Most of the Carolina fans already knew how good Kendall Marshall could be, but I’m sure that no one person in their right mind expected for a freshman point guard to run the offense with such effortless efficiency.  I would compare Marshall’s conducting skills with Ed Cota from UNC’s past teams.  Marshall like Cota is not the fastest, most athletic, or the biggest scoring threat we have ever seen, but his ability to run the offense in such an unselfish manner is unparalleled.

     Sunday’s game saw the Tarheel big men get more easy baskets than at any point this season or last season, and the scary thought is that Marshall will only improve.  Marshall’s game is a far cry from Larry Drew II, who seemed indecisive and never really was a feared penetrator, scorer, or passer.  Drew’s passing usually left Carolina’s post players in uncomfortable positions where they were not used to scoring the basketball, and the offense as a whole suffered.

     Now that Marshall is at the helm all is well in Carolina.  Only I wish that fans would realize that their critical remarks and harsh treatment of Drew led were probably the leading causes of his early departure.  Marshall may be the better option as a starter, but Drew played very well coming off the bench.  Now Carolina fans are left to wonder whether or not Dexter Strickland can be the secondary ball-handler that the Heels so desperately need.   

     Either way the Heels appear to be more confident than ever leading into their colossal matchup with rival Duke.  Marshall’s court vision and his unlimited number of scoring options should pose real problems for the Blue Devils.  I can only hope that he can carry his record breaking 16 assist performance eight miles down the road to Durham on Wednesday, and prove to the rest of the country that the state of North Carolina is under “Marshall Law.”

     Right now the Heels are riding a wave of confidence.  Finally many fans are getting the pleasure of watching the team that everyone expected to see at the beginning of the season.  The Heels are transforming into a well-balanced team that plays great defense and forces the ball quickly up-court in the transition offense. 

     For the second straight game the Heels dominated their opponents with an heir of dominance and flair that no one has seen this year.  This Tar Heel team is the team that the Associated Press expected to see, and no other teams around the country must take notice.  Carolina lost some very winnable games early in the season, but they are now on a four game winning streak and have won nine of their last ten contests.

     Opposing coaches around the ACC are definitely losing sleep over the thought of having to prepare for this Carolina team.  When you look at the roster from the very top to the very bottom, it should become painfully obvious that Roy Williams has miraculously constructed a ten player rotation that runs opposing teams ragged for forty minutes.  I choose to use the word miraculous simply because the Heels have lost over ten players to graduation transfers and early declarations to the NBA since the ’09 championship season.

     Roy Williams has mastered the art of puzzle building, and it shows with how well this team has gelled at the midpoint of the season.  The Heels played so well against Boston College last night in snowy Massachusetts that the fans in attendance had to wonder if the roof had collapsed, because Carolina brought the blizzard inside with their surprisingly effective three-point shooting.  Freshman Reggie Bullock provided the best example of how well the Heels were performing by scoring 18 points off the bench.  He scorched the nets for four threes in the first-half alone.

     Now the Heels have to guard against complacency after two virtuoso performances in their last two conference games.  Harrison Barnes cracked the 20 point barrier for the first and second time in his career in both contests respectively, but the Heels are such a balanced team that a scoring outburst can come from any player at any time.  The next two games for the Heels are a home game against Florida State and a trip to Durham for the game of all games against the Duke Blue Devils.  The team appears to be confident.  The fans are confident. And the upcoming teams on the schedule are probably having trouble sleeping.  Go Heels!!!   

Damein Fitzgerald

     For fans of Carolina to call into Roy Williams’ radio show last week for no other reason than to voice their uniformed opinions, reveals a serious lack of knowledge of the game of basketball.   Anyone who has watched the Tar Heel program for more than a day can see a team that is void of senior leadership, but people are still watching this team like they’re supposed to magically begin performing like the Tyler Hansbrough-led group in ‘09.  Unfortunately for those people, this is the real world and this team is developing its own unique identity.  Albeit one that does not have fans thinking National Championship in March.

