If you couldn't figure it out against College of Charleston, were still a bit slow during the blowout at Clemson, or didn't quite get the point on Saturday in the loss to Georgia Tech, you HAD to figure it out during the Wake Forest game: these Tar Heels just aren't very good.
This game was over two minutes in. Ish Smith, as pointed out numerous times on TV, was far and away the best player on the floor. I now understand how teams felt when Ty Lawson would zoom down the floor and scoop up a shot off a made basket. I guess I quickly forgot my rule in college hoops: when one team has a dominate point guard, they will likely win the game. In the college game, a great point man just makes things so easy for his teammates, not to mention scoring points himself. The drop-off dunks and kick-out threes come after a great point guard breaks down the defense, and that's what we saw tonight.
Aminu was huge as well. He dominated the glass, along with my boy McFarland. Twice in the second half, Wake Forest batted the ball around before first Aminu, then Tony Woods, corralled the ball for a slam dunk/layup. It was at this point that I realized how much I took Tyler Hansbrough's toughness, tenacity, and passion for granted. As a team, the Tar Heels play like a bunch of vaginas. Some of the freshmen just aren't big enough yet to push people around, I'll acknowledge that. However, size and toughness is not necessarily the same thing. This team has size, but little toughness.
The little things kill Carolina - a missed box-out, not talking on a defensive switch, getting pinned underneath while your guy hits an open three, etc. The reason the 2005-2006 team overachieved and became a "whole is greater than the sum of the parts" squad was because they did a lot of these little things on a regular basis. Leadership, basketball I.Q., whatever you want to attribute it to - they did it. The team absolutely does not understand this concept.
I don't like calling out individual players, but I'm going to say something here and try to move on: John Henson is one of the most disappointing "hyped" players I have ever seen as a freshman at an elite college program. This might not be his fault - he didn't assign himself the "#5 in the country" ranking. The recruiting pundits opined that he was a Brandan Wright clone, a possible-if-not-likely one-and-done guy, a dude who could play the 3-spot because of his varied skillset. He played point guard early in high school, the story goes, and was a better player because of it. Um, what? Has anyone seen this "skillset" this season? He is long and can block shots...but that's about it thus far. Three fouls and two turnovers in nine minutes tonight. He scored going 1-2 out the foul line after one of the slowest, most awkward one-man fast breaks I've ever seen (and it was a four-on-one break). He looked like a 6-10 Special Olympian running down the floor - and I'm sorry if I've offended any of the Olympians. Moving on...
This team very clearly has no confidence, as individuals, in their teammates, or in the collective unit. The off weekend must change that. Roy said something in his postgame about a Kansas team he coached that lost eight in a row, I believe in his first season. He had them watching "Hoosiers", "Rocky III", and eating bologna sandwiches. Well, it is indeed time to dust off every trick in the book, Ol' Roy, starting Thursday. I already mentioned it last week, so without belaboring the point - ACC play is NOT the time to try to find your confidence and figure things out. Right now, the Heels look like a wounded fish with all the other sharks swimming in circles around them, sniffing out the blood in the water and ready to bite.
So where do we go from here? For the fans, I'd recommend hard liquor. This ain't turning around fast. For the team, the expectations have to be lowered even more for this season. Get it together enough to make the NCAA Tournament and win twenty games. Continuing to play like this will not equal either of those things happening.
