Hubris

The name of this blog is an invitation to talk about Greek things, so today it's hubris.  More to the point, last night it was hubris that did in Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.

Wade's three pointer from the corner gave Miami a 15 point lead with a little more than 7 minutes left in the game. The shot was fine, but Wade decided to tempt the fates by striking a pose, holding his follow through and thus both arms aloft, for a long, long, long time - right in front of the Mavericks' bench.

I respect Wade as a talent, but one thing that has always bothered me about his game is all the posing, preening, chest thumping, attention-seeking, flopping, etc. He must lead the NBA in 'time spent staring at yourself in the mirror' (or TS-SYM for stat geeks).

Of course, that also describes  most of Miami, especially Heat fans, a city that often prefers style over substance.

Though it may be popular with Miami's front runner fans, it all caught up with Wade and his teammates in the last seven minutes, as the Heat hoisted up bad shot after bad shot expecting them to go in because they were hot. Wade's 3 with a minute left was an especially bad shot, rushed and off balanced but stylish as he faded away.

But we also have give some credit to the Mavericks, who finally stopped turning it over so much.  Down the stretch they got good shots, and Jason Terry finally stepped up. And unlike his fellow superstars, LeBron James and Wade, Dirk Nowitzki was patient and did not rush anything on his way to scoring the last nine points of the game to give Dallas a critical win and a great comeback.

A comeback made possible by Wade's hubris, the greatest sin to the ancient Greeks and a terrible one to commit with a 15 point lead with only seven minutes to play.

Better than it looked

It would be easy to characterize today's win over Clemson as an ugly one.  But that would be unfair to this year's squad.

Bouncing back - on the road - after a tough loss to your arch rival makes a powerful statement.  This team has more resolve than the previously thought.  

The talent started to emerge once Kendall Marshall was installed as the starting point guard.  The resolve started building shortly after that.   It rounded into full form today at Littlejohn Coliseum.  

The Heels got off to good start, and led at half despite playing some ugly ball.  But like it was at Duke, the Heels let the home team come back and take the lead late.   

But today, the Heels didn't back off and made plays.  The second-best one was Marshall's steal and lay up to essentially ice the game with less than two minutes left.

The best play was the out-of-nowhere dunk by Barnes. Late in games he really loses himself in the action, and he definitely did on that freak-nasty dunk!  If Marshall's steal iced it, Barnes' dunk was a frigid blast that started the process.  

The game may have looked ugly, but that dunk was not!

GO HEELS!

Quick random note:  I watched the first 30 minutes of this game on ESPN3; Maryland was playing at the same time so the Carolina game was not shown on TV in DC.  ESPN3 was okay but I had to deal with lots of buffering and delays, etc.  That may have more to do with Earthlink than ESPN3 but either way it harmed my viewing experience.  

But after a commercial reminded me that I can watch live games on my iPhone with the ACC Sports app.   I switched over, and it was great - no delays or buffering at all. 

The Barnes quote is from Jim Hawkins at www.insidecarolina.com

Man . . .

We had that game, but Nolan Smith and Seth Curry would not let the Heels keep it.  That stinks.

Carolina got a little tentative in the second half, a not uncommon occurrence for a young team, and lost some of our offensive confidence.  

Tyler Zeller was the loan exception; he was tough throughout the game.

But Bullock, McDonald and even Henson (10 scintillating points in the first; only 4 in the second) looked tentative in the final 20 minutes of the game, and Strickland's foul trouble hurt us offensively by taking away his aggressiveness, and defensively where he could not aggressively cover Smith. 

Marshall's first half was phenomenal, but he seemed to run out gas with 10 minutes left.

Barnes and Singler seemingly expended all their energy on covering each other defensively, as neither had much of a game. Barnes had trouble getting off a shot in the second half. 

The tentativeness was evident on the boards and on defense, too, and that let Duke score 50 points in the second half.

Obviously frustrating; the Heels played hard but we just missed shots.  The offense was generating good looks; we just could not hit them late - and Smith and Curry did.

We're past moral victories with this team.  They are rolling, despite the final score and the last 20 minutes, and have restored the luster to Carolina basketball.   Time to regroup, and hit shots in Littlejohn this weekend in our rematch with Clemson.

One final thought on tonight's loss - it kind of reminds me of the 2005 game in Cameron, the one that ended with Felton dribbling too long then having Noel lose his dribble as time expired. Different plays but the same feel; that we let Duke off the hook once but will not let it happen again, or let one loss stop the team from having a great season.

As always - GO HEELS!

Marshall Plan

As a Greek-American I've always liked the Marshall Plan. A magnanimous nation helping a poor country like Greece rebuild and retool after being devastated by 4 years of Nazi occupation.

Well, I love the Carolina-Hellenic Blue version we saw today as Carolina won it's third straight game by at least 20 points, 89-69,  against a pretty good FSU team.

Playing his first extended minutes of the season due to Larry Drew II's decision to leave school in the middle of the season, Marshall excelled.  His 16 assists are a Carolina record for an ACC game.  

Let that sink in for a while.  Marshall - not Phil Ford, Jimmy Black, Derrick Phelps, Ed Cota, Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, Quentin Thomas - has that record for assists.  At Carolina.

Marshall was the first among equals in tonight's win. The list of contributors was not as deep as it was versus Boston College, but most everyone played great today.  It looks like every Heels player - not just Harrison Barnes - is losing themselves in the game, and it has showed of late as Carolina has rolled to some very convincing wins.  And a 7-1 record halfway through the ACC season.

Against the Noles Carolina was never really challenged.  The Tar Heels had a nice working margin most of the game.  In the first half it was Marshall, but also an aggressive Dexter Strickland, Barnes, and some great contributions from Justin Knox leading the way.   Carolina had a 9-point lead at half without significant contributions from Zeller or Henson.

That changed in the second, as Zeller in particular got great position down low and Henson was much more aggressive and hit a variety of shots - including my new favorite, his sweeping left handed hook. He looks like Randy Johnson when he extends, and his arm looks even longer than usual. 