     Tonight, the Heels played a tough game against the Miami Hurricanes, who feature a 300 plus pound grizzly bear at center Reggie Johnson hungry for a victory after losing two straight closely contested games.  The Canes displayed this hunger with 13 three point field goals made during the contest and a 14 point lead over the Tar Heels at one point in the first half.  Surprisingly, the game was tied at halftime.  Even more surprising the Heels ended up winning 74-71.

     This group has been a pleasant surprise to those who enjoy the simple nuances of basketball, though.  The Heels are mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores, yet they play excellent team defense and display a sense of poise that is off the charts.  Whether anyone would like to admit it or not the ACC is still a tough conference to compete in, and the Heels have played well enough to earn a three way tie at the top through five games.  Each game of their four conference wins this season have come by the team overcoming painfully sluggish starts.

     How could anyone be dissatisfied with that type of performance?  Maybe if this Tar Heel team were a racehorse they would receive more national attention for their come from behind conference wins, but the basketball public is not too fond of their play.  Tonight’s game completely exemplified Carolina’s season as a whole, by teaching the Miami Hurricanes an age old lesson.  It’s not how you start, its how you finish.  Anytime a young team can dig themselves a 14 point hole and end the game with a three point victory, is definitely on the right track for a successful season.  Maybe one day the fans will understand that, too.

***Harrison Barnes led the Heels in scoring with 13 and also hit the game winning three pointer.***

Damein Fitzgerald

     Clemson may have never beaten the Heels in Chapel Hill, but the way this particular Tar Heel team has started in conference matchups is a cause for concern.  Even though, they have shown remarkable resilience this year in comeback wins against Virginia and Virginia Tech respectively, the loss against Georgia Tech revealed a team in disarray.  Not a term that any team wants used when describing recent performances when facing a team that will be attempting to make history for their school.  Not to mention, Clemson beat Georgia Tech 87-62 six days ago!  This could mean big trouble for Carolina if their epic struggles continue, and there has yet to be any indication that the Heels will play any better tonight.

     Times will arise during the season that either make or break a team and their collective confidence, and the Clemson Tigers will be eager to become the first Clemson group to leave the Smith Center victorious.  On the flip side, I’m sure that this group of Heels would not like to become a historical footnote for being the first group to allow a Clemson win in Chapel Hill, but this fate is nearly inevitable if they continue to play the way they have lately!  If Carolina should fail to realize the importance of performing better from the start of this game then they have in the last three games, they will lose.  There’s really no other way to put it, but if you’re the Heels right now you are probably just grateful to be back home.

Damein Fitzgerald

     Over the past few weeks the Tar Heels have shown significant improvement, after a disappointing early season that caused Carolina to suffer two straight losses to teams they should have beaten. The Heels were rated as high as number 8 in preseason polls, which was a decision, based largely on the acquisition of freshman forward Harrison Barnes and the strong play of junior guard Larry Drew II to end the season.  Many experts and the Carolina faithful had high hopes for the team entering the season, but the early season struggles have caused the Heels to be banished from the ranks of the top 25 teams in the nation.

     Now, the Heels find themselves in a favorable but very perplexing situation.  Most of the early season hype surrounding the team has faded, which allows this young group of players to continue improving without being cemented under the cancerous ultra-violet glare of media criticism.  That’s the good part. On the flipside, the Heels have been a woefully ineffective offensive team that seems to lack the discipline (or even the coordination) necessary to prevent them from committing an unreasonably high amount of turnovers, but everyone in the country seems to be oblivious to this fact. 

     Am I really the only person who sees an alarming pattern developing?  Think back, if you would, to the end of last season.  The Tar Heels reached a 20 win season only because of a strong performance in the NIT tournament, which happened after most of the national media stopped paying very much attention to the team.  When this season opened with many people holding high hopes for the team based off of their strong finish, the Heels stumbled out of the gate so badly that many people around the country have simply ignored one of the top 3 most prestigious basketball programs in the country.

     If this trend is not cause for concern, then I have no idea what is.  The Carolina basketball program usually doesn’t “fly under the radar,” but this group seems to enjoy the shadows.  The Heels have now been performing well-enough to grasp the national media’s attention, and they will very soon.  How will Carolina respond to the added pressure that comes along with national scrutiny?  This group has not shown the fortitude of pervious Carolina squads who handled the national media spotlight with a level of skill and grace that this team simply lacks. The 2011 version of the Tar Heels have been very careless during the first halves of their first two ACC contests without the media scrutiny.   

