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!

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. 

Call the Tailor

First Massachusetts, now this!


After watching Carolina's excruciating home loss to Wake Forest, our third loss in a row, I think it's time to strip the NORTH off our the jerseys.  This year's Heels are simply NOT playing like a Carolina basketball team is supposed to play.


Once again, the Heels displayed a disheartening lack of smarts and savvy.  The Heels were killed by poor shooting; we have no margin for error so an off night by Will Grave meant a long one for Carolina.  Even after netting a few meaningless threes late, the Tar Heels shot only 37 percent.  The Heels took too many jump shots - wing players Larry Drew, Marcus Ginyard, Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland were a combined 7 for 30 for 23 percent - and failed to look down low enough.  Feeding the post is text book Carolina basketball, and we did not do that tonight.


But for me the defense was the biggest problem, especially our defense of Ishmael Smith. Smith is a terrible jump shooter, but for most of the game Larry Drew played him tight when he was away for the basket.  Instead of playing off of Smith and preventing penetration, Drew did the opposite.  The result is that Smith spent most of the game driving to the rack for lay ups.  Carolina basketball is above all smart basketball, and Drew was not smart in his defense of Smith.


Bad shooting and bad defense - quite a combo, but to do that at home is doubly bad.  


The defending national champs (we need some perspective here, and 2 championships in 5 years should give Heels fans some comfort when watching this year's team) are clearly suffering.  Halfway into the season Carolina still has not learned how to play Carolina basketball.  Drew is the main culprit, but no one is playing with the confidence and smarts of a quintessential Tar Heels team, including seniors Ginyard and Thompson.  


The good news is the Heels have a six-day break, time for Davis to heal but more importantly time for 'ol Roy and the coaching staff to hopefully coach up this young team.  And hopefully time for the them to earn the NORTH back on their jerseys, in time to make a run at 8 or 9 wins in the ACC and another nice run in the NCAA tournament.

When will 2006 start?

Is it panic time yet for Tar Heels fans?  Panic is probably too strong of a word for it, but for the first time since when - 2002? - there seems to be cause for serious concern.

In losing to Clemson and Georgia Tech, for the first time in years to both schools, the Heels confirmed that there are some as yet uncorrected – and major - flaws with this team.

Actually, perhaps there is only one serious flaw with one major culprit.  There are way too many turnovers, and I fear that that problem can be laid at the feet of Larry Drew.

To be certain, there are other problems: a lack of assertiveness by Deon Thompson and Ed Davis; nagging off and on injuries to a mix of players; and less than stellar play from Marcus Ginyard. 

Going into this year, Heels fans were looking forward to another giddy, 2006-like ride led by players like Ginyard and Thompson.

But this year’s team is not as competent as the 2006 edition of the Tar Heels. I’ve blogged enough about how Ginyard is no David Noel, as a leader nor as a athlete.  This year’s team also lacks someone like – or specifically – Tyler Hansbrough (Psycho T phone home!), a relentless and consistent talent who assertively carries the team.  Carolina also lacks someone like Reyshawn Terry, and athletic player who could make plays all over the floor.

The good news is that four out of five freshmen – Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald and the Wear twins, at least Travis – are getting better.

But most importantly, we don’t have a point guard like Bobby Frasor.  We’ve been spoiled by Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson in the last 8 years, but don’t forget how great Frasor was at running the point in 2006.

Carolina basketball is about playing smart and playing hard.  Though he averaged less than 7 points a game Frasor – the son of a coach – quickly figured out how to run the Tar Heel offense.  Run, run smart, feed the post, move the ball around – do that and you get a good shot.

Unfortunately, Drew still struggles with running a Carolina-style game.  He will eventually figure it out, and he has in games against Michigan State and others this year. But until he consistently does this team will be up and down, from game to game and half to half, sometimes from one TV timeout to the next.