I don't mean to sound spoiled here. I realize that Carolina won the National Championship last year, and has won two in five years. That is outstanding. I'm still proud to be a Tar Heel and always will be. I wouldn't trade places with Duke, State, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA (ok, bad example this season) or anyone else this year or any other year. You cannot replace the excitement and passion of a title. But, living in the here-and-now, it is really frustrating to watch this team struggle. We all thought it could be a down year, but probably not quite this rough. I'm not throwing in the towel or giving up on the 2009-2010 team; I hope they improve and make a good run of things. But, I'm no longer expecting it. And that's what's frustrating.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Clemson Catastrophe & ACC Notes: The U
An absolutely abyssmal performance on the road tonight for Carolina. Clemson's MO under Coach Purnell has been full-court pressure that often leads to easy transition buckets for the Tigers. In discussing the game with a friend earlier today, I said that the Heels could not turn the ball over and expect to compete, much less win. It was that simple. Well, they finished with about 73 turnovers, so mission not-so-accomplished. I'm not writing any more about this game for fear of being too reactionary. Just know that I did laundry from the twelve minute mark on of the second half. Also, know that Roy Williams' tie was gawd awful. Burn it Roy. Finally, know that I wore untested "Carolina Gameday" boxers tonight that I received for Christmas. Needless to say, I will no longer be wearing these drawers on gamedays.
Moving on to something new for this college hoops season: The Blue Team will feature team notes on each ACC team I get to see play in person. As you know, I work every home basketball game at Virginia Tech courtside and get to see at least nine ACC teams (including the Hokies) every season. Tonight, the Hokies opened ACC play by beating the Miami Hurricanes 81-66. VT actually led 48-13 at one point late in the first half, so this was never much of a game. However, there are still a few decent takeaways on the Canes despite their poor performance, so let's delve into the first set of ACC Notes.
The initial quality that jumps out about Miami is their athleticism. Every single guy on this team looks like a stud athlete. They are very smooth and fast. That being said, the collective skill of this team is not all that good. Shooting is streaky, turnovers are frequent, and good decision-making is not always present. They remind me a lot of Eddie Sutton's Oklahoma State teams of recent years, just not quite as good. However, Miami is going to be tough to beat when they defend well and can get out and run a lot, as not many teams are able to keep up with the Canes.
From an individual standpoint, no one player really jumped out to me as "the guy". Dwayne Collins is supposed to be option one, but he is still inconsistent. The Hurricanes did not do a good job, especially early on in this game, of getting into their offense. Every set seemed to get blown up, either by a turnover or just good defense from the Hokies. As a result, Collins was not a factor. He did completely sky over Victor Davila for a put back in the second half, so you know the tools are there. He's probably just waiting to unleash 30 & 13 on the Heels later this year.
Durand Scott, a freshmen guard from New York, is going to be a good one for Miami. He was a 4* recruit coming out of high school and really showed great burst and toughness tonight. He was frustrated with his team & his individual play at times tonight, but I think was the typical "New York competitiveness" coming out. He is a physically strong kid and will really be a good scorer once he hones his jumper.
Likewise, Reggie Johnson, a redshirt freshmen from North Carolina, shows a lot of promise as well. He is a big body, very much reminding me physically of current Tar Heel Deon Thompson when he was a rookie. He is not polished, but seems to use his size well and can at least man up defensively. If Frank Haith & his staff can work with this kid, Johnson could develop into a force before his Miami career is over.
On the flip side, sophomore Dequan Jones was a 5* guy coming out of high school, a huge recruiting get from Haith & Co. However, he is the definition of "athletic without skill" right now. Sure, he can rebound and defend, but he doesn't have much handle or a consistent jumper. I reckon he's going to improve and his body is off the charts, but the basketball skills have not caught up yet for this guy.
Overall, I think Miami is going to be alright. They took a lot of bad shots tonight, making some but missing more. I'm sure playing in a tough road environment did not help, but they seemed to lose composure and get rattled (reminds me of another team that lost on the road in the ACC tonight). However, there are four seniors on the team, so hopefully these guys will take it upon themselves to pull their team together and get better. I think I just a caught the Canes on a bad night tonight and we'll see the real Miami develop to the tune of 9-7 in the league. The battle, of course, will be with the selection committee to get past their atrocious non-conference schedule and snatch a bid.
