Aspirations and Maturation

   By

HOWARD PLATT

Howard Platt

       


     
    
    The North Carolina Tar Heels have been a maturation process throughout the season.   At the start of the season they were ranked Number One in the polls, but they were overrated at that time.  Marcus Paige was injured and no one was really stepping up in his place. 

• Kennedy Meeks was a disappointment with his knee problems and then he missed a number of games because of that.  Then even when he became healthy, his play and intensity was inconsistent, especially with the high expectation that UNC fans had for him. 

• Paige came back to underperform in the eyes of the fans and the media, considering what he had done in past seasons.  He had a shooting slump that seemed like it would never end, and although it has never completely come back to the amazing Sophomore year he had, it is now more acceptable and he became a leader again both on and off the court. 

• Brice Johnson became the on court leader with his numbers while others were searching for their proper roles.  He has become a consistent double-double producer and a better defender.  He is the only Tar Heel, amazingly enough for a team that won the regular season title, on any of the All-ACC teams. He is now certainly one of the best players in the ACC, but also in the country. 

• And Joel Berry II has become perhaps the scoring leader and one of the top point guards now in the country in the latter stages of the season.  He was particularly outstanding in the ACC Tournament run and now there are new and higher expectations for him in the NCAA Tournament.

        Perhaps the greatest strength is the depth of players that now contribute to Carolina's success.  

• Meeks is getting to a higher level again, although he can do better.  

• Isiah Hicks has surfaced as an outstanding inside presence offensively and has improved as a defender.  He was rightly named the best "Sixth Man" in the conference and may be the best offensive option for the Heels over Meeks as they play around the same amount of time and even play at the same time sometimes.  

• Also Britt coming off the bench has been an outstanding defender and a spark for the team when he comes in.  

   Role players also play  a part.  

• Joel James is one of the Senior Leaders and although he doesn't score much, it seems he gets clutch points.  

• Almost forgot about Justin Jackson.  He's like a glue to the team functioning at top efficiency.  When he is in top form, whether on defense or with the teardrop floater he has made a great part of his game, the Heels are almost unbeatable.  

• Even the Freshmen like Luke Maye and young Kenny Williams have become good defenders. 

     In fact the biggest difference for UNC and what has now made them a top contender for the Final Four and even a National Championship has been the team defense!  That has not been a secret to anyone who has watched them in the last few games.  Too many times in the past there had been the wide open threes allowed or the opening of the middle of the lane much too often.  They changed all that during the ACC Tournament and it seems they now know what they can do from here on out in that all important part of the game.  

    They must continue to play that well in order to attain the goals they aspire to.  As a Tar Heel fan, I again have optimism as to what this team can accomplish.  Give Roy Williams credit too. Amidst criticism about not using timeouts properly and using his personnel differently than some of us wanted at the time, he has proven that his way is now the best way the team has developed.  

    I now am optimistic about this team having the chance to accomplish what many thought at the start of the year was a great chance.  A Final Four berth in Houston and a National Title is certainly within reach.  Now let's hopefully watch the path they take towards those goals.   

GO HEELS !

  _______________________________________________

     

Howard Platt Sports reports can be heard on Memories 1280 in Salisbury and 1410 in Concord and on 1490, Carolina Country.  He also does play by play of local American Legion Baseball, High School Baseball, High School Football and many High School Basketball games in the past. 

  --- I appreciate Bob Wingate allowing me to post on his blog --- 

 [ Ed. Note:  We appreciate you too Howard.  Let's do it again soon !]

A Wide Gulf Fixed

    Our Carolina Tar Heels take their #1 NCAA seed and travel 25 miles down the road to play their first game in the East Region on Thursday night against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.   UNC is fresh out of the ACC Tournament, where they arguably played three of their best games of the season, blowing past Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, and then holding on to beat a tough Virginia team to win their first ACC Tournament title in eight years.   

   FGCU has a new coach, but a recent history of causing trouble in the NCAA Tournament, going to the Sweet Sixteen just three years ago.  There has NEVER been a #16 seed to beat a #1 seed in the history of the tournament.  There have been some close calls, but so far, this kind of a major upset has yet to happen.  And it won't this year--- at least not for the Tar Heels.   