Even though he had 9 assists against Georgia Tech I imagine most of those were not to Thompson and Davis but to the wing and players like Will Graves. The Greensboro junior had a great game, but not just in shooting 3s; he played a total floor game, with good passing and playing defense. Graves seems to be rounding into a legit Tar Heel. Perhaps he will become this year’s Ray Ray?

Back to Drew, who made a number of shaky and un-Tar Heel like plays yesterday, none bigger than his failure to get the ball from Davis with a minute and half left and Carolina clinging to a one-point lead. A point guard has got to, GOT TO, come back and get the ball from a big man. That failure cost Carolina an important possession and helped give the Yellow Jackets the game.

More frustrating than losing is losing when not playing smart, Carolina basketball (go get the ball from Davis!). That was the biggest frustration with the Doherty era; he thought he had to change a philosophy that worked. Fine tune it, sure, but Doherty discarded smart basketball. Roy and Felton restored that, but we are regressing this season.

It sounds like ‘ol Roy and Drew are equally frustrated, and Drew II can turn it around soon. Drew is good. I just hope it happens soon, by Wednesday.

GO HEELS! 

A few random notes

• It’s worth following Bobby Frasor, who is playing professionally in Bulgaria, on Twitter.  His address is BFrasor.
• Felton and his Charlotte Bobcats are quietly putting together a good season.  The Bobcats are 19 and 19 after yesterdays shellacking of the Phoenix Suns.
• Evan and I got to watch the Wizards defeat the Sacramento Kings last night.  Sean May was inactive, but it was still nice to be in the same building with a Star Heel. When will his pro career take off?
• One last thought.  I and others need to stop looking back at 2006, a team with no expectations and therefore no pressure.  This year's team needs to find it's own way and forge it's own identity free of homages to recent Heels teams.

Terrible Loss to Corrosion of Conformity Tonight

Without Marcus Ginyard and Will Graves the Heels looked incredibly young and inexperienced in losing to Bobby Cremins' College of Charleston tonight. Carolina is not very deep at guard; tonight it showed that our perimeter game has no margin for error, and having Ginyard and Graves out was too much for the Heels to overcome.


It was also a road game, but that's more of an excuse.  The lack of development by Carolina's wings is the big story, for the season thus far and for tonight's loss.


Leslie McDonald had some nice moments, and turned out to be Carolina's third leading scorer.  Then again, with Carolina up 3 with :30 seconds left all that good work was undone by his bad final - and missed - shot.  Drew hit a big 3 late, but made lots of bad decisions throughout the game. Dexter Strickland had a terrible game from any perspective: bad passes, not moving his feet on defense, ill-advised shots, and blown lay ups. Justin Watts made Will Graves look like David Noel, shooting the ball every time he touched it - whether he was open or not.  


But our guard's biggest crime was forgetting to get the ball down low.  When Carolina did, late in the second half, Ed Davis and Deon Thompson were unstoppable. Then we forgot that Carolina basketball means going down low, started making mistakes and taking bad shots, and CoC hit that big three at the end to send it to overtime.


A disconcerting loss any way you look at it, but perhaps not as disconcerting as the fact that 15 games into the season some of the young Heels are actually getting - and playing - younger.  Let's hope Ginyard and Graves - especially Ginyard - return for Sunday's ACC opener versus Virginia Tech.  And that Drew and Stickland mature quickly in practice between now and Sunday.

Big Week for Heels

The Heels kicked off the toughest stretch of the season with a satisfying win over Nevada, 80-73, in Chapel Hill last night.


Oh yeah, it was also Roy Williams' 600th win as a head coach (not counting his wins as j.v. coach at Carolina in the 1980s).


Heading into a week where the Heels play Michigan State on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill and a road game at Kentucky on Saturday, December 5th - followed by a game at Texas at the new Cowboys Stadium on December 19th - I think the Heels are starting to round into shape.  They're not fully formed yet, but there was significant progress against the other Wolfpack last night.