One other quick note related to the Canes. They have a guy, whom I assume to be a senior in school there, who serves as a team manager. He sat on the end of their bench tonight and did all of the manager things: water, stools, clipboard, towels, etc. He also lept to his feet after nearly every made basket, clapped with far-too-enthusiastic vigor, and screamed at the officials on more than one occasion. It was bad enough that I noticed the other "end of the bench guys" (trainers, stat guy, strength guy, etc) discussing his behavior after a particularly strong reaction/meltdown in the second half. Somehow the Hokies' student section, the Cassell Guard, did not notice how into the game this guy was. But let me tell you, he heard them anyway. Every "Uuuuuuuu suck" or "Just like foot-ball" chant by the students was met by a slew of f-bombs, glares, and fidgety body language. I really thought this kid was going to lose it and strangle someone for yelling at his beloved Hurricanes. It's a long season dude, and you've got seven more ACC road environments to visit. You might want to chill out and relax, because if another school realizes how into the game you are, you could find yourself the target of their chants. Worse yet, if you snap on an official, Frank Haith will be looking for a new manager. It's just a game man.
We'll get to another ACC Notes segment next week, as the Boston College Eagles come calling to Blacksburg. I doubt I'll bother with a formal UNC breakdown at any point, given the amount of coverage the Heels already receive. We'll save the Hokies for later in the season, after they have developed a bit more. In the meantime, enjoy watching NBC screw themselves & Tennessee scramble to find a new coach not named Butch Davis.
Moving on to something new for this college hoops season: The Blue Team will feature team notes on each ACC team I get to see play in person. As you know, I work every home basketball game at Virginia Tech courtside and get to see at least nine ACC teams (including the Hokies) every season. Tonight, the Hokies opened ACC play by beating the Miami Hurricanes 81-66. VT actually led 48-13 at one point late in the first half, so this was never much of a game. However, there are still a few decent takeaways on the Canes despite their poor performance, so let's delve into the first set of ACC Notes.
The initial quality that jumps out about Miami is their athleticism. Every single guy on this team looks like a stud athlete. They are very smooth and fast. That being said, the collective skill of this team is not all that good. Shooting is streaky, turnovers are frequent, and good decision-making is not always present. They remind me a lot of Eddie Sutton's Oklahoma State teams of recent years, just not quite as good. However, Miami is going to be tough to beat when they defend well and can get out and run a lot, as not many teams are able to keep up with the Canes.
From an individual standpoint, no one player really jumped out to me as "the guy". Dwayne Collins is supposed to be option one, but he is still inconsistent. The Hurricanes did not do a good job, especially early on in this game, of getting into their offense. Every set seemed to get blown up, either by a turnover or just good defense from the Hokies. As a result, Collins was not a factor. He did completely sky over Victor Davila for a put back in the second half, so you know the tools are there. He's probably just waiting to unleash 30 & 13 on the Heels later this year.
Durand Scott, a freshmen guard from New York, is going to be a good one for Miami. He was a 4* recruit coming out of high school and really showed great burst and toughness tonight. He was frustrated with his team & his individual play at times tonight, but I think was the typical "New York competitiveness" coming out. He is a physically strong kid and will really be a good scorer once he hones his jumper.
Likewise, Reggie Johnson, a redshirt freshmen from North Carolina, shows a lot of promise as well. He is a big body, very much reminding me physically of current Tar Heel Deon Thompson when he was a rookie. He is not polished, but seems to use his size well and can at least man up defensively. If Frank Haith & his staff can work with this kid, Johnson could develop into a force before his Miami career is over.
On the flip side, sophomore Dequan Jones was a 5* guy coming out of high school, a huge recruiting get from Haith & Co. However, he is the definition of "athletic without skill" right now. Sure, he can rebound and defend, but he doesn't have much handle or a consistent jumper. I reckon he's going to improve and his body is off the charts, but the basketball skills have not caught up yet for this guy.
