.....but, I've finally made it back into the blog realm, and I promise I'm here to stay. So, I guess I should comment a bit on the season thus far, and what I'm feeling about the team and the team's results thus far. Overall, I guess this season has been a bit of a disappointment based on pre-season expectations, though that isn't uncommon. Last year's team was rated the #4 team in the nation coming into the 09-10 season, and well, that was an utter disaster. But, with this year's team, there was another influx of talent, and another year of development for the '09 recruiting class. So, duped by the media again, I figured with juniors Larry Drew and Tyler Zeller, sophs Dexter Strickland and John Henson, and a freshman Harrison Barnes, Carolina would rightfully take its place back atop the basketball landscape. Barnes was even named a pre-season First Team AP All-American. Oh, did I mention how deep this team is? Marshall, Bullock, Knox, MacDonald, off the bench? Come on, this team is destined for a top 2 ACC finish, and a 3-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Right?
Maybe. Early season losses to Vanderbilt and Minnesota, as well as a flat performance v. Illinois left Tar Heel Nation reeling and thinking back to last year. But then, a marquee victory against Kentucky in Chapel Hill raised those expectations once again. The toughness that wasn't shown in those early season losses was finally evident. The major difference, I believe, was playing at home. All three of those losses were either on a neutral court (Vandy and Minnesota), or on the road (Illinois). The UK game was at the Smith Center, and the team looked energized and that energy paid off in a big time win. These results showed that this team is still very young, gifted, but young. It's tough to win away from home, especially when you have a lot of freshmen/sophs on the roster. But, it was clear in the UK win, the talent is there.
Then Texas came to town, well to Greesnboro. Texas, also a very young team, fielding two freshmen and a sophomore in their starting line-up. It was a fantastic game, and if it wasn't for that damn Corey Joseph and his game winner, Carolina would have two resume building victories, especially with the good basketball UT has been playing lately, with their only recent loss coming to UCONN and the Kemba Walker Show.
But everybody in ACC country knows that the season really starts the first week of January. ACC play starts, and whatever has happened up to that point is a distant memory. Carolina started ACC play against the two schools from our northern neighbor, in Virginia and Virginia Tech. Virginia beat Carolina like a drum last season in Chapel Hill, and Carolina split with VT last year, both teams winning at home. Just as a side note, I've recently moved to Wisconsin, and I don't get Raycom, so I have to watch the Raycom broadcasts on the computer, which is much less fun that catching them on a 50" HDTV.
But, I digress. Both the Virginia and VT games were eerily similar. Carolina found itself in huge first half and early second half holes, but somehow managed to claw back and eek out a victory. Carolina was down 43-32 to UVa with 14:25 left in the second half, but managed to win 62-56. Against VT, Malcolm Delaney played out of his mind, hitting five first half threes, and had Carolina down 31-15 in the first half, and down 40-31 with 15:25 left in the second half. But, with a freshman point guard in the game, Carolina mounted a great comeback, and took the game 64-61.
2-0 in the ACC, the emergence of a dynamite backup point guard, and a freshman wing forward finally starting to show his promise, and Carolina was flying. Onto Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech, and a team that was beaten by Kennesaw State, yes Kennesaw State, by 17 points. The same Kennesaw State that is currently 5-12, and 3-4 in the Atlantic Sun. No problem, right? Carolina is 2-0 in the ACC, and Georgia Tech is absolute garbage. Wrong. Carolina's nemesis, Iman Shumpert, dropped 30, while Glen Rice Jr. put up 24. Tech won the game by 20, but after leading by one at the break, the second half looked like a completely different game. Carolina had no fight, no desire, and Georgia Tech was feeding of that and outscored Carolina 45-26 in the second half. Carolina was outrebounded 37-35, and turned the ball over 18 times. Not to mention shooting 28% from the field, and 17% from three. It was a perfect storm, and Tech took complete advantage of it.
So that brings us to today. If you've seen Carolina play, you've no doubt seen the hockey line changes that Roy Williams has employed. You've no no doubt seen the futile attempt to put together a starting backcourt that can get anything done, other than dig giant holes that the second team has to pull them out of. You've no doubt wondered why Kendall Marshall isn't getting more playing time, if not starting, and why Harrison Barnes hasn't lived up to the hype. You may have even questioned why in the hell Tyler Zeller refuses to dunk the ball. Everybody knows Roy Williams is stubborn, but it seems like it's too a fault this season. It's clear that something needs to change, but he has refused to do anything different to this point, other than let Kendall Marshall bring it home v. UVa. But, his hand may have been forced after the debacle in Atlanta. Rumors are flying that some changes will be made to the starting line up tonight v. Clemson, and I'm interested to see what they might be. Keep in mind, Carolina is 54-0 v. Clemson in Chapel Hill, and that streak even survived the 01-02 season, in which Carolina finished 8-20. Let's hope the team comes out with some passion and desire, and don't find themselves down double digits in the first half.
More on the starters in a bit.....
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