One, Deon Thompson played like THE MAN. In scoring 23 last night, including some key hoops late, Deon answered 'Ol Roy's question of 'who is this team's go-to guy?'


Two, Ed Davis played his first complete game - on each end of the floor - of the season.  He ran well and consistently got good position down low, but also did a good job of finding open spots in Nevada's zone. Defensively he moved his feet and was great at help defense.  Davis was active all night and as a result finished with 16 and 15.


Three, the play of Larry Drew II.  He flowed last night, at least on offense, and did not spend too much time thinking/worrying/wondering about where he was supposed to be.  Basketball is a game of reaction, and he reacted well against Nevada on his way to 12 points and 9 assists against only one turnover.  Drew also hit two big three-pointers late to help the Heels put a stubborn and talented foe away AND build his confidence.  Defensively Drew still needs to improve, and a few times he pulled up too soon - usually to pass.  I'd like him to take it a few steps closer to the basket before he dishes or shoots, but this was his best game of the season.


Finally, the team as a whole only committed 9 turnovers in 40 minutes. A lot of that has to do with Drew's play, but I also wonder if it also had to do with Roy's rotation.  Four starters - Drew, Thompson, Ginyard, and Davis - played more than 30 minutes.  That continuity had to contribute to the reduced number of turnovers.  After those four Graves played 21 minutes, Zeller 15, with Henson, Strickland, and Travis Wear each getting 9 minutes of playing time.  It's easy to imagine this becoming the rotation for the season.  


Finally Finally, that rotation helped Carolina tough out a win against a legit team.  The toughness down the stretch displayed last night is another part of the development of this young and intriguing team as it defends Carolina's national championship.

Heels and Nats

Not often that a blow out win does not qualify as a good game, but last night's contest between Carolina and N.C. Central was a game that should not have been played.   I doubt Carolina gained anything from playing the Eagles in a tilt that more closely resembled Friday night's exhibition rout against Belmont Abbey.   At times Central had trouble simply getting the ball up court.


But I shouldn't be too harsh, since the win over NCCU was kind of a coming out party for Marcus Ginyard's jump shot.  Hitting more than one three-pointer - in consecuitive games no less - shows M-Giny's shot is legit.


Outside shooting, along with the play of Drew II, are by far the two biggest question marks with this year's Tar Heels.  And another good sign from last night's game - that addresses both issues - was the play of Dexter Strickland.  Strickland looked stage struck on Monday, but last night looked like a reliable option as both our back up point guard AND as a legit shooting threat.


So I guess as a whole the game was unwatchable, but the play of Ginyard and Stickland causes me a revise my initial assesment of the win over N.C. Central.


Hansbrough Update


Tyler Hansbrough is off to a great start for the Pacers.  He's still getting into basketball shape after dealing with shin problems for the second year in a row.  Despite playing limited minutes Hansbrough's been in double figures both games, and has already been to the foul line 21 times in less than 30 minutes.  Due to his injury his touch and timing are off, as he is shooting only 33 percent so far and he's been foul prone, too.  But once he gets into basketball shape watch out for Psycho-T.


Good Nats News?!


Some very positive hot stove league news from our hometown Nats this week.  


First, Ryan Zimmerman won the Gold Glove AND the Silver Slugger, marking Zimm as the best defensive and offensive third baseman in the National League.   The awards are an exclamation point on a great individual season for Zimmerman, one in which he hit a career high number of homers, had a 30-game hitting streak and made the All-Star team.  


Zimmerman is the main reason to care about the Nats, but hopefully that will change next season under new - and no longer interim - manager Jim Riggleman.  The Nationals announced today that Riggleman, who skippered the team to a 35-42 mark, had won the right to manage the team for a full season in 2010. 


I'm optimistic about Riggleman.  The Nationals showed a pulse after he took over, and even generated a little buzz during two significant - an 8-game then a 7-game - winning streaks.


