Back? On Track for Greece

On one of my earlier blogs about the Greek crisis, I semi-cynically observed that though it's bad news at least Greece is back IN the news.  Over the course of the last 3,000 years or so, Greece was usually at the center of the universe, making news, setting the agenda, etc.  In modern times, however, Greece has not been as relevant or newsworthy.  Of course, that changed with the crisis. 

But I lament even saying that with tongue in cheek. Being in the news for a devastating financial crisis is certainly not a silver lining to no longer being an afterthought.  

Every Sunday lately, and yesterday was no different, there have been long stories about what Greek society looks like now in the wake of drastic government cuts, EU imposed austerity, and a stagnant and shrinking economy.

Sunday's New York Times article on Greece - saying the motherland is basically a failed state - was much more depressing that last week's New York Times Sunday Magazine story on 'How Greeks Live Now.'  The latter article at least included some hopeful signs of economic growth and Greek dignity, whereas the former features a photo of a husband and wife literally on the ledge of a building, contemplating suicide in the wake of cuts and uncertainty about raising a child in modern Greece.

We've gone from inventors of western civilization to guinea pigs for austerity and growth, with an 1100 year run of the Byzantine Empire and 400 years of Ottoman rule in between.  Who can match that roller coaster? 

Anyway, most of the recent news has been tied to this week's bailout that will allow Greece to avoid default.  That announcement on Tuesday, coupled with the earlier debt negotiations that resulted in private foreign banks agreeing to only collect 50 percent of what Greece actually owes, is supposed to signal the economic rock bottom, the end of the beginning.  Now, with Greece's financial situation and debt repayment schedule 'organized,' and with representatives of the troika given a permanent oversight role in Athens, growth and foreign investment is supposed to follow.

But it's hard not to be cynical about what comes next.  When this week's bailout was announced, the International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Christine LeGarde was quoted as saying the bailout and debt restructuring "should really give enough space for Greece to restore its competitiveness ... so .... it can get back on track.”

"Back on track" - when was Greece on track, economically?  Was she pointing to .... what?  I guess there was a golden age, right before Greece adopted the euro (or the era between joining the European Union in 1980 and the adoption of the euro currency). With the drachma Greece at least had some flexibility, western tourists flocked there to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate, and the world economy was still humming so Greek shipping was doing well.  Tourism and shipping, with some agriculture mixed in, is how Greek's earn real money.

So it's both cynical and ironic that one could argue for Greece to really get 'back on track' and 'restore competitiveness' they would have to go back to the drachma.  That would make Greek shipping, tourism and yogurt cheaper and more competitive.  Of course, doing that would in theory collapse the euro and eurozone, throwing Europe's economy - not just Greece's - into a momentary yet significant tailspin.

I hope Greece can pull it off; as all Greek patriots will point out, the nation and culture have faced greater challenges in the last 3,000 years.  But when we do, it probably won't be by getting 'back' on track.  Greece's saving grace is that it has very educated and very European-focused young people who will get involved in the recovery and can hopefully lead the motherland forward, not back.

Weird, Ugly and Stubborn.

Another weird and ugly win for the Heels this afternoon over Virginia.  Carolina has fallen into an odd pattern of shooting badly (33 percent in this game) on the road - yet winning.  The way Virginia plays defense, by packing their zone in the lane, you would the think the Heels would have needed another Raleigh-on-Thursday-night shooting display to win.

But that's not what happened.  

None of Carolina's perimeter players had a decent game.  Kendall Marshall was stymied all night, Reggie Bullock was off and generally had a terrible game, and Harrison Barnes never got into the flow of the game at all.  Those three were a combined 4 for 24.

Of Carolina's wing players only PJ Hairston was productive, with a mini, personal 5-0 run in the second half.

So how did Carolina win on a night Virginia dared our wings to win the game, but they didn't?

That's where stubborn comes in.

Despite the packed and swarming Wahoo defense (toughest question Evan asked me this game: "What's a Wahoo?") the Tar Heels insisted - stubbornly - to feed the paint and rely on Tyler Zeller and John Henson to win this game.  

And those two came through.

Zeller was unstoppable early, and scored our first 8 points, and of course that freak-nasty, step-threw dunk with 13 seconds left were our final 2 points of the game.  He finished with 20 and 8, another solid and player-of-the-year type of performance, one the Heels needed on a day Barnes went 3 for 15 from the floor.  Foul trouble and a momentum changing run at the point by Stilman White helped take Z out of the middle part of this game but he was great at the end.

If Psycho Z carried the Heels early, Henson carried Carolina late.  In the final 10 minutes he WAS the Carolina offense.  And he, too, had a freak-nasty dunk off of an in bounds pass in the second half.  Henson also was very tough on the glass in the final 10 minutes,  made 7 of 8 free throw for the game, and made a big defensive play and steal off a Virginia in-bounds pass late.  Like Zeller, he disappeared a bit in the middle of the game and had a few very bad turnovers, too, but late he was money.  Oh yeah, Henson also had another double-double, 15 and 11 boards.   

