Wear Twins to Transfer and other UNC woes

[Scorp4me]

It took surgery for K to have a "down cycle". Sure you don't have great years, but the last guy to do this at Carolina was ole Doherty. Now based on his record at Kansas I'd like to think Roy has more in common with Dean than Doherty, but there have been other coaches who have flamed out once they moved up the ladder. If you can't think of any just ask a UNC fan, they'll be happy to name any of a number of K protege's who have. But this is more than a cycle.

I've gotta think Harrison Barnes is regretting his decision, but I also think he'll stick to it and make the best of it. And it's a good thing. I could be wrong, but that line-up does not look imposing. I guess I hadn't seen it all together til today when the DBR posted it. And now Henson's size looks even worse with less back-up and more time down low.

I don't know how Roy got UNC to this point, I'm betting he doesn't either. But another year or two of this and things will not be pretty. I mean I'm used to hearing "wait til next year" from them, but they usually have good reason to be upbeat about next year.

And last, as much as I'd like to be civil in the hopes that Carolina fans will be civil in return should the foot ever be on the other shoe, it ain't happening so as others have said you might as well enjoy it! I've said this is more than a down year cycle, but Carolina will rise again sometime in the future. All of this has happened before and it will all happen again.

[UrinalCake]

I don't know how Roy got UNC to this point, I'm betting he doesn't either.

I see it as a combination of

a.) Recruiting misses - Drew, McDonald, and Strickland have not developed as well as expected. Sometimes this just happens, and isn't necessarily the fault of the persons evaluating the players in high school. It has happened to us as well (not going to mention any names here but you get my point).

b.) Injuries - Especially this past year, but in 2009 Zeller also missed a lot of time which hindered his development. Say what you will about all teams having injuries, but UNC in 2010 really did have a ton to deal with.

c.) Chemistry - Also a hard thing to predict. The team just hasn't jelled, and part of that is definitely Roy's responsibility.

d.) Coaching - As we all love to point out, Roy sticks to his run-and-gun style even when he doesn't have the personnel to match. To be fair, Coach K has principles that he sticks to as well, such as man-to-man defense, but he's shown far more ability to adapt and tweak his system. Roy has always had elite talent, and 2010 might be an indicator of how well he does without it.

Again, these things go in cycles. The class of Hansbrough, Lawson, and Ellington exceeded their rankings and also stuck around a year longer than expected, which covered up a lot of deficiencies. UNC will be back, but for now I'm loving it!

[airowe]

This may not be that great of a news (correct me if I am wrong). Does this mean Roy can now offer Austin Rivers a scholarship which he couldn't have before?

Roy has offered Austin a scholarship. But he will not accept it.

[Big Pappa]

Roy has offered Austin a scholarship. But he will not accept it.

Is this just your opinion?

[BD80]

In news that may be related, ol' roy has lost his Coke endorsement contract, but will now be schilling for Cymbalta and Prilosec.

It will be fun to watch the "running heels" next year. Problem is, the three fastest guys down the court will be the post players. With their conditioning and frenetic pace, ol' roy will have to rotate his three post players. Barnes being a post player. The heels simply don't have the depth to play Zeller, Henson and Barnes together for significant amounts of time - particularly if he wants to go up-tempo. So Barnes in the post. That amuses me.

The transfers aren't really surprising, given the evidence that ol' roy completely lost the team last year. I feel badly for many of the players, but revel in the thought that ol' roy's facade may be crumbling.

[Duvall]

Roy has offered Austin a scholarship. But he will not accept it.

Well. He doesn't plan to accept it.

I understand that people close to the Duke basketball program expect Rivers to commit to Duke. But it isn't done until it's done.

[Kedsy]

I'm curious about how this news is received at the Barnes home in Ames, Iowa. Surely his role will not be what he expected. Instead of roaming the perimeter looking for points, HB will need to play inside for the most part.

On the other hand, he'll never have to leave the court. HB's going to average around 39.7 mpg (assuming they don't play a lot of OT games, in which case that guess might be low).