Now if they can sign a starter and one more reliever, this team could be respectable next season and win around 70 games.


Finally, how weird that Manny Acta will also be managing next season? Less than a six months after getting fired with a 26 and 60-something record - one would think the stink from such a record would linger more than that - Acta will still have one of the most exclusive jobs on the planet as a big league manager.  

Drew Passes the Test

Carolina got it's opening night jitters out of the way last night in defeating Isaiah Thomas' Florida International Golden Panthers 80-something to 60-something.

The new-look Heels looked sloppy at times and committed 26 turnovers.  But like I said, for opening night with a slew of new players that is to be expected.

The good points far outweighed the negative ones.  Including:

• The Heels shot the ball very well, and finished at 56 percent for the game;
• Deon Thompson finished with 20 and 10 in only 20 minutes; he was a aggressive and dare I say "Brad Dougherty-esque?"
• Marcus Ginyard made two three-pointers on his way to 12 points; overall the Heels went 4-13 from three (12 points on 13 shots, so respectable but not great);
• Tyler Zeller looked good as he netted 12 points in 20 minutes.

But best of all was the soothing play of Larry Drew II.  He looked great running the offense, whether he was running the break or feeding the post.  It was a reassuring night from the biggest question mark on this year's Carolina team.   His final line was 7 points, 6 assists, and one three-pointer, against only two turnovers. 

If Drew finishes the season with a 3-1 assist-to-turnover ratio the Heels will make some serious noise in the ACC and NCAA tournament.

The other thing that stood out was the defense.  The Heels rotated pretty well last night, and the bigs especially did a good job moving their feet and staying in front of FIU.  And Ed Davis took up where he left off, with four blocks.

Granted, it is just one game against a pretty inferior foe.  Nonetheless, Larry Drew reassured many a Heels  fan in Tar Nation last night.  I know my anxiety level dropped quite a bit last night.

A Few Random Thoughts Then It's Back To Work

• How about the throw-back unis? No one was expecting RED trim; all the shots I've ever seen of the undefeated 1957 national champs were in black and white.  Who knew?
• I loved Deon's hustle play in the second half when he made a steal, then fell on his back side before making a bad pass that was intercepted by FIU.  However, instead of sulking he jumped up and challenged the ensuing lay up, a shot FIU missed thanks to Deon's hustle.
• Isaiah Thomix Sux!

Go Heels!

CHAPEL HILL

Evan and I just returned from a great weekend in Chapel Hill for my 25th Annual Reunion/Homecoming at Carolina. Regarding the reunion, it wasn’t much and I didn’t see anyone I knew from my class. The only fellow alumni I hung out with was my brother, and I’m not sure that counts (we knew each other before college).



Regardless, it was a great weekend full of North Carolina’s THREE BIG Bs: basketball, barbeque and biscuits.*


Basketball


Homecoming kicked off on Friday night with an exhibition basketball game between the defending National Champions Tar Heels and Belmont Abbey (the scoreboard listed them as B ABBEY; only thing more humiliating than that was their “Let’s Go Abbey” cheer. Oh, and post-Iraq war they continue to use the nickname “Crusaders.” That’s it for the B ABBEY section of this blog).


As I mentioned in my last blog, simply being in the same building with the Tar Heels gets me – even 25 whopping years after graduating – excited.


And I was excited on Friday to see the new Post-Ty(ler) Heels in action. It was great to see my man Deon Thompson play with confidence, watch Tyler Zeller hit shots and make plays all over the court (granted against a Division II team), and to see a slim and healthy Marcus Ginyard back on the floor.


I was most impressed, however, with freshman Dexter Strickland. D-Strick looked great: quick, confident, and a playmaker. His skills - at both the 1 and the 2 - likely mean that he will be the first guard off the bench.