And though he didn't shoot like he did in Raleigh, kudos for Marshall for finding his big men down the stretch as the Heels pulled out another ugly win in a weird game, thanks to Carolina's stubborn insistence on going inside and getting the best and easiest shot possible.

GO HEELS!

A few more notes:

• Hard to measure Carolina's defense in this one.  On one hand, Virginia only scored 51 points. On the other, it mainly looked like they missed some makeable shots especially in the last 5 minutes.  The Cavaliers also took lots of bad shots, none worse than Mike Scott's 18 footer with about a minute left.
• Not much bench play in this one, though James Michael McAdoo did make 3 of 4 free throws and Hairston did have that nice run; each played 12 minutes, while White and Justin Watts managed just 3 minutes each.

The Answer is NO

Earlier this season, I tweeted or blogged or some-word-that-did-not-exist-in-the-year-2000 "is there anything Kendall Marshall CAN'T do?"

Clearly, the answer to that question is no.  Just ask NC State.

Marshall easily had his best offensive game of this career tonight, expertly looking for - and making - his shots at exactly the right time.  The result was a career high 22 points - including 4 of 5 from three - to go along with his usual 13 assists.  His assist to turnover ratio was an unmeasurable 13 to 0.  

22 points. 

80 percent from three, on 5 shots.

13 assists. 

ZERO turnovers.

Add those crazy good numbers to four fellow starters who also finished in double figures, and you have a 12-point beat down of arch in-state rival NC State, in Raleigh.  The Heels have now beaten NC State 12 straight games.  

Marshall lead a methodical and efficient offense for Carolina.  The Heels shot 51 percent for the game, and 52 percent from three.  Marshall and the three-point shooting were the story of the game.

Bullock had his third straight nice game from outside.  His touch has returned as he went 3 for 6 tonight.  And PJ Hairston made his first three in over a month.

Barnes was engaged all night, and mixed in 2 three-point shots with drives, pull ups, and free throws on his way to 20 points.

Henson was active on both ends for another double-double, 14 and 13 and 2 blocks, and Zeller got on track in the second half on his way to 14 and 8 and 4 blocks.

The only down sides were Zeller did not get many touches, McAdoo had an off night, and of more concern the number of minutes played.  All 5 Heels starters played 31 minutes or more, including Marshall's 38.

But Marshall's other numbers are the real story tonight.  His performance, along with Bullock getting his touch back, makes Heels fans everywhere excited and anxious and giddy.  If this is a foreshadowing of Marshall's play down the stretch. watch out! 

GO HEELS!

Tigers Provide NCAA Preview

The easy take away from yesterday's win over Clem(p)son (as pronounced in the southcalina dialect) is the continuation of one of the most confounding and inexplicable streaks in sports.  The Tigers continue to be 0-forever - 0-56 to be exact - in Chapel Hill. 

The real takeaway, at least for me, in the 22-point win was the way Carolina had to play. Clemson was determined to keep Carolina from running, and usually only had 2 - sometimes 3 - players crashing the boards. Their emphasis was to stop the Carolina fast break and prevent the Heels from scoring easy baskets (similar to most NBA teams, by the way; that's one reason scoring has trended down over the last 15-20 years in the League).

A corollary to that strategy is to get back - and set - on defense, and force Carolina score in the half court.  

It's not a bad strategy - few if any teams want to run with the Heels - one Carolina will almost certainly see in the NCAA tournament. That's why yesterday's win may be more significant then it otherwise appeared.

Carolina looked pretty good in the half court against a pretty good defensive team.  Thanks to Kendall Marshall the Heels got good shots, and were generally pretty patient on offense. 

The Tigers also augmented their 'forget rebounding let's get back on D' scheme by packing it in against Zeller and Henson. Zeller eventually got his points but may of those were on turnover-fueled fast breaks.  Henson faired better, and got some good open looks in half court sets.  Desmond Hubert even got into the act with 2 dunks.

But with Clemson getting back and packing it in, Harrison Barnes and Reggie Bullock had to respond, and did with great games from the perimeter. As is often the case, Barnes took over the game early in the second half on his way to 24 points, including 3 of 6 from behind the three-point line.  And Bullock was right behind him, going 3 for 5 from behind the arch. Ol' Roy keeps saying the Heels are good shooters, and it was true yesterday as the Heels shot 43 percent on threes.

[As for P.J. Hairston, oy!]

Carolina's defense was generally good, too, at least it looked good.  But frankly it's hard to judge against a team like Clemson, who took lots of early shots and did not work the ball around the perimeter that much.  But the Heels did force shooters like Tanner Smith to put the ball on the floor, which was nice to see.

