open the door for Tyler Zeller to emerge as a main threat on offense. Zeller is obviously more offensive minded than Davis, but with John Henson on the weak side, Zeller could probably get away with more than he normally could because of Henson’s shot blocking ability. I was very impressed with Zeller as he came back from injury and really picked up where he left off. He was good for 9 points and 5 boards a night, which is good as your 6th man and I think if he starts, those numbers are only going to go up with more minutes and shot opportunities.
3. With Davis gone, the line-up would probably be Zeller at center, Henson at the power forward, Harrison Barnes at the other forward, with Will Graves, Dexter Strickland, Larry Drew II, or Kendall Marshall in the backcourt (which will probably remain a question mark until we get closer to the season. But the front court would still be strong with the 2 above bigs and the Wear twins playing the backup role. I believe if we needed to go small, Barnes could slide over to the 4 because of his height.
This is all speculation at this point, but if Davis does opt for the NBA, I don’t consider it a huge loss and the pieces will fall back into place soon enough. My honest hope is that he does go pro, but we’ll see what happens.
If Davis did leave, I don’t think it would be the end of the world. In fact, I think this team would be better for a few reasons:
1) I don’t think Davis is a true team player. He doesn’t strike me as a team oriented guy. Not to say that he is a selfish guy who demands the ball all the time, but that fact that he doesn’t seem to put a lot of work into his game and that can hurt team chemistry because people see that he doesn’t work very hard and is still getting playing time. Ed Davis is a talent, but it seems like he is Ty Lawson as a freshman, where Lawson was not allowed to start because he kept messing around. Ed Davis is not a trickster like Lawson, but he just seems to not put the effort in, similar to how Lawson was, when he just got by on talent and not being a complete player.
2) If Davis leaves, I think that would open the door for Tyler Zeller to emerge as a main threat on offense. Zeller is obviously more offensive minded than Davis, but with John Henson on the weak side, Zeller could probably get away with more than he normally could because of Henson’s shot blocking ability. I was very impressed with Zeller as he came back from injury and really picked up where he left off. He was good for 9 points and 5 boards a night, which is good as your 6th man and I think if he starts, those numbers are only going to go up with more minutes and shot opportunities.
3. With Davis gone, the line-up would probably be Zeller at center, Henson at the power forward, Harrison Barnes at the other forward, with Will Graves, Dexter Strickland, Larry Drew II, or Kendall Marshall in the backcourt (which will probably remain a question mark until we get closer to the season. But the front court would still be strong with the 2 above bigs and the Wear twins playing the backup role. I believe if we needed to go small, Barnes could slide over to the 4 because of his height.
This is all speculation at this point, but if Davis does opt for the NBA, I don’t consider it a huge loss and the pieces will fall back into place soon enough. My honest hope is that he does go pro, but we’ll see what happens.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Never Again
That's what John Henson said after the NIT Championship lost. Meaning, never again will the Tar Heels be back in the NIT because that's not where they belong. They should be playing on Thursdays or Fridays, not Tuesdays.
At the beginning of March, I didn't know if I wanted the Heels in the NIT. I was hoping they would just to keep playing. But after the play that we saw the second half of the season, I was less excited about the possibilities of playing in the NIT because I did not want to get embarrassed, but the NIT was beneficial for a few reasons.
1. It gave young players more game experience as well as a post-season atmosphere, even though it was the NIT. 2. We get to see John Henson play more because to me, he was the lone bright spot for this team.
Dayton played well and were a tough team. One of the more defensive minded teams. They kept stepping up when UNC would narrow the lead down to 2, and nail a back breaking 3 pointer. Boo Dayton Flyers. Oh well.
This team certainly exceeded my expectations in the NIT and made the record more respectable, but one must ask, where was this all year? This year's team did beat Ohio State, who had the amazing Evan Turner. They also beat Michigan State who is currently playing in the Final Four. They lost by 1 to one of the top teams all year in Kentucky. Injuries played a part with a number of players missing time, but the turnovers never helped and once the losses started coming, the confidence is dwindled, if there at all.
