Category Archives: UNC

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Heels click on all cylinders for the first time in a while; make Elite 8

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The dominating first half of the Marquette game might be good for a North Carolina team that hasn’t had its engine running on all cylinders lately.

The Tar Heels had to rally from way behind to make it to the ACC tournament finals and then they were whipped by Duke in the finals. They didn’t scare anybody with their win over a less talented Long Island team. While the tough victory over a very good Washington team seemed important, the Heels haven’t really clicked liked they did against Marquette.

The Tar Heels led 40-15 at the half and settled for a 81-63 victory to reach the Elite 8. The Heels had a 33-point lead in the second half and it took defense generating offense to do it. Carolina came up with 11 steals, eight blocks and helped force 18 Marquette turnovers.

Carolina held Marquette to six of 30 shooting in the first half including zero of eight from beyond the three-point line.

The second half might also serve as a lesson as fouls mounted up and the Marquette zone slowed the Tar Heels. Of course that also serves as a lesson for the next opponent who should try to get Carolina big men in foul trouble and employ a clamp-down zone. If Harrison Barnes and Leslie McDonald can’t shoot over it, the season will be over for the Heels.

While the Tar Heels aren’t a favorite to win the NCAA, they have as good a chance as most anyone left. They have to continue to score on fastbreaks as a result of defense and they have to be able to shoot over the zone.

For more on the Marquette game itself, please click here.

Duke, Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Duke, UNC women’s teams make Sweet 16

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The Duke women’s basketball team has earned a spot in the Sweet 16 for the 13th time in 14 years with a 71-66 victory over Marist. Meanwhile the UNC women’s team advanced to the regional semifinals for the 15th time in program history with an 86-74 win over Kentucky.

Duke’s Chelsea Gray scored all 13 of her points in the second half to help the Devils rally from 11 down to take the lead for good with less than three minutes to play.

The Tar Heels, which led most of the way, outrebounded the Wildcats 55-31 and hit 21 of 22 free throws. Kentucky rallied from 15 down to pull within two but an Italee Lucas three held the Wildcats at bay and the Heels extended their lead again late.

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Rebounding key to UNC’s chances to beat Marquette

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The ACC now has three teams left and the Big East two after Florida State whipped Notre Dame Sunday night.

Carolina could certainly lose to a Big East team, Marquette, but I agree with Dane Huffman’s assessment in his article “Marquette win is a break for UNC” that Syracuse’s zone would have given the Tar Heels trouble. The Heels would have needed to hit 9 or 10 threes to beat the Orange. The Heels have been averaging about half that over the last five games.

Marquette has fewer big guys to battle Zeller and Henson. The one really big guy they have is 6-foot-11 starting center Chris Otule who averages only five points and 3.5 rebounds a game. Compare that to Zeller who averages 15 points and seven rebounds a game and Henson who averages 12 points and 10 rebounds.

In fact, Marquette (which has only Otule over 6-foot-7) has only two guys who average over five rebounds a game and nobody that averages over seven. Most of the comparisons between the two teams are close. Carolina averages two points more a game. The two teams give up the same amount of points per game. The field goal percentages are almost identical.

Marquette shoots three percentage points better than Carolina from the free throw line. The three-pointers average and steals average are about the same.

The biggest difference is in rebounding where the Heels average more than five more a game. If the Heels hit the boards hard offensively and defensively, Marquette will be hard-pressed to score another upset.

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Marquette win is a break for UNC

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Marquette is no easy chore, but North Carolina got a huge break Sunday when Marquette stunned Syracuse 66-62.

Carolina is simply not a strong outside shooting team, and Syracuse is exactly the type of disciplined zone team that would give UNC trouble. You saw it in the ACC Tournament, when Miami nearly knocked the Tar Heels out of that event. And you might have seen it again in the Round of 16 in NCAA play.

Marquette had beaten Syracuse 76-70 in the regular season, so it’s not like the Warriors were intimidated by the Orange. Marquette was just 9-9 in Big East play,   but that’s hardly an indictment in a season in which that league was simply phenomenal. If you watched any Big East games this season – and it was hard to miss them if you turned on ESPN – it was jarring how athletic and talented the Big East teams were compared to the ACC.

Still, the Big East has had a disappointing effort in NCAA play. Marquette and Connecticut are still alive, with Notre Dame facing Florida State on Sunday night.

A win by North Carolina would be a huge statement for the ACC against the Big East – and the Heels are fortunate they don’t have to face the Orange in this one.

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Tar Heels fight hard to make it to the Sweet 16

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North Carolina’s 86-83 victory over Washington was a hard-fought win that has to remind Carolina fans of the tough NCAA tournament victory over LSU two years ago as the Heels were on their way to the NCAA title.

While this Carolina team might not get that far, this win seems important. Washington was a tough matchup for Carolina with big guys that could hang with the Tar Heels and three-point shooters.

Carolina was outrebounded (38-35), outshot from the three-point line (10 to six) and was down by 11 in the first half. Yet the Tar Heels found a way to reach the Sweet 16 for a record 24th time.

The Tar Heels also won despite a below-par offensive game from John Henson, who seemed to get beat up a bit by the big bodies on the Washington team. He hit only four of 10 shots and two of five free throws.

But the guards, Kendall Marshall and Dexter Strickland played well. Marshall had 14 assists, breaking a UNC tournament record and Strickland got six rebounds, 13 points and didn’t turn the ball over.

Plus, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes continue their excellent late-season runs. Zeller, who can score on anybody when he gets to his jump hook spot, led all scorers with 23 points. Barnes, who hit four threes and came up with three steals, added 22 points.

After not making the NCAA tournament last year and with an entirely different starting five this year, North Carolina has to now feel that this has been a successful season, no matter what happens in the East Regional finals.

The Tar Heels have won the ACC regular season against all predictions and have survived a tough