So in addition to extending the streak, great to see the Heels make some threes, play some D, but more importantly have to run their half court offense for most of the game, a game they won by 22 points.

GO HEELS!

Hoo ha

At half time of yesterday's Carolina game, the in-studio commentator for ESPN went on about 'this Tar Heels team may not be good enough to merely flip the switch and play great ... blah blah blah" or some such hoo ha.  

That kind of 'analysis' has become quite common place, at least it was in 2008, 2009, and the last two years.  Commentators love blathering on about what's wrong with Carolina; so much talent the players get lackadaisical or indifferent, they don't play hard, imagine if they always gave maximum effort, etc.

Like I said, hoo ha.  

You may recall that in 2005 there was a similar narrative; the Heels had tremendous talent but did they play as a team. Can you imagine Dean's reaction when he heard that?  A Carolina squad being accused of NOT being a team?  

The old Dean-era narrative was the opposite.  Carolina's 'system' suppressed individual talent and players in service to the team.  At one point, that was actually one excuse given for why Dean could not win the big one - too much focus on the team and not enough freedom for individual stars to take over a game.

Old hoo ha.

But all those analyses are incorrect and display a lack of knowledge of Carolina basketball.  Carolina basketball is defined by effort on both ends of the floor, feeding the post first in search of the best and easiest shot, and increasing possessions by playing aggressive defense and rebounding. 

There is no flipping the switch, or even a system really.  It's a philosophy of playing winning and consistent and honest basketball, confident that effort, feeding the post, defense, rebounds and possessions will win most games.

Now, as we saw last night in Coral Gables, some games the easy shots don't fall, the defense gets a little sloppy, and the other team gets a head of steam.  As a result, the Heels found themselves down by 8 with 15 minutes left.

But eventually, the Heels will usually get it right.  And coming out of the under 16 time out, they did.  The defense got tougher and forced turnovers on 4 straight Hurricanes possessions.  Carolina quickly turned those turnovers into points. The rest of the half was more of the same, with the Heels playing tough D particularly against Miami's guards and center Reggie Johnson, dominating the boards on both ends, and making shots.

John Henson was tough down low to start the second half as Carolina fed the post, and had a great game on the glass.

In addition to defense, rebounding and more possessions, it's always good to enhance a philosophy with some simple and excellent talent, talent like Harrison Barnes.  Barnes' 14-point burst coincided with the Canes' turnovers and Carolina's defensive pressure, and helped lead the Heels to a nice, at times ugly but validating, win.

Maybe this team does flip the switch.  But it's not a switch as mundane as talent or a wake up call. It's much more profound than that.  That switch says Carolina basketball.

GO HEELS!

A few more Tar Heels Headlines

• Carolina basketball breeds confidence.  That's how Reggie Bullock, after misfiring for most of the night, was cool and collected enough down the stretch last night to hit 2 big three pointers.
• It's also the reason we continue to see the evolution of James Michael McAdoo.   For the fourth game in a row he was confident and aggressive.  Love to see that.
• Psycho Z was not as dominant offensively, but totally shut down Johnson down low.  He was big.
• Finally, Kendall Marshall was off for 20 minutes, and steadily fantastic for the final 15. Like Bullock, he missed lots of shots but kept his head up as he played all 20 minutes of the second half.

Zeller, Heels Bounce Back

What a great bounce back performance by Carolina, led by Tyler Zeller, in their win over Virginia today.  The Wahoos, though boring and at time excruciating to watch, are nonetheless a tough out.  

The Cavalier defense (another great ACCism like Hokie Pride, Hurricane Basketball, and Duke cheerleaders) kept the Heels from getting up and down the floor, but at least we looked like Carolina in frequently and successfully going inside for scores and winning the rebounding battle.

Finally, we looked like Carolina is methodically closing out the win. The Heels stretched the lead from 4 to 18 in the final 5 minutes of the game, a stark contrast with, well, you know what I'm talking about.

One thing that DID carry over from Wednesday night was the stellar play of Tyler Zeller.  At one point, after a nice blocked shot, I tweeted 'is there anyone playing better the Zeller right now?"*  Psycho Z had another great game with 25 and 9.  On a day when most of the Tar Heels missed most of their shots, Zeller was an efficient 9 for 16 with 3 steals, too.

It was inspiring to watch Zeller bounce back from easily the 3 worst minutes of his life.

As great as Zeller played, it was also excellent to watch the Heels close out a game Carolina style. The defense in the second half was excellent as the Heels rebounded well, closed out on shooters, put up walls and held Virginia to 20 points in 20 minutes.  

That defense was especially tight in the last 5 minutes.  Ol' Roy called a time out just prior to the under 4 time out and the Heels got the message, tightened up their defense, and did NOT let Virginia get back in the game.

