North Carolina 86, Pennsylvania 71 (MBB)

[Diddy]

Is on Fox Sports Sportsouth as we speak.

They look good. Darn Good. Especially for a team missing two starters, one of whom is the reigning POY. Zeller and Davis aren't bad, and when they put on 10-15+ lbs they are going be scary. In two to three years, yikes. But their guards look iffy beyond Ty and Ellington.

It will take a good game to beat these guys this year.

[sandinmyshoes]

Their defense still looks soft, but I suppose Ginyard being out doesn't help. While he was not particularly effective, that Drew kid looks quicker than I had expected based on what I had heard about him.

[Bob Green]

Ellington, Lawson, and Frasor shot a combined 8-27 (29.6%) from the field. I say their guards look iffy including Ty and Ellington.

[77devil]

Is on Fox Sports Sportsouth as we speak.

They look good. Darn Good. Especially for a team missing two starters, one of whom is the reigning POY. Zeller and Davis aren't bad, and when they put on 10-15+ lbs they are going be scary. In two to three years, yikes. But their guards look iffy beyond Ty and Ellington.

It will take a good game to beat these guys this year.

Watched the game. Could not disagree more. They looked ordinary and very beatable. Having written that, I expect the Heels to play significantly better as the season progresses. I expect it will take a very good game to beat Carolina in February, but not if they play like today.

[gw67]

UNC won without their top player and best defensive player. In addition, their freshmen big men, Zeller and Davis. led their scoring and rebounding. Their guard play was mixed. They shot poorly but had 13 assists against 4 turnovers. With three frosh in the rotation and the injuries, I would expect the Heels to be vulnerable early in the season.

gw67

[gotham devil]

UNC won without their top player and best defensive player. In addition, their freshmen big men, Zeller and Davis. led their scoring and rebounding. Their guard play was mixed. They shot poorly but had 13 assists against 4 turnovers. With three frosh in the rotation and the injuries, I would expect the Heels to be vulnerable early in the season.

gw67

They were a 32-33.5 point favorite.

[gw67]

gotham - Sounds to me that the bettors who took the points and Penn won their bet. IMO, first games against inferior opposition don't mean much particularly when you are integrating some young players and you don't have your All American. As I stated in my post, I think they are vulnerable until Hansbrough returns and gets into playing condition, and their frosh get used to playing at this level.

gw67

[Faison1]

While one game, and the opening game at that, means very little, I have long believed that this UNC squad is very beatable. I have the greatest respect for them, and am an admirer of Handbag, but this team does not come close to any of their best teams....Carter/Jamison, Stackhouse/Wallace, not to mention Jordan/Perkins/Worthy/Daugherty.

It goes to show how weak college hoops is this year....that a team like UNC (which is VERY good....don't take me the wrong way) would get unanimous votes for #1.

I think they are capable of sweeping Duke, but I just don't think they are the champions that everyone is making them out to be.....

[moonpie23]

kansas.... remember kansas...

[gw67]

Faison - I agree with your basic premise but disagree with your example of the 1997 UNC as a clearly better team. If memory serves, that team was basically a six man team of Carter, Jamison, Cota, Zwikker, Williams and Okulaja (sp?). When Hansbrough and Ginyard return, this year's Heels are deeper, have a better backcourt and a comparable frontcourt. Only Carter is a clear advantage and if my memory serves, they made the Final Four.

I agree that this the Heels are potentially a very good team but they don't deserve being unanimous preseason #1.

gw67

[trinity92]

I agree that this the Heels are potentially a very good team but they don't deserve being unanimous preseason #1.

gw67

Waitaminnit. The 2008 national runner-up returns everybody and brings in a top recruiting class. The team that beat them in the finals is no more. No team, with the possible exception of 1990-1991 UNLV has ever had a better case for being unanimous preseason #1.

[Faison1]

Hello gw67.....The Carter/Jamison team I had in mind was actually 1998, and they were #1 at the end of the season when we had the remarkable comeback win for Wojo's senior year.

That same year, we met them in the ACC tourney finals, only to lose by double digits, if I recall correctly (I was at the game, but forget the final score).

Our team that year had frosh Battier/Brand/Avery, as well as Carrawell, Langdon, wojo, Nate James, and a bevy of others.

If I were to play the '98 Duke squad vs. this years UNC squad, I would take our team any day. So, with that being said, I would say the '98 UNC squad was superior to this year's squad. Additionally, there is nothing intimidating about them, unlike Jamison/Carter, of which I felt at the time, I was witnessing the second coming of MJ in Antawn Jamison.

Please excuse me if I've misspelled anyone's name. I'm interested to hear anyone's argument.

[Faison1]

Faison - I agree with your basic premise but disagree with your example of the 1997 UNC as a clearly better team. If memory serves, that team was basically a six man team of Carter, Jamison, Cota, Zwikker, Williams and Okulaja (sp?). When Hansbrough and Ginyard return, this year's Heels are deeper, have a better backcourt and a comparable frontcourt. Only Carter is a clear advantage and if my memory serves, they made the Final Four.

I agree that this the Heels are potentially a very good team but they don't deserve being unanimous preseason #1.

gw67

97-98 Heels had, in addition to Jamison/Carter/Cota, Makhtar Ndiaye, not Zwikker, and Brenda Haywood (can't say that's positive), Shammond Williams (as you mentioned), Brian Bersticker (maybe that's the Zwikker impersonator).....anyway, that's the roster....I think they'd beat '08-'09 Heels.....

[rockymtn devil]

Waitaminnit. The 2008 national runner-up returns everybody and brings in a top recruiting class. The team that beat them in the finals is no more. No team, with the possible exception of 1990-1991 UNLV has ever had a better case for being unanimous preseason #1.

Waitaminnit. Memphis was the 2008 national runner-up, not Carolina. Not that I disagree with your point.

I didn't see the game yesterday, but I didn't put a lot of stock into the relative closeness of the score. The last Heels team to win the National Title started its season off with a loss at Santa Clara, IIRC. I also don't know how Penn is supposed to be this year, but they generally field a competitive team.

With that said, I agree that this Carolina team has clear vulnerabilities (like every other contender). Their defense has been shaky for the past two seasons and, if they didn't correct it before, why would they now? Methinks they just aren't all that good at defending. Further, I see great potential for chemistry issues. They had three players declare for the draft and then return--begrudgingly--to raise their draft stock. How will those players feel when the first, second, and third offensive option on that team is Hansbrough? I think his injury has the potential to aggravate this. For a least a portion of the season, Ellington, Green, and Lawson will be the offense. Will they be willing to give that up when TH comes back?

[JasonEvans]

I hate comparisons to past teams. Not only is the personnel on the current team different but the circumstances and personnel on other teams are also very different. Plus, in the randomness of a one-and-done tournament anything can happen-- even to prohibitive favorites.

But, as for analyzing Carolina based on last night's game-- I do think there is at least some value in that. My biggest takeaway was that Zeller is a real player. I was not nearly as impressed with Davis, who felt to me like a guy just taking advantage of his size against an inferior opponent. Zeller showed some real fluidity and flair in my mind and he seemed to have very good hands. That kid is going to be a real player down the road and an impact freshman.

I agree that the guard play certainly appears to be Carolina's weakness.

--Jason "they are beatable" Evans