I also like Barnes' toughness, hitting 3 shots after hurting his left shoulder.  Best way to rehab an injury is to make shots!

That's what the Heels did all game, as they became the first ACC school to shoot more than 50 percent against the Seminoles this season.

A lot of the credit goes to the Marshall Plan.  Ever since Roy made him the starter the offense has really flowed, guys are generally making good decisions and taking good shots, and the Heels are looking very, very confident.   Oh yeah - they're also winning  ball games.

A few more Heels notes:

• Larry Drew II looked small for leaving Carolina the way he did; Marshall made him look even smaller today (if that's possible).
• Carolina didn't need a whole lot from Bullock or McDonald today, though each made a three-pointer.
• Knox made some tough shots, but also set a couple of nice screens and defended well especially in the first half.
• Some interesting numbers: Barnes finished with a double double, 17 and 10, and Marshall and Strickland each played more than 35 minutes. 
• Carolina enters Wednesday's big game versus Ran Paul's alma mater full of confidence.  It will be a big test for freshmen like Barnes and Marshall and Bullock, but I love our chances.  Duke is a little weak down low - though Mason Plumlee has played better of late - so if Marshall and Strickland can get it to Zeller, Hanson and Knox and open things for Strickland, McDonald, Bullock and Barnes watch out!  Go Heels!

Not II Classy

In one of the most boneheaded moves in the history of college basketball, Larry Drew II announced yesterday that he is leaving Carolina.  The list of reasons why this is a boneheaded move is long.  Consider:

• Every player who transfers has to sit out a season, but since this year is half way over Drew will have to sit out a year and half; he won't be back on the court until the 2012-2013 season;
• Who would want a guy like that on their team anyway? The resume reads 'led defending national champs to NIT as a sophomore starter; as a junior quit on team mid-way through the season.'  Oh yeah, schools are going to line up to sign a guy like that;
• Drew quit when he and the team were playing well; coming off the bench as really suited Drew II and the Heels; but I guess the prospect of coming off the bench next year was too much for him to take;
• Quitting midway through the season invites inevitable comparisons to Sarah Palin;
• Drew II had his dad, Atlanta Hawks head coach Larry Drew Sr., call Roy and deliver the news; that's like a school in the summer - no class.

That last point is the most serious one.  Carolina will be fine - though thinner and it weakens a real strength of this team, having a deep and productive bench. 

Why have your dad make that call to Williams?  Do you have so little respect for the University and the team?  Drew II never spoke to Williams or to any of his teammates in person.  Not a very mature approach.

And if Drew II was that unhappy, the classy and conscientious path would have been to wait until the end of the season.  A good friend and a good teammate thinks of their friends and team first.  Drew II did not, opting to act like a spoiled baby.  

You can only make yourself happy if you make others happy first.  That's true in life, but especially for a point guard!

I think I was right

After the Heels' win over Miami on the road I wondered if Carolina, the real Carolina, was back.  

Well, after yesterday's win, an almost 2009-style blowout over N.C. State, I think we are.  Granted, State is still one year away from being above average (or a year away from where Herb Sendak had them) but I loved the way the Heels played against the Wolfpack.

There were at least four things that had to make any Heels fan grin a Mama Dips-size smile.  

One, the Heels came out on fire and aggressive.  For whatever reason the Heels had come out flat in five straight games.  Though they were Trident-gum successful - winning four out of those five games - it was great to see the Heels impose their will on an opponent from the opening tip.  We're well known for great comebacks, but it's not a great habit to get into.  Good to see us throw the first punch.

Two, it was a punch mainly thrown by Harrison Barnes, who finally played a full game rather than putting together a few huge spurts and flourishes. Barnes looked electric against State, hitting shots from all over the floor, driving a few times, pulling down 6 boards, and hustling on defense. His confidence is starting to build, and Barnes is morphing into the player we expected - our best player, the new Hansbrough, the one who leads us deep into the NCAA tournament.

That brings me to point 3; to become our best player he will have to out play John Henson, who right now is the best Carolina player on the floor.  Henson had 16 points, an equal number of boards to go along with seven blocks. Like Barnes he is getting his points in a variety of ways, on dunks, hooks, short jumpers, put backs, even a few free throws!  It took him a while to figure out college basketball but he has, and Henson is thriving.  I love his skill, but am equally impressed by his patience, confidence and intelligence/decision making.  Otherwise known as being a Tar Heel.   

Finally, there is nothing that says Carolina basketball as much as "feeding the post," and against State we did that.  All three of our bigs, Henson, Zeller and Knox, finished in double figures as Marshall, Drew, Strickland, Barnes, Wanda, everyone, fed the post consistently on Saturday.

There were some lapses in the Heels' offense against State, and we probably let Brown get to the rack to easily in the second half.  But at the core of yesterday's win - Barnes' overall play, Henson's skill and savvy, feeding the post - was more proof that Carolina is back.

GO HEELS!

Few Random Notes:

• Heels are back, but some things have changed in North Carolina as the Old North State was America's winter sports capital this weekend.  How odd to think that Raleigh hosted the NHL All-star game the same weekend that Greensboro hosted the U.S. figure skating championships? When I was growing up there you couldn't buy a mixed drink let alone find ice.
• I wanted to root for Duke - and the ACC - against the Big East and St. John's today . . . but couldn't. I can't stand the Big East, but they are better than us this season.  Duke, on the other hand, looked bad, especially down low.  Hope we can exploit that and keep feeding the post against them in Cameron next week.  It appears to me that without Kyrie Irving at the point Duke is having trouble getting Singler enough shots, but I've only seen them play a few times.  Either way, without Irving they are not that scary.  

The Return of Carolina

Last night's scintillating win over Miami - in Coral Gables - could finally be the start of something big for the 2011 Tar Heels.

Not only did the Heels make some big, huge plays down late, Carolina-style plays like Henson's hook,  Barnes' two clutch shots, Marshall's pass, and Zeller's defense and key rebounds. 