   Gulf Coast is a run--and--gun type of a team, and this will suit the Tar Heels' style just fine.   Their major player is Marc Eddy Norelia, a 6'8" swingman who can shoot and drive with the best, but I don't believe they pose a major threat as a team to North Carolina.   The Tar Heels will no doubt try to shut Norelia down, or else shut the rest of the team down, while letting Norelia have his points.   One way or the other, the Tar Heels just have too much, both quality and quantity, for the Eagles, and will put them away if they play the same intense game that they displayed in their conference tournament.

    UNC defeated Virginia by four points in the ACC Final, and the last couple of minutes was hectic for the Heels, but it really wasn't that close down the stretch.   Carolina had stretched it out to a seven--point lead with under five minutes to play, and only a missed one--and--one foul shot by Marcus Paige and a subsequent three--pointer brought the lead down to only two with less than a second to play.   UNC dominated most of the second half.  The closing of the margin in the last 10--15 seconds of the game just goes to show that almost anything can happen in a college basketball game.   All of a sudden, the Cavs got hot from outside, but the Tar Heels hung on to win.

    Lately, Carolina has had a different hero in each game.  This is actually a good thing for the Tar Heels.  Saturday night, Joel Berry II  stepped up to lead scoring with 19 points and won the Everett Case MVP award for the ACC Tournament.   Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson followed with 13 and 12 points for the Heels.  Paige scored 9 of the Tar Heels' 10 points during one stretch in the second half. 

    This team has several players that can lead the team in scoring.  Just look back over the past three years.   Paige has had many 25--point games.   This year, Johnson has been hot in many games, and has led the ACC in double--doubles (points and rebounds).   Yes--- this team can score points on the offensive end --- but their main focus in the NCAA Tournament must be to maintain the level of defense that they have been playing during the last week.   The Tar Heels held Notre Dame scoreless for almost ten minutes in the semifinal game, and then held Virginia without a field goal for over seven minutes.   

    Carolina is joined in the East Regional by such talented teams as West Virginia, Xavier, Kentucky, and Indiana, as well as Wisconsin, the team that knocked them out of the tournament last year.    Some pundits say that the NCAA Committee did the Tar Heels no favors, giving them what many call the toughest regional draw in the tournament.

   Basketball analyst and former Tar Heel star Kenny "the Jet" Smith surprised no one by picking his alma mater to win the East Regional and go all the way to the Final Four.   Actually, he is not alone.  There are many pundits and analysts favoring the Tar Heels to win it all.  They were the preseason #1 in the AP Basketball Poll.   But teams like Kansas and Michigan State might also be there to greet them in Houston at the NCAA Championship.

   Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves.  First things first. 

UNC vs Florida Gulf Coast

THURS MARCH 17 @ 7:20 pm

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]

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

      UNC's Tar Heels started off the season looking like a potentially great team, winning two games by double digits over weaker teams, but recognizably missing the presence of All American senior guard Marcus Paige.

     Behind great inside play from center Kennedy Meeks, and consistent outside shooting from guard Nate Britt, Carolina turned away a tempestuous Temple team and a better-than-fair Fairfield team.  Both teams stayed too close in the first half, before Carolina pulled away in the second stanza.  C Meeks (25 & 11) and F Brice Johnson (16 & 10) combined for 41 points and 21 rebounds in the Temple game, while G Britt shot an accurate 11--17 in both games and scored a career high 17 points against Fairfield, while backcourt partner G Joel Berry II also scored 29 points in the two games.

    UNC was able to dominate the boards and score many easy baskets against these weaker opponents.  Whenever the defense collapsed or the score got too uncomfortably close, the Tar Heels turned to three-point shooting to open up the margin.   There were significant fast breaks, but the team's breaks did not seem to flow as freely as they do with the ball in Carolina's starting point guard's hands.

Marcus Paige: Missing Piece of Puzzle ?

    Carolina will no doubt maintain their #1 Ranking in most of the nation's college basketball polls, but will face several severe tests over the next two weeks as they patiently await the return of Paige to the starting lineup.  Originally from the Hawkeye state, Paige will most definitely miss his "home" game against Northern Iowa on Nov. 21.   But the Heels' biggest challenge, with or without him,  will most likely come on Dec. 1, when they will play #3 Maryland in the ACC--Big 10 Challenge.   