Overall, I think Miami is going to be alright. They took a lot of bad shots tonight, making some but missing more. I'm sure playing in a tough road environment did not help, but they seemed to lose composure and get rattled (reminds me of another team that lost on the road in the ACC tonight). However, there are four seniors on the team, so hopefully these guys will take it upon themselves to pull their team together and get better. I think I just a caught the Canes on a bad night tonight and we'll see the real Miami develop to the tune of 9-7 in the league. The battle, of course, will be with the selection committee to get past their atrocious non-conference schedule and snatch a bid.
One other quick note related to the Canes. They have a guy, whom I assume to be a senior in school there, who serves as a team manager. He sat on the end of their bench tonight and did all of the manager things: water, stools, clipboard, towels, etc. He also lept to his feet after nearly every made basket, clapped with far-too-enthusiastic vigor, and screamed at the officials on more than one occasion. It was bad enough that I noticed the other "end of the bench guys" (trainers, stat guy, strength guy, etc) discussing his behavior after a particularly strong reaction/meltdown in the second half. Somehow the Hokies' student section, the Cassell Guard, did not notice how into the game this guy was. But let me tell you, he heard them anyway. Every "Uuuuuuuu suck" or "Just like foot-ball" chant by the students was met by a slew of f-bombs, glares, and fidgety body language. I really thought this kid was going to lose it and strangle someone for yelling at his beloved Hurricanes. It's a long season dude, and you've got seven more ACC road environments to visit. You might want to chill out and relax, because if another school realizes how into the game you are, you could find yourself the target of their chants. Worse yet, if you snap on an official, Frank Haith will be looking for a new manager. It's just a game man.
We'll get to another ACC Notes segment next week, as the Boston College Eagles come calling to Blacksburg. I doubt I'll bother with a formal UNC breakdown at any point, given the amount of coverage the Heels already receive. We'll save the Hokies for later in the season, after they have developed a bit more. In the meantime, enjoy watching NBC screw themselves & Tennessee scramble to find a new coach not named Butch Davis.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Observations from Bob Uecker's Seat
Every college basketball season, I get the chance to watch a lot of ACC Basketball up close and personal. Sunday night led me to Chapel Hill to "work" the Tar Heels vs Hokies affair. Thanks again to Bill, Mike, & Damian for allowing me to tag along. Here are a few thoughts from the game at the Smith Center:
- First, the Hokies' side of things. Virginia Tech played hard the entire game, but clearly ran out of gas. Malcolm Delaney was outstanding the first half, but his bum ankle and being a touch out of game shape seemed to catch up to him in the second frame. Not to mention the job Marcus Ginyard did on him defensively.
- The Hokies, as discussed many times over in our office, still need a consistent third offensive option or will have to rely on the "total team effort" to provide points. To me, it looks like Dorenzo Hudson can be that guy if he does not press so much. Relax and let your offense come to you. Dude plays hard too.
- Coach Greenberg really remains fairly composed when facing Carolina. He and his staff seem to emphasize staying poised in tough road environments and it works well against the Heels. Sans the blowout in Chapel Hill during the 2006-2007 season, the Hokies have played Carolina very tough in the four seasons I've been at VT.
- While already a decent squad this year, the Hokies could be really, really good next season. No major players graduate from the rotation and one would not expect Delaney to leave for the pros following this year. So, bring everyone back, add in a stud transfer from UF named Allan Chaney, plus two solid recruits that will contribute immediately and you could have a very good Virginia Tech lineup in 2010-2011.
- Moving on to the game atmosphere a little bit...the Smith Center was barely 50% full five minutes prior to the game. Then, the National Anthem ended and it was 95% full. Guess everyone was racing in from the cold still?
- Anoop Desai, Carolina alum and one of last year's American Idol contestants, sang the anthem. He and his parents sat right behind us - very nice people. His father was right amused by the parade of hotties coming up to Anoop for pictures. But what he didn't see were the two girls sitting across the court from us on the front row trying to take his son's picture during the game. Anoop is still a Carolina celeb, I reckon.