But I'm talking about that confident, 'we're going to win this game' sensation that Heels from Dean to Barnes have felt, as have most Carolina fans. 

I felt that last night, even when the Heels fell behind 28 to 14 and even when our power went out with 8 minutes left.  [I followed the rest of the game via Twitter and ESPN game cast on my phone, but mainly via Joey 'Texting Like Woody' Pillow, who provided excellent play by play via text down the stretch. I finally watched the rest of the game this morning via ESPN3.]

That feeling is one of the things that define Carolina basketball.  And to say the least we didn't have it last year, and it's been fleeting this campaign.  For instance, I felt it at half time of the Georgia Tech game, and we know how THAT turned out.

But last night may be different. The Tar Heels had to make play after play to win, and they did. You need skill to make those plays, but you also need that Carolina confidence, that 'we're going to win' mentality.   And it may finally be here to stay.

A great win over a team that shot lights out at home, a win that gives us the same number of ACC road wins - two - as we had all of last year, and one that makes us 4-1 in the conference.  As perplexing as this team has been Carolina is on track to win 10 or 11 ACC games, and team that is getting that Carolina confidence back.

GO HEELS!

Some More Caro-Lines

• Harrison Barnes has certainly had his ups and downs but he saves his ups for key moments, that's for sure. Roy keeps urging him to lose himself in the game, and the shots he made last night are evidence when Barnes does that he excels.  The big shots last night were reactive, basketball plays that good hoopsters make. His biggest problem has been thinking too much, but when he doesn't do that Barnes looks like the big-time talent we expected.  The three was big, but that step-back two was breathtaking, and I jumped out of my seat when I finally watched it this morning.
• Roy also said that more amazing than Barnes' shot was Marshall's pass, and it's hard to argue.  It was another instinctive play, the kind made by talented and confident players.
• After a lackluster first half Zeller really impressed me late with his rebounding, his shot to tie it up late, and his great defense down low.  He's as guilty as Drew and others for some of the recent slow starts this team has had of late, but I'm glad he showed up.
• I can't believe I didn't mention Reggie Bullock until the fourth bullet! It was fantastic to see his confident play carry over from the Clemson game.  He didn't go off for 16 first half points like he did versus the Tigers but he made play after play last night, especially late in the first half when his scoring and rebounding helped the Heels make up a 14-point deficit to tie the score at half.
• Dexter Strickland was the other key player in Carolina's first half run. He was aggressive and smart with the ball on his way to 12 first-half points.  It was his first good ACC game of the season.  While he didn't score in the second half Strickland played some nice D.
• John Henson wasn't as active as in previous games, but he did have a few blocks and helped fuel the first half surge.  And like Barnes, his hook shot late was clutch and confident.   
• How great is it to get contributions from so many players, and I haven't even mentioned quality play from McDonald - who came back after missing a game to make 2 three pointers - Knox who also had some nice moments, and Larry Drew who looks great coming off the bench, finally going to the hoop and initiating the offense instead of dribbling dribbling dribbling . . .
• One negative note to last night's game: how in the wide, wide world of sports can the Hurricanes fail to have a sell out with Carolina in town? Some local celebs - Tim Hardaway, Desmond Howard, the Saints Jimmy Graham - realized that when Carolina comes to town you go to the game.  But the Canes couldn't even sell 8,000 tickets to their on-campus facility for one of the most - or THE most - storied college basketball program of all time?  
• Actually, forget it was Carolina - every ACC team should sell out their conference games.  Miami sports fans are lame: the Hurricanes football team rarely sell out their games unless FSU or Florida are in town; no one goes to Marlins games; the Heat draw now but even when Shaq was in town didn't sell out night after night; even the Dolphins play in front of a few empty seats every Sunday.  But how can you NOT sell a measly 8,000 tickets with Carolina in town?
• The lousy hoops attendance in Miami and Boston College is more proof that ACC expansion was a mistake.  The exception is Virginia Tech, a natural rival for Virginia that is geographically an ACC team AND boasts great (at least passionate) fans.  But the conference has not benefited from having BC and the U as members.

Take 2 Clemsons and Call Me in the Morning

When it comes to Carolina basketball, there is nothing like Clemson.  Once upon a time, Carolina was a school of unbelievable streaks: 20-win seasons, top-3 finishes in the ACC regular season, sweet 16 trips. Our friend Matt Doherty ended most of our most vaunted streaks (with some help from Boston College's Bill Curley).

The one that endures is our winning streak against the ACC's original football school, the Clemson Tigers. Last night's win leaves Clemson 0-forever versus Carolina.  Perhaps the most inexplicable record in sports is Carolina's 54-0 lifetime record at home versus Clem(p)son. 

Almost as inexplicable was the way the Heels stunk up the joint versus Georgia Tech on Sunday night.  After displays of toughness and determination in their previous 2 conference games the Heels displayed neither in Atlanta. They also could not do little things like catch a pass, let alone make a shot. Inexplicable that any Division I athlete, let alone a Carolina recruit, could not catch a pass but that's what happened on Sunday night.

The good news is last night the Heels righted many off those wrongs.  Perhaps best of all Carolina did not trail by double figures in this game for the first time in four games.  The Heels came out much more focused, with much more energy.

That may have something to do with Kendall Marshall replacing Larry Drew II in the starting line up. That was certainly part of it; Marshall was no Ty Lawson but the Heels did score 46 points in the first half - and did not fall behind.

Marshall did his part, but the Heels were led in the first half by Jon Henson and Reggie Bullock.  Bullock got major minutes due to a pneumothorax issue with Leslie McDonald. Not only did Bullock score 16 points in the first half, he got them as a result of playing a complete floor game. Bullock did hit 3 three-pointers but he also played the passing lanes and created - scored off of - Clemson turnovers.

Playing the passing lanes was emblematic of a more aggressive defensive effort by the Heels. Particularly late, the Heels really ratcheted up their defense and as a result Clemson only scored 2 points in the final seven minutes.