Next year, should be brighter, but I don't want to say we'll be back in the Final Four. I think next year's team can, but I thought the same about this year's team as well. There are a number of other pieces that will need to fall in before we can truly speculate. One big question is whether Ed Davis will be back next year or not. Another is whether John Henson can actually gain some weight. We'll see soon enough.
It will be sad to see Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard go out the way they did, but I believe they should have stepped up more. Maybe they were just role players who were forced to be stars, similar to Kris Lang and Jason Capel. It is hard to image that a chunky freshman named Deon Thompson would become the NCAA leader in games played, but it can just be added to his pretty good player, just not a superstar. I wish them the best as they continue in life.
At the beginning of March, I didn't know if I wanted the Heels in the NIT. I was hoping they would just to keep playing. But after the play that we saw the second half of the season, I was less excited about the possibilities of playing in the NIT because I did not want to get embarrassed, but the NIT was beneficial for a few reasons.
1. It gave young players more game experience as well as a post-season atmosphere, even though it was the NIT. 2. We get to see John Henson play more because to me, he was the lone bright spot for this team.
Dayton played well and were a tough team. One of the more defensive minded teams. They kept stepping up when UNC would narrow the lead down to 2, and nail a back breaking 3 pointer. Boo Dayton Flyers. Oh well.
This team certainly exceeded my expectations in the NIT and made the record more respectable, but one must ask, where was this all year? This year's team did beat Ohio State, who had the amazing Evan Turner. They also beat Michigan State who is currently playing in the Final Four. They lost by 1 to one of the top teams all year in Kentucky. Injuries played a part with a number of players missing time, but the turnovers never helped and once the losses started coming, the confidence is dwindled, if there at all.
Next year, should be brighter, but I don't want to say we'll be back in the Final Four. I think next year's team can, but I thought the same about this year's team as well. There are a number of other pieces that will need to fall in before we can truly speculate. One big question is whether Ed Davis will be back next year or not. Another is whether John Henson can actually gain some weight. We'll see soon enough.
It will be sad to see Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard go out the way they did, but I believe they should have stepped up more. Maybe they were just role players who were forced to be stars, similar to Kris Lang and Jason Capel. It is hard to image that a chunky freshman named Deon Thompson would become the NCAA leader in games played, but it can just be added to his pretty good player, just not a superstar. I wish them the best as they continue in life.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Well, it's Looking Really Ugly
The lack of blogging has been because of the lack of heart displayed by the UNC basketball team. I figure, if they don't get hyped to play games, why should I get hyped about blogging? How's that little zinger?
With the ACC tournament close-at-hand and other bubble teams looking to make it in the dance, even if UNC made an amazing run to the ACC title game, it probably wouldn't be enough and the selection committee would probably be doing UNC a favor by not including them because they would just not show any heart and get ousted in the first round.
The tip of the iceberg for me was the Duke game recently. A 32 point beat-down against their arch rival. I stopped watching when the score was 48-21 because we have not scorers, who can score that many points and we have no defense to stop the Duke scoring. This game was a polar opposite teams playing. One hard-nosed team versus a team that is just waiting for someone to pull the plug on them.
To top it all off, when the all ACC teams were announced, there wasn't even a hint of a North Carolina player anywhere. For the first time in the school's history. EVER. And there shouldn't have been because no one played like it.
Then word comes out from Marcus Ginyard, via Adam Lucas that all these problems started in the pre-season and it's a wonder that this team made it to .500 on the season. Players didn't care about each other; didn't listen to their coach. The list goes on and on.
With all that said, it is important to keep in mind that until a winner is crowned in Indianapolis, North Carolina is still the defending. We seem to have forgotten that little fact. Though times are tough in the present, draw from the past and look forward to the future.