Great stuff.

But it wasn't just Zeller that carried over back to back (and for him, back to back to ...) positive performances. James Michael McAdoo did, too, as he looked confident and aggressive this afternoon on his way to 9 points, 7 boards and 2 steals in 18 minutes.  That's at least 6 straight good halves for McAdoo, who appears to have turned the corner.

Carolina's bench this game was the unlikely trio of McAdoo, Justin Watts and Stilman White.  White looked good, and played with confidence in giving Marshall a break. The offense did stall with him at point, a significant accomplishment.

Watts was effective, too, and was rewarded with 18 minutes filling in for P.J. Hairston, Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, and Wanda.   

A nifty 18-point win over a ranked and tough team. That line would have been impressive no matter the circumstance, but coming off a agonizing loss even more impressive.  

GO HEELS!

*paraphrasing myself. I'm too old to remember what I tweeted 3 hours ago.

Carolina Hellenic Tragedy

What a terrible loss.  Have any Carolina teams endured two terrible defeats in one season?  First FSU, now Duke?  

Of course, there is one huge difference in those two games; against FSU, the Tar Heels were horrible. But last night was truly tragic in that from the 8 minute mark in the first half (after a relatively slow start) to the 4 minute mark in the second - a span of 24 minutes - Carolina was dominant. Dominant. 

The Heels were better than Duke but lost. If that's not the definition of a Greek-style, Carolina tragedy, I don't know what is.

And it was Greek style. Similar to the Greek myths our heroes soared only to be dragged back down to earth in the end by the (blue) devil(s).

How else do you explain Kendall Marshall driving, dishing and dominating, then making a sloppy pass and turning it over with less than 2 minutes left?

Explain Harrison Barnes dominating and scoring at will for most of the second half, but missing two of four free throws late and turning it over on an albeit highly questionable charging call?  He was tripped but still should have made a better decision before barreling down the lane (perhaps it was hubris, the greatest sin in the eyes of the ancient Greeks.)

Or John Henson owning the glass but failing to box out Ryan Kelly after a missed three, allowing him to follow his shot and score?

And finally, the most tragic figure of the night, Tyler Zeller. He was unstoppable, especially the first half. But the devil dragged him down the most cruelly, as he missed two big free throws late, tipped in Kelly's missed three for 2 big points for Duke with under a minute left, then had to cover Austin Rivers(tyx) on the game winning shot.

No gods were ever more cruel, and few losses were so tragic.  

The loss put most Heels fans in the world of another Greek word: agony.  The root of the English word is the Greek word for 'game,' more accurately 'contest.'  To the Greeks, athletic contests were literally agonizing.  Sounds familiar 24-hours later, doesn't it?

A few more Heels notes: 

• We've all known free throw shooting was an accident waiting to happen.  Well, that accident was last night.
• I just rewatched most of the second half, and it did seem that Duke got away with an inordinate number of flops and travels. Much of that game was game was badly officiated; McAdoo was whistled for two borderline calls in particular late.
• That said, JM McAdoo had some spectacular moments in the second half.
• What's worse, losing due to costly and atypical mistakes, or losing to a one-man band?  Austin Rivers was phenomenal last night. Watching it live it looked like Carolina defenders were too often going underneath screens. But upon further review he made quite a few shots with a hand in his face. Rivers was a stone-cold assassin.
• But you have to give the entire Duke team credit. They would not go away, would not let Carolina close this game out. They believed if they hung in there long enough, something good might happen.
• Tough to lose when Carolina played so well for so long. One more free throw, one less own-goal tip in, and we win this game.  Tragedy.

Not Epic, But Still Great

What a great comeback win for the Heels today.  Sure, it wasn't the kind of epic, '8 points in 17 seconds' Carolina comeback that has helped make the program famous.  After all, Maryland is down a bit this year and the Heels were only down 9 with about 15 minutes to go.

But it WAS a game where Carolina took repeated blows to the head - from Stoglin and Len in the first half, from the referees, from their own turnovers, and from a hostile crowd - all game long.  The great news is the Heels refused to get knocked out - though they were knocked down - and eventually rallied to win 83 to 74.

This game had upset written all over it.  Actually, not all over it - but it was in the margins, and that writing got bigger and bigger as the first half progressed.  Harrison Barnes looked bothered by his ankle, Kendall Marshall was turning it over, John Henson looked unfocused and our bench intimidated.

Only the surging Tyler Zeller kept the upset story from developing  He was excellent again today - he played a man's game on his way to 22 and 7 despite 4 fouls and only 22 minutes - and continues to peak as the season progresses.  We even saw some emotion from Psycho Z today during Carolina's decisive second half run.