    With the return of Marcus Paige, we will get a glimpse of how good the Tar Heels can really be this year, for he will not only be improved, but will also make all of Carolina's players better. The pundits have spoken, and give the Tar Heels the nod for chasing another national title this year.  There will be many hurdles before then, but with the team intact, they should be able to face and overcome them.

NEXT TAR HEELS BLOG :  Tar Heels Turn The Paige

Getting Ready for 2015

DOUBLE TROUBLE

   It's just about that time.  Football starts back in the fall, then you get a glimpse of basketball starting in October.  By November, we're in full swing with both sports.  In some ways, it's a favorite time of the year for me, although I'd much prefer a milder climate in the winter.  But if I moved to-- say Arizona or back to Florida-- I could still have my football and basketball, only I'd have to always watch on TV rather than in person.

  Speaking of live sports, I do enjoy going to games.  I'm hoping to go to both Panthers football and Tar Heels basketball games this year.  It would be nice if a fellow sports fan and friend {I honestly do NOT have any one person in mind} would read this, and think of me when they are ordering their tickets.  But either way, I still enjoy watching the games, even if it is on television, and as my dad used to say, "you've got the best seat in the house, without leaving yours."

BAD AND SAD MEMORIES

  I find it quite ironic that Wisconsin beat the Tar Heels in the Sweet Sixteen earlier this year, and then the Charlotte Hornets selected their center Frank Kaminsky III in the NBA draft.  It's sorta like watching Steve Kerr play with Michael Jordan on the Bulls' championship teams, or at one point, seeing Glen Rice play for the Hornets, after Kerr's Arizona and Rice's Michigan teams ousted the Tar Heels from the NCAA tournament in 1988-89.  At least Rick Mount (Purdue) or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (UCLA) never played pro ball in Carolina after they devastated UNC in the tournament.

   I'm thinking of writing an essay or article on all of the various "if's, and's, and but's" in Tar Heels' basketball history.  These would obviously include the two aforementioned examples, as well as UNC point guards Phil Ford's (1977), Kenny Smith's (1984), and Kendall Marshall's (2012) key injuries on the road to potential championships.

SUBJECTIVE PROSPECTIVE
   
   It looks as though the Tar Heels are looking fairly optimistic this year, with all but one (J.P. Tokoto) of their five starters returning.  However, that does NOT mean that all four of the returners will be starting for the Heels.   Remember several years ago, when UNC was forced, due to injuries, transfers, and personnel, to start three or even four guards in their lineup?   Well, last year was like a flip-flop year, in which they had 6'9" Kennedy Meeks, 6'9" Brice Johnson, and 6'8" Justin Jackson all playing with 6'1" point guard Marcus Paige.  

   This year brings in two highly touted freshmen, local native (Huntersville, NC) Luke Haye, a 6'7" forward, and 6'4" shooting guard Kenny Williams (from Virginia).  Ever since the advent of P.J. Hairston, the Tar Heels have lacked an accurate outside shooting threat, and Williams just may be the answer this year.  In addition, Haye, while not a guard, also won a three-point shooting contest at a Florida high school all-star game.  Look for the new freshman Williams to join senior Marcus Paige in UNC's backcourt this year, along with Meeks, Johnson, and Jackson in the frontcourt.  Carolina's key reserves this year will be Joel Berry II, Isaiah Hicks, Theo Pinson, and Joel James.

JUST HOW GOOD ARE THE TAR HEELS?

   How good will the 2015-16 UNC Tar Heels be?  Well-- if you're asking the so-called experts, NBC Sports and USA Today both list Carolina as the #1 team in their Top 25 preseason poll, and ESPN rates them at #3.  

   I'm sure Duke and Virginia, as well as an improved NC State, will have something to say, both on and off the court, about this, but my overall impression is that with a team returning most of their upperclassmen, and adding two find recruits in Haye and Williams, the Tar Heels won't be hurting at all.

   We may find out more about this year's potential for Carolina when they travel to play either Kansas State or Missouri on Nov. 24, and UCLA on Dec. 19.

   Until next time, I am your 'Couch Potato' sports analyst, signing off.

Tar Heels Face Wisconsin

  The Carolina Tar Heels rolled into the SWEET SIXTEEN by knocking off Arkansas, 87-78. The game was close in the first half, but then UNC star guard Marcus Paige scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half to pull the Heels ahead and allow them to break away in the closing minutes.