With the ACC tournament close-at-hand and other bubble teams looking to make it in the dance, even if UNC made an amazing run to the ACC title game, it probably wouldn't be enough and the selection committee would probably be doing UNC a favor by not including them because they would just not show any heart and get ousted in the first round.
The tip of the iceberg for me was the Duke game recently. A 32 point beat-down against their arch rival. I stopped watching when the score was 48-21 because we have not scorers, who can score that many points and we have no defense to stop the Duke scoring. This game was a polar opposite teams playing. One hard-nosed team versus a team that is just waiting for someone to pull the plug on them.
To top it all off, when the all ACC teams were announced, there wasn't even a hint of a North Carolina player anywhere. For the first time in the school's history. EVER. And there shouldn't have been because no one played like it.
Then word comes out from Marcus Ginyard, via Adam Lucas that all these problems started in the pre-season and it's a wonder that this team made it to .500 on the season. Players didn't care about each other; didn't listen to their coach. The list goes on and on.
With all that said, it is important to keep in mind that until a winner is crowned in Indianapolis, North Carolina is still the defending. We seem to have forgotten that little fact. Though times are tough in the present, draw from the past and look forward to the future.
Monday, February 22, 2010
This is Truely Depressing
Not only can UNC not win any games that we have grown accustomed to them winning, but we can't even stay remotely healthy even while losing. Tyler Zeller returned from injury to play 16 minutes and chip in 9 points and 7 boards, so I hope he is ready to up his play because it looks like David Wear is not going to play against Florida State. Travis Wear might return, but it is uncertain.
Either way, are you surprised? This season has not gone well and I know players are already talking about what they are going to improve on this summer. A little disheartening, but it is reality because this team will not make the NCAA tournament. It's bubble popped and we will not have a chance to add more banners this year (barring a miraculous run in the ACC tournament, which I have no faith in because of the team I have seen since the beginning of January).
I would just like to point out that every opposing team, especially in the ACC is loving this Tar Heels team because they can return the favor that UNC has done to them for the past 3 years, but even the last 5 years. To all of them, I can only say, enjoy while you can. This team is not dead forever and they should check out this piece from ESPN. It talks about how losing won't break Roy Williams and will drive him farther and I agree completely. He may be tearing his gray hair out coaching this year, but if you think this season won't burn a fire under him to bring in better players, coach harder, recruit harder, then you better watch and learn. We'll be back, so foes - enjoy it while you can.
Either way, are you surprised? This season has not gone well and I know players are already talking about what they are going to improve on this summer. A little disheartening, but it is reality because this team will not make the NCAA tournament. It's bubble popped and we will not have a chance to add more banners this year (barring a miraculous run in the ACC tournament, which I have no faith in because of the team I have seen since the beginning of January).
I would just like to point out that every opposing team, especially in the ACC is loving this Tar Heels team because they can return the favor that UNC has done to them for the past 3 years, but even the last 5 years. To all of them, I can only say, enjoy while you can. This team is not dead forever and they should check out this piece from ESPN. It talks about how losing won't break Roy Williams and will drive him farther and I agree completely. He may be tearing his gray hair out coaching this year, but if you think this season won't burn a fire under him to bring in better players, coach harder, recruit harder, then you better watch and learn. We'll be back, so foes - enjoy it while you can.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Point Guard of the Future?
In watching the Duke/UNC game, I couldn't help notice how many unforced errors there were in the game (shocking, I know). But it seemed a good majority of the turnovers came from the point guard, Larry Drew II.I like Larry Drew II and think he has done a serviceable job as the point guard for this year's team, but I'm not sure if he isn't just the second coming of Quentin Thomas. Many times this season, we have seen Drew drive the lane and try to have an amazing pass, but only for the rock to end up in the hands of the opposing team, which is why I question him as the point guard of next year's team.
I'll be honest, I don't pay close attention to recruits until they arrive on campus, but with the struggles this year's team has had, it's hard not to focus on next year's class a bit more than in the past. UNC is bringing in Kendall Marshall, a 6'3" PG, who is rated a 4 star recruit and is the 32nd ranked player in his class, but the the 9th overall PG.