But as it was last year, and again of late, Harrison Barnes asserted himself with some scintillating play in the final 15 minutes in College Park to lead the Heels.  After Carolina fell behind by 9 points, Barnes took over and hit a variety shots from all over the floor - 3s, drives, and a clutch pull up jumper with 3 minutes to go.  The only common denominator?  Every shot he took was a tough one.  Barnes' focus was freaky and inspirational - and the deciding factor in today's win.

Zeller and Barnes were excellent today but they got plenty of help in the second half from Marshall and Henson.  Marshall was spectacular in the second half, both with his big three-pointer and his timely drives to the hoop and trademark passes.  He finished with a career high of 16 assists, a ridiculous stat that does not come close to quantifying how precise he was in the last 15 minutes of this win.

After 30+ minutes of ragged play and bad shooting Henson joined the fun late, too.  His stone-cold turnaround jumper late was Rasheed-esque, and defensively he was huge down the stretch with a game-changing block that went a long way in silencing the Comcast Center crowd.

Finally, kudos to Reggie Bullock for some great plays late on offensive, 11 points and 5 boards, and a game-long harassment of Terrell Stoglin.  Stoglin got his points but missed 13 of his 21 shots and late he was gassed and could not buy a basket, much of that due to Bullock. 

Not epic, but still a great road win.  Not epic, but a comeback that saw every Tar Heels player make a big play in the second half.   Not epic, but the kind of road win that gives a team lots of confidence and swagger.

GO HEELS!

A few more Heels notes:

• Looking for another reason to be disgruntled about the next round of ACC expansion? With 16 teams in basketball, each team will only play one team twice a year in a home-and-home series every year. That means that Carolina will only play State twice a year once every three years (four times total in 3 years as part of the regular rotation).  BOO on that.
• Finally, I do not have a problem with John Henson's dunk as time expired.  There was time on the clock, Maryland had a player come over to try to stop him, and frankly it was a fitting and emphatic exclamation point on a big road win.
•  
• And finally, finally, folks probably remember that Michael Jordan's epic 'rock the cradle' dunk came in College Park as time expired on a UNC road win.  So Henson's dunk had some historical precedent. 

UGH

What a dreary game - and win - over Wake Forest the other night.  But a road win is always good, even against a hapless, hopeless, fanless opponent like the Demon Deacons.

There were a few shoots of grass that popped up through the rubble created by bricking so many shots.

One, Tyler Zeller keeps getting better.  As Carolina fans remember, he peaked during the post season last year, and continues on that track in 2012.  

Two, I thought the defense was pretty good.  Once again the Heels rotated and helped well, put up numerous walls, and played the passing lanes aggressively. Reggie Bullock in particular played great on D.

Three, Kendall Marshall's offensive game took another step forward. We've always known that Marshall is a smart player and of late he has been applying those smarts to his offense.  He's making great decisions on when to drive and when to take a three-pointer, decisions as spot-on as the ones he makes when directing the offense.  By the end of the season will there be anything this guy CAN'T do?

GO HEELS!

Five Great Halves in a Row

The Heels continued to prove they were back today against Georgia Tech, extending their winning streak to 31 straight at home, but more importantly playing their fourth and fifth straight great halves of basketball in routing the Yellow Jackets.

Lot's of other numbers to talk about: Carolina shot 54 for the game; made 8 three-point shots in the 1st half; the Tar Heels blocked 10 shots and had 8 steals versus only 10 turnovers for the game; ended a 4 game losing streak to Georgia Tech (the oddest number in this list).

Those numbers do tell the story.  Two numbers, two stories, two stats it particular should make every Tar Heels fan on the planet happy.

One, and the gaudiest one to look at, is the 10 threes for the game. Carolina started the season shooting 3s very well but had cooled of late.  This afternoon the Heels were getting and making open looks from beyond the arch. That, of course, opened thing up inside for another great game from Zeller, and effective and emphatic drives from Barnes.

If today's performance is proof that the Heels, in particular Bullock and Hairston, have regained their outside touch this team is practically unbeatable.  Who does the other team guard when all five Heels can shoot and score? 

Two, the defense was generally outstanding today, as evidenced by the 30 boards, and an 18 to 10 ratio of take aways - steals and blocks - to give aways - the dreaded turnover.  Boards, blocks and steals lead to fast breaks, and fast breaks lead to points.

In the second half Carolina's perimeter defense lagged at times, but the interior defense was outstanding, and I agree with Hubert Davis' kudos to Barnes for shutting down Glen Rice Jr. this afternoon.

As it is with Carolina's outside shooting, when the Heels defend and rebound like they did today, watch out world. 

The great news is the Heels have now done that for 5 halves in a row, and are starting to regain their swagger.

The iffy news is, can you really measure progress against a team that looked so overmatched like Georgia Tech looked today?  With Wake and Maryland up next, we may not find out that answer  for another week or so.  Either way, it's great to see Carolina looking like Carolina.