- People always joke about Duke's insane number of student managers, but the Heels have a ton as well. I'm not sure what everyone's role is, but most of the row immediately behind the scorer's table is full of students who assist the basketball program in some way, shape, or form. They don't all run out and mop up sweat during the game or pass out water to the players, but they did all seem to have pre-game and post-game duties.
- Dr. Holden Thorp, the Chancellor at UNC, sits right behind the TV commentary guys across from the scorer's table. The lady next to him, whom I presume to be his wife, Patti, jumped during the "Jump Around" segment of pregame festivities with as much enthusiasm and vigor as I have ever seen. The chic was basically raising the roof. Very...nerdy, yes, but incredible support from the presumed Mrs. Thorp.
- Also during pregame, Carolina has implemented the UNC Drumline into the starting lineup introductions. I assume this just started this season after the addition of the new lights, but correct me if I am wrong. Either way, I don't recall ever hearing of this at any other schools around the country. Anyone know of any?
- One quick officiating note: they botched the injured player/who shoots the foul shot ruling. Under the new rule for this season, the coach of the team that commits the foul is granted the chance to appoint a foul shooter from among the remaining four players on the floor for the injured team. Had the foul on Davila been intentional or flagrant, then Virginia Tech would have been able to select the player to shoot. In this case, Roy Williams should have been given the choice of the four players on the floor to shoot the free throws (he likely would have chosen Terrell Bell from the four on the court at the time). In any event, it worked out for the Tar Heels because freshman Ben Boggs checked in and missed the front-end of the one-and-one.
- Now, moving to the Carolina side of things. First off, Dexter Strickland is really fast in person. I know he looks it on TV, and no, he's not nearly in the Lawson/Felton/Kenny Smith category. But when you see him in person, that's probably the first thing you notice. He's also very smooth. Going to be a great player for Carolina no doubt.
- Tyler Zeller really struggled Sunday night. Big Z seems to excel against shorter opponents, but has a bit of trouble with 1) big and physical because he's not strong with the ball all the time; and 2) quick players, including guards coming in and stripping rebounds. He definitely brings the ball down low too often and is very robotic at times. I'm sure you've heard the Eric Montross comparisons (tall, white, gets down the court well, baby hook), but I currently think of him closer to a more offensive-minded Kevin Salvadori, who was a teammate of Montross. Chill out, Z will end up better than Salvadori (who was no slouch by his senior year & got a sniff in the NBA), but he is comparable right now.
- Finally, for people who have freaked out about this team, keep in mind the comparisons that have arisen with the 2005-2006 Baby Heels who were led by David Noel (I thought Adam Lucas referenced this in passing following a recent game, but I'm striking out on the link again). That team started out 1-3 in league play, then 2-4. They fell out of the polls all together a few times that season, including after the home loss to Dook in early February (shouts to Burt for making the down-and-back with me from Clemson that day/night/early morning). Eventually, Carolina climbed back to #10 in the polls. Now imagine if that team had been without David Noel & Reyshawn Terry for a few weeks and that's what we've had recently with Ginyard & Graves missing. Somehow this team is still ranked #13 (ridiculous and clearly based on talent, potential, and the name on the jersey) and will be fine if they "get it". Point: getting Marcus & Will back healthy, contributing, and, most importantly, leading, will make this team look a lot better.
I think that's enough from Sunday's game. We'll hit up some more topics later this week, including the NFL playoffs and Carolina's football recruiting. Thanks to everyone who texted compliments on the purple shirt last night. As I told G Elliott, purple is very "in" this season. Be good ya'll.Monday, January 04, 2010
Tha Crossroads
Now tell me whatcha gonna do
when there ain't nowhere to run
and whatcha gonna do
when there ain't nowhere to hide
when judgement comes for you
- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"
I thought The Blue Team was dead. Not enough time on my hands to write, yet too much to say. Too many other things that are more important to do. But one bad night of hoops can change your entire perspective on shi-...stuff. Plus, when someone asks, "hey, what do you think?", the Blue Team obliges.
