Posts tagged ACC Basketball

     Abysmal has been the most common chosen word used to describe Tar Heels performance so far this season, but their play last night against Boston College brought other adjectives to mind.  I once heard an ESPN announcer describe the Heels as relentless, and at another point in the game the word juggernaut was used.  Now that the horrific performance against Georgia Tech has seemingly been forgotten, the Tar Heels appear to be poised for a strong late season push that will have them playing in the “field of 65” instead of the N.I.T.

     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