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2009-02-20T06:37:00.003-05:00

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HC Williams reaches 200th games in the ACC...

2009-02-18T16:56:00.005-05:00

...but how is he doing in the all time wins ranking?

With head coach Roy Williams having coached in his 200^th game in the Atlantic Coast Conference against Miami (Fl), and having the most wins of anyone in their first 200 games in the conference got me to think about how he was doing in the overall wins. So, looking around a bit, I found the Top 10 active head coaches, where coach Williams is 8^th, and put them here below. You will find the name of the coach, the age, where he is coaching and the games won.

Here is the list of the Top 10 winningest active coaches:

Mike Krzyzewski (62 year old) - Duke: 823
Jim Calhoun (66 year old) - Connecticut: 798
Jim Boeheim (64 year old) - Syracuse: 790
Bob Huggins (55 year old) - West Virginia: 633
Tom Penders (64 year old) - Houston: 624
Gary Williams (63 year old) - Maryland: 620
Homer Drew (64 year old) - Valparaiso: 600
Roy Williams (58 year old) - North Carolina: 583
Bo Ryan (61 year old) - Wisconsin: 572
Ben Braun (53 year old) - Rice: 564

Some interesting thoughts here. First, there isn't much gap between the first and the second spot, with Coach K having a lead of 25 games over Calhoun as of Monday, February 16^th 2009. But, when you truly think about it, even if the Huskies were able to win five more games a season than the Blue Devils it would tie the two teams up when Calhoun is 71 and Krzyzewski is 67, making it evident that (barring any unpredictable things) even if the UConn coach was able to surpass the Duke one, by the time they retired Coach K would be back in the top spot. Same thing goes for Jim Boeheim, who is two years younger than his counterpart at UConn, but ten games behind him.

The fourth placed coach right now is Bob Huggins at West Virginia, who is 55, but is also 190 games behind the first place Krzyzewski. With the probability that WVU isn't going to win as many games as Duke, that number is only going to go up. If Huggins can win seven more games this season, thing that should happen, he will then have another three years before he reaches the seven hundred plateau. Dropping down some, and checking on where head coach Roy Williams sits at the age of 58, the first mark is pretty simple, as he is 17 games from being at 600, and even if he was able to win all the games that could be available to win, meaning the regular season, the ACC Post Season tournament and the NCAA Tournament, he would still not get there this season. However it is quite obvious that coach Williams will be at the 600 mark very early into the 2009-10 season.

Look at the numbers, but more importantly, look at the names. Yes, there are several teams that are household names with casual fans, but there are also some that aren't, such as Rice or Houston or even Valparaiso. But what stands out to me is this, how does it happen that there are three coaches over or close to the 800 mark and then that drop off to 633? It feels like there is a generation missing, like generation 700 wins. I also have to say that I would have thought that the top active coach would have more than 564 wins, not sure how many he should have had, but more than that number.

Another game and of course another rivalry...

2009-02-18T16:06:00.006-05:00

...when NC State comes to the Dean Dome.

Tonight at the Dean Dome there will be another rivalry game for the Tar Heels. It's North Carolina State (14-9, 4-6 in the ACC) versus third ranked North Carolina (23-2, 9-2 in the ACC) in round two for the season. And while this game should be for the Heels to take if they want to, do not think that the Wolfpack team that comes to town tonight is the same one that Carolina beat on January 30^th. On one side NC State has won three of their last games since facing UNC, including Wake. On the other side the Heels have won 11 out of 12 matches against their in-state rivals. But what I am really wondering about this game is the new equation of UNC...

And that equation is T to the 3. In other words: Is Ty Lawson going to be healthy? Is Tyler Hansbrough over the concussion he received against Miami? Is Tyler Zeller going to be on the floor? Is he going to make the difference down the line? I guess we will have answers to the first three questions tonight, but for the fourth one we'll have to wait until March Madness comes along. In the last game between these two teams, where North Carolina won 93 to 76, Hansbrough had 31 points, while five Tar Heels scored in double figures. This is due to the fact that while NC State might be a better offensive squad of late, they are still one of the worst when it comes to defense.

However, as we all know, when we talk rivalries and college basketball numbers and stats shouldn't be looked at too hard, what is needed to win these types of games is desire and willingness. Of late this Carolina squad has that, especially with a sparkling Ty Lawson leading the way as the floor general. As the junior point guard said in a quote yesterday about this game: “It’s one of our rivals, so if you can’t get excited for that, what can you get excited for?” I have to say that having followed UNC basketball for a long time I've had the chance to watch Lawson for three years, and the difference between this year and last is pretty visible.

After this game the Tar Heels will have four more games in the regular season, including the end of the season one with Duke at the Dean Dome. Then it will be off to the ACC Post Season tournament in Atlanta, Ga. and the NCAA Tournament. There is still lots of basketball to be played for these young men, with the core of them maybe on their last run as a Tar Heel. Watching them turning from youngsters from high school to players in Division I was something great, now starting the stretch run for the end of their road and towards the pro's sure has a weird feeling to it. So, do not over think what they do on the court, enjoy the game, enjoy them, as the times you will be able to see them is only getting smaller.

Anywhere you look it's about the Ty's...

2009-02-18T15:48:00.004-05:00

...Hansbrough, Zeller and Lawson, the triple combo!

For the game tonight it's going to be Ty to the second, or almost. What do I mean? It sounds like that freshman seven footer Tyler Zeller is going to be back on the court tonight against North Carolina State. And while this Tyler isn't going to be at his best, no one would be after sitting out 13 weeks and only practicing two, Zeller is not the only Ty that isn't at his best. From an article (one of many) it was clearly stated that Tyler Hansbrough suffered a minor concussion. While at the web site Buster Sports it seems that Andrew Jones believes the problem might be that Hansbrough is still dealing with shin splints. But wait, on the discussion of Ty's, we also have the speedy point guard to talk about.

Ty Lawson, who as we know played versus Miami while not feeling well was named the ACC Player of the Week. This is the second time this year that the speedy guard from Chapel Hill receives this award. Lawson averaged 23.0 points, 4.5 assists, shot 15 for 23 from the floor, 5 for 9 from 3 pt range and 11 for 11 from the charity stripe as UNC took two ACC road wins at Duke and Miami.

I have to say that in reading all the articles about Zeller coming back, the quote that sticks in my mind is the one from head coach Roy Williams:

“If it was 15 years ago, I wouldn't even let a young man consider giving up a year for five regular-season games and whatever postseason games we might have,” coach Roy Williams said Tuesday. “But he would really like to help this team; he would really like to play.”

Doesn't this show how much the world of college sports has changed? It's pretty simple to understand why coach Williams will let the freshman play. Because the Hall of Fame coach probably knows that he won't have him for more than four years, if that many. For an old Tar Heel and lover of this game knowing that Zeller is coming back is great, but on the other hand knowing why isn't as much.

Once again it's ranking and bracketing...

2009-02-18T12:46:00.005-05:00

...and once again UNC is a top seed.

I am way late on checking on the new rankings from both the main stream ones (AP & ESPN/USA Today) and the best of the best for bloggers, CollegeHoopsNet. North Carolina stayed put on all three polls, with the two media ones keeping the Heels third and CHN having them second. They are the only Top 5 team for the ACC, joining UConn who is first (and yes I know they lost), Oklahoma, Pittsburgh (who beat the Huskies) and Memphis (for the AP) and Michigan State (ESPN/USA Today). CHN has UConn, UNC, OU, Pitt and Memphis as the Top 50 teams.