Also on display late was the toughness the Heels demonstrated in their wins over Virginia and Virginia Tech.  For most of the game the Heels had a working lead of 4 to 8 points but the Tigers fought back time after time, tying the game at 63 with seven minutes left.   That's when the Heels started making plays. 

Down the stretch Barnes made another big three and had a important defensive board, Marshall made free throws, there was a key tip-in by Henson,  and Zeller had two monster offensive rebounds.  

So overall a pretty satisfying game, one that makes us 3-1 in the conference.  We didn't get behind early, Bullock and Henson made shots, and the Heels got tough late to win.  Thanks Clemson!

And GO HEELS!

Few more Heels notes:

• This is Henson's team now.   Used to be Zeller's.  Psycho Z is still playing well, but Henson is consistently making plays on offense and defense (everywhere but the free throw line).  We get much worse when he is not on the floor.
• Zeller needs to get more touches.  In the last two games he's only taken 11 shots.  Maybe teams are keying on him more, and Henson is benefiting as a result.  But I wish we could be more patient on offense and get Zeller more touches and shots.
• I was impressed by Larry Drew II.  Coming off the bench he was more Bobby Fraser 2006 than his usual Adam Boone.  He attacked the basket and played some good d, too.  And he didn't sulk.  Props to LDII.
• Bullock finally snapped out of his parliament-sized funk last night.  Like Barnes, he's had trouble losing himself in the game but last night he finally did - and scored 16 points in the first half.
• Barnes keeps tantalizing. He is clearly skilled but still seems to be thinking too much out there.  I like that he has been taking the ball to the rack more, and seems to have improved as a defender.
•  After 3 games in 6 days the Heels are now off until their January 26 visit to the U. 

Ugly Ugly Ugly

Let's see - Carolina's last 3 games have been: ugly win (at Virginia); ugly win (at home vs. Virginia Tech);  the most horrendous of them all, tonight's ugly loss to a uninspiring Georgia Tech team in Atlanta.

A game so terrible as tonight's 20-point loss takes all - at least almost all - the shine off those two ugly wins.  The Heels never looked like the Heels tonight.  They were incredibly passive to start the game, for the second game in a row.  We did not feed the post; Henson and Zeller had 6 shots combined in the first half. Our perimeter defense was terrible, and we let a relatively short Tech team out muscle us down low.

Even our new savant, Kendell Marshall, had a bad game with 5 turnovers (a couple of really bad ones, too).

It was a total breakdown. Carolina shot 27 percent for the game, 20 percent for the second half.  Georgia Tech punched us in the face, and we had absolutely no response, from anyone.  No one had even a semi-decent game for the Heels. 

Is this a pattern?  Against the teams from the Old Dominion the come-from-behind victories looked good, and were symptoms of toughness and tenacity.  But when you follow those two performances with tonight's stinker, you start to worry about the 2010 Heels. 

The troubling thing is that in 3 ACC games the Heels have failed to play with much urgency or smarts, at least for 40 minutes.  Against Virginia we did for the first 5 minutes, and the last 6. Against Virginia Tech is was for the last 4 minutes of the first half, and the last 8 of the second. Tonight against the Yellow Jackets, in front of a 50/50 crowd by the way, we had one decent stretch when the subs came in after 3 minutes, for about 5 minutes.

So my very rough calculations have us playing 28 decent minutes, in 3 games, out of a possible 120.

Maybe I'm over reacting; it's only one game, ugly wins are still wins, and we're 2-1 in the conference with a road victory. And perhaps I should not devalue those two wins. Virginia won half a game AT Duke over the weekend so they aren't THAT bad.  And the Hokies are semi-legit, a top-50 team according to the RPI.

Perhaps best of all, Clemson comes to the Dean Dome on Tuesday, a team the Heels have never lost to in Chapel Hill.

That game will be huge, however.  A good night of shooting, rebounding and running, a playing smart will go a long way to cure all the ills from tonight's loss.  This team needs to get it's confidence back, and hopefully that will happen against the Tigers.

That WILL happen if Carolina acts like Carolina. We need to feed the post, for two reasons. One, that's Carolina basketball, go low first, then pass it out if nothing's there.  And two, for the 2010 Heels that's where are scorers are.  

This team has talent, especially in Henson, Zeller, and Barnes. Those guys, especially Henson and Z, need lots of touches. Tonight that didn't happen, and there were similar stretches against the Cavaliers and Hokies.  Fix that and everything will get better, and we won't have nights where the Heels shoot 27 percent.

Of course, that issue begs THE BIG QUESTION: Marshall or Drew II?  I would keep doing what Roy has been doing, at least for one more game. It will be hard to keep starting Drew, however, if he continues to fail to get the Heels into their offense, and fails to feed Z, Henson, and others.  He's been in Chapel Hill for 2 and a half seasons.  He should be better, and that needs to happen soon.

Psycho Z!

What an exhilarating win for the Heels today against the Wildcats!  It was sloppy at times, but in general Carolina played an all-around game to win one they had to have.  Losing today, especially after the kind of effort the Tar Heels put forth, could have had devastating consequences for Carolina.

But now the converse is true: this is the kind of win and game that a squad can build a successful season on. 

There were plenty of star turns in this game.  John Henson was everywhere making every kind of play.  Blocks, passes, rebounds, getting good position (he was not pushed around tonight as he was in the second half of the Illinois debacle), and of course scoring.  He even made an important free throw late after air balling two in a row early in the second half.

Harrison Barnes had a three-minute stretch where he looked like an all-American especially on the soaring, put-back dunk in the first half.  He scored seven points during a nice, 9-0 run for the Heels.  Barnes' streakiness included that mini-run, AND a time in the second half where he single-handedly tried to hand Kentucky the win.

Even Larry Drew made some nice plays, setting up teammates, getting a steal or two, and a nice drive and two big free throws late.

My unsung hero of the game was Dexter Strickland, and not just because in the first half he hit a JUMP SHOT!  Rather, it was his defensive effort.  Strickland lead an incredibly solid defensive effort for the Heels, and in the second half he slowed down Doron Lamb, Kentucky's very impressive freshman.

