Season in Review: Mike Copeland

I wonder how the general public views Mike Copeland. I wonder if they think he’s annoying (personally, I thought Greg Little was annoying last year). I wonder if they even noticed him. Truth is that Mike Copeland contributed during the year, the stats just don’t show it. He fired the Heels up against Duke at halftime; he provided the comedy during tense moments; and he occasionally did some nice plays during the games.

Things I didn’t like:
1. Missing some time. Not much he can do about this. It’s not like he meant to go out and tear his ACL. But when we only had two big men (remember Zeller and Hansbrough both missed a few games) for awhile, it would have been nice to know he was there so in case something happened. Also, the non-conference schedule was way too easy and he could have gotten some easy points to pad the stats.

2. The whole NC State issue. It was a hard foul and I’m pretty sure that it was just Roy who ejected Copeland. But there’s no reason to do that. If #50 doesn’t go kill Gerald Henderson for breaking his nose, you shouldn’t charge someone who fouls you hard. That’s anti-Carolina.

Things I liked:
1. Attitude. One of the best qualities about Copeland is the fact that he is happy to be on the team. He is a Tar Heel fan, who happens to play on the basketball team. He is very appreciative of his opportunity to play for UNC and I appreciate that. He’s also not the kind of guy who is upset over playing time and holds a grudge but knew his role and sought to fulfill that role.

2. Doing whatever needed to be done. Whether it was cracking a joke or firing up the team, he did what he could to help, even if he wasn’t the best player. He was a good leader.

Copeland will probably not be remembered in 10-15 years, but that’s probably ok with him because he got to live a dream. He probably considers himself to be one of the luckiest people in the world because of that dream.