     In fact, they are number 1 in the ACC standings at the moment, and they have a chance to add another boost of confidence when they take on a Georgia Tech team with a 0-2 conference record.  Even though Carolina is taking on a seemingly over-matched opponent, I expect a very sloppy first half performance that will improve in the second half on after Roy Williams pops a blood vessel in his neck from yelling at the team.  The Tar Heels will win simply, because this game boils down to a matchup of good versus bad, and I’m not talking about Carolina against Georgia Tech either.  I’m talking about “the good Heels” against “the bad Heels.”  Georgia Tech shouldn’t pose much of a threat to win the game unless “the bad Heels,” that seem to show up in the first half of conference games this season, have an abundance of left-over Christmas spirit and gift-wrap the game for the Yellow Jackets.  Then again, no one else in the country is paying much attention, but if they were I’d be drowning in a pool of sweat right now!  

Damein Fitzgerald 1/16/2011

     During the first half of Carolina’s game against Virginia Tech, the play by play announcer used the word abysmal to describe the Tar Heels ineffective play on offense.  The announcer’s use of this term prompted me to look the word “abysmal” in a dictionary, which would have been more effectively defined had Webster decided to post a Tar Heel team picture beside the word.  The effort turned in by the Heels in the first half of Thursday night’s game yielded more turnovers (11) than made free throws (3) and saw a barrage of three pointers from Virginia Tech’s stellar shooting guard Malcolm Delaney.  Delaney was responsible for five three point field goals in the first half alone.

     The fact that Carolina did not simply stop competing is astounding.  Especially when they were giving up plenty of offensive rebounds turning the ball over faster than Wal-Mart turns over employees and letting Malcolm Delaney rain three point field goals on them like an airstrike from the United States Air Force.  Somehow considering all of the negative events taking place in the Smith Center, the Heels never seemed to be overly discouraged or completely out of the game.  At one point in the first half Carolina trailed 31-15.

     In classic Carolina fashion the Heels made a 9-0 scoring run to close the first half, which was highlighted by an alley oop slam by John Henson on a pass from freshman point guard Kendall Marshall.  Only this is not your classic Carolina team.  This team is not supposed to be able to swiftly overcome adversity as many other Carolina teams have done in the past, but this bunch has pulled it off two games in a row.

     At half-time the score was 31-24, which seemed like an improbable task for the Heels to make a comeback judging by their first half performance.  John Henson and Kendall Marshall provided the spark that not only ignited the team, the crowd in attendance, and the people watching at home.  If it were customary for basketball players to receive game balls in basketball Henson and Marshall would share the honor.  Marshall found Henson along the baseline for a two-handed dunk that made Henson bear the closest resemblance to Inspector Gadget in a basketball uniform.

     Needless to say this dunk completely changed the pace and outcome of the game.  This also prompted Harrison Barnes to emerge from his turnover-prone bad shooting night to help seal the pending Carolina victory.  The best way to describe Harrison’s performance would be to compare him to Mariano Rivera, because Harrison is like a closing pitcher in baseball.  He was a forgotten man offensively before the final four minutes of the game, and then he completely crushed Virginia Tech’s chances of winning the game with his clutch shooting.  Overall this was one of the ugliest Carolina games in recent memory, but we can all get used to this persistence and perseverance trait this young Heel team is developing.

Top Performers

John Henson 17 points 8 rebounds 2 assists 4 blocks

Kendall Marshall 9 points 9 assists 2 rebounds 3 steals

Tyler Zeller 16 points 9 rebounds

Harrison Barnes 12 points 5 rebounds

P.s. I’m going to give out a game ball anyway.  My imaginary game ball goes to John Henson and Kendall Marshall.  The box score does not do enough to explain the enormous effect these two players had on the game.  This was definitely one game you just had to watch!