"Tha Crossroads" is a touching rap song off the E. 1999 Eternal album of legends Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It is an ode to homies fallen, specifically Eazy Mother-Effin' E, who had just died of AIDS. The point of the song, besides honoring lives lost, is about those left on this earth making a decision with what to do with their lives; how one reacts following adversity, in this case the loss of a loved one.
I think you know where this is heading. The 2009-2010 Carolina basketball team is officially at its crossroads. For each individual, for the coaches, for the team as a whole: whatcha gonna do? This question is not at all unfamiliar: I asked the same thing of last year's team. Most every team who wins anything in any sport goes through a "whatcha gonna do" moment in its season.
The difference for this year's Tar Heels is this question has been building gradually over a month or so. A bad half against Syracuse? Ok, they're better than everyone thought. A bad ten minutes against Kentucky? Alright, it was the first road game. 103 effing points given up to Texas? Maybe Jerry Jones' video board really is too big. But the disconcernment has snowballed with lackluster wins against non-conference foes in recent weeks.
The last three weeks of December are the most important weeks for a college hoops team. First, players go through exams and need to focus/stay eligible (after all, they are student-athletes). Next, there are tons of practices due to the NCAA restrictions on practice hours easing up with students gone for the holidays. That means a lot of time to bond and get better. Finally, you generally get to play against some lesser competition many of those games, which means that big wins and confidence should result if you have a good team.
Therein lies the problem. Carolina has not had a single game this season that it played well for a full forty minutes. Numerous writers have commented on it & Coach Williams has pointed it out, but it wasn't really a problem until tonight's loss to College of Charleston. There's really no need to dissect the loss; it happened, it's over. The reaction moving forward is ten times more important than exactly what went wrong. But, big picture, a number of things have to change:
1) Health. Marcus Ginyard & Will Graves are not Magic & Larry. But they're two of the few veterans on this team, and the best defender and shooter respectively. The prescence and consistently solid play of these two individuals is imperative to this season's success. Duh.
2) Youth. I don't think this is going to change, and what I mean is the inexperienced guys are going to continue to be a bit up-and-down the rest of the season. But, some level of consistency has to emerge from all of the young guys. Notice I did not say "freshmen". I mean everyone not named Marcus Ginyard or Deon Thompson.
3) Defense. Coach Williams said early in pre-season practice that this team had a chance to be very good defensively, going as far as to say they had the ability to be better than the 2005-2006 team protecting the house (tried to find a link, but failed. Here's the best I could do). That has absolutely not been the case. I likewise prognosticated this summer with friends that this team would win more games "ugly" than the other teams under Roy, with good defense and rebounding. A "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" type of team. Again, wrong. I think everyone expected the youth to be a problem, for there to be some bad shooting nights, and to see some turnovers. But terrible defense? The breakdowns have been the only consistent trait of the Heels on the defensive end of the court. More than anything else, this absolutely, positively must get better if this team wants to reach its potential.
I realize that Carolina won the National Championship last season. It is not the end of the world if 2009-2010 is a "down" year that ends in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. But this team still has a lot of talent, a lot of depth, and a lot of potential. The Heels will get better - Coach Williams won't have it any other way. I keep telling everyone who's ready to jump off a cliff that by the time they host Dook in Chapel Hill, this squad is going to be very good. I still believe that 100%. But, I don't play. I'm not on the team. To quote The Rock, it doesn't matter what I think. The team has been knocked down and now they are the ones who have gotta answer the bell.
So again, here we are, a year later. Another team that's not buying in entirely, not playing the type of defense you have to play to be successful. Judgement has come for the Tar Heels and there ain't nowhere to hide. The coming weeks will tell us how they react at their collective crossroad.
when there ain't nowhere to run
and whatcha gonna do
when there ain't nowhere to hide
when judgement comes for you
- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - "Tha Crossroads"
I thought The Blue Team was dead. Not enough time on my hands to write, yet too much to say. Too many other things that are more important to do. But one bad night of hoops can change your entire perspective on shi-...stuff. Plus, when someone asks, "hey, what do you think?", the Blue Team obliges.
