UNC is ranked second in the nation with a 24-3, 12-2 record in the ACC heading into its final two games of the season. The Tar Heels went 6-2 on the road in the conference this season, which is an important accomplishment in terms of re-establishing the program as a power.
And so far they have destroyed the competition in the Dean Dome.
Carolina's 85-83 victory against Maryland on Sunday may have been the most important one yet because it came on the road against a traditional rival giving one of its finest efforts. The win also occurred without Rashad McCants, who remains out of commission with an intestinal disorder.
To win on a last-second blocked shot by Sean May should only help his team down the stretch, UNC coach Roy Williams said.
"It's immeasurable," Williams said. "Give me a one-point win and I'll get out of town as fast as I can. It doesn't have to be 20 or 25. Winning close games is important. They made big-time shots, seven out of eight from three and took the lead. Our club just came down and both occasions, once when they got it tied and once when they took the lead, and really did a nice job on the offensive possessions. "That is big for us, and it does give them confidence." Williams said he has no doubt the Tar Heels will be ready when Florida State (11-17, 3-11) comes to Chapel Hill for a 9 p.m. game on Thursday, even though the Seminoles have a poor record and could easily be overlooked, and even with the likelihood that McCants will not play.
"I am not concerned about my team being ready to play against Florida State," Williams said. "I think my team will be ready to play, will be focused."
There is no reason to doubt his confidence. His team has been ready to play for almost every game this season, and of late, Carolina seems to be improving and building momentum in each outing.
Defense is a key reason for the steady play. Williams has been preaching defense since he returned from Kansas, and it has been clear from the early days of this season that the players finally heard him. No matter what else has occurred, the Tar Heels have played hard and effectively on defense throughout this season.
The Tar Heels lead the league in scoring margin (20.5 points per game) ? a stat which takes into account a team's offensive and defensive output. They are third in field-goal percentage defense, holding clubs to 39.7 percent shooting, and they lead the league in field-goal percentage at 50.6 percent.
They also lead in defensive rebounding, which is the final step in playing solid defense. The ideal sequence is force a bad shot, rebound the ball and then create a fast break. It is a formula this team has executed successfully on many occasions.
"I don't think you're ever comfortable because you want more," Williams said of his defense. "But the kids have worked hard. They've bought into it. They've tried to get better individually. And they've tried to do a great job of seeing the big picture. They realize how hard we've worked on it. The bigger the game gets, it's more and more important."
The work is not done, of course. There is every reason to believe the Tar Heels will take care of Florida State on Thursday, and then the big finish against Duke at the Smith Center looms Sunday at 4 p.m.
Winning Sunday would provide an exclamation point to the regular season for UNC and its fans, securing Carolina a first-place finish (assuming the Tar Heels do win on Thursday) and doing it against a Duke team that has owned the Tar Heels from 1999 forward.
If Carolina were to win against Duke, maybe that would be the best point to declare UNC basketball back, but that would also be unfair to this team. No matter what happens on Sunday, the seniors and juniors have restored Carolina basketball to its spot as a powerful, respected program.
And with an excellent recruiting class arriving in the fall and Roy Williams sitting on the bench, there is no reason to think the status of Carolina basketball will slip again any time soon.
Eddy Landreth is a freelance writer who lives outside Pittsboro, N.C.
Edward M. Kennedy 6 March 2005 04:24:25 [ permanent link ]
It's okay to top post when you are replying over a phone line to the long-winded heresy posted by a traiterous heretic.
--Tedward
"CoolHandDuke tbdm" <cbw1972@northstate.net> wrote in message news:1110045423.735198.232360@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...> Carolina basketball is a force again> UNC juniors, seniors have brought this program back> By Eddy Landreth, March 2, 2005> http://www.tarheeldaily.com/article.html?aid=7047>
Carolina basketball is back.>
UNC is ranked second in the nation with a 24-3, 12-2 record in the ACC> heading into its final two games of the season. The Tar Heels went 6-2> on the road in the conference this season, which is an important> accomplishment in terms of re-establishing the program as a power.>
And so far they have destroyed the competition in the Dean Dome.>
Carolina's 85-83 victory against Maryland on Sunday may have been the> most important one yet because it came on the road against a> traditional rival giving one of its finest efforts. The win also> occurred without Rashad McCants, who remains out of commission with an> intestinal disorder.>
To win on a last-second blocked shot by Sean May should only help his> team down the stretch, UNC coach Roy Williams said.>
"It's immeasurable," Williams said. "Give me a one-point win and I'll> get out of town as fast as I can. It doesn't have to be 20 or 25.> Winning close games is important. They made big-time shots, seven out> of eight from three and took the lead. Our club just came down and both> occasions, once when they got it tied and once when they took the lead,> and really did a nice job on the offensive possessions. "That is big> for us, and it does give them confidence." Williams said he has no> doubt the Tar Heels will be ready when Florida State (11-17, 3-11)> comes to Chapel Hill for a 9 p.m. game on Thursday, even though the> Seminoles have a poor record and could easily be overlooked, and even> with the likelihood that McCants will not play.>
"I am not concerned about my team being ready to play against Florida> State," Williams said. "I think my team will be ready to play, will be> focused.">
There is no reason to doubt his confidence. His team has been ready to> play for almost every game this season, and of late, Carolina seems to> be improving and building momentum in each outing.>
Defense is a key reason for the steady play. Williams has been> preaching defense since he returned from Kansas, and it has been clear> from the early days of this season that the players finally heard him.> No matter what else has occurred, the Tar Heels have played hard and> effectively on defense throughout this season.>
The Tar Heels lead the league in scoring margin (20.5 points per game)> ? a stat which takes into account a team's offensive and defensive> output. They are third in field-goal percentage defense, holding clubs> to 39.7 percent shooting, and they lead the league in field-goal> percentage at 50.6 percent.>
They also lead in defensive rebounding, which is the final step in> playing solid defense. The ideal sequence is force a bad shot, rebound> the ball and then create a fast break. It is a formula this team has> executed successfully on many occasions.>
"I don't think you're ever comfortable because you want more," Williams> said of his defense. "But the kids have worked hard. They've bought> into it. They've tried to get better individually. And they've tried to> do a great job of seeing the big picture. They realize how hard we've> worked on it. The bigger the game gets, it's more and more important.">
The work is not done, of course. There is every reason to believe the> Tar Heels will take care of Florida State on Thursday, and then the big> finish against Duke at the Smith Center looms Sunday at 4 p.m.>
Winning Sunday would provide an exclamation point to the regular season> for UNC and its fans, securing Carolina a first-place finish (assuming> the Tar Heels do win on Thursday) and doing it against a Duke team that> has owned the Tar Heels from 1999 forward.>
If Carolina were to win against Duke, maybe that would be the best> point to declare UNC basketball back, but that would also be unfair to> this team. No matter what happens on Sunday, the seniors and juniors> have restored Carolina basketball to its spot as a powerful, respected> program.>
And with an excellent recruiting class arriving in the fall and Roy> Williams sitting on the bench, there is no reason to think the status> of Carolina basketball will slip again any time soon.>
Eddy Landreth is a freelance writer who lives outside Pittsboro, N.C.>