The other teams from the conference to join North Carolina are the following:

Wake: AP- 8^th ESPN/USA Today- 8^th CHN- 7^th
Duke: AP- 9^th ESPN/USA Today- 9^th CHN- 8^th
Clemson: AP- 13^th ESPN/USA Today- 13^th CHN- 10^th

As you can see there is no difference between the two main stream media when it comes to the ACC teams, and very little between them and CHN's. This shows me, for what I understand of all of this, that this season the ACC is very top heavy, and while Carolina is the clear leader right now, being two games ahead of anyone with five to go in the year, the middle of the pack is pretty big and it should be interesting to see how many squads make the NCAA Tournament. If it was to start now let's see what Joe Lunardi's bracketology as well as Shawn Seigel's brackets would say about the ACC.

The World Leader of Sport has eight teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina is the number one seed of the MidWest according to Lunardi. In that bracket there is only one more ACC team, Boston College, an eleven seed. In the East bracket (UConn = top seed) there are two as well, third seed Duke and eighth seed Florida State. In the West, where Pitt is the top seed, there is Clemson (a 3 seed) and Miami (Fl) (a 11 seed). In the South brackets, which has Oklahoma as the top seed, Wake Forest is a two seed while Virginia Tech is a nine seed. Just for fun, the "best conference" still only has eight teams in the tournament according to Joe Lunardi, so much for the Big East being the end all in college basketball this year.

College Hoops Net has seven teams from the ACC. Once again, no change for the Heels, as they are the top seed on CHN's brackets as well. Duke and Clemson are both two seeds however (Lunardi has both of them as three seed). Wake, who ESPN has a two seed, on CHN has been placed as a three seed. Florida State is an eight seed, while Boston College is one step down at nine. The last team for CHN is Virginia Tech, who comes in as an eleven seed. I will finish this post with a find from the internet, where on FanHouse Bracketology Busters: No. 1 Pretender talks about a top seed, Oklahoma, being overrated, while a Big East team, West Virginia, being underrated, you decide!

The fun part about all of this? Is that next week all the polls, the brackets, and the experts will do it all over again, and I just love watching all of this unfold.

Heels in the League (02/17/09)

2009-02-18T07:27:00.003-05:00

Having finally caught up in this daily post of mine, let's get back into the swing of things and look at last night's games for the ex Carolina players in the National Basketball Association by doing my post called "Heels in the Leauge". The venue for the first night back since the All Star game was pretty big and there is plenty of carolina blue in it.

First game of the night was the match up between the visiting Charlotte Bobcats and the Orlando Magic, played in Amway Arena. In this one it was ex Heel Raymond Felton getting 42 minutes, while his team mate Sean May didn't play once again. The ex Carolina point guard had a good outing, getting a double double, scoring 22 points (10 for 21) and adding 10 boards. Felton has registered 5 assists and one steal on the night, but it was his last shot in the fourth quarter he would want back. If that shot would have gone the Bobcats would have gone home winners, but instead with the miss the game went into OT and Orlando (39-13, 21-6 home) won the contest, defeating Charlotte (21-32, 6-18 away) 107 to 102 behind Dwight Howard's 45 pts/19 boards/8 block performance.

Raymond Felton goes up for a shot in front of Courtney Lee during the overtime period of an NBA basketball game in Orlando, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

In the next game it's a match up between two ex Tar Heels. For the visiting squad, the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's Raymond Felton & Sean May's ex team mate Rashad McCants getting eight minutes in all and scoring three points from them on a one for five shooting night. The ex Heel guard also had one rebound, one assist and a steal, while committing a TO.

For the home team of the Washington Wizards it was Antawn Jamison getting a double double off of 41 minutes played. The ex Heel forward scored 29 points (10 for 17 ~ 9 for 11 from FTs) while pulling down 11 boards. Jamison also had two assists, but turned the ball over six times in the game. In the end it was still Washington (12-42, 9-19 home) wins this one by the final of 111 to 103 over Minnesota (17-35, 9-18 away).

Antawn Jamison is double teamed by Kevin Love and Mike Miller during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

The third game of the night with a touch of carolina blue in it was held at the Palace of Auburn Hills between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons. Of course, this means find ex Heel big man Rasheed Wallace. In this one Wallace plays 34 minutes scoring 10 points and adding eight boards to his total. The center also gets two blocks and nothing more on the night, while Milwaukee (27-29, 11-20 away) defeats Detroit (27-25, 14-14 home) by the final of 92 to 86. Interesting thing is that the Vegas line for this game was Pistons -6^1/2.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Next game with an ex Carolina player in it is the match up between New Jersey Nets and the Houston Rockets. A game that the Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Rockets favored by 6^1/2 points. For the visiting Nets it's Vince Carter getting 35 minutes at the shooting guard spot, where he would score 30 points, along with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. The ex Heel would also have three turnovers on the night, but all of that would not matter as Houston (33-21, 20-6 home) crushed New Jersey (24-30, 13-14 away) by 26 points, with the final tally being 114 to 88.

Vince Carter goes to the basket around Yao Ming during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Last game of the night with a touch of carolina blue is the one between east coast Atlanta Hawks and the west coast LA Lakers, a game that has the Lakers as a 8^1/2 pts favorite.. For the cross country visitors it's Marvin Williams who gets 35 minutes but doesn't do too much with them at the STAPLES Center, scoring just 10 points and getting three rebounds, two assists, 2 steals and two blocks on the night. In the end it was the Lakers (43-10, 25-4 home) winning this one, led by a triple double from Pau Gasol, by the final of 96 to 83 over the Hawks (31-22, 12-16 away).

Marvin Williams drives to the basket past Luke Walton and Pau Gasol in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts <~> Video Highlight

Heels in the League (02/11/09)

2009-02-17T10:28:00.004-05:00

As the NBA restarts tonight I am very happy to be able to say that I will be caught up and from tomorrow on the (not so) daily post about the ex Tar Heels in the NBA will be done on a real daily basis and will have some extra features in it. But right now I am dealing with the games from 02/11/09, where there were eleven games with five ex Heels playing. So here is the next edition of the post "Heels in the League".

In the first game with ex Tar Heels it's a head to head match between the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Bobcats played in the Time Warner Cable Arena. For the visiting squad it's ex National Player of the Year Antawn Jamison playing 40 minutes and almost getting a double double in that time. The ex Heel forward got 23 points (8 for 19) while grabbing nine boards in the game. Jamison also got a pair of assists, one steal a block and turned over the ball three times in the game.

Antawn Jamison drives to the basket as Vladmir Radmanovic defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

For the home team it was the duo of Raymond Felton and Sean May. The ex Heel point guard got 45 minutes on the night and he too came close to a double double, going for 15 points (7 for 16) while dishing out nine assists and grabbing eight boards. Felton also had five steals and one block on the night, while he did have four turn overs against Washington. The big man only got three minutes of playing time, where he scored on his only bucket, getting two points, and grabbing a rebound, but also committing a TO. In the end it was the Bobcats (21-31, 15-14 home) winning this one by 12, defeating the Wizards (11-42, 3-23 away) 101 to 89.

