Well, clarifying from my end, I'm one of the guilty, maybe the guiltiest, at hyping McAdoo.. I don't think I said he'd be 1st team all-ACC, but I did think him [and posted as much] the 2d-best frosh in the country, after Anthony Davis. But because the Heels were loaded, I didn't think he'd start. I thought he'd be an immediate impact player, and described him as "the next great Heel" [meaning 2012-'13]. He didn't make all-ACC frosh team, but he's better than everyone who did, save, possibly, Rivers. He was playing behind Zeller and Henson, of course.
I looked pretty dumb [not for the very first time] re immediate impact, and probably should have posted midway through the season that CDu and other McAdoo-skeptics were right. But I don't recall having done so; probably lying low, and certainly puzzled as to why I messed up.
Now, I think it's pretty clear he came on strong in last part of season, I guess because he got more time due to Henson's injury, and simply because it took him some time to figure things out. Charles Barkley became his biggest [....] booster, saying repeatedly during the NCAAT that McAdoo was Heels' best player. I don't think he meant "actually playing the best," maybe something more like "most talent, best NBA prospect."
I'm hurried, and see several posts on McAdoo and Heels next season, so I'll sign off and come back later. James Michael: take some of Harrison's money and run.
One question I always have with UNC teams is leadership. Who of the players coming back will step up into a leadership role? The obvious candidates are Strickland, and or McDonald since they have been around a little longer. Bullock?? Maybe, but I still remember his comments about Coach K and he doesn't impress me as someone who can hold others in check since he seems to have some trouble holding his own tounge.
The 2009 UNC team had lots and lots of talent, but even more important they had a on the court leader in Hansbrough that willed his way to winning more often than not.
The 2010 UNC team imploded mainly due to the void left by Hansbrough's leadership IMO. Of course they lost a lot of talent, but they still should have been much better than they played.
I think having a leader on the court for UNC is very important... because, well you know what I would say about Ol Roy's ability to manage a game...
Where will that type of fire come from next year for UNC, and for that matter Duke?
Our obvious choices would be Curry, and or Kelly and certainly Mason if he comes back... don't see Dawkins taking that role on personally.
I hope one or more of them take up the mantle of leadership, but I have my doubts than any of them will be fiery and vocal like the classic on-court leader we all conjure in our minds. Perhaps they have it in them and were simply muted because of other stronger personalities such as Austin, but I'm not so sure. Their personalities don't seem to include the vocal, confident, charismatic qualities that you'd like to see.
I firmly believe you can lead by example, though, and so hopefully if they can really focus themselves and mount individual intensity from end to end, it'll trickle down to the youngins. Things can change dramatically year to year, so I'm hoping we'll see our seniors really rise to the challenge.
A question for Heels fans to knash their teeth over: If Henson never got injured, and therefore McAdoo never got the additional playing time, would we even be having this discussion about him leaving?
In re-reading, I hope my post didn't come across as calling you out or that I was trying to brag. I'm probably running a similar risk with Sulaimon this year as you with McAdoo, and I wildly missed on Paulus (I was drooling over his passing prowess in his McDonald's game) and McRoberts (oh the athleticism and skills!). I just wanted to clarify that I don't necessarily think you are wrong about McAdoo moving forward. He certainly has the size and athleticism to be a star next year if he returns. So I think we agree on the potential, just perhaps not on the likelihood of realization.
My guess is that Barkley meant prospect, because Zeller was pretty clearly their best player. I'm not sure I agree with Barkley, either, as I still haven't seen the actual offensive skills (the athleticism, sure, but not the skills) to play SF in the NBA. But, I've been wrong plenty of times before, and Barkley does at times show a good eye for talent.
In any case, I most certainly agree with your last sentence. I don't want McAdoo to even have the chance to realize his potential in a UNC uniform.
I wholeheartedly agree that Thornton is our vocal leader. But, IMO, I don't see Thornton starting next year. I love his tenacity, his fight, and his ability to hit a clutch shot. But Cook is significantly more talented on the offensive end and really seems to know how to find players. Cook's defense needs to improve, but he wasn't 100% this year and next year I feel we'll see a whole different player. NOTE: This isn't a knock on Thornton but rather confidence in Cook's ability to be our best PG. It will be a battle of PGs come October and November, and I know that Thornton don't just hand over the starting spot. It's a luxury to have two competent PGs with completely different skill sets.
So, this begs the question: can our most vocal leader be a sixth/seventh man? In practices, I certainly believe so. But during games, especially when the game is on the line? That's why I really like Curry as our vocal leader. He started doing some of it this year, but I feel that is something that Coach K is absolutely going to pound into him in the off-season.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
I think you're flat-out wrong. UNC's lottery picks are better NBA prospects than Kyle and Nolan. But Kyle and Nolan scored 4300 points in college, won a Final Four MVP, an ACC MVP, and Nolan was (as I recall) essentially last year's runner-up for NPOY. Kyle left with one of the best all-around statistical careers in Duke history, and last year, Nolan had one of the best seasons ever by a Duke player. Of course, they also won a national championship. In short, they are two of Duke's all-time greats. And Kyrie was an even better player than both of them.
UNC loses a lot next year, but it's hard to imagine a team losing more than we did last year.
This I completely agree with. I love Tyler's leadership and intensity, but I honestly believe Quinn is our best option at the point because he has the natural abilities to do more offensively than either Tyler or Seth. If we could morph all three of those players into one PG we'd have an unstoppable player. But we can't do that so we'll have to see how it shakes out this off season.
From a historical/statistical-based standpoint, sure. And I love Nolan, Kyle, and Kyrie just as much as the next Duke fan.
From a talent standpoint, I would have to disagree. UNC is losing more. If for no other reason than it's 4 players to 3.
Obviously if Barnes stayed four years, his numbers would stack up to Kyle or Nolan. He didn't stay, though. Doesn't mean they aren't losing a ton.
- Chillin
All good points, but it is important to remember that UNC is losing more players total. Four of the top five players in minutes per game last season are leaving, with McAdoo still having a chance to make it five of the top seven. UNC could be looking at replacing an entire rotation except for three returning players that play the same position, and two of them coming off serious knee injuries.
You may well be right, but there is a long ways to go with early entries and undecided recruits. It's all relative. UNC may look down, but you can't know how bad it will be until you look at the competition.
Big12 examples: At the end of 2011, Missouri was one of the last teams in the tournament, got spanked by Cincy in the 1st round by almost 20, lost their head coach and their 2nd best player to injury. CBB was so bad in 2012 that the same team went 30-5 and got a #2 seed, with no new players and no bench. This is arguably Bill Self's least talented team in his time at KU, and they are in the Final 4.
I have not seen any early 2012-13 Top 25 lists, but I doubt there are any juggernauts.