Turning the Paige ?

     It has been exactly 115 days since I last wrote a Tar Heels blog here.   Maybe I should feel a little guilty, but I don't.   As I've told you before, I don't get paid for THIS (yet!)    Not writing any blogs about UNC Basketball does NOT mean, however, that I haven't been watching the games and taking note of their progress (or lack thereof).

ACC Quarterfinal Game

     I've been somewhat encouraged, and at other times, downright disgusted with our team's play.    They've had games when they couldn't seem to BUY--a--BUCKET, and other games when they couldn't seem to CAPTURE a rebound.   But I haven't given up on them.   Somehow, I knew that they would re--capture the Heart and Soul of this team-- and it's happened--- just in the nick of time-- before they might have kicked the bucket in the NCAA Tournament..

ACC Semifinal Game

    Tonight, the Heels showed their best stuff against Notre Dame-- and maintained it the entire game-- much like they did against Pittsburgh on Thursday night.   They won by a whopping 31 point margin, and certainly avenged their earlier 80--76 defeat to the Irish on Feb. 6.  At one point, the Tar Heels ran off an incredible 24 points in a row--- unbelievable!--- spanning the end of the first (the last 6:10) and beginning of the second half (the first 3:22) for a total of almost a quarter of the game (9:32).  This was the result of a combination of the Tar Heels playing great defense, and Notre Dame missing easy shots and making stupid mistakes.

   The Tar Heels broke a bad streak.  Notre Dame had beaten UNC in 11 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams.   But the best thing about the win is that it landed Carolina a berth in the ACC Championship, against the winner of the Virginia--Miami semifinal game.  (and I'm picking Virginia, although Miami is a fairly good team too).

   Tonight's game was significant in at least a couple of ways.   The Tar Heels have an opportunity on Saturday to win the ACC Tournament Championship for the first time since 2008.   In 2009, even the eventual NCAA champion Tar Heels failed to win their own conference tournament.   In the seven subsequent years, the Tar Heels have been runner-up four times, but never won it.   Four out of seven--- umm--- I've heard that number somewhere else--- 

Marcus : On Fire Tonight

   Oh yeah-- that was Marcus Paige's three point shooting tonight-- 4 of 7-- The highlight and Hot Topic of tonight's semifinal game was the reemergence of Paige as the leader of the Tar Heels offense.   For the last 10--15 games, it has been Brice Johnson--- and the agile Johnson is still a leader on the team, especially in rebounding, but although Paige only scored 16 points tonight, they were quality points.  He was still the leading scorer for the game, and it was obvious to everyone that THIS was a different Marcus Paige than the player we have seen most of the year to date.

   Having suffered through an early season injury, he had spurts of excellence, but his shooting has been subpar for most games.   In this contest against Notre Dame, his eye for the basket was a laser focus, and his perimeter shooting was a key factor in the Tar Heels running away with the game.   

   Although Brice Johnson, Joel Berry II, Justin Jackson, and others have shined and contributed at one time or another, it has been a foregone conclusion that Carolina could not advance to the Final Four, or even make a decent run for it, without the reemergence of Paige.  Tonight--- that happened.   Yay!--- yeah, you can shout-- yell-- dance if you want-- it's good news for Tar Heel fans everywhere.

    One sportscaster said that "the Tar Heels had the game wrapped up at halftime"--- but while it was 41--22, the Heels still had to come out and play the second half to win, and PLAY they did, adding another 12 points to the final victory margin..

   "THIS IS THE NORTH CAROLINA 

WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR"

---Sportswriter Dana O'Neil

    Uh--huh.  Are the Tar Heels "turning the Paige" ?   Will they win the ACC Championship, get a #1 NCAA berth, and plow through the opposition to make the Final Four ?   Will they become the team that they were predicted to be in preseason polls ?   We'll soon find out.  

    See ya again after the ACC Tournament Final--- hoping for another convincing UNC win and a #1 Berth in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday..

[It -WAS- Virginia...UNC vs. Virginia on Saturday @ 9pm]