Damein Fitzgerald

        Virginia Tech will travel into the Dean E. Smith center with a six game winning streak, and most likely a whole lot of confidence based from their recent successes.  Virginia Tech’s last win of this young season came in a 71-59 thrashing of the same Florida State Seminole team that shocked  Coach K and every sports writer that covers College Basketball  around the country last night.  Virginia Tech is traditionally a very well-coached team that gives Roy Williams and his Tar Heel teams way more than they would like to deal with on any given night.  As a Carolina fan you can expect for Seth Greenberg to effectively use Malcolm Delaney as his top offensive option, which could be seen as a positive sign for Carolina or it could give Heel fans a real since of impending doom comparable to the infamous Y2K scare in 1999.

       Although Roy Williams and Carolina are riding a four game win streak of their own, one can only guess what kind of play the Heels will receive from their backcourt players in this pivotal ACC matchup.  I personally find myself flipping back and forth emotionally between feelings of comfort (we know the tendencies of the Hokies) and feelings of distress. (I quickly remind myself of the inconsistent play of Larry Drew II this season.)Last weekend, if it were not for the size of Carolina overwhelming the Virginia Cavaliers on the offensive boards, we could be entering a situation that would cause some serious panic in Chapel Hill.  (Who knows what would have happened had Carolina lost that game to Virginia and begun their conference schedule with a 0-1 record.)  

     Since the Duke Blue Devils have already dropped one game in a competition they were supposed to run away with, the Tar Heels look to be in a good position to compete for a conference championship in this early season.  The Heels currently sit in third place in the conference, because they have only played one game, while Virginia Tech is second.  Hopefully, The Heels will effectively seize this unexpected opportunity like the investigating detectives on the First 48 when they receive an anonymous lead regarding a murder case they are trying to solve.  So far, Virginia Tech has defeated Florida State and Florida State has taken down Duke, which proves that any team can emerge victorious against any other team in ACC matchups this season.  Why shouldn’t that lead us to believe that an underachieving Carolina team has more than a fighting chance to win against anyone? (Including Virginia Tech and the so-called “unbeatable” Duke squad.)

     Under normal circumstances the UVA game would serve as a clear indicator that the team has bonded, which should cause them to be a much more effective team on the court.  Only this year’s version of the Tar Heels has been rather inconsistent, which makes most fans feel like a matchup with Malcolm Delaney could prove to be the disaster that the Y2K scare was not.   Only time will tell but if Carolina is able to pull off a strong performance I am emphatically willing to buy into the prospect of the Heels becoming a legitimate ACC regular season championship contender.  The early ACC developments have obviously proven that teams in the conference are much closer than most people originally thought with the results of the game last night, and Carolina has a great chance of coming out on top if they simply exploit their opportunities when they come.  This game tonight could eventually propel the Heels to greatness for the rest of the season if they simply take care of business. 

Damein Fitzgerald

11/12/2010 UNC vs. Lipscomb (WIN 1-0)

11/18/2010 UNC vs. Hofstra – Puerto Rico Tipoff (WIN 2-0)

11/19/2010  UNC vs. Western KY./Minnesota – Puerto Rico Tipoff

11/21/2010  UNC vs. TBD – Puerto Rico Tipoff

11/23/2010  UNC vs. UNC Ashville

11/28/2010  UNC vs. College of Charleston

11/30/2010  UNC @ Illinoise – ACC/Big 10 Challenge

12/04/2010  UNC vs. Kentucky

12/08/2010  UNC @ Evansville

12/11/2010  UNC vs. Long Beach St.

12/18/2010  UNC vs. Texas – Greensboro, NC

12/21/2010  UNC vs. William & Mary

12/28/2010  UNC vs. Rutgers – New York, NY

01/02/2011  UNC vs. St. Francis (PA)

01/08/2011  UNC @ Virginia

01/13/2011  UNC vs. Virginia Tech

01/16/2011  UNC @ Georgia Tech

01/18/2011  UNC vs. Clemson

01/26/2011  UNC @ Miami

01/29/2011  UNC vs. NC State

02/01/2011  UNC @ Boston College

02/06/2011 UNC vs. Florida St.

02/09/2011 UNC @ Duke

02/12/2011  UNC @ Clemson

02/15/2011  UNC vs. Wake Forest

02/19/2011  UNC vs. Boston College

02/23/2011  UNC @ NC State

02/27/2011  UNC vs. Maryland

03/02/2011  UNC @ Florida St.