The big story from today's game - besides saving the season - was that defensive effort. Carolina imposed their will on Kentucky's offense, and funneled the ball and Kentucky players to areas of the floor where we wanted them to go, especially towards Zeller and Henson.  As a result the Heels finished with 9 blocks; 5 by Zeller and 3 by Henson.  And when Carolina's defense was not directing the ball towards our big men it was forcing Kentucky into traps and double teams.   It was a great defensive effort, just great team defense.

The defense was key, but another outstanding feature of today's win was the team resiliency and perseverance. Carolina was playing well most of the game, but never opened up much of a lead and spent most of the game trailing the Cats.  But they never gave in, kept working, and made plays for the win.

After a back and forth few minutes to start the second half, a Kentucky mini-run left the Heels down 6 with just under 12 minutes to go. It even forced 'ol Roy to call a time.  Coming out of the TO Leslie McDonald came off a John Henson screen at the top of the key.  But instead of taking a three, McDonald took two extra dribbles and hit a floating 8 footer.  It was a smart, Carolina-style play by McDonald, who was our best player off the bench today.  Twice he passed up threes for an easier drive to the basket.

Two minutes later Justin Watts got a big rebound that he turned into an old fashioned three-point play.  And almost more improbably, at the nine minute mark Drew - told you he had a nice game - made his own three-point play off a rebound fast break.  The Kentucky run was over, stemmed by the unlikely three of McDonald, Watts, and Drew II.

Great resilience and focus - and smart, Carolina basketball.

In the last 8 minutes it was basically the Tyler Zeller show.  As good as the defense and resilience of this team was today, THE story of the game has to be Psycho Z!

First he tied the score off a nice feed from Drew - yes, a very nice game from LDII - at the 7 minute mark.  Down the stretch Zeller did everything: he was grabbing rebounds; blocking shots; taking charges; carrying Wanda's groceries into the house; running the floor; getting great position and hitting free throws. 

Despite that effort the Heels were down one with a minute and a half to play.

But we kept getting the ball to Zeller, he and Drew made their free throws, Carolina really tightened up on defense, and the season was saved.  

Overall is was an exciting game to watch, but more importantly an exhilarating win that the Heels really, really needed.  Last year, this stretch of games ruined the season.  Interestingly enough, the exact opposite happened last year: we beat a Big 10 team (Michigan State) but lost to Kentucky, Texas and College of Charleston.  And the season was lost.

Hopefully the opposite will keep happening, so we'll win 11 games in the ACC, etc. etc.   And the way the Heels competed, kept their cool, and made plays down the stretch it could happen. It was that kind of game, and that big a win. 

Hadditional Heels Headlines:

• Another great thing about today's win? It undoubtedly made Kentucky's wack job, Duke graduate Senator Rand Paul sad.
• Last year's win over Michigan State gave everyone a false sense about the 2009-2010 Heels, especially about Larry Drew.  The good news is the Heels' next few games - against Evansville, Long Beach State, then another rematch with Texas - can give this team a chance to build on today's confidence. 
• Justin Watts was another unsung hero of the Kentucky game. In the final four or five minutes Roy went to a line up of Zeller, Drew, Barnes, Strickland and Watts (keeping Henson's free throw shooting on the bench). The Durham senior delivered with shots, free throws, a nice board and a defensive stop down the stretch.  He even tipped Strickland's missed free throw into the air - killing a second or two - as the game clocked expired.
• Love having Henson and Zeller down low on both ends of the court.
• This was the worst collective game our 3 freshman have played.  Marshall was horrible and made a number of bad passes.  Bullock had a few moments with a key assist and board in the second half.  He also got some open looks that he could not knock down.
• Barnes had that one good, electrifying run in the first half but otherwise he once again forced the action.  One theory I have is that many high school players from non-basketball states can be somewhat overrated, while city kids may be underrated.  Consider Vince Carter and Jon Henson, who came to Carolina from Florida, a football and baseball state.  It took each at least a year to step their game up to ACC level.  Barnes, from Iowa, may be on the same trajectory.  Iowa is a nice place, but Barnes did not face the same kind of competition as kids from New York, New Jersey, California or even North Carolina or Indiana.  
• Look at Kentucky's Lamb, from Queens.  He was fantastic.  It's only one game, but it's not surprising that a kid from New York is ready to successfully jump from high school to big time college basketball.  Ditto for Duke's Kyrie 'Eleison' Irving, who is off to a much better start than Barnes.
• Then again, Tyler Hansbrough was from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, an area more Iowa than Queens.  He's the exception.  But the good news for Heels fans is we got a Tyler Hansbrough-esque performance today from Tyler Zeller.  Psycho T, meet Psycho Z!

Not encouraging

Last night's loss to Illinois, in Carolina's first road game, was discouraging on a number of levels.

One, and most troubling, was how horrendous our back court play was.  Our guards were responsible for 14 of our 18 turnovers.  You can't win, at home but especially on the road, when you throw the ball away that much.  

In addition to the turnovers, Larry Drew II continues to make absolutely no impact on offensive.  He simply has NOT been running an offense lately.  Actually I should take that back; for the first 15 minutes of the game Drew and Carolina's guard's were feeding the post, and Zeller, Henson and Knox were making shots.  But in the second half, after Illinois started packing it in on defense but especially after Zeller picked up his third foul, Drew was clueless.  

Strickland is a nice defender, and with his speed you can see why Roy was tempted into turning him into a point guard that could push the ball on offense a la Lawson and Felton, but man does his shot stink.   And he makes bad decisions with the ball.

But the story of this game is turnovers.  The Heels actually shot it well in the second half, but gave the ball away too often.

Once again, the offense looked better in the second half with Marshall and Bullock on the floor.  Marshall pushes it Lawson-style while Drew dribbles Adam Boone-style.  And I love Bullock's mentality; when he comes in he knows he needs to make things happen and looks to score.  He gets it.