[Kedsy]

Unc players taking after their coach's lead and throwing teammates under the bus:

LDrew2 #theyleftbecause they found out they would have to room with zeller...again 3 minutes ago

LDrew2 #theyleftbecause I still couldn't tell them apart 6 minutes ago

Actually, this is kind of funny stuff from LDII.

[Bluealum]

Two ways to paint the same picture…

Woe is me…

Carolina coming off its worst season in recent memory has only two players over 6-8 neither of whom provide a physcially intimidating presence on the court. They return a much maligned point guard and a newcomer who was highly sought after and ‘talented’ but does not appear to match Roy Williams break-neck style. Their lone scholarship senior is a head-case and their best leader is likely to be a freshmen in the hot-glare of a spotlight that will be all the brighter for the unexpected defections and travails of the prior season. They aren’t in the conversation with their cross-town rivals coming off a national championship, with their best player returning for his senior season and a wealth of incoming talent (two with collegiate experience). Furthermore, their fellow public institution (NCSU) is on the rise , with dramatically improved talent, significant experience at both the point and the pivot, and a coach who appears to be gaining confidence and coaching acumen after the rough start that almost all great coaches appear to have in their first major college coaching years.

Painting the above picture provides a few things:
1.) Removes any pressure for immediate success
2.) Provides focus and concentration for an unappreciated team
3.) Provides a great back story if the team achieves anything above average success during the season, and a truly epic story if the team finishes in the top 3 in the ACC.
4.) Provides pressure to both in state rivals to be notably better than the Tar Heels in order to garner any positive exposure regarding the efforts of their young, hard working student atheletes who get absolutely nothing handed to them because a bunch of overweight writers labled them ‘talented’ and ‘favorites’.

The other story…

Carolina has a hall of fame coach with two National titles in half a dozen years. They have one of the only athletic and coordinated 7 foot centers in the county. This young man has a world of potential with excellent touch and footspeed for a man his size. With experience and a focus on his health, he is ready for a breakout season. Carolina also has one of the most celebrated high school stars who will man his natural power-forward position all year. He is freakishly long and athletic, has great hands, and is a natural shot blocker with excellent timing and the look of a leader. Carolina also brings in the most celebrated new freshman in the country at the small forward position. He is touted as a game changer, leader, and NBA ready player who is perhaps only stopping by college because of the NBA imposed freshmen ineligibility rule. They will have perhaps the longest and most atheletic front court in the nation at 7-1, 6-11, 6-8 which is certainly from a high-school perspective, the most celebrated and ‘talented’ trio that any team can sport as a starting front court. To add to this trio, their veteren senior wing, a burly 6-6 Will Graves who has the experience and physicallity to guard bigger players down low and shoot over those players on offense can play either of the forward positions, a more natural fit than the shooting guard postion he was often forced to play in last years front-court laden team. Carolina’s backcourt is loaded with depth. They have a veteren point guard that has been through the rigors of 2 ACC seasons, has shown a decent shooting touch despite the extra focus other teams have given with with last years dearth of shooters. He handles the ball well and his experience and better supporting cast are sure to have a notably positive impact on his playmaking In the coming year. Alongside him they bring back Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland, speedy athletes who appeared to only lack the good decision making that comes with experience, as well as two highly touted big freshmen guards in Reggie Bullock, who brings noticible swagger to the team, and Kendall Marshall who had a great high school reputation and purported leadership skills.

With the enthusiasm and confidence of Bullock, Barnes, Henson and Marshall and the cool headed experience of Zeller and Drew, along with the firey Graves the chemistry is sure to be better than the privious team with the sulking, emotionless Ed Davis, and the gritty but overmatched Wear twins occuping minutes and coaching attention. The lack of excessive depth will be a boon to a coach who tends to overuse his bench to the detriment of developing team chemistry and identity.

With a plethora of all americans and as little pressure as is possible for such a collection of talent, coaching, institutional support, large fan base and fawning media, the team is poised to vastly exceed artificially low expectations and gain further energy from a misplaced ‘underdog rising’ story.