03/05/2011  UNC vs. Duke

03/10/2011  UNC vs. TBD – ACC Tournament – Greensboro, NC

Coming in to Thursday’s game, the Tarheels were not worried about impressing anyone however their offensive onslaught and defensive play opened many eyes on just how good Carolina really is this season and change many doubters’ minds that they are worthy of being ranked #8 in the country.  However, some are just saying “It’s only Hofstra.”

Six players scored in double digits for the Heels while the preseason All-American freshman, Harrison Barnes, lead the way for the Heels.  Harrison Barnes scored all 19 of his points in the first half while also chipping in with 7 rebounds and a couple of assists.  Leslie McDonald came off the bench for Carolina and drained 4 three-point shots while finishing with 16 points.  The Tarheels shot 56% from the field while hitting 12 of 17 shots, 70%, from beyond the arc.  The Heels put up 107 points in their second game of the season which is more points than they scored in any game last season.

Charles Jenkins scored 24 points to lead Hofstra.

Box Score–
John Henson – 12 pts, 11 rebs
Tyler Zeller – 11 pts, 8 rebs, 1 blk
Harrison Barnes – 19 pts, 7 rebs
Dexter Strickland – 11 pts, 4 ast
Larry Drew II – 4 pts, 6 ast, 3 rebs

Leslie McDonald – 16 pts, 1 reb
Kendall Marshall – 3 pts, 9 ast, 2 stl
Justin Watts – 13 pts, 3 rebs
Justin Knox – 8 pts, 8 rebs
Reggie Bullock – 6 pts, 2 ast
V. Hatchell – 0 pts, 1 ast, 1 reb
S. Cooper – 0 pts
D . Dupont – 0 pts, 2 rebs, 1 ast
P. Crouch – 0 pts
DJ Johnston – 4 pts, 1 reb

UNC went 14-5 in games played in Chapel Hill last season however their biggest downfall came on the road where the Heels only won 4 of their 12 road games. UNC fans couldn’t figure out their Heels vibe as they played very well against high powered teams like Kentucky, who they lost to by only 2 points, Duke, who they only lost to by 10 points their first game of the season against the Blue Devils last year, and Texas, who they only lost to by 13 points. These games showed that UNC’s young talent could run with the best and they showed much confidence and heart against these high-ranking opponents. However, the Heels suffered some tough losses to teams that were not as talented as themselves. The Heels dropped a heart-breaker to the College of Charleston by 3 points on January 4th which wouldn’t get off their minds until they beat Virginia Tech by 12 points 6 days later. Lose to a less-powerful team like College of Charleston, then beat a really good team like Virginia Tech. That’s how the season was for the Tarheels. Nobody ever knew how they were going to play. Some games they played like you would think they hadn’t lost a game and other games made people wonder if they were even having practice in Chapel Hill.

The Tarheels had a wide range of scoring for them last year as Deon Thompson and Ed Davis both averaged 13 points a game last season although Davis only played 23 of their 37 games before missing the remainder of the season with an injury. Tyler Zeller and Will graves both averaged 9 points to contribute while Larry Drew II and Marcus Ginyard both threw in about 8 points a game for UNC. The Tarheels had a handful of talented, highly-recruited freshmen last season that contributed on the court more than what their stats showed. Dexter Strickland and John Henson may have only averaged 5 or less points a game last season but they stepped up when the Heels need them to. Strickland was the top scorer for the Heels last season twice, 18 in a win against Rutgers and 17 in a loss against Clemson. Henson was also the Heels top scorer twice last season, 14 in a loss against Duke and 14 in a win against UAB. Henson’s presence in the paint was key for the Heels after Ed Davis went out with a season-ending injury. Henson was the Heel’s top rebounder 6 different times late in the season when Davis was out to help out the other UNC big man Deon Thompson. Strickland and Henson’s defense was a huge help for the Tarheels as well. Strickland had 33 steals for UNC last season which was 3rd on the team behind seniors Deon Thompson (33) and Marcus Ginyard (45). Henson’s defense came up big in the paint last season when Ed Davis’ season was finished. Henson had 59 blocks for the Heels which was second on the team behind Davis with 64. With all of this help from these talented freshmen in a season that wasn’t suppose to go the way it did, these kids are hungry, hungry for the feeling of winning and being atop of the elite in not only the ACC but the entire nation.