I wish Barnes had Bullock's mentality.  Instead of making plays too often Barnes stands on the perimeter, overthinking things.  I imagine Roy urges him to put the ball on the floor more but for some reason Barnes does not seem to trust his overall game, only trusting his jump shooting.  I'd run some back screen lobs for him, or even an NBA-style clear out to get him to take it to the rack more.

But in addition to the lackluster and ineffective back court play and turnovers, last night's game showed we have no nO NO margin for error with our big men.  After Zeller picked up that third foul the game was over.  Henson gamely kept us in it for a while; he was the one bright spot, making a variety of shots down low on his way to 16 points.  But after Z went to the bench we stopped going inside, or the very tall Illini took that away, and we were never really in the game.

Turnovers are one symptom of a lack of concentration, of a lack of intensity.  One other sign of that is missed free throws.  The Heels made less than half, including another air ball from Henson.  And some of those misses were huge.  Carolina missed three early in the second half, free throws that could have stemmed the Illinois surge that bridged half time.  

It's distressing to lose any game when your a Tar Heels fan, but to lose due to bad decisions, bad passes, and bad concentration is even worse.  That's how teams like Clemson or Florida State or other talented but losing teams historically lose.  Obviously, that's NOT Carolina basketball.  

I hope Roy gets our back court to figure that out, and that Marshall gets more of Drew's minutes and that some of Bullock's mentality rubs off on Barnes, before it's too late.

Not very satisfying

To say the least, today was NOT a very satisfying day of basketball.  

The 'best' news of the day - and boy is THAT a relative term - was Carolina qualifying for the NIT.  The Heels play William and Mary on Tuesday night.  Hard to get excited about that, even with the nostalgic return to Carmichael. Pretty interesting imagery; Carmichael signifies a return to an era of less hoopla and hype, but also is an acknowledgement that though not actually going back in time the 2010 season was a step back for the program. 

Speaking of going back in time, interesting to juxtapose Carolina's recent national success with Duke's recent run at the ACC tournament.  Their win today gave Duke 18 ACC titles, one more than Carolina; the Devils really piled up the wins during the Guthridge-Doherty era but have also won the last two championships.  I think it is the only major hoops category where the Heels trail the Devils.  

That's not the only role reversal.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Duke went to 7 Final Fours in 9 years, many commentators and fans opined that Krzyzewski and Duke had broken with tradition and were emphasizing national success over ACC success.  I remember Dean complaining at the time that though the Heels were winning 3 ACC championships during that span everyone thought Carolina was slumping.  

But as you know, that has now flip-flopped.  Duke has won 9 out of the last 12 ACC tournaments but has only been to the Final Four three times in that span (not counting this year), and have not made the Final Four since 2004 (haven't made it past the sweet 16 actually). Carolina has been to the Final Four three times just since 2004, and has won two National Championships in the last 5 years. And during that 12-year ACC run Carolina has been to more Final Fours, 5 to 3, than Duke.

So Duke has done well regionally but Carolina much better nationally, with more Final Fours and National Championships - both in the last 12 years and overall - than the right-wingers from Duke.

Duke's lack of success in the NCAA tournament - despite nice runs in the ACC tournament - may also be a testament to how weak the conference has been since coaches like Dean Smith, Bobby Cremins, Jim Valvano and even Jeff Jones have left, and since football expansion.  Except for Gary Williams, the ACC has been an easy conference to dominate post-Dean - that is until Roy showed up. 

Pretty lackluster day for the NCAA tournament, too.  It looks like a fairly boring bracket; there are too many weak teams like Utah State, Minnesota, and Florida in this year's field, and it would NOT be a big surprise to see the top 2 seeds in each regional advance to the elite eight.

And not to sound too Duke obsessed, but they got a very easy bracket.  A second-round game versus Louisville could be difficult, and Baylor is supposed to be tough. But the Waco-based hoopsters might not make that far, having to play Notre Dame and Villanova for the right to take down the Devils (an enticing prospect for a Baptist school).  That said, I expect Duke to lose in the second or fourth round due to fatigue.

The bad news for Syracuse is they will have to go west, through Salt Lake City, to reach the Final Four.  The good news is the long flight to Utah may be their biggest inconvenience.   The west regional looks pretty tame, with an overrated 2 seed, Kansas State, and slumping 3 and 4 seeds (Pitt and Vanderbilt, respectively).  Perhaps Butler will give the Cuse a game, but that may be it.

The other brackets are much tougher, especially the midwest. Kansas should advance in the Midwest, but could be tested by UNLV in the second round and by either Ohio State or the winner of Georgetown-Tennessee.  To me, Tennessee if one of the few intriguing teams in the tournament, and I'll be rooting for ACC/neighbor Maryland to make some noise in that region.

Kentucky may have the toughest bracket.  They have to deal with either Temple or Wisconsin, both potential giant killers in the round of 16, then may have to take on West Virginia in the battle of "States that want the US to continue with our 19th century energy policy." 

So my final four are: Kansas, Syracuse, West Virginia, and my crazy wild card pick, Baylor.

Random NCAA Notes:

• Virginia Tech got hosed. The third-place team in the ACC is one of the best 65 best teams in the country - period.  Case closed.  But especially when compared to moops like Utah State and Florida.
• A sentimental favorite is Notre Dame, with Ben Hansbrough at the two guard spot.  Can the Hansbroughs make it back-to-back Final Fours?
• Temple is one dark horse pick for the sweet 16.  The A-10 is a quality mid-major, and the Owls defeated Villanova this year and have a good draw (though Cornell is a tough out). 
• Besides Duke the ACC teams have challenging draws.  Maryland will likely get Michigan State in the second round, with Kansas waiting.  
• Tech will probably defeat Oklahoma State but gets Ohio State as a reward.  The Yellow Jackets match up well with the Buckeyes but that will be a tough foe.
• Florida State gets Gonzaga then perhaps Syracuse.  No way the Noles win more than one game in the tournament.  
• Texas and Wake Forest meet in a 'man are we in a slump' first-round game.  Texas finished 7-9, with Wake one game better in their last 16 games at 8-8.  Hard to have any faith in Wake, but luckily they play a team playing just as bad as they are.  Either team will likely get run over my Kentucky in the second round.
• Clemson should give Oliver Purnell his first NCAA win over Missouri (another undeserving team) before probably bowing out to West Virginia though the Tigers will give the Mountaineers a game.  That will be in interesting second round match up.