SO…. If you were a writer/UNC journalism school alumnus who writes for a paper in NC (Virtually all of the writers…it seems follow this bio). Which story would you write? The one that sets your team up for the 'Phoenix rising' byline…or the one that sets expectations appropriately but risks incurring a fan backlash on the team, adding pressure to the players, and questioning your alma mater’s celebrated coach if things fall apart again.

I am guessing you will read a whole lot of the ‘Woe is me’ version. I like the other story… where we talk about the Hall of Fame coach and all the Mickey D’s … and we beat them 3 times after graduating 3 starters including two of our great leaders and the biggest Blue Devil in history.

[BD80]

They probably had to call him because he's in Arizona

http://deadspin.com/5529643/later-ro...to-his-sunburn

"If I close my eyes tight enough, maybe this will all have been a dream and the heels will still be reigning champions"

"I'm not in Kansas anymore"

[CameronBornAndBred]

Well. He doesn't plan to accept it.

I understand that people close to the Duke basketball program expect Rivers to commit to Duke. But it isn't done until it's done.

Those same people were expecting Barnes to commit as well.

[JohnGalt]

Is this substance?

http://www.insidesocal.com/frankburl...ing-to-un.html

Man, talk about irony. That was like 12 hours later...

[Kedsy]

It took surgery for K to have a "down cycle". Sure you don't have great years, but the last guy to do this at Carolina was ole Doherty. Now based on his record at Kansas I'd like to think Roy has more in common with Dean than Doherty, but there have been other coaches who have flamed out once they moved up the ladder. If you can't think of any just ask a UNC fan, they'll be happy to name any of a number of K protege's who have. But this is more than a cycle.

I've gotta think Harrison Barnes is regretting his decision, but I also think he'll stick to it and make the best of it. And it's a good thing. I could be wrong, but that line-up does not look imposing. I guess I hadn't seen it all together til today when the DBR posted it. And now Henson's size looks even worse with less back-up and more time down low.

I don't know how Roy got UNC to this point, I'm betting he doesn't either. But another year or two of this and things will not be pretty. I mean I'm used to hearing "wait til next year" from them, but they usually have good reason to be upbeat about next year.

And last, as much as I'd like to be civil in the hopes that Carolina fans will be civil in return should the foot ever be on the other shoe, it ain't happening so as others have said you might as well enjoy it! I've said this is more than a down year cycle, but Carolina will rise again sometime in the future. All of this has happened before and it will all happen again.

It is exactly the way a down cycle looks. What I see is next year being kind of like 2005-06 for UNC. They had one good freshman and one really good freshman but didn't have any depth and didn't look like they were going to do much, but they had a surprisingly good year, albeit a year ended by George Mason in the NCAAT 2nd round. The following season they added the pieces they were missing and they did OK for themselves.

I doubt HB regrets his decision at all. Look for him to play more than one season in Chapel Hill and have some success. UNC will be back, unfortunately.

[BD80]

Where are we in the recruiting cycle?

I don't think ol' roy can fly to visit potential recruits right now. The heels may be able to host potential recruits, and roy may be able to call.

Poor roy, this is really going to mess with his tanning cycle. Or maybe he won't let it interfere.

[Kedsy]

They have one of the only athletic and coordinated 7 foot centers in the county.

Yeah, but Orange County just isn't all that big.

[MChambers]

It is exactly the way a down cycle looks. What I see is next year being kind of like 2005-06 for UNC. They had one good freshman and one really good freshman but didn't have any depth and didn't look like they were going to do much, but they had a surprisingly good year, albeit a year ended by George Mason in the NCAAT 2nd round. The following season they added the pieces they were missing and they did OK for themselves.

I doubt HB regrets his decision at all. Look for him to play more than one season in Chapel Hill and have some success. UNC will be back, unfortunately.

No need to be so pessimistic!

[Troublemaker]

From a cutthroat point of view, the Wears transferring is actually great news for UNC long-term, and I don't think it hurts them that much short-term, if at all. Instead of two scholarship albatrosses hanging around the neck, UNC can now go recruit two better players than the Wears.