For comparison's sake, Larry Drew II was the 71st rated player, and the 10th overall PG in his class.
In reading about Marshall, he is said to be the best passer in the class, according to ESPNU. Here is what rivals says about Marshall:
With a superb basketball IQ, Marshall plays with surprising poise and at a deceptive pace. He sets up for a burst that is just fast enough to beat his man and controlled enough for him to read the situation with precision. The leftly also has a more-than-reliable jumper and has a knack for delivering the pass with timing whether it is off his penetration in the half court or a
pass up the court in transition. Improving his explosiveness and improving on the defensive side of the ball are his next challenges.
Here's what Rivals said about Drew during his senior year of high school:
With a good mind for the game, Drew has a knack for running a team and finding an open man. Perhaps the best thing he does, however is shoot the ball from behind the arc. His foot speed and overall athleticism is an area for concern as a high-major prospect although.
Now, on paper it appears that Drew is the better shooter, which is most likely accurate and Marshall is faster and a better passer. But next year, Drew will have 2 years under Roy Williams' system, but the turnovers can be such a team-killer, especially when you are a team that's built for making runs.
I don't know who will start next year, but I posted this to pose the question of what could possibly happen next year. Personally, I like a pass-first point guard and while Drew has shown that at times, I'm not sure it translates as well as Marshall's game could in the UNC system. We'll see what happens. It could be worth noting that this situation could play out similar to Bobby Frasor and Ty Lawson during Lawson's freshman year. That year Frasor started the first 6 games and then Coach Williams took the reigns off of Lawson and the rest is ACC Player of the Year history.
Holy Moses, They Won!
I was beginning to doubt if we would ever see the win column move up again, but it did, despite the mountain of injuries that is plaguing this team currently. Ed Davis is essentially out for the season with a broken wrist, shortening our post rotation down even farther (Remember when big men seemed to be everywhere for this team?).
But John Henson filled in nicely as a hybrid post player and actually looked pretty comfortable there, despite not having enough bulk. I thought he played a great game and it will be fun to watch him play next year with more weight on him.
The defense was good and the turnovers were few. NC State is not ACC title material, but they are a rival, and they are an ACC team, and they were a win for this team that desperately needed one. Adam Lucas said it was refreshing to walk into the victor's locker room after what seemed like an eternity since the team's last victory.
Solid contributions all around, which is what this team probably needed and probably will need if they hope to win anymore games. Go Heels - even in the down times.
But John Henson filled in nicely as a hybrid post player and actually looked pretty comfortable there, despite not having enough bulk. I thought he played a great game and it will be fun to watch him play next year with more weight on him.
The defense was good and the turnovers were few. NC State is not ACC title material, but they are a rival, and they are an ACC team, and they were a win for this team that desperately needed one. Adam Lucas said it was refreshing to walk into the victor's locker room after what seemed like an eternity since the team's last victory.
Solid contributions all around, which is what this team probably needed and probably will need if they hope to win anymore games. Go Heels - even in the down times.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Well, at Least They Tried Hard
Imagine what our record could be if we had the same kind of intensity all season, as we did against Duke. I don't think it would be 13-11 and 2-7 in the ACC. But what the game came down to in my mind was a lack of a go-to scorer/leader in the last few minutes. It was an ugly game throughout, with both teams putting their noses close to the grindstone and digging in on defense, but Duke stopped being ugly with around 5 minutes left, when Jon Scheyer, Kyler Singler, and Nolan Smith took over the game. UNC does not have that luxury. Even if they did, they would probably be injured on the bench because that's how the season has gone.
The last few minutes were chaos for North Carolina, as they would dribble down the court, down by 8 and jack up a 3 pointer. Yes, they needed to score, but they could at least work the ball around for an open shot. And we should have tried to go with our go-to scorer, who is still MIA because we don't have one. We probably won't until next season, and even then, I'm not totally sure who is is going to be.