This will clearly be Ginyard’s team. Led by Thompson, Carolina’s front court of Ed Davis, Zeller, and freshmen John Henson and the Wear twins will be the focal point of this team – offensively and defensively. In fact, many pre-season previews have pointed out that this Carolina squad could be a very, very good defensive team.


One last thing about the front court – all five are plus athletes. A deep and athletic front court means the Heels should be able to continue to run opponents into the ground, overwhelming teams with waves of talent.


But the back court is another story all together, the most important one of the 2009-2010 season.


Ol’ Roy has tremendous confidence in sophomore Larry Drew at the point. If he can keep the offense moving forward at all times – a la Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson and even Bobby Frasor in 2005-2006 – the Heels should be okay. We’ve gotten spoiled at Carolina with point guards who can play fast AND not turn it over. We’ll see if Drew can do that, II.


The bigger question mark is outside shooting. Obviously, Carolina’s last two national champions were balanced offensive juggernauts, with low-post scorers like Sean May and Hansbrough complimented by guards like Rashad McCants, Felton, Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green.


This year there is no proven shooter on the floor, at least in the starting five. Drew II will shoot some threes, as will Ginyard and Strickland, but right now the starter at shooting guard is Will Graves. As a freshman, Graves shot the 3 well; as a sophomore he did not. But his shooting was the least of his problems as he was suspended from the team mid-way through the season. Those four will get some relief from Henson and the Wears - all three newcomers can shoot – but Carolina will really need Drew and Graves to step up from outside to reach their third final four in a row.


Even with the question marks surrounding shooting, this will be an exciting team to follow and watch. If Drew can guide the offense and the Heels get half-way decent outside shooting – not just from behind the 3-point line but also from 15 to 17 feet out - this talented front court will score and rebound and run enough to make this another incredibly successful season.


Almost forgot there was a football game played on Saturday, too. Carolina won a fairly lackluster game 19-6 over rivals Duke (who came in riding a two-game winning streak). The Tar Heels defense and Ryan Houston litterally carried the Heels to victory. Houston rushed 37 times for 140 yards after Sean Droughn was hurt - for the season it turns out - on the second play of the game.


Random Hoop Notes

• My first impression of Henson is he will stay in Chapel Hill at least 2 years simply to fill out his body. He is incredibly skinny, and his torso is not much wider than his arms. Henson also air-balled two free throws against B ABBEY.
• Ed Davis had a lackluster game, but all four of Carolina’s front court players have the talent – though perhaps not the minutes – to average in double figures this season.
• After Strickland, the Wear Twins were the most impressive freshmen on Friday night – even more than Henson. They appear to be above-average athletes who hit shots from all over the floor, crashed the boards, moved their feet on defense, and ran the floor really well. Those two are fifth and sixth on the front court depth chart; clearly, this team is inexperienced but stacked.
• As good as the exhibition was on Friday, I’m equally geeked up to watch the Heels officially kick off the season against Florida International tonight at 7 pm. I used to spend a decent amount of time at FIU since for years Florida PIRG had a chapter there.
• But the main draw is a bit of pay back for Isaiah Thomas, who ruined my freshman year by leading Indiana to the 1981 National Championship, beating Al Wood’s Tar Heels in the final. I still remember a drunken suitemate of mine slurring “Isaiah Thomix sux” as we dragged ourselves back to our dorm from Franklin Street that night.
• One completely random note: I encourage all Heels fans to start following Bobby Frasor on Twitter. Frasor is playing pro ball in of all places Bulgaria, and has posted some funny and interesting items about his time there.
• Headline at ESPN.com: Florida State to roll out heralded Manuel at QB. I’m assuming this refers to Evan (since Ariadne plays running back).

Barbeque


I will admit that I am quite biased, way biased, hard-to-be-more biased than me, steeped in bias when it comes to my home state, but honestly, is there better food than eastern North Carolina barbeque?


Honestly, the answer is no.


