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