Marcus Ginyard Karma

For whatever reason - actually the main reason is blind, Carolina-bred optimism - I like our chances as the Heels head to Durham to take on the right-wingers from Duke tonight.


There is lot of karma on both sides, but I think we have more: our four-game winning streak at Cameron, our own modest two-game winning streak, giving classy seniors Ginyard and Thompson a great way to go out (Ginyard said winning at Duke would be akin to April's national championship for him), Duke overconfidence and pressure to finally give their senior's a win over Carolina at Cameron.


All that could add up to a win.


But more importantly the Heels are playing better.  Ginyard seems healthy, Thompson showed some toughness in the win over Miami, Drew is making better decisions, and though rusty at least Tyler Zeller is back.


Last night, ESPN Classic reran the 2006 win in Cameron that started the current winning streak.  It was great reliving that game, and fun to watch Tyler Hansbrough dominate one more time, a fast Bobby Frasor making plays and clutch free throws, David Noel being David Noel, Rey-Rey's rebounding, key contributions by Byron Saunders, and Danny Green foreshadowing him big play-making with key plays late.


But I was most excited to remember how well Ginyard played in that game.  He finished with 11 points off the bench - Carolina's starting lineup was Hansbrough, Terry, Noel, Frasor and Wes Miller, with a pretty talented bench; what a team - including a back-breaking coast-to-coast lay up off a missed free throw.


So I'm placing my faith in Marcus Ginyard tonight.  I'm even about to visit his hometown, Alexandria, Virginia, this morning for a visit to the Toyota dealer.  That's just too much karma for the Heels, and will hopefully be too much for the Devils tonight, too.


As always, GO HEELS!

Two

The night of the number: 2 thousand wins for the Heels, 2-game winning streak (hey, we'll take what we can get this year), and 2 seniors going out as winners.


Though it was - at best - an uneven game tonight's 69-62 win against the U does allow classy seniors Marcus Ginyard and Deon Thompson to go out on a high note.  Both played great, actually played as we expected and hoped they would the entire season.  That didn't happen this year, but it did tonight.


Both Ginyard and Thompson stepped up (along with help from Wil Graves and the rising John Henson) when the Heels needed them to.  In the first half, after Miami has cut into a 16-point lead Ginyard led a mini-run to give Carolina a 10-point cushion at half. 


Ginyard and Henson also led a spirited charge coming out of halftime to give the Heels an 18-point lead.  After that margin was winnowed down to one, Graves and Thompson hit huge shots.  Thompson's gutty turn around jumper that gave Carolina a three-point was inspirational, coming seconds after he got back on the floor from visiting the locker room to treat a strained back.  And it was nice to see Ginyard help ice the game late; his free throws not only provided the final margin of victory but also gave him his first career double-double.  


This game was a reminder of the good times and grand careers of Thompson and Ginyard, but it was also a reminder that this team has not gotten much better as the season has progressed.  Against the Canes the Heels continued to turn the ball over, get complacent with a lead (a pattern that started against another Miami team, FIU, as the Heels bookended an uneven season with games against schools from America's Casablanca), and miss a lot of bad shots, shots a normal Carolina team would know not to take.


There were times - the start of each half, and the last four minutes of the first half when Henson simply took over - when the offense flowed.  But this uneven game mirrored an uneven season.


But at least the seniors won, we are no longer in last place, and we have momentum as we travel to Durham in hopes of sneaking out of Cameron with a fifth-straight win at Duke.  GO HEELS!


A few random notes, then to bed:

• The recent play of John Henson has been fantastic.  He's even blocking shots better, keeping two in play today to start fast breaks.  He still makes some mental mistakes, but this guy is progressing rapidly and will be a star next season.  
• Graves hit two big Danny Green-esque threes tonight to kill Miami's momentum.  He and Henson are by far the best stories of this year, and they've been are best players since Ed Davis got hurt.  Graves rebounded pretty well tonight, too.
• Speaking of Graves, perhaps THE play of the game was Thompson's inbounds pass to the Greensboro junior with 35 seconds left. Both Drew and MacDonald (he and Strickland were horrible tonight, completely clueless) came open first, but Thompson held the ball long enough for Graves, an 80 percent free throw shooter, to get open. Graves hit both shots to give us a working 5 point margin.  Smart play by the senior Thompson, the kind of trademark Carolina play that has been missing much of the season. 

Everything is better

Everything is better when Carolina wins.  George Will once said his friends who were Cardinals fans grew up to be happy, optimistic and liberal, and his friends - like him - who were Cubs fans grew up to be unhappy, cynical and conservative.  


Being a Carolina fan is like the Cardinals fans in Will's quote - to be a Tar Heel is be happy and optimistic. You knew Carolina would play a certain way - smart, feeding the post, getting good shots and making good decisions - and be extremely successful as a result.


This season has been more Cubs, but today's win was pure Cardinals.  For a day at least, Carolina looked like Carolina.  They rebounded, they fed the post and attacked the basket relentlessly thus generating good shots, and they played smart and excellent defense. 


Putting up a wall on defense - not taking a charge but stopping penetration or redirecting the ball where you want it to go - is a Carolina trademark, and today against the Deacons the Heels excelled. Carolina's walls repeatedly cut off penetration and forced them to become a jump-shooting team.  As a result the Deacons, who are not a good shooting team, had a tough day on offense.  


And when Heels like Deon Thompson or Tyler Zeller or Will Graves were not putting up walls, John Henson was blocking shots.  He was magnificent in the first half on defense.  


Capping off the great walls and shot blocking was the clutch defense of Leslie Macdonald, who drew two big charges. Macdonald was Henson's equal in the magnificence department.  