Raymond Felton dunks over the Caron Butler during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the second and last game of the day it's another head to head match up, with the visiting team being the Atlanta Hawks, where Marvin Williams played 32 minutes and had 11 points (4 for 9) while grabbing eight rebounds on the night. The ex Heel and national champion also had one block while committing a turnover in the game.

For the home squad, the Detroit Pistons, it's Rasheed Wallace playing in the middle for 25 minutes in this one. The ex pupil of Dean Smith scored just nine points and got seven rebounds on the night. He also had one block versus the Hawks, while turning over the ball twice in the game. When it was all said and done at the Palace at Auburn Hills it was Atlanta (31-21, 12-15 away) winning the game, as they defeated Detroit (27-24, 14-13 home) by the final tally of 99 to 95, holding off a 4^th quarter rally by the Pistons.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Heels in the League (02/10/09)

2009-02-16T20:30:00.003-05:00

As I keep trying to catch up on this (and should be able to do so quickly) here is the 02/10/09 edition of my (not so) daily post entitled "Heels in the League". There are many ex Carolina players in this one as there were nine games on tap in the NBA schedule.

In the first game of the night it's a match up between old school Tar Heels and new school. For the visiting squad, the Washington Wizards, it's the old school being proudly rappresented by ex NPOY Antawn Jamison. The ex pupil of Dean Smith played 39 minutes in this one, getting a double double in it. With 17 points (5-16 ~ 7 for 9 FTs) and 12 rebounds the 6'9" power forward also got a steal while turning over the ball three times in the game.

For the home squad it's Marvin Williams for the new school part of the match up. In this on the national champion doesn't do much in the 29 minutes of playing time. The forward for the Atlanta Hawks just got five points (2 for 10) and 5 rebounds on the night. Other than that the ex Heel didn't have anything on his box score for the night, however Williams and his team mates did have the W when it was all said and done as Atlanta (30-21, 19-6 home) defeated Washington (11-41, 3-22 away) by the final of 111 to 90.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the second game of the night with a touch of carolina blue it's Jamison's Tar Heel team mate, Vince Carter, who with his New Jersey Nets play host to the San Antonio Spurs at the IZOD Center. The ex Heel guard had decent night as he scored a team high 25 points (11 for 25) and grabbed six rebounds. Carter also dished out five asssits and only had one TO on the night. However, all of this was not enough as San Antonio (35-15, 17-8 away) won this one, beating New Jersey (24-29, 11-16 home) by 15, 108 to 93, thanks in grand part to the third quarter where the Spurs out scored the Nets 28 to 18.

Vince Carter holds off Tim Duncan as he goes up with a shot during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game it's a match up between the Toronto Raptors and the Minnesota Timberwolves played in the Target Center. In this one we should have seen ex national champ Rashad McCants, but he was a "DNP - Flu Like Symptoms" and so he didn't see action in this one. A shame, since after a long stretch of not seeing playing time the ex Heel guard was finally getting back into the mix of things with the team. As far as this game is concerned it was Toronto (20-34, 11-19 away) winning by eight, as they defeated Minnesota (17-34, 8-17 home) by the final tally of 110 to 102.

Box Score

In the last game for the night with a touch of carolina blue we have the Detroit Pistons heading to the United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls. In this one for the visiting team it's Rasheed Wallace, who got 33 minutes in all and totaled a double double with that time. The ex UNC big man scored 20 points (7 for 11 - 4 for 4 FTs) and grabbed 10 boards. Wallace also had three steals and two blocks, while giving up the ball just twice in the game. However, in the end, it was the home team to come out with a W, as the Bulls (23-29, 14-10 home) beat the Pistons (27-23, 13-11 away) 107 to 102 thanks to a 36 to 17 4^th quarter.

Rasheed Wallace misses an inbound pass that was grabbed by Joakim Noah to end the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009, in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

It was a tough game...

2009-02-16T19:15:00.004-05:00

...and the best team won.

When I wrote my preview of Heels vs `Canes I said it could very well be a "trap game". In a lot of ways it was, but UNC had Ty "Indiana Jones" Lawson to make them steer clear of the pitfalls and get them a win in a tough road enviroment. Even if under the weather, as the announcers said, the speedy point guard was able to lead third ranked Carolina (23-2, 9-2 in the ACC) over a pesky Miami team (15-9, 4-7 in the ACC) by the final of 69 to 65, that had nothing to lose and much to gain. One interesting note, the Hurricanes had been 14 and 0 when holding the opponents to less than 70 points, now they are 14-1.

In a game with a lot of small runs by both clubs, with McClinton doing what he does best, hitting three's and Graham having a record night for himself with a 15 rebound performance, it was the point guard from Chapel Hill that showed how much he has improved over this season. In the last couple of games where a guard went off on the Heels it has seemed that Lawson took it personal and didn't play his way. Tonight, even if sick, Lawson played the way he should, not letting McClinton's 30+ affect him, and getting it done for head coach Roy Williams down the stretch.

Was it a pretty win for Carolina? No. Was it a conventional win for the Heels? No. Was it the way they want to do things? Definitely not! But what this game was is a sign that this team will win any way they have to, and that to me is a sign of maturity. To prove my point, let me ask you this, your All American scores less than 10 points, as a team you score less than 30 in the first half, do you see yourself coming out with a W in year's past? Or even at the beginning of this year? I would say no. Yesterday this team did take a bit too many three's than usual, thanks in large part to the 2-3 zone that the Hurricanes played. It didn't look enough down low, especially on those occasions when Miami went man to man. It also was lacking the speed of Lawson, due to his not being well. Yet, with all of that, the Tar Heels won their ninth in a row in the conference and are two games ahead of the pack, as both Duke and Wake lost yesterday.

I haven't talked about Danny Green yet, mostly because the senior guard/forward got two quick fouls in the first half, and then wasn't his usual self for most of the game. However, his block shot on a driving Jack McClinton was probably the key for the Heels to be able to hang on to this game. Another that didn't contribute too much on offense, but was good on defense, was Bobby Frasor. He was one of the four Heels that rotated on McClinton, and while the senior guard for the `Canes scored 35 points in all it wasn't because he was left wide open, but mostly by hitting several disputed ones, a couple on fast break and some ill advised shots that went in.

With a rematch against North Carolina State awaiting the Heels on Wednesday we shall see if Lawson is fully back from the flu and ready to go at 100%. I am sure we will definitely hear a lot more from Tyler Hansbrough in this game against the Wolfpack and most of all the Heels won't have to face that 2-3 zone that seems to have given them too many fits at times.

Another look at what the mock drafts are saying...

2009-02-15T12:11:00.004-05:00

...and it's not pretty for the most.

As I try to do each and every week, here is a look around the blogs on how the Fab Four from Chapel Hill are looking in the NBA mock drafts. I have to say I keep getting a bit shocked with one (Lawson), think the picks are pretty on for another (Hansbrough) and I am just scratching my head about the last two (Ellington and Green). There is also a surprise, which I am sure is not going to happen, but makes you wonder just a bit!