  Now UNC advances to the round of 16 for a record 26th time, but faces the #1 seed Wisconsin.  Even if Carolina upsets Wisconsin to play in the West Regional final, it will most likely face another behemoth in #2 seed Arizona.  Both the Badgers and the Wildcats sport identical 31-3 records, two of the best season records in the tournament.  

DAVID & GOLIATH

  The UNC-Wisconsin game measures up as a David vs. Goliath matchup, not only because of the Badgers' impressive record, but because of the stars of the respective teams.  While 6'1"guard Marcus Paige leads the Tar Heels, 7'0" giant Frank Kaminsky is the leader of the Wisconsin squad.  They also are their team's scoring leaders at 18.4 (Kaminsky) and 14.1 (Paige).  The underdog role is heightened by the fact that UNC big man Kennedy Meeks went down in the Arkansas game with a left knee sprain, and is considered unlikely to play on Thursday night against Wisconsin.

   It is my opinion that UNC will pound the ball inside, hoping to get Kaminsky in foul trouble;  while Wisconsin is loaded with big, tall players, none of them is as potent inside as is Frank Kaminsky.  So getting him into foul trouble early would greatly help the Tar Heels' chances.

   The Tar Heels will have to shoot well, and handle the ball better than they did against either Harvard or Arkansas, to be able to win against Wisconsin.

   While Carolina's record of 26-11 isn't as impressive as either Wisconsin's or Arizona's, they have come on strong lately, especially in the postseason, beating Virginia in the ACC semifinals and two hard-fought wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA's.   They are a definite underdog to Wisconsin, but not a huge underdog.  The Badgers are favored by a mere five points.

   If UNC gets out of the West region, I really like their chances in the Final Four.  Some of this feeling stems from my thoughts that more high seeded teams are likely to get knocked off before it comes down to Indianapolis.   In particular, I'm looking for Kentucky and Duke to fall, but that is not a certainty.  Either way, if the Heels get to that point, they will be playing good enough basketball to win it all.

   But that doesn't really help them this weekend.  More updates after the Wisconsin game.   Here's hoping for a victory on Thursday night, and advancing to the Regional Final.

  GO  TAR  HEELS!  

UNC vs. Harvard-- The Tar Heels Escape

   It's been awhile since I've written about Tar Heels basketball.  This blog was meant to be a game-by-game coverage of UNC's seasons.  As I've said before, I don't get paid for this, so sometimes other things take precedence, and lapses do occur.  I apologize to you for this.  

  This 2014-15 season for UNC basketball has been a series of ups and downs.  The team is 25-11 and should be about 31-5... in my opinion.  The only losses that I see as excusable are those to Duke, Virginia, or Kentucky.  The other losses were to weaker teams, and were due to poor and inconsistent play on the part of Carolina.  In many of these losses, the Tar Heels held a double-digit lead late in the second half, and managed to squander it away.

   The same was also true tonight in the opening NCAA Tournament game against Harvard;  however, UNC somehow held on to win the game, 67-65, and advance to the next round.  Carolina led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but allowed Harvard to claw its way back into the game, and actually take the lead at one point.

Justin Jackson

   Freshman Justin Jackson and Marcus Paige led the way with 14 and 12 points, while Isiah Hicks provided some good play off the bench.   UNC won despite allowing a game-high 26 points to Harvard ace Wesley Saunders.

   The bottom line in tonight's game was--- the Tar Heels played well enough to win... but barely escaped.  A three-point shot by Harvard with less than a second on the clock could have sent Carolina home for the season, but caromed off the back of the rim.   As is the usual case, the Heels played extremely well in spurts, but as Paige put it, (they) "got complacent" in the second half.  This changed a potential blow-out into a close game at the end.  For some fans, this would've been an entertaining game to watch.  For Tar Heels fans, we wish they would "put the nail in the coffin" when they have a game in hand.  

   If UNC is to advance much farther, they must play each game consistently for forty minutes.   These inconsistent lapses will not hold up in games against better teams in their WEST bracket like Wisconsin or Arizona, both with 31-3 records.   

NEXT UP :  WOFFORD or ARKANSAS

Saturday (3/21)