In reading postgame comments, it's obvious the players felt focused, but they all said the same thing: that it dropped in the last 8 minutes of the game. A few of the players also brought up the fact that if they played like this all season, they wouldn't be sitting close to the cellar of the ACC standings.
I thought John Henson played well and is giving up glimpses of what he will be like in the future. When he first showed up on campus, I thought he would be a one-and-done player, but I see that as highly unlikely. The defense was there and the effort was there, just not the execution tonight.
So where do we go from here? Well, we might be 3 or 4 more victories in the ACC, but I'm starting to look ahead to next year. I still support the team and will continue to watch and blog, but the NIT is calling and UNC is looking like they are on the guest list, which I never thought would happen under Roy Williams. Next year's class will help with depth on the wings and in the backcourt and should be special (but a lot of people said that about this year's class).
On a side note, Tyler Hansbrough had his #50 retired last night. I almost felt like the awe of Psycho-T would bring us to victory and perhaps Coach K would die of a heart attack when he saw him, but not last night. Anyway, Hansbrough certainly deserved the honor and I can't wait to go see his jersey up in the rafters someday.
The last few minutes were chaos for North Carolina, as they would dribble down the court, down by 8 and jack up a 3 pointer. Yes, they needed to score, but they could at least work the ball around for an open shot. And we should have tried to go with our go-to scorer, who is still MIA because we don't have one. We probably won't until next season, and even then, I'm not totally sure who is is going to be.
In reading postgame comments, it's obvious the players felt focused, but they all said the same thing: that it dropped in the last 8 minutes of the game. A few of the players also brought up the fact that if they played like this all season, they wouldn't be sitting close to the cellar of the ACC standings.
I thought John Henson played well and is giving up glimpses of what he will be like in the future. When he first showed up on campus, I thought he would be a one-and-done player, but I see that as highly unlikely. The defense was there and the effort was there, just not the execution tonight.
So where do we go from here? Well, we might be 3 or 4 more victories in the ACC, but I'm starting to look ahead to next year. I still support the team and will continue to watch and blog, but the NIT is calling and UNC is looking like they are on the guest list, which I never thought would happen under Roy Williams. Next year's class will help with depth on the wings and in the backcourt and should be special (but a lot of people said that about this year's class).
On a side note, Tyler Hansbrough had his #50 retired last night. I almost felt like the awe of Psycho-T would bring us to victory and perhaps Coach K would die of a heart attack when he saw him, but not last night. Anyway, Hansbrough certainly deserved the honor and I can't wait to go see his jersey up in the rafters someday.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
About That
If Roy Williams doesn't have anything to say, how can I? What can I say that hasn't already been said on this blog, other blogs, message boards, and every national sports media outlet? The Tar Heels aren't doing so hot and no one is really sure why. Turnovers, defense, Marcus Ginyard, no guards, outside shots aren't falling, injuries, weak post players, intensity are all reasons that have been thrown around and no doubt, all of them have played a part in UNC's struggles this year.We're on the bubble and in need of some big wins in the next few games to avoid NIT talk. I never thought we would see the NIT again with Williams at the helm, but I guess crazier things have happened in the college basketball world.
I don't know what it boils down too. And I don't think it's precisely one problem, but several problems. I do know that the problem is not the coach because Williams has taken the blame for his team's performance for awhile, but they players have to take up and take responsibility for their play. They keep talking about wanting it more and intensity, but talk is cheap at this point. We have seen Williams play zone, which I can only remember him doing in the 05 title game to keep Raymond Felton out of foul trouble. He has called timeouts to try to stop runs, but nothing has worked. I don't play Ol' Roy at all for this year's lack of success. Injuries haven't helped, as a healthy Tyler Zeller would have helped when Ed Davis was out, but it happens. We can only hope as fans, that something clicks soon in the player's heads and the W's start acomin'.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen
I'm having a hard time coping with this team right now because I thought they would be better. I expected the team to be competitive and at times they have been, but not for a while 40 minutes. Yes, we've been hit with some injuries, but that comes with any team.