GO HEELS!

A few - ok, quite a few - more Heels notes:

• I loved Reggie Bullock's game today.  Not only did he bury some shots, 3 of 6 from three, I loved his activity on defense and without the ball.  His transition defense was key in the decisive first-half run that put this game away early.
• How crazy good is Kendall Marshall?  Ho hum, another 12-1 assist to turnover ratio game, with an excellent mix of long, spectacular, skip passes, mixed in with a three-pointer and a few nifty drives.  Running out of superlatives for his game.
• Fantastic to see John Michael McAdoo play with confidence today.  He had his best game in about a month.  Best of all?  He did not settle for that 10-foot fadeaway jumper he loves.  McAdoo was confident and aggressive today.
• Tyler Zeller continues to be 'the good Tyler Zeller' of last year's stretch run.  He was efficient and smooth on offense, great on the boards, and had another nice defensive game, too.  Front court mate John Henson had a nice if unspectacular game as well, 13 points, 6 boards, 4 blocks and a stop the presses 5 of 8 on free throws!
• Oh yeah, Harrison Barnes put together another dominant half of hoops.  In the first half he was not that aggressive but he made up for in the second stanza with a series of drives, pull ups, dunks, threes, and reverse lay ups.  And he played pretty good defense, too.
• Stillman White had a decent game, hitting one three, making one assist and one steal in 6 minutes of spelling Marshall at the point. Interesting to see Justin Watts play the point for about 2 minutes late in the game.  As a result, Marshall 'only' played 31 minutes tonight, which coincidentally is his season's average this year.

THAT felt good

Yes, Carolina's win over rival NC State felt good - real good.

It's always good to beat a rival, and to beat them convincingly.  I was a tad nervous about this game; State has gotten better under new coach Mark Gottfried (quick quiz: how many current ACC  coaches have had one of their teams ranked number 1? - answer via Comments below) and there was still some lingering post-FSU angst.

But this game was more than a thorough beat down - at one point Carolina led State by 31 points in the second half - of the Wolfpack.  There were many story lines in this win.

1. Probably the biggest story was playing without the Dex Factor.  Strickland is Carolina's best defender and back up point guard, but in addition to those traits is also the Heels' toughest player.  I was anxious to see if Reggie Bullock could do all the things Dex does.  

No worries.  It looked like Bullock played great defense, rebounded well, and his offense came around in the second half.  And new back up point guard Stillman White looked okay, too, even hitting a three late in the game.

2. Tyler Zeller keeps improving.  I think most Heels were unhappy with the way Psycho Z started the season, mainly due to weak hands and the occasional disappearing act on offense.  Those fears have melted away lately, as Zeller has had double-figure rounding games in 9 of the last 11 games and his scoring is up, too.  He was aggressive and unstoppable against the Pack.

3. When Kendall Marshall is setting you up, almost anyone becomes unstoppable.  He was fantastic on Thursday night with his passing and offensive, both in terms of controlling the tempo AND shooting.  I love the fact that Marshall is not simply jacking up 3s in order to 'keep defenses honest.'  K-Marsh is taking it to the rack with authority (though not velocity) and shooting 3s, and his all-around game continues to get better and better.

4.  Marshall's defense has also improved this season, and lately the team defense has been excellent. State had trouble getting - let alone making - good shots.  Bullock was great on State's sharpshooter Scott (Wood), the run and jump was utilized effectively, and of course down low John Henson, Zeller, James Michael McAdoo and Harrison Barnes intimidated, changed and blocked numerous shots, and rebounded well.  As any born and bred fan knows, boards, blocks and steals lead to fast break points, and those runs killed State.

5. Finally, despite some early foul trouble we saw another focused performance from Harrison Barnes.  He had a number of spectacular plays against State and has had back-to-back games where he has shot the ball well.  

The focus of this team is back.  I am not sold on the notion of a 'good' loss, especially one as shocking as the one in Tallahassee, but that may end up being the case for this year's team.  Coming into the season, it was obvious that the Heels had as much or more talent than any other squad in the country.  But mentally we've seen some lapses, mainly at UNLV and in Tallahassee but also in wins over lesser teams such as BC or even Nicholls State.  The Wizards-esque beat down the Tar Heels absorbed 2 weeks ago may have cured Carolina of any lingering thoughts that a superbly talented team simply needs to 'turn it on' to win games. 

Being cured of that feels good - just like beating State.

GO HEELS!

Finally

How great was it get to finally watch some Carolina basketball tonight? 


Rereading that sentence, the funniest word is 'finally.'  That's how bad the loss to FSU felt, a loss that practically wiped out the entire season, or threatened to render the 2012 campaign meaningless.  A loss that could have lingered in the players' psyche for the rest of the year.  