The Tarheels lost some of their biggest contributers from last season. Their seniors were Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard. They also lost Ed Davis who decided to take his talent to the NBA. However, even with losing all of this talent, the Tarheels aren’t worried as Strickland and Henson will fill all of the gaps for UNC along with the #1 High School player in the country, Harrison Barnes, coming to Chapel Hill to help out.

The Tarheels are going to do the best thing you can do about a bad season, put it behind them. As the college basketball season gets closer everyone in Chapel Hill is geared up for what they think is going to be a season of redemption for the Tarheels. A lot of people are expecting them to surprise a lot of teams and return to the elite rankings in the country however others think that UNC still has some work to do. We’ll see…

2010-2011 Season Schedule (W/L Prediction)

Predictions not including ACC Tournament or National Tournament, only regualr season.11/18/10 vs. Hofstra (WIN)
11/19/10 Western Kentucky or Minnesota (WIN)
11/21/10 Davidson, West Virginia, Nebraska or Vanderbilt (WIN)

11/23/10 vs. UNC Asheville (WIN)
11/28/10 vs. College of Charleston (WIN)
11/30/10 at Illinois (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) (LOSE)
12/04/10 vs. Kentucky (WIN)
12/08/10 at Evansville (WIN)
12/11/10 vs. Long Beach State (WIN)
12/18/10 vs. Texas (LOSE)
12/21/10 vs. William & Mary (WIN)
12/28/10 vs. Rutgers (WIN)
01/02/11 vs. Saint Francis (PA) (WIN)
01/08/11 at Virginia (WIN)
01/13/11 vs. Virginia Tech (LOSE)
01/16/11 at Georgia Tech (LOSE)
01/18/11 vs. Clemson (LOSE)
01/26/11 at Miami (WIN)
01/29/11 vs. NC State (WIN)
02/01/11 at Boston College (LOSE)
02/06/11 vs. Florida State (WIN)
02/09/11 at Duke (LOSE)
02/12/11 at Clemson (LOSE)
02/15/11 vs. Wake Forest (WIN)
02/19/11 vs. Boston College (WIN)
02/23/11 at NC State (WIN)
02/27/11 vs. Maryland (LOSE)
03/02/11 at Florida State (WIN)
03/05/11 vs. Duke (LOSE)

Season Prediction: 19-10 (8-8)

ROSTER PREDICTIONS 2010-2011

STARTERS:
G – Larry Drew II, 6’2 Junior 7.4ppg (Will have new found confidence and become leader on court, assists to turnover ratio will be much better this season)

G – Dexter Strickland, 6’3 Sophmore 11.4ppg (Will have much better season shooting the ball and with his speed and defensive play he will get the starting spot over Bullock)

F – Harrison Barnes, 6’8 Freshman 20.6ppg (This freshman will play like a senior and lead the Tarheels in scoring with his nice shooting touch and power driving to the basket)

F – John Henson, 6’10 Sophmore 9.4ppg (Now the true starter for this position, he should be a force on defense in rebounding and blocking shots, will get most of points scoring on offensive rebounds)

C – Tyler Zeller 7’0 Junior 12.3ppg (If injuries don’t keep him off the court – should thrive on offense and rebounding on defense)

Bench-
Kendall Marshall – G – 6’3 Freshman 5.6ppg (Creative passer – will see high minutes rotated in with Dexter and Drew II)

Reggi Bullock – G – 6’7 Freshman 8.5ppg (Reminds a lot of people of a bigger Wayne Ellington. Smooth shooter, should bring scoring off the bench with good amount of minutes)

Leslie McDonald – G – 6’4 Sophmore (Can shoot the ball well and shows power driving to basket, will see some minutes behind Strickland and Bullock)

Justin Watts – G – 6’4 Junior (Talented shooter and ball handler but may see limited minutes)

Justin Knox – F – 6’9 Senior (Transfer from Alabama. Averaged 6.3ppg last season, should see some minutes behind Henson now that Wear brothers have transferred)

@ZachSykes31