"Tha Crossroads" is a touching rap song off the E. 1999 Eternal album of legends Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It is an ode to homies fallen, specifically Eazy Mother-Effin' E, who had just died of AIDS. The point of the song, besides honoring lives lost, is about those left on this earth making a decision with what to do with their lives; how one reacts following adversity, in this case the loss of a loved one.
I think you know where this is heading. The 2009-2010 Carolina basketball team is officially at its crossroads. For each individual, for the coaches, for the team as a whole: whatcha gonna do? This question is not at all unfamiliar: I asked the same thing of last year's team. Most every team who wins anything in any sport goes through a "whatcha gonna do" moment in its season.
The difference for this year's Tar Heels is this question has been building gradually over a month or so. A bad half against Syracuse? Ok, they're better than everyone thought. A bad ten minutes against Kentucky? Alright, it was the first road game. 103 effing points given up to Texas? Maybe Jerry Jones' video board really is too big. But the disconcernment has snowballed with lackluster wins against non-conference foes in recent weeks.
The last three weeks of December are the most important weeks for a college hoops team. First, players go through exams and need to focus/stay eligible (after all, they are student-athletes). Next, there are tons of practices due to the NCAA restrictions on practice hours easing up with students gone for the holidays. That means a lot of time to bond and get better. Finally, you generally get to play against some lesser competition many of those games, which means that big wins and confidence should result if you have a good team.
Therein lies the problem. Carolina has not had a single game this season that it played well for a full forty minutes. Numerous writers have commented on it & Coach Williams has pointed it out, but it wasn't really a problem until tonight's loss to College of Charleston. There's really no need to dissect the loss; it happened, it's over. The reaction moving forward is ten times more important than exactly what went wrong. But, big picture, a number of things have to change:
1) Health. Marcus Ginyard & Will Graves are not Magic & Larry. But they're two of the few veterans on this team, and the best defender and shooter respectively. The prescence and consistently solid play of these two individuals is imperative to this season's success. Duh.
2) Youth. I don't think this is going to change, and what I mean is the inexperienced guys are going to continue to be a bit up-and-down the rest of the season. But, some level of consistency has to emerge from all of the young guys. Notice I did not say "freshmen". I mean everyone not named Marcus Ginyard or Deon Thompson.
3) Defense. Coach Williams said early in pre-season practice that this team had a chance to be very good defensively, going as far as to say they had the ability to be better than the 2005-2006 team protecting the house (tried to find a link, but failed. Here's the best I could do). That has absolutely not been the case. I likewise prognosticated this summer with friends that this team would win more games "ugly" than the other teams under Roy, with good defense and rebounding. A "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" type of team. Again, wrong. I think everyone expected the youth to be a problem, for there to be some bad shooting nights, and to see some turnovers. But terrible defense? The breakdowns have been the only consistent trait of the Heels on the defensive end of the court. More than anything else, this absolutely, positively must get better if this team wants to reach its potential.
I realize that Carolina won the National Championship last season. It is not the end of the world if 2009-2010 is a "down" year that ends in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. But this team still has a lot of talent, a lot of depth, and a lot of potential. The Heels will get better - Coach Williams won't have it any other way. I keep telling everyone who's ready to jump off a cliff that by the time they host Dook in Chapel Hill, this squad is going to be very good. I still believe that 100%. But, I don't play. I'm not on the team. To quote The Rock, it doesn't matter what I think. The team has been knocked down and now they are the ones who have gotta answer the bell.
So again, here we are, a year later. Another team that's not buying in entirely, not playing the type of defense you have to play to be successful. Judgement has come for the Tar Heels and there ain't nowhere to hide. The coming weeks will tell us how they react at their collective crossroad.
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