You can easily see that there is a pattern, or lack of patterns developing. Tyler Hansbrough seems the one that most people can agree will be a mid to late first rounder. While Ty Lawson goes from being a Top 5 pick (which I as a Tar Heel do not even believe to be possible) to being picked 21^st, which again I find highly unlikely. I think that the point guard will be on the fringe (outside looking in) of the lottery picks, while I do agree that Hansbrough is going to be in the mid to late first round.

Where I am shocked is how so many people are looking at both Wayne Ellington and Danny Green and not thinking they will be drafted. The way Green is playing in the last month you have to believe his stock should be moving up, but it's not. Ellington, even if he hasn't been a steady shooter, has shown what he can do when on the mark. Lastly, one note, HoopsWorld has freshman forward Ed Davis going as the 49^th pick. No site had any mention of Deon Thompson.

Heels in the League (02/09/09)

2009-02-15T10:52:00.003-05:00

As I keep going on the catch up mode while the NBA is on their All Star break, I am now doing the 02/09/09 edition of "Heels in the League", where there are just four games on tap and one of them features a pair of ex Carolina player.

In the game between the Los Angeles Clipper and the Charlotte Bobcats we finally see the return, even if for a very short stint, of ex UNC big man Sean May. The power forward gets six minutes in all, where he basically doesn't do anything, except for miss a shot and have a turnover, while his team mate point guard Raymond Felton has a better game. The speedster Felton gets 39 minutes, scoring 15 points (6-16 ~ 1-2 from 3) while dishing out eight assists. He also had four rebounds. two steals and a block, but his six TO's isn't anything to be happy about. What Felton could be happy about was the fact that Charlotte (20-31, 14-14 home) took this one easily against LA (12-40, 7-20 away) by the final of 94 to 73.

Raymond Felton drives past Eric Gordon the the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C. on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The Basketball Hall of Fame candidates are out...

2009-02-15T10:05:00.007-05:00

...and MJ is one of them.

In something that most old Tar Heels like myself have been waiting for, Michael Jordan leads a group of sixteen finalists to enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. You can read about each of the finalists at the official web site of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which I have to admit is a pretty impressive list, with the likes of Jordan, John Stockton and David Robinson probably being the highlights of the group, but definitely not the only well known ones. A small write up is also on TarHeelBlue.

To find out who gets in and who doesn't we will have to wait until the Final Four, with the enshrinement in September at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. The guidelines of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame state that all of the candidates could be elected, and while that might not happen, if you take a look at the players/coaches/contributors that are on the list all of them could be worthy of entrance. We will have to wait until April 6^th to see who is in and who isn't, but I doubt I'm going out on a ledge by saying that we will hear Michael Jordan's name come selection time.

Here are some of the things that MJ achieved in his great career at the college and pro level:

Awards:

NBA Most Valuable Player Award: 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98

The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award: 1987-88, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98

NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998

NBA All-Star MVP Award: 1988, 1996, 1998

NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: 1987–88

NBA Rookie of the Year Award: 1984–85

Naismith College Player of the Year: 1984

John R. Wooden Award: 1984

Adolph Rupp Trophy: 1984

USBWA College Player of the Year: 1984

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year: 1983–84

The Sporting News College Player of the Year: 1983-84

Two NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Championships: 1987, 1988

Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year: 1991

16-time NBA Player of the Month

Honors:

10-time All-NBA First Team (1986-93, 1995-98)

9-time All-Defensive First Team (1987-93, 1995-98)

NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985)

All-NBA Second Team (1985)

Selected in 1996 as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History"

Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 75 Players of All-time

Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century

Team honors:

NCAA National Championship - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1982

Six NBA championships - Chicago Bulls: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98

Two Olympic gold medals - USA: 1984, 1992

Heels in the League (02/08/09)

2009-02-15T09:28:00.004-05:00

In what is the final stretch of the catch up job here is the 02/08/09 edition of the post called "Heels in the League". In this one half five players were in action that once played for either Dean Smith or Roy Williams.

In the first game of the night it's the Charlotte Bobcats heading south to visit the Miami Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena. For the visiting team it's a duo of players that were once at Chapel Hill, speedy point guard Raymond Felton and Final Four MVP of the 2005 national champion team Sean May. Felton had 42 minutes on the floor and scored nine points while dishing out 11 assists. The ex pupil of Roy Williams also had two rebounds, two steals and a block, while committing 3 turnovers on the night. May is still on the bench, or should we say the doghouse of head coach Larry Brown, and was a "DNP - Coach's Decision". When it was all said and done it was Miami (27-23, 17-8 home) winning this one over Charlotte (19-31, 6-17 away) by the final of 96 to 92.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Second game of the night is the one between the New Jersey Nets and the Orlando Magic played at the Amway Arena. In this one we should have seen ex Tar Heel Vince Carter for the Nets, but he was a "DNP - Sore Right Elbow" and sat watching the game. His team could have definitely used him as Orlando (38-12, 20-5 home) took this one in a rout, beating New Jersey (24-28, 13-13 away) by the final score of 101 to 84. The Magic used a first quarter 32 to 18 run to take the lead and never looked back.

Box Score

Third game of the night featured the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards, two teams both below .500 in the standings. For the home squad it was Antawn Jamison getting 42 minutes and doing a lot with them as he scored 34 points (12 for 21 - 4 for 7 from beyond the arc), but believe it or not that was neither game high or team high, as his team mate Caron Butler got 35. The ex Heel forward also hd six rebounds, three assists and two steals on the night, while committing no turnovers. In the end, in a game that was truly close, it was Washington () to win it, defeating Indiana by 2, 119 to 117.

Antawn Jamison goes to the basket against Maceo Baston during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game that has a touch of carolina blue it's the Minnesota Timberwolves going to New Orleans Arena and facing the New Orleans Hornets, who were without their leader Chris Paul. For the traveling squad it's ex national champion Rashad McCants getting very little time, three minutes, off the bench. In that time the ex Heel guard scored two points and grabbed a couple of rebounds. In the end it was the home team to prevail in this one, even if the score was a lot closer than one might have thought, New Orleans (30-18, 18-8 home) beat Minnesota (17-33, 9-17 away) 101 to 97 thanks to a 25 to 17 4^th quarter.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the fifth game of the night with an ex Tar Heel in it, it's the Phoenix Suns heading north to the motor city to face the Detroit Pistons in a game between two teams that have pretty similar records. For the home squad it was ex Tar Heel big man Rasheed Wallace playing 33 minutes and getting a double double out of it. Scoring 16 points (5 for 11 - 2 for 6 from 3) and grabbing 10 rebounds, the ex pupil of Dean Smith also added for steals, one assist and a turnover to his stats for the game. However all of this was just not enough as Phoenix (28-21, 14-11 away) won by 10, defeating Detroit (27-22, 14-12 home) 107 to 97.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The Heels head down to Miami...

2009-02-14T14:40:00.005-05:00

...in what could be a trap game.

I know that for us Tar Heels the victory against Duke is still on our mind and making us feel good, but as a blogger for UNC I have to move on to the next game, which for head coach Roy Williams and his squad is tomorrow night. Third ranked North Carolina (22-2, 8-2 in the ACC) heads south and will be taking on Miami (15-8, 4-6 in the ACC) at the Bank United Center tomorrow night at 7:45 p.m. (televised by FSN), in a game that the Heels must truly be on their toes in order not to have a let down. You have Carolina that is coming off a great game against their arch rivals, facing off against a Miami team that is looking for another signature win after defeating a Wake team that is plummeting and giving up a 15 point lead to Duke. Add to that the fact that Miami hasn't played a game in a week and is well rested and this, if you don't know it, has all the makings of a trap game!