It was a yin-yang performance by the freshmen. Henson was great in the first half; Macdonald especially good in the second. Henson was a force on defense blocking shots and rebounding; Macdonald was an aggressive and confident and clutch hoopster on the offensive end, almost Danny Green-esque. 


Not only was it a great win, on the road, snapping a losing streak, and hopefully leading to some momentum in the last two games of the regular season and going into the ACC tournament but it also gave one hope for the future, both the rest of this season and the next. It's exciting to think about how players like Henson, Macdonald, Drew, Zeller and Strickland could explode after a year of adversity and seasoning. 


Best of all, for the first time since the win at State, Carolina looked like Carolina again.  The Heels rebounded, ran the floor, fed the post, consistently made the smart play, and played great defense for 40 minutes in Winston-Salem.  I've said it before and I'll say here one more time - losing is bad enough, but what made this team difficult to watch was the way they lost.  This team consistently made un-Heel like plays: bad passes, questionable effort, quick shots, you name it.  


But tonight? Pure Carolina


And when this team was pressed and the game tightened up late, the Heels responded like . . . well, Tar Heels.  They didn't panic, they didn't get the 'woe is me' thing going that Roy has talked about, they didn't choke. 


Instead, the 2010 Heels made plays.  Tough, big-time, plays.


Whether we're talking about: big three-pointers, two by Graves and one by Larry Drew II late (at one point the Heels were 7 of 9 on threes in the second half; the game is a lot easier when you shoot it well); a great double team by Drew and Graves in the corner to force Wake to burn their last timeout; Macdonald's charge late; or Graves' big rebound with about a minute left, the Heels made plays.


No play, however, was bigger than the one Macdonald and fellow freshman Dexter Strickland made with just under a minute left.  Wake had cut the lead to 3.  Instead of worrying or calling time out, the Heels performed like Heels.  As the Deacons were still celebrating their made three-pointer freshman Strickland, in the game due to Drew's brain lock at the free-throw line, quickly pushed the ball ahead in the mode of Felton and Lawson, and fed Macdonald for a quick and easy lay up.   


Then on the ensuing Wake possession a wall put up by Deon and Marcus Ginyard led to Macdonald sliding his feet and taking his big charge that sealed a great and satisfying win.  


And everything is better when the Heels win.


A few random notes:

• It was a great team win.  Everyone who played contributed.
• Kudos to Larry Drew, who had his best game since the Michigan State win in December.  He was aggressive and tough, and did not get down after a rough start to the second half.  His three late was huge, though his free throw woes were almost hugely bad. 
• Our point guards did a great job guarding Ish Smith today.  In Chapel Hill, Drew did a horrible job containing him, but tonight was the opposite.  Drew played Smith to drive, and let the notoriously iffy outside shooter bomb - and miss - from the perimeter. 
• Will Graves really stepped up in the second half.  His shooting was big time, but he also was choice on defense and the boards.  Like all the Heels, he made plays all over the floor tonight, but none bigger than his two threes late.
• It is not a coincidence that the Heels have looked better now that Zeller is back. He's a talented and gifted player who also knows how to play.  He is better than Deon or the Wears at getting position and asserting himself down low.
• Deon did not shoot it well, but his defense in the second half was great. Ditto Marcus Ginyard, who did not force anything on the offensive end and combined with Thompson and Graves for numerous walls and stops. 
• Like I said, it was a total team effort led by the magnificent play of Macdonald and Henson.  Both not only excelled and led their team to victory, they were having fun out there tonight.  Great to see, and great to win.

GO HEELS!

Final answers

There were a number of questions heading into this Carolina basketball season. The defending national champs were talented, but there were three main questions.

Is Larry Drew ready - and seasoned enough - to run Roy Williams' Carolina offense?

Though inexperienced in the back court, can Carolina's long and talented front line replace the scoring provided by Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson, and Danny Green?

Can Dean Thompson and Marcus Ginyard lead a young team the way David Noel and Tyler Hansbrough did in 2006?

The clear answers, writ large tonight in another embarrassing home loss this time to FSU, are no, no and no.  That's been evident all season, at least this calendar year, but it saddens nonetheless.

Against FSU tonight Larry Drew looked clueless, seemingly unaware that his number one job is to push the ball up court and get the ball down low.  But in addition to initiating Carolina's offense, a Tar Heel point guard is supposed to disrupt the other team's offense.  Drew was horrible at both tonight (as was his back up, Dexter 'Sloppy' Strickland).

Our most reliable low-post scorer, Dean Thompson, barely touched the ball and ended up only taking 6 shots.  Deon should assert himself more, so it's not completely Drew's fault.  But after almost a full season at the point he still seems incapable of regularly initiating Carolina's offense.

Carolina's injury-depleted front court was overmatched by a more physical opponent again tonight. In the first half Drew did feed the post a bit, but mainly to John Henson and Tyler Zeller.  Unfortunately, Henson was routinely manhandled by the Seminoles front line and Zeller must have run out of gas as he played limited minutes in the second half.  Without Ed Davis, our most talented player hands down, and the Wear brothers our front court is literally thin - and thin.

I thought he would, but Deon has not established himself as the go-to player for the Heels this season. And Ginyard seems to lack the talent - perhaps due to his multiple injuries - to lead this team.  Our two senior leaders have struggled to lead this team ever since the loss to Texas in Cowboys Stadium.

No, no, no.

To make matters worse, with the exception of Will Graves and Zeller the Heels played as if they were going through the motions tonight.  Most of the team acted as if the season was already over despite the fact that winning four in a row, though improbable, could have gotten the Heels to 7-9 and probably into the NCAA tournament.  Winning against FSU would have meant the team still had some fight left, perhaps enough to run the table - again improbable -  at the ACC tournament.  Or at least stay out of a last-place tie with NC State.

The lack of effort was most pronounced on the defensive end, where FSU easily moved the ball on offense and seemingly got any shot they wanted.  

So still no answers, no wins, and another loss in Chapel Hill.  Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.