My hope is that UNC goes the "emergency class of '10 big man" route as speculated by others above, but the prudent thing for UNC to do would be to save these two schollies and try to use them on actual studs in the '11 and '12 classes instead of some fringe ACC player in '10.

Congratulations to UNC fans. They must be thrilled today.

[ice-9]

The other story…

Carolina has a hall of fame coach with two National titles in half a dozen years. They have one of the only athletic and coordinated 7 foot centers in the county. This young man has a world of potential with excellent touch and footspeed for a man his size. With experience and a focus on his health, he is ready for a breakout season. Carolina also has one of the most celebrated high school stars who will man his natural power-forward position all year. He is freakishly long and athletic, has great hands, and is a natural shot blocker with excellent timing and the look of a leader. Carolina also brings in the most celebrated new freshman in the country at the small forward position. He is touted as a game changer, leader, and NBA ready player who is perhaps only stopping by college because of the NBA imposed freshmen ineligibility rule. They will have perhaps the longest and most atheletic front court in the nation at 7-1, 6-11, 6-8 which is certainly from a high-school perspective, the most celebrated and ‘talented’ trio that any team can sport as a starting front court. To add to this trio, their veteren senior wing, a burly 6-6 Will Graves who has the experience and physicallity to guard bigger players down low and shoot over those players on offense can play either of the forward positions, a more natural fit than the shooting guard postion he was often forced to play in last years front-court laden team. Carolina’s backcourt is loaded with depth. They have a veteren point guard that has been through the rigors of 2 ACC seasons, has shown a decent shooting touch despite the extra focus other teams have given with with last years dearth of shooters. He handles the ball well and his experience and better supporting cast are sure to have a notably positive impact on his playmaking In the coming year. Alongside him they bring back Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland, speedy athletes who appeared to only lack the good decision making that comes with experience, as well as two highly touted big freshmen guards in Reggie Bullock, who brings noticible swagger to the team, and Kendall Marshall who had a great high school reputation and purported leadership skills.

With the enthusiasm and confidence of Bullock, Barnes, Henson and Marshall and the cool headed experience of Zeller and Drew, along with the firey Graves the chemistry is sure to be better than the privious team with the sulking, emotionless Ed Davis, and the gritty but overmatched Wear twins occuping minutes and coaching attention. The lack of excessive depth will be a boon to a coach who tends to overuse his bench to the detriment of developing team chemistry and identity.

With a plethora of all americans and as little pressure as is possible for such a collection of talent, coaching, institutional support, large fan base and fawning media, the team is poised to vastly exceed artificially low expectations and gain further energy from a misplaced ‘underdog rising’ story.

Right on my friend. The other story is exactly what's on my mind. Folks, this UNC team is still going to be good. They won't have much post depth, which may limit how far they can go in the tournament, but their starting five will be among the most talented and possibly one of the best in the nation. And they will have depth on the perimeter.

C: 7'1 Zeller - #18
PF: 6'10 Henson - #5
SF: 6'8 Barnes - #1
SG: 6'6 Bullock - #10
PG: 6'3 Marshall - #19

UNC could easily start a lineup with an average height of 6'8 and an RSCI ranking of #10.6 -- folks, that's no joke.

This team should easily make the NCAA tournament and I wouldn't bat an eyelash to see them finish top three in the ACC.

There is a TON of talent there and it's WAY too early for us to gloat.

[JohnGalt]

C: 7'1 Zeller - #18
PF: 6'10 Henson - #5
SF: 6'8 Barnes - #1
SG: 6'6 Bullock - #10
PG: 6'3 Marshall - #19

UNC could easily start a lineup with an average height of 6'8 and an RSCI ranking of #10.6 -- folks, that's no joke.

This team should easily make the NCAA tournament and I wouldn't bat an eyelash to see them finish top three in the ACC.

There is a TON of talent there and it's WAY too early for us to gloat.

Unfortunately, talent doesn't necesarily translate to success.

(see Season - 2009-2010)

[ice-9]

Unfortunately, talent doesn't necesarily translate to success.

(see Season - 2009-2010)

It usually does though.