But the key is pretty simple, will the Heels be ready to play this game? The answer is a simple, but confident, yes! Why? Because Carolina has suffered from "it's just..." already this season, when they didn't go at Boston College at full force. Coach Williams, who will be coaching in his 200^th ACC game (164-35), and his staff are going to make sure that the team doesn't misstep again. As we all know, UNC and Miami already met once in Chapel Hill this year, an 82-65 UNC win on January 17^th, and since then UNC has kept on rolling through the conference, while Miami has lost four out of six games. Again I say, this has the makings of a trap game if the Heels aren't ready, fully ready.

Furthermore, while UNC showed it can play defense against Duke in the second half, it's going to have to do it once more, with Miami being the best three point shooting team in the conference, with senior shooting guard Jack McClinton getting better and better as the season progresses. He's the second best scorer in the ACC, while leading all in 3 pointers made per game with 3.1 and 3 pt field goal percentage with .471. Without a doubt McClinton is going to get his, but Carolina's defense is going to have to stop him from repeating what he did last week, 33 points on 62.1 percent shooting (23 for 37 from the field, 11 for 16 beyond the arc), when he was named ACC Player of the Week.

Things I am going to look for in this game are quite a few:

Wayne Ellington. Will he be back in shooting form. Last time he played the `Canes he had seven three pointers in a row, in the game that got him out of his shooting slump.

Bobby Frasor. Will he be back in shooting form as well. The game against Duke got the senior guard into the groove, hitting a trio of three pointers. Will he follow Wednesday's performance and hit some more clutch shots? Hopefully so!

Ty Lawson. Is he going to get unleashed again or will the Tar Heels go back to the inside/out game first? I think that the combo of going to Hansbrough low or knowing that Lawson can drive anytime is going to make this team stronger.

The rest of the bigs. Deon Thompson and Ed Davis are going to be huge, especially with the guards hitting their shots and Lawson going off anytime he wants. They must be ready for the dish offs that the speedy point guard will be dishing out as he drives the lane.

Larry Drew. He is working hard, the learning curve is big, especially when you are backing up someone like Lawson, but in these types of games is where the frosh point guard can learn so much.

In the end, like most of the games for this excellent team, it's more about what North Carolina can (and will) do, than what the opposition can or will do. If the Tar Heels bring their game the Hurricanes will try to stop them, but they won't have the talent to do so. I am truly looking forward to this game, to see how the Heels play their next game after such an outstanding second half versus their arch rivals.

Heels in the League (02/07/09)

2009-02-14T13:26:00.003-05:00

With the NBA on a break for their All Star game this is the time I am hoping to be able to make a move and catch up with this (not so) daily post I call "Heels in the League". In this post we are going to look at the games from 02/07/09, where in all seven games were played and plenty of ex Carolina players hit the court.

First game it's the visiting Los Angeles Clippers going across the country to meet up with the Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena. For the home squad it's Marvin Williams getting the nod at the power forward spot and playing 41 minutes in all. In that time the ex Heel and national champ got 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. However, it was the visiting team getting the win in this one as the Clippers (12-39, 7-19 away) defeated the Hawks (29-21, 18-6 home) in a rout, with the final tally being 121 to 97.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game has the Denver Nuggets being hosted by the New Jersey Nets at the IZOD Center. In this one we have old school Tar Heel Vince Carter playing the shooting guard. The ex pupil of Dean Smith got 33 minutes, but didn't score as he usual does, only getting 12 points (5 for 10 - 0 for 2 from 3), addint eight assists, three rebounds, three steals and a block shot. Carter did also commit 3 TOs, but it didn't really matter as New Jersey (24-27, 11-15 home) won this one going away, defeating Denver (34-17, 14-11 away) by the final of 114 to 70, and yes, that is a 44 points difference.

Vince Carter pressures Carmelo Anthony during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The next game to have a touch of carolina blue is the one that matches up the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets. For the visiting squad in this one it's ex Heel Rashad McCants, who is finally seeing some playing time, getting 15 minutes and scoring four points in that time frame. The ex national champ also got one rebound and a steal, while losing the ball once. In the end it was the home squad that prevailed in this one as Houston (31-20, 18-6 home) beat Minnesota (17-32, 9-16 away) 107 to 90 thanks to a big 4^th quarter by the Rockets (29 to 19).

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The last game of the night is one that went into OT and it involved the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks. In the game for the visiting team it's ex Tar Heel big man Rasheed Wallace playing in the middle and getting 47 minutes in all. Wallace got 27 points (10 for 17 - 7 for 10 from beyond the arc) along with eight rebounds. The ex Heel also had two assists and two blocks on the night, while only committing one turnover against the Bucks. In the end it was Detroit (27-21, 13-10 away) winning this one, as they defeated Milwaukee (24-29, 14-9 home) by the final score of 126 to 121. Of course Wallace loves to pick up some "T's", and he didn't disappoint in this one.

Rasheed Wallace reacts after being called for a technical foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Another ranking with Hansbrough in it...

2009-02-14T12:14:00.003-05:00

...and once again he is on top.

I love rankings. Any kind, any type, anywhere. So, when the guys from Sports2Debate sent me a message about the top centers in college basketball and Tyler Hansbrough was on it how could I not do a small post about it, and of course, link to their site? The answer is I couldn't, so make sure you check out the link above posted and see the ranking they have for the best centers in the game. I have to say I was surprised to see Hansbrough as the top one, but hey, who I am to argue with people that put UNC as the best!

Kidding aside, I think that most people would have put UConn's Hasheem Thabeet above Hansbrough, even though I can not stand the Husky after he threw a ball at a SU's player and then laguhed about it on the bench with his team mates. Overall the list is pretty solid in my opinion, and while I might have put some a bit lower and some a bit higher, I tip my hat to the guy from S2D for doing such a complete list! From what I read on their web page the rankings were done by adding the following parts: 1) how the player has performed in the past five games, 2) conference competition, 3) role with their team, 4) stats and adding S2D writing staff thoughts. I think that is a lot to consider and makes this work worthwhile looking at.

Rivalry by the gut...

2009-02-14T08:05:00.004-05:00

...and by the TV numbers.

Everyone go back a while, to when North Carolina announced that it was Roy Williams' turn to lead the Tar Heels. Think about the moment you read it (scrolling across the bottom of your tv screen on ESPN or on a fan web board) or heard it (on the phone or by word of mouth) or saw it (on ESPN who televised the news conference). Remember the dark period before that when it came to UNC vs Duke, a rivalry well in hand for the Heels which had swung in the Blue Devils' direction, with the team from Durham winning 15 out of the last 19 meetings. Nothing much changed in the beginning, with Mike Krzyzewski winning the next three against Roy Williams. What was once a rivalry Duke seemed to have a big time control over, but then something happened.

