Looks Like A Payback To Me
It would be hard for any Carolina fan who watched yesterday's game with Maryland
not to remember the fiasco in College Park on Feb. 22, '03 when the Terrapins
put a 40 point hurting on us. There were many things to be pleased about in the
game such as the point total for the Heels being the highest it has ever been
against the Terps and the margin of victory being the second highest ever. The
largest margin of victory is 36 and there is a good possibility that record
would have been broken if Coach Williams hadn't called off the dogs at the end.
We were ahead, at one time, by 42 and I'll bet you many Tar Heel were hoping for
a 50 point win.
The game was not without some anxious moments early on when Maryland took a 5
point lead with about 9 minutes to go in the first half, but after that, it was
all Tar Heels. I was surprised that Maryland was able to run with us at the
beginning, but Coach Williams told the team to keep running and that Md. would
break. It certainly appears that was the key to victory and I am now of the
opinion that it is the biggest strength of this team. If I am correct, we can
expect to fall behind in some games between now and the end of the season, but
our depth and conditioning should serve us well as the game wears on.
There is no question but that the chemistry on this team right now is far
superior to what it was last year. Sportswriters like to explain it by saying
that it took time for the players to "buy into" Coach Williams' style of play
and they may be right. I have a little trouble with this, however, because
anybody with a brain knows that the team had every reason to buy into the new
system after the turmoil of the previous regime. On top of that, nobody could
question Coach Williams' credentials as they undoubtedly had done with Coach
Doherty. Doherty had simply not demonstrated that his way worked and that plus
problems dealing with individual players added up to a bad situation. There was
every reason to buy into the new system but maybe some things can't be rushed. I
know I like what I see when a player makes a pass to another for a better shot
when, in fact, he had a good shot to begin with. Team basketball has become more
than a cliché. You can literally see it on the floor.
We all should feel good about the win until about midnight last night. That's
the way it works in basketball. If you feel good for more than several hours,
you find yourself in trouble for the next game. We have other business to attend
to. Ga. Tech. comes to Chapel Heel this week and based on what I saw on TV last
night, we should be able to take them. One of the Maryland players commented on
our intensity and was most complimentary about our team. He said, however, and
he is correct, that we are beatable if certain things happen. Injuries, off
night with our shooting, or a lapse in intensity could bring us a lot of grief.
It's funny watching people search for things to criticize and having trouble
succeeding. Quentin Thomas has been the object of much criticism, but it appears
to have let up a bit after yesterday's game. I don't know what they expected.
Thomas is developing very nicely, but I will concede that is not performing at
Felton's level yet, but did anyone honestly think he would be doing so at this
point in the season. This team is deeper than any UNC team I can remember for a
long time and I have to chuckle when I think of the comments made by either Mike
Jarvis or Rick Majerus that depth was a problem for this team. Jarvis also said
earlier in the year that Carolina was the most overrated team in the country,
and I read this morning that he said that Duke was the most underrated team in
the country. I really would like to know in what capacity Jarvis' son is
connected with the Duke program. I've seen him on TV with the team, but I have
never heard what his job is. One time I heard someone refer to him as a Manager.
That seems strange unless the title Manager has been expanded somewhat from the
time I used to play. I suspect it an internship called something else to enhance
his resume when he tries to crack the coaching ranks.
Looks like we have a new toy in the Smith Center. I wasn't at the game but much
has been written abut the new LED sign that we had installed just in time for
the game. I originally thought the new equipment would replace the jumbotron (I
know some say it isn't really a jumbotron) but that's not what it is. It is
along the facade on the upper deck and can handle both text and photographs. I
don't want to get off on this at this time, but I have always felt the
scoreboard at the Smith Center was and is one of the worst I have ever seen.
I've often wondered if a giant scoreboard could be placed in the center of the
court like many other arenas, but I finally decided that it would be impractical
due to the way the dome is constructed. Of course, I really believe it could be
done if the desire and money were there, but there are other things that have a
higher priority.
One last thing. I assume most of you are aware that the seats for the press have
been moved this year. They were formerly under the basket at floor level
opposite the student riser section. Now they are in the stands but still close
to the floor. The seats formerly occupied by the press have been offered for
sale and some of them but not all have been sold at rather premium prices. A
press release announced the amount of revenue these new seats would bring into
the Athletic Department coffers. My question is this. How can we make room for
seats to produce additional revenue while at the same time denying there is
anything that can be done to put more students near the playing area? The key to
just about everything is desire. If we wanted to put the students under the
basket, we would find a way to do it. Remember, when they said they couldn't put
students under the basket where the risers are now. Not only did they find a way
to put them there, the capacity of the Smith Center increased from 21,572 to
21,700. I honestly believe Coach Williams is going to insist that some of these
needed changes take place. Did you see where he announced last week that he
wanted the team to start practicing the habit of pointing to the individual
responsible for an assist. Some have said the crowd used to chant "Assist" when
this occurred in years past. I don't remember that, but wouldn't that be a good
thing to bring back. There are so many things that UNC could do that are beyond
the means of other institutions, but the "Carolina Way" often times stands in
the way. I used to think the Carolina Way was a positive statement, but in
recent years, I have started to react to it differently. Don't tell me that
somebody with influence at Carolina couldn't convince Andy Griffith or James
Taylor to put in a guest appearance at one of the games. I've never heard the
Clef Hangers at the Smith Center. Carolina has numerous A Capella groups on
campus and we have even received some national attention over this fact. Why not
let them perform? I know, I know, we want music that charges up the players and
these suggestions fall short on that count. Well then, issue the players
headphones like Sean May uses in warm ups to accomplish this purpose.
I'll write later about my feelings regarding the Athletic Department. I've held
my tongue long enough and I'm sure there are some who will not react positively
to what I may say. I can take that as long as they don't question my loyalty to
the institution. There are several ways to express loyalty.
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" My own conviction constantly deepens that the next great creative chapter in
the history of the nation is to be written here in the South...Somewhere in the
South there must inevitably grow up an institution...which typifies and serves
and guides this new civilization...My dream for the University of North Carolina
is that she be nothing less than this."
Henry Woodburn Chase
President of the University of North Carolina, 1919