It was that bad a loss, that bad a performance.


That's why this win, and the way the Heels won, felt so good (at least for me).


Sure, the first half was tough to watch.  Carolina got off to a good start though we left a lot of points on the rim, especially Harrison Barnes who just seemed off.  But our early lead vanished under another barrage of Hokies three point shots.  Some of those were good shots, but some of them were just plain luck; one three banked in as the shot clock expired after Jon Henson had blocked two shots on the possession.  Even when they were falling, I didn't feel that bad; unlike against FSU there were few wide open looks for Virginia Tech during that run.

Nonetheless, the Heels trailed at half.


But at half time something great happened.  Perhaps it was before halftime, actually.  John Henson scored on an patented UNC in bounds alley-oop pass with 0.9 seconds left to give us some momentum.


And boy, did that mo carry over.  Or it at least washed over Harrison Barnes.  He came out in the second half completely focused, and shook off his mini slump with an 8-0 run to open the final 20 minutes.  


It was almost inspirational the way Barnes and the other Heels came out of half time sick and tired of not playing well.  Barnes' one man run quickly turned in a team-wide one, as everyone started making plays, extra passes, baskets and free throws as part of a 31-5 run that put the game away.


And the Heels got back to playing tough D, especially in that second half.  Carolina was only credited with 9 blocks - seemed like more than that - and the Heels were much more aggressive and attentive defensively, especially in the passing lanes, with nice help and putting up walls to cut off penetration.


A gut check win on the road is always nice, but just as nice was watching the Heels look like the Tar Heels again.  They went inside (either via the pass or drive), were patient and smart on offense, rebounded like crazy, blocked shots and overplayed the passing lanes and as a result were able to run in the second half.


It was vintage Carolina basketball, something that we only missed for one game but a game that lingered for what felt like an eternity - at least until the second half of tonight's game.


GO HEELS!

A few more Heels notes:

• John Henson broke out of his one-game mini slump, too.  In Tallahassee he seemed unfocused, but tonight he was everywhere, grabbing 16 boards, officially blocking 6 shots (but it felt like 16 - or 60 blocks tonight) and finishing with 16 points.
• Tyler Zeller seems to be back to last season's form.  He was the only Heels player to show up versus the Noles, and tonight he was just as good with a double double of his own with 14 points and 11 boards. And he, too, seemed to block or alter dozens of shots. 
• Kendall Marshall almost his own double-double with 9 points and 8 assists.  K-Mar did a nice job of looking for his shot more tonight.
• The only bad news is the potential injury to unsung hero and Dex Factor, Dexter Strickland.  He twisted his right knee in the second half.  Reggie Bullock admirably filled in for our best defender and had a nice half despite not scoring that much.

Not Much to Say

Not much to say after a total beat down like the one the Heels took at the hands of the Seminoles yesterday. In Carolina's first road game in 42 days, the Tar Heels were humiliated and buried under a barrage of three pointers, led by Davidis Dulkys' 8 of 10 shooting.

There is a smorgasbord of problems or issues one can talk about (so I lied, there is much to say), but two stand out for me.

One, the play of Kendall Marshall.  Some post mortems from the game have mentioned that FSU put pressure on Marshall.  On one hand, they did pick him up full court.  But on the other, his turnovers all were seemingly unforced.  It was as if he was a pitcher with tired legs; so many of his passes sailed out of bounds over the heads of their intended target.

This team goes as Kendall Marshall goes, and when he struggles that bad the Heels will look and play bad, too.  There certainly were other terrible performances by Carolina players yesterday; Barnes had his second straight terrible shooting day, Henson left his head and concentration skills in Chapel Hill (0-8 free throws, an embarrassing technical), and perhaps Strickland's ankle bothered him more than it looked and thus he could not effectively cover Dulkys or Loucks or anyone on the perimeter.  And our bench - P.J. Hairston in particular - was horrible.  

But Marshall is the keystone for this team; without him we collapse.

So players - and sometime teams - can have one bad game.  But for me the other disturbing thing, issue 2, was our play to start the second half.  

How many Carolina fans thought at half "Ok, the Heels played badly but we're only down 8.  Barnes will get on a roll, Marshall will feed Zeller and Henson, and we'll win this game.  And FSU can't keep shooting this well"'?  I'd bet 90 percent of Tar Heel Nation saw that scenario ready to unfold.

Unfortunately, things got worse in the final 20 minutes. The Heels thought they could turn it 'on' the second half, but other than Zeller did not. Or worse, Carolina expected the Seminoles to wilt - and they did not. The Heels failed to raise their level of play, turning it over and failing to guard to start the half, and were buried.

Very disappointing to say the least.  Carolina was in a position to win this game at half time - we had seemingly taken FSU's best shot - but did not. That's VERY un-Carolina.  And that's the worst part of this loss - we did not look like Tar Heels.