In the last eight meetings North Carolina has come out victorious six times, four of those at Cameron Indoor Stadium, or should we call it, as the picture on WRAL says "Hansbrough Indoor Stadium". Making Roy Williams' record against Duke 6 and 5, and making UNC once again the team that seems to hold the edge when it comes to this not so friendly feud. This game was special, but not just for us Tar Heels, it was also special for Duke, to try and stop this streak, and in the end, when the chips were down, they couldn't and that is what rivalries are all about. I said it, as many others have, this was not about who had the best offense or defense, it was about who had the most heart to execute to win. When it was all said and done it was Carolina that did, and they did it because it meant something to them. It meant a lot to them.

So, for all of those that think that this rivalry is just a buzz engineered by ESPN or another media source I say this: learn about these two schools. Find out what it means to go there and what it means to root against the other, then think about this, many, but many players come to either one of those schools with two things on their mind: 1^st to win a national championship and 2^nd to beat the other. This is Tobacco Road, eight miles divide the two and the feud will keep growing, because that is just the way it is. And if you don't believe it, think about this, Duke now has a chance to ruin senior night for Hansbrough and Green just like they ruined JJ Redick's senior night as freshmen. Add to that, on that night, if Hansbrough in these next few games was to have a couple of 28-30 point performances he could end up being able to break Redick's record on senior night against Redick's ex team. Now if that isn't rivalry material I'm not sure there is such a thing as a rivalry!

The tv numbers also confirm that this is a game that people want to see, reading a small online article it told that the game between these two archrivals tied with "Top Chef" as the highest rated show in the land for cable on Wednesday night with a 1.4/4 in the demo and 3.3 million viewers. In another online piece I read that this game almost doubled the viewing audience of Duke vs Clemson and was up 27% from 2.6 million from the first battle between UNC and Duke last year, but down 41% from 5.6 million for the second match up. This all leads me to believe that the game at the end of this season should be once again be a well watched one.

(Picture on top of the blog was found on Google Search)

Heels in the League (02/06/09)

2009-02-13T09:39:00.002-05:00

After taking a couple of days off due to the great rivalry game between Carolina and Duke it is time to get back into trying to catch up on this (not so) daily post. The good thing is that with the NBA All-Star weekend I should be able to be caught up before the teams begin the second half of the season. So, without anymore discussion, let's check out the games of 02/06/09 with this edition of the "Heels in the League".

First game of the night is one that matches up several ex Carolina players, which are not only ex pupils of Roy Williams, but are also national champions. On the visiting team, the Atlanta Hawks, it is Marvin Williams who got 40 minutes of playing time in the game and had a nice output in them. In all the ex Heel forward scored a game high 29 points, while adding seven rebounds. Williams also had two blocks and an assist on the night, while turning the ball over only twice.

Marvin Williams shoots as forward Adam Morrison and Raymond Felton defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

For the home team it's the duo of Raymond Felton and Sean May, but only the speedy point guard got to play, while the big man is still not ready for action. Felton scored 15 points and grabbed eight boards while dishing out eight assists. The ex Heel guard also had four steals and a block, but did commit four turnovers on the night. In the end it was the visiting squad to come home with a "W", as Atlanta (29-20, 11-15 away) defeats Charlotte (19-30, 13-14 home) by the final score of 102-97.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Next game that has an ex Tar Heel is the one between visiting Denver and host Washington played at Verizon Center. For the home squad it was Antawn Jamison playing the power forward spot and getting 34 minutes in all. The ex Tar Heel and NPOY scored 26 points in the game (10 for 16 from the field) while grabbing eight rebounds. Jamison also added to the score box five assists and a block while giving up the ball twice in the game. In the end it was the Nuggets (34-16, 14-10 away) getting the "W", defeating the Wizards (10-40, 7-19 home) by 21, 124 to 103.

Antawn Jamison tries to get past Dahntay Jones and Nene during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 6, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Last game of the night is one that has the ex player from Chapel Hill not getting anytime. It's the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns, where Brandan Wright is once again not seeing any action. When it was all said and done at the US Airways Center it was Phoenix (27-21, 14-10 home) taking this one by ten, beating Golden State (16-35, 5-23 away) 115 to 105.

Box Score

The gridiron schedule is out...

2009-02-12T15:55:00.002-05:00

...and I like it!

After all the great emotions coming from eight miles down the road where North Carolina took care of Duke and has gotten the lead in the conference once more, it is time to move to the gridiron for a minute as the 2009 schedule has come out. In the following days I will give a bit more of a detailed account about it, but for now I will just post it.

Sept. 5 – The Citadel
Sept. 12 – at Connecticut
Sept. 19 – East Carolina
Sept. 26 – at Georgia Tech
Oct. 3 – Virginia
Oct. 10 – Georgia Southern
Oct. 17 – Open
Oct. 22 (Thurs) - Florida State (ESPN)
Oct. 29 (Thurs) - at Virginia Tech (ESPN)
Nov. 7 – Duke
Nov. 14 – Miami
Nov. 21 – at Boston College
Nov. 28 – at NC State

Have to say that after all the talk about not being able to host a game on Thursdays this season Carolina will be playing FSU in a Thursday night game, which will be followed by another one at Va Tech. Anyways, as I said before, I will do more in-depth posts about the schedule and what I think of it a bit later down the road. Until then enjoy what should be another schedule that leads the Heels to a post season bowl game.

It was a tale of two halves...

2009-02-12T11:46:00.008-05:00

...and of a fantastic Ty Lawson.

In the end, when the final buzzer had sounded, a packed house at Cameron Indoor Stadium had to soak in the fact that Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green would never lose in front of them. Those same fans that were watching third/third ranked North Carolina (22-2, 8-2 in the ACC) losing by eight points to their beloved sixth/fifth ranked Duke (20-4, 7-3 in the ACC) when the first half ended. Unfortunately for them, and all of the other Blue Devils fans, there are two halves in every game, and when the second one started it was very evident that whatever was said in the Carolina locker room was taken to heart by the players. In the end, after the second 20 minutes had been played, it was Carolina beating Duke 101 to 87, taking control of the ACC eight games after they had started 0-2 in the conference.

In a game amongst giants of the game it was 5'11" Ty Lawson the biggest of them all
(Picture from the net)

Let me just begin by saying this, the first seven minutes of the first half were very good for the Tar Heels, but then, all of a sudden, in the last part of the half they let go of everything that had gotten them an eleven point lead. Not so slowly, but definitely surely, Duke took advantage of that fact, and thanks to sub par defense (where Duke shot 63% from the floor), the eleven point lead became an eight point deficit, where it seemed that Hansbrough was non existent, Lawson didn't have his turbos, Ellington was back to missing shots and Green was not himself. Heck, if not for the ten points by Deon Thompson and the trio of three pointers by Bobby Frasor, the eight point lead by the Blue Devils would have been in double digits, without a doubt.

But as Duke fans rejoiced and UNC fans were either holding on strong, such as yours truly, or were finding one or more faults with their teams, as many web boards will point out, the two teams re huddled and when they came out of the locker rooms it was a different game. Could it have been what head coach Roy Williams said: "The streak is going to stop at some time, let's just put it off for another year." Or maybe the way Mike Copeland sparked up in the locker room, by throwing a chair. Or a combo of both this and many other things that we won't know about. I'm not sure, but whatever it was, Carolina's performance in the second half was the best twenty minutes they've had this season.