3 losses in a row is new territory for we the fans because we have been absolutely spoiled by Roy Williams and his staff and the players he has brought in. There are still quite a number of teams who would love to have our problems.
There is some talk that our team is NIT bound and I can't say I quite agree yet. There is still a lot of basketball to play and our Strength of Schedule has been pretty solid this year with the top 35 teams in the nation. Yes, the Heels do need to take care of some business to avoid bubble talk, but I'm confident they will rebound here. They have to, right?
3 losses in a row is new territory for we the fans because we have been absolutely spoiled by Roy Williams and his staff and the players he has brought in. There are still quite a number of teams who would love to have our problems.
There is some talk that our team is NIT bound and I can't say I quite agree yet. There is still a lot of basketball to play and our Strength of Schedule has been pretty solid this year with the top 35 teams in the nation. Yes, the Heels do need to take care of some business to avoid bubble talk, but I'm confident they will rebound here. They have to, right?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
That One Stung
I thought they were going to win. I had my title all picked out. It was going to read "That's what I'm talking about." It just felt like they were going to win, despite the Mr. Hyde first half, the Dr. Jekyll second half comeback seemed like it was made for this team.
The team played with a sense of urgency in the second half. If they could play like that for a whole game, instead of one half, we could be sitting at 14-4 instead of 12-6. So far this season, every chance to become optimistic is resulted with another poor performance and another reason to remain down in the dumps about this team. I still believe that this team can turn things around, but sometimes I need to see it in order to believe it too. I'm not seeing it. I see glimpses, but not enough to put it together. Not enough ownership; not enough leadership; not enough urgency.
Will Graves played the game of his life and we finally see the shooting that we have heard about for a number of years. I hope it can continue.
If it's any consolation, last year's team was 1-2 in the ACC, beginning with 2 opening losses, so it's possible. But reality is that last year's team won the NCAA Tournament, which is highly unlikely at this point. Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, and Marcus Ginyard said they wanted to have their own championship ring, but most of their actions suggest otherwise.
The team played with a sense of urgency in the second half. If they could play like that for a whole game, instead of one half, we could be sitting at 14-4 instead of 12-6. So far this season, every chance to become optimistic is resulted with another poor performance and another reason to remain down in the dumps about this team. I still believe that this team can turn things around, but sometimes I need to see it in order to believe it too. I'm not seeing it. I see glimpses, but not enough to put it together. Not enough ownership; not enough leadership; not enough urgency.
Will Graves played the game of his life and we finally see the shooting that we have heard about for a number of years. I hope it can continue.
If it's any consolation, last year's team was 1-2 in the ACC, beginning with 2 opening losses, so it's possible. But reality is that last year's team won the NCAA Tournament, which is highly unlikely at this point. Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, and Marcus Ginyard said they wanted to have their own championship ring, but most of their actions suggest otherwise.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Eye of the Tigers
I didn't know if we were up to Clemson this time around. Something felt off to me and low and behold, we have a blow-out loss to Clemson. I didn't get to watch the game and that makes me glad because I think I would have been pretty upset watching the turnover machine that is North Carolina.
I thought of an analogy today about this year's team. I would consider them to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this year. Dr. Jekyll would be the North Carolina team that was present against Michigan State and the second half versus Va Tech. The Mr. Hyde version is the one we have seen a good portion of the season and unfortunately, seems to be taking over Jekyll's play.
Coach Williams blamed the loss on himself in his postgame quotes, saying he did a poor job of coaching. Sure, he could have done things better, but he's not the one out there who can't pass the ball inbounds or throws it over somebody's head. 26 Turnovers. 26! 17 from the starters - the experienced players! I think it's getting inexcusable now and something has to change.