For my last meal I would love to eat what we ate at the alumni association tail gate party under the Bell Tower: mounds of eastern NC q, yellow cole slaw (with mustard), green beans, baked beans, fried and barbequed chicken, fried flounder, hush puppies, corn bread, sweet tea, and banana pudding.


If it truly is last meal time, maybe throw in some cherries, blueberries, or any melon to balance things out, and finish it off with some coffee. Then I die happy.


The spread – provided by 'Carolina Barbeque' in Garner – was so good I had to take a picture of my plate and post it to Facebook.


Biscuits


Evan had a great time this weekend, too, hanging out with cousin Alex (along with cousin Sophia and Aunt Becky) and soaking in Chapel Hill and the University. But the highlight – at least one of the highlights - of the weekend for him was eating 2 dinners in a row at Time Out.


Evan gorged himself on the famous chicken and cheddar biscuit each night, and we even brought one home for Ariadne (for the record, it transports very well).


The Time Out biscuit, just the plain pastry, is probably the best on the planet. Fluffy and crispy, cut in a trademark square. And Time Out has not changed since I first went there. There are still photos of Dean, Phil Ford and others (of course, Chris Webber) calling time out, and they still keep a bottle of windex in the dining room in case you need to clean the grease off your table DIY style.


* One can argue that there are at least 5 Big Bs, those two plus beaches and (representing the mountains of my home state) the Blue Ridge.

Next Year's Heels II

Get it?  The title is an homage to Larry Drew II,  the starting point guard for your defending national champs.

Going pro is a slam dunk for Lawson, who depending on the order of the draft, should go in the top 10.  He's improved his game and is ready for the next level.  That's the good news.   The bad news - news tempered by being paid to play basketball - is that the teams most in need of point guard help include backwaters like Golden State and Milwaukee.

At the Thursday press conference Roy Williams said he had spoken with 13 teams and was assured that Ellington would go in the first round thus a guaranteed, three-year contract.  I hope that's true.  Besides a guaranteed contract the great news for Ellington is that is projected to go late in the first round so will likely end up with a playoff team.  Interesting to note how many good teams don't have world-beaters at the 2.  Dallas and San Antonio, for instance, bring their best 2 guards off the bench (Terry and Ginobili, respectively).  Same for New Orleans, Houston and Denver who starts Duke scrub Dahntay Jones at 2.

The other significant draft news is that Gerald Henderson will enter the draft but not hire and agent.  Henderson will likely be drafted in Lawson territory so has probably played his last game as a Blue Devil (a game where he went 1 for 9 from the field in a loss to hometown team Villanova).  Duke will be good, but without Henderson they won't be THAT good. I'm not sure why folks like Caulton Tudor are so optimistic about Duke's chances next year.  Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek have proven that they are NOT ACC-caliber talent, and the jury is still out on guys like Nolan Smith. Though Singler and Scheyer are great players Duke is still weak at point and on the boards (again).  Nationally they aren't as talented as Kansas or Michigan State, and even with their losses I don't think Duke measures up to Carolina either.

I was hoping Henderson would stick around one more year for another loss to Carolina in Cameron.  That guy deserves nothing but Tar Heel-induced misery.  Instead he joins luminaries like Greg Paulus in the list of players who will leave Durham having never won in Cameron against the Heels.

I'm a fan of the NBA, but can not get into the playoffs yet.  These first-round series always seem tedious and rarely produce an upset, though Dallas taking down San Antonio does qualify as one even with Ginobili on the bench for the Spurs.  The NBA should restore some legitimacy for the regular season - which is long enough - and reduce the number of teams that make the playoffs.

I'll blog more on the NBA playoffs in a could of more rounds.

NATS UPDATE

Well, the Mets have put an end the Nats' 6-game, 8-inning winning streak.  Going into the weekend series Washington had been hitting the ball well, but that has ended in cavernous Taxpayer Stadium.  The Nats' anemic hitting in New York joins their bad pitching and shoddy defense for an 'in the toilet' trifecta!