Hansbrough finished the game with 17 points, and made his presence felt inside and outside, hitting a three pointer as the Heels were up by nine and the shot clock was winding down. He was a different player in the second half, maybe due to the fact that the first half he had two fouls on him and he might not have wanted to pick up a third. On the other hand, after hitting 6 out of 9 three pointers in the first half, the Blue Devils went 2 for 15 in the second twenty minutes, and that was largely due to the tenacious defense that the Tar Heels brought out with them for the second half. One of the biggest quotes I found about this game was from Kyle Singler: "In the second half, we kind of had the mindset that we were going to outscore them. But you're not going to outscore Carolina." No, you are not, as they proved it, by demolishing Duke 67 to 35 after the break.

But having said all of this, this was Ty Lawson's half, going in the lane anytime he wanted and scoring at will. No one could stop him, and last night, he played like the Lawson we have been accustomed to, or as coach Krzyzewski said: Ty Lawson was great. Lawson was a pro tonight. This showed what a year does, Lawson took over a game that needed a leader to take over. This was not only good for him last night, but it's also good for him in the months to come, when the NBA decides who they want on their team. I said in my preview that the big key to this game was going to be Lawson against Paulus, and when it was all said and done, it was Lawson that made the difference last night. Maybe, just maybe, this game was a bit of a payback for Lawson, since he had to miss last year's game between UNC and Duke, where the Blue Devils beat the Heels at the Dean Dome (the only victory they have against the Heels in the last six meetings). Who knows, but you have to admit that once Lawson got it going on, it was not personal, it was phenomenal!

The bench shows 4 fingers, one for each time that Hansbrough and Green have left CIS with a win
(InsideCarolina/JimHawkins)

What more can be said about this game except for hitting once more on the fact that the Tar Heels played as well as they have all season long in the second half of this game. If they keep that type of play going they are a lock to be in Detroit for the Final Four, and have a good chance to win it all. But I will end with this, and even though I am still a fan of his, Dick Vitale was so "lively" when Duke came back from 11 to take the lead and go ahead by 8. He, and his side kick, were not as "lively" when UNC did the same thing, and much more, in the second half. Dickie V and the PTI crew (Kornheiser and Wilbon) should think about being a bit less biased and a bit more sports media!

Throw away stats and records...

2009-02-11T14:02:00.004-05:00

...it's UNC vs Duke tonight!

"And so it begins", to steal a phrase from Lord of the Rings, the scenic battle between good and evil, between what is right and what isn't, between two universities that have divided families, friends, a state and some could even say a country. Tonight, in what is the biggest rivalry in college (if not all) sports, it's 3^rd/3^rd ranked North Carolina (21-2, 7-2 in the ACC) vs 6^th/5^th ranked Duke (20-3, 7-2 in the ACC), it's the Tar Heels against the Blue Devils, it's eight miles separating these two schools that could not be more different from one another. Why is this billed as the greatest rivalry? Do you see anyone from the east coast writing about SU/GTown? They do when it comes to UNC and Duke! Has HBO done a series about Kentucky/Louisville? They sure did about the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils! Any other game during rivalry week ever been the biggest game ever watched on ESPN? The one on March 4^th 2006 was the most watch college basketball game to be televised by the World Leader of Sports.

A rivalry that dates back to 1920, with the Tar Heels leading it 128-97 (Duke went 15 and 4 in the time between Dean Smith retiring and the hiring of Roy Williams) tonight will be a special game once again. The fact that the winner of tonight's game will take over the driver's seat in the ACC shouldn't surprise anyone. These two teams that have been the premiere powerhouses in the conference, together they have won close to 80% of the regular season titles and just above 55% of the ACC post season tournaments, have almost never let the other have a strangle hold on their turf. In all these years between UNC and Duke giving battle to one another only one Tar Heel, Buzz Peterson, has gone 4 and 0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. If the Heels were to pull off a win tonight, Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green could have a chance to be in that very elite group. This is UNC vs Duke, it's a classic, and with so much at stake (as there usually is) it should be a great game.

This is going to be a game of will, where the team that can set it's style of play and tempo will get the upper hand on the other. North Carolina is going to look to push and score the easy baskets on Duke, while the Blue Devils will look to make this into a halfcourt game moving the ball around for an open three. For both teams their own strategy has gotten them yet again another 20 win season, but now, when facing off against one another, which one will work? UNC started the ACC season with two huge missteps, big enough that a lot of the ABC'ers had Carolina over and done with. Duke has now faltered as well, so much so that Greg Paulus is back as the starting point guard in tonight's game.

And that is where we can start. Ty Lawson vs. Greg Paulus. Whoever gets the upper hand on that matchup is going to make his team a bit stronger than the other. If Lawson can play the way he has in the last seven games I believe that he will have the edge over Paulus, whose speed isn't going to stay with the guard from Chapel Hill. As I have said over and over this year, this Tar Heel team is going to go as far as Lawson leads it, he has to play for the team and not make it personal, if he does this the team has a great shot tonight and a great shot in the big dance. The next matchup to look at has to be the perimeter shooting of Duke against the perimeter defense of North Carolina. If the Blue Devils get off easy shots, and they make them, that is going to get the Cameron Crazies going, and won't help things for UNC. If head coach Roy Williams can get the Heels to play some good defense (for at least a good part of the game) than Duke will struggle in this one.

But the key for me has always been and will always be one, Tyler Hansbrough. Duke has no one that can shut him off down below and if he gets hot in this one and the refs don't lose the whistles while there is hacking going on, he alone can win this game with his presence inside. Adding to all of that the fact that the senior forward has learned to see and react to the double team, making crisp passes to the guards, who are all (Lawson/Ellington/Green) hitting above 40% from beyond the arc, could really be the edge that is needed for UNC to make it four in a row at "their house". Lastly, and this is going to be just as important as the starters, the bench for UNC might not need to contribute a lot, but they cannot be a liability for the team.

This is the game that players that signed letters of intent to go to either UNC or Duke live for. It's that game where records don't mean anything, where the only reality is that on the other side of the court is the team you just don't like and want to beat at all costs. The oddsmakers have this game from 1^1/2 to 2^1/2 for North Carolina, but that is worthless, because emotions, nerves and rivalries cannot be counted in point spreads, only in guts and heart. In my opinion tonight's game is going to be a very good one, that will have both fan bases going wild and the outcome will probably be unknown with a few minutes left in the game. Hang on tight folks, this is going to be a heck of a ride even if it is just eight miles from Chapel Hill.

AEM's NFL Mock Draft 1.0...

2009-02-10T18:01:00.005-05:00

...and hopefully there is more to come.

Ok, so everyone else is doing this mock draft thing, and I did promised to do one myself for both the National Football League as well as for the National Basketball Association, I am going to begin with the NFL one. This is version 1.0, but I am not sure if there will be 2.0 and so on and so forth, or at least probably not until the draft comes a lot closer. For those of you that think why should there be a football mock draft on a Tar Heel blog, the answer is pretty simple, I predict a Carolina player to go in the first round, and there are plenty of collegues from the conference headlining this draft.