Adam Lucas wrote in his postgame article about the team lacking focus. If you read the post-game comments, the message is similar from the players. I think this statement from a freshman, Dexter Strickland, stood out to me the most:
"It's thinking too much. It's being scared to make a mistake. When you play cautious you're more likely to make a mistake."
I played soccer in college and I remember when I started worrying about making mistakes, that's when I made the most mistakes or played the most cautious. When I didn't think about everything that I could be doing and just tried to make a play is when I had the most success. I'm not saying that Williams should throw caution out the door and let the horses loose, but somebody needs to step up and bit and take some leadership. We have seen a bit of this factor or just going out and making something out of nothing from Dexter Strickland some, but he does still make freshman mistakes and cause turnovers. I think this could be the perfect situation to throw John Henson into so that he can become a better player.
In doing this, North Carolina might establish itself a go-to scorer, someone who gets the last shot because as of right now, the guy who gets the last shot on the team for me is probably Larry Drew II or Strickland, but only because of their ability to break people down off the dribble. I'm not saying this should turn into chaos, but it is something to think about. Make the players stop thinking and start doing. If I had an answer for this situation, I'm sure a lot of coaches would ask me how, but I don't. This season that was filled with potential and hype is suddenly shrinking and becoming a harsh reality. Boo reality, boo!
I thought of an analogy today about this year's team. I would consider them to be Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this year. Dr. Jekyll would be the North Carolina team that was present against Michigan State and the second half versus Va Tech. The Mr. Hyde version is the one we have seen a good portion of the season and unfortunately, seems to be taking over Jekyll's play.
Coach Williams blamed the loss on himself in his postgame quotes, saying he did a poor job of coaching. Sure, he could have done things better, but he's not the one out there who can't pass the ball inbounds or throws it over somebody's head. 26 Turnovers. 26! 17 from the starters - the experienced players! I think it's getting inexcusable now and something has to change.
Adam Lucas wrote in his postgame article about the team lacking focus. If you read the post-game comments, the message is similar from the players. I think this statement from a freshman, Dexter Strickland, stood out to me the most:
"It's thinking too much. It's being scared to make a mistake. When you play cautious you're more likely to make a mistake."
I played soccer in college and I remember when I started worrying about making mistakes, that's when I made the most mistakes or played the most cautious. When I didn't think about everything that I could be doing and just tried to make a play is when I had the most success. I'm not saying that Williams should throw caution out the door and let the horses loose, but somebody needs to step up and bit and take some leadership. We have seen a bit of this factor or just going out and making something out of nothing from Dexter Strickland some, but he does still make freshman mistakes and cause turnovers. I think this could be the perfect situation to throw John Henson into so that he can become a better player.
In doing this, North Carolina might establish itself a go-to scorer, someone who gets the last shot because as of right now, the guy who gets the last shot on the team for me is probably Larry Drew II or Strickland, but only because of their ability to break people down off the dribble. I'm not saying this should turn into chaos, but it is something to think about. Make the players stop thinking and start doing. If I had an answer for this situation, I'm sure a lot of coaches would ask me how, but I don't. This season that was filled with potential and hype is suddenly shrinking and becoming a harsh reality. Boo reality, boo!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Go Team
Well, we are guarteend not to go winless in ACC play now. Virginia Tech is a tough team and they may not be Top 25, but they have played North Carolina tough lately. I did have my doubts, especially thinking we wouldn't have Marcus Ginyard and possibily without Will Graves and Leslie McDonald. But they all played and I think it's a good thing because they don't have too many games together.
Hopefully this game can be a confidence builder for the team. the crowd was good and I thought the team looked good for the most part. I thought the team was patient against the Va Tech zone, moving the ball around and looking for the open man instead of forcing shots. Some balanced scoring to fill up the box score. Ed Davis continues to impress and do well. He needs to stay another year for my sake. Team him and Harrison Barnes together....oh golly.