Few More Heels Notes:

• I wonder if ol' Roy will schedule any more extended home stands in the future?  Hard to measure how much impact the schedule had on this flop, but Roy is superstitious enough to avoid another stretch like that.
• Props to Tyler Zeller, who many fans have questioned this year but who was the only Tar Heels player to show some effort for 40 minutes.  He kept us in the game the first half.
• Within an hour of the loss the Dex Factor tweeted "embarrassing but a learning process; we'll bounce back!' Ah, youth. I like following Strickland (@DStrick01), who generally tweets in proper English, which I appreciate. 
• Wayne Ellington (@WayneElli22), who had 13 points last night for the Timberwolves, also tweeted "I'd hate to be at the next practice!"
• Virginia Tech looms next, though looms is a strong word.  They lost yesterday to Boston College.  I feel sorry for Hokies fan: I expect the Heels to be very focused and fired up for that one; and Seth Greenberg is still their coach.
• No time to panic yet; it WAS only one game.  But if the Heels come out flat in Blacksburg that will be a very troubling indicator about the leadership and fortitude - the talent this there, obviously - of this year's team.

GO HEELS!

Can't Spell Ho HUM without UM

Tonight's win over Miami had to be the most boring Carolina beat down of all time.  The only suspense for the last 15 minutes of the game was whether or not Harrison Barnes would score again.  For the record, he didn't.  His 6 points on 2 of 12 shooting ground his recent hot streak to a resounding halt.

But Carolina is this good - and Miami that lackluster - that on a night when our best player struggles the Heels still dominated and were never really threatened in Coach Jim Larranaga's Dean Dome debut.

There were 3 keys to the game.

One, Carolina's guards were fantastic.  Kendall Marshall had his first double-figure scoring game of the season and repeatedly slashed to the basket for scores.  Dexter Strickland was even better, turning defense into points on his way to a 14-point effort and hitting a few jumpers.

Carolina's defense was the second key tonight.  This team is started to get tough on D, especially since the Texas game.  Jon Henson and Tyler Zeller seemed to block or disrupt every 2-point shot attempted by the Canes.  On the perimeter Strickland was particularly effective, shutting down leading scorer Malcolm Grant (5 points, 2 for 8 from the field) and doing a great job playing the passing lanes.

Three, the Heels stayed focused after building a 20-point.  Unlike against Boston College, where the Heels allowed the Eagles to get within 9 points before waking up and putting the game away, Carolina maintained their defensive pressure and fed the post down the stretch against the U.   Miami never had a chance.

The Heels' next opponent is their suitcase as Carolina has to remember how to pack for back to back road games in Tallahassee and Blacksburg.  Packing a suitcase may be as exciting as tonight's win over Miami. 

Predictable results from Heels, Barnes versus BC

Carolina's 83-60 win over Boston College unfolded largely as expected.  The Heels were much more talented and simply better than the Eagles, who started 5 freshmen.  

The Heels predictably started slow then went on a run to take a comfortable lead at half time. Also predictably, the Heels got a bit bored after taking a 20-point lead in the second half. BC was able to cut the lead to 9 at one point before the Heels woke up.  Once Carolina did, the Heels went on another run to close the game out with a 23-point win.

There was some news in today's win.  The most significant item - also predictable - was Harrison Barnes' continued excellent play.  Barnes appears to be peaking at the perfect time of season, much like he did last year.  Against BC he hit shots from all over the floor - driving, taking 3s, a few one-dribble jumpers, the entire repertoire - and was very aggressive.  He had 4 steals, too, and looked like a player of the year candidate. 

It wasn't all Barnes, though.  I thought the Heels' defense was pretty good for most of the game.  Zeller had 20 points and held on to the ball, P.J. Hairston was 2 for 5 on three pointers, and Marshall once again had more than 10 assists.

With so many ACC teams stinking up the joint this year - Wake, Clemson, Maryland, and BC all pretty bad - these kinds of games may be the norm for the Heels.  The good news is you can count on 20-point wins despite some lapses in concentration, and the Heels have also shown that against good teams the Heels will rise to the occasion.   Those traits sound a lot like the 2009 team, a predictable comparison.

Speaking of 2009, a huge night for 3 members of that team tonight in the NBA.  Ty Lawson squared off with Danny Green tonight as the Nuggets took on the Spurs.  San Antonio won 121 to 117 behind Green's 24 points.  With Manu Ginobili out with broken hand Green is finally getting significant playing time in the League.


Lawson did his part for Denver, finishing with 20 and 10 assists.  


And Tyler Hansbrough finished with 15 and 7 off the bench, in 28 minutes, for Indiana in their win over the Charlotte Bobcats.  Psycho T has been in double figures every game this season for the 6 and 2 Pacers. 


GO HEELS!