01. Detroit Lions: QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia
02. St. Louis Rams: WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
03. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Everette Brown, Florida State
04. Seattle Seahawks: OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia
05. Cleveland Browns: CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
06. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Andre Smith, Alabama
07. Oakland Raiders: WR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
08. Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Michael Oher, Ole Miss
09. Green Bay Packers: DT B.J. Raji, Boston College
10. San Francisco 49ers: LB Rey Maualuga, Southern Cal
11. Buffalo Bills: DE Brian Orakpo, Texas
12. Denver Broncos: LB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
13. Washington Redskins: OT Jason Smith, Baylor
14. New Orleans Saints: LB Clay Matthews, Southern Cal
15. Houston Texans: CB Vontae Davis, Illinois
16. San Diego Chargers: RB Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
17. New York Jets: CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
18. Chicago Bears: QB Mark Sanchez, Southern Cal
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DE Robert Ayers, Tennessee
20. Detroit Lions (via DAL): LB Brian Cushing, Southern Cal
21. Philadelphia Eagles: RB Beanie Wells, Ohio State
22. Minnesota Vikings: DT Peria Jerry, Ole Miss
23. New England Patriots: CB D.J. Moore, Vanderbilt
24. Atlanta Falcons: LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
25. Miami Dolphins: DE Larry English, Northern Illinois
26. Baltimore Ravens: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland
27. Indianapolis Colts: WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina
28. Philadelphia Eagles (VIA CAR): OT Eben Britton, Arizona
29. New York Giants: WR Percy Harvin, Florida
30. Tennessee Titans: DT Fili Moala, Southern Cal
31. Arizona Cardinals: RB Leshon McCoy, Pittsburgh
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma

In all I have seven players from the Atlantic Coast Conference going in the first 32 picks, three of them going in the first ten selections. Of the seven, three are on the offensive side and four are on the defensive side, with two of them being wide outs, including Hakeem Nicks from Chapel Hill, who I have going 27^th to the Indianapolis Colts, but I would not be too unhappy if he slipped two slots where he could hook up with the other Manning for the Giants. With the NFL Combine and all of that coming up I will be able to be a bit more accurate on what could happen in this year's draft. Have any thoughts on this? Let me know at the comment box.

Heels in the League (02/05/09)

2009-02-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

Well, while I hate seeing no Tar Heels playing, it helps out when I am trying so desperately to catch up on this (not so) daily post called "Heels in the League". This is the 02/05/09 edition and it has just three games and no ex Carolina players on tap. But have no fear, in the next edition (which I am hopeful to do later this afternoon or tonight) there are nine games which should have five ex Tar Heels taking to the court.

Bob Cousy Award list is out...

2009-02-10T14:19:00.005-05:00

...and Lawson is on it.

Yesterday I did a post about the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 candidates. Today it is time to give you the seventeen finalists of the Bob Cousy Award finalists, given each year for the nation’s top college point guard. There are 13 student-athletes from Division I, 2 from Division II and 2 from Division III, which I have to say is very interesting that the award would put players from all three Divisions.

Of course on the list there is Ty Lawson from North Carolina, but along with the speedy point guard from Chapel Hill there are other five players that are on Wooden Mid Season list and on this one as well. Here is the complete list:

Sherron Collins, Kansas *
Darren Collison, UCLA *
Stephen Curry, Davidson *
Toney Douglas, Florida State
Levance Fields, Pittsburgh
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse *
Dominic James, Marquette
Ty Lawson, North Carolina *
Eric Maynor, VCU
Patrick Mills, Saint Mary’s
Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga
A.J. Price, UConn
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest *

(* = players on the John Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 candidates)

Division II
Virgil Buensuceso, BYU-Hawaii
Darren Duncan, Merrimack College

Division III
David Arsenault, Grinnell
Sean Wallis, Washington University

I have to admit that this will be taken as a homer statement, but with the team going the way it is and the way Lawson has been a huge part of that, seeing him win this award isn't all that far fetched. Of course all of that will depend on a lot of things, including the game from now until the end of the season and how the voters believe the team that the player is on did compared to what the pre season expectations were. So, for Lawson, this means a very deep run into the tournament or it might just cost him in the final voting.

Heels in the League (02/04/09)

2009-02-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

As promised earlier today here is another edition of the post I call "Heels in the League", where it's all about the ex Tar Heels in the NBA. In this edition it's the 02/04/09 games, which in all were eleven and had plenty of ex Carolina players on call.

First game of the night has a head to head match up, with the visiting squad, the New Jersey Nets, having a hot streaking Vince Carter, who on 02/03/09 had a triple double for his team. In this game, where the ex Heel played 36 minutes, didn't have the same output, not by a long shot. Carter scored 20 points on 8 for 15 from the field (4 for 8 from beyond the arc), adding five assists, two rebounds, one steal and a block. The ex pupil of Dean Smith also had a turnover on the night.

Antawn Jamison goes to the basket against Trenton Hassell (44) and Josh Boone (2) during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, in Washington. The Nets won 115-88. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

For the home team, the Washington Wizards, had Antawn Jamison, who was also a team mate with Vince Carter at Chapel Hill. The ex NPOY for Dean Smith didn't have a great game, playing 40 minutes, and scoring just 10 points on 4 for 20 shooting (1 for 7 from 3). Jamison also had six rebounds, two assists and two steals on the night, while committing a TO. In the end it was New Jersey (23-27, 13-12 away) who won the game going away, beating Washington (10-39, 7-18 home) by 27, 115 to 88.

Vince Carter goes to the basket against Nick Young during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 in Washington. The Nets won 115-88. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

In the next game it's the Miami Heat taking a trip north to the Palace at Auburn Hills to face the Detroit Pistons. For the home team big man Rasheed Wallace played 37 minutes and scored 18 points (7 for 11) while adding six boards. The ex big man for Dean Smith also had two assists and committed just one turnover in the game. In the end it's Wallace & Co. that come out ahead, as Detroit (26-21, 14-11 home) beat Miami (26-22, 10-14 away) in a close one, with the final score being 93 to 90.

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

The third game of the night has once again a head to head battle between two Tar Heels. And again, just like the first one, it is a clash of ex team mates from Chapel Hill. For the visiting Atlanta Hawks it's Marvin Williams who has a very nice night in his 42 minutes of playing time. The ex Heel forward has a double double, with 23 points (6 for 13 ~ 11 for 14 FTs) and 10 rebounds. Williams also adds two asssists and two steals in the game, but does have 2 TOs as well.

For the home squad, the Minnesota Timberwolves, we finally see Rashad McCants have some playing time. The ex national champion gets 15 minutes of playing time and gets 10 points (4 for 7 ~ 2 for 4 from beyond the arc) off of them. McCants also has a block and a steal while committing 2 turnovers in the game. In the end it was Atlanta (28-20, 10-15 away) taking this one, as they defeated Minnesota (17-31, 8-16 home) by the final of 94 to 86 dispite a nice comeback from the home team in the last quarter.

Rashad McCants lays up as Zaza Pachulia defends in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Box Score <~> Shot Charts

Last game of the night is one that has Brandan Wright in it, which means two things of late. One, the Golden State Warriors are in action, this time hosting the Phoenix Suns. Two, that we will not see him in action, as he is not playing of late. In the game of the night his Warriors (16-34, 11-12 home) beat pretty easily the Suns (26-21, 13-11 away) 124 to 112, holding back a late rally by the guests.

Box Score