Defense looked pretty good too and the team really clamped down on Malcolm Deleaney in the second half. And we threw 4 different defenders at him. That might be what we need to do in order to prevent these scoring guards from having big nights. We'll see.
Hopefully this game can be a confidence builder for the team. the crowd was good and I thought the team looked good for the most part. I thought the team was patient against the Va Tech zone, moving the ball around and looking for the open man instead of forcing shots. Some balanced scoring to fill up the box score. Ed Davis continues to impress and do well. He needs to stay another year for my sake. Team him and Harrison Barnes together....oh golly.
Defense looked pretty good too and the team really clamped down on Malcolm Deleaney in the second half. And we threw 4 different defenders at him. That might be what we need to do in order to prevent these scoring guards from having big nights. We'll see.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Execution
We lack it. Hardcore. Very hardcore. Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves certainly would have helped in the C of C game, but they were held out and though the hill was a little steeper to climb, North Carolina should not have lost this game. But they did and there is no use crying over it now. It's a loss and we can get over it and move on. It is however a little tough because we exepcted so much more from this team by now.
We thought Ed Davis would be awesome and he has been. That dunk he threw down after the little pump fake was pretty nasty. Marcus Ginyard was supposed to be David Noel II and he hasn't been quite that good. He has been better than the Marcus of old, at least on the offensive end, but I'm not quite sold on defense. But I would have rather taken his defense on Goudelock than Deon Thompson, but obviously that's not how the basketball world wanted it. Larry Drew II has been better than most expected, but still has mental lapses and bad judgement and John, Henson, who was supposed to be Kevin Durant, has done nothing but block shots. We were over-hyped to begin with, and it's coming into play now. I wouldn't say we were losing to College of Charlestown over-hyped, but that's why they play the game.
What this loss comes down to is a lack of leadership and execution. Coach Williams pinned the leadership aspect on himself and maybe part of that is true, but the team was down two upperclassman starters. Logic dictates that someone else speaks up or steps up. From the execution side of the argument, they are a young team and are trying to worry about the right plays and defensive sets, let alone late game clock management. They simply haven't practiced it much and when looking at this game on the schedule, the coaches probably figured they wouldn't need to worry about practicing these types of situations right now against this caliber of a team. Well, lesson learned.
I'm not blaming this on any one individual, but the team and I'm just not sure what to think anymore. The lofty expectations seemed achievable and some of these goals are still out there, but I hope these young players know that in ACC play, you have to bring it every night or you're going to walk out of the gym with the C of C loss feeling a lot. Go Heels! Please!
We thought Ed Davis would be awesome and he has been. That dunk he threw down after the little pump fake was pretty nasty. Marcus Ginyard was supposed to be David Noel II and he hasn't been quite that good. He has been better than the Marcus of old, at least on the offensive end, but I'm not quite sold on defense. But I would have rather taken his defense on Goudelock than Deon Thompson, but obviously that's not how the basketball world wanted it. Larry Drew II has been better than most expected, but still has mental lapses and bad judgement and John, Henson, who was supposed to be Kevin Durant, has done nothing but block shots. We were over-hyped to begin with, and it's coming into play now. I wouldn't say we were losing to College of Charlestown over-hyped, but that's why they play the game.
What this loss comes down to is a lack of leadership and execution. Coach Williams pinned the leadership aspect on himself and maybe part of that is true, but the team was down two upperclassman starters. Logic dictates that someone else speaks up or steps up. From the execution side of the argument, they are a young team and are trying to worry about the right plays and defensive sets, let alone late game clock management. They simply haven't practiced it much and when looking at this game on the schedule, the coaches probably figured they wouldn't need to worry about practicing these types of situations right now against this caliber of a team. Well, lesson learned.
I'm not blaming this on any one individual, but the team and I'm just not sure what to think anymore. The lofty expectations seemed achievable and some of these goals are still out there, but I hope these young players know that in ACC play, you have to bring it every night or you're going to walk out of the gym with the C of C loss feeling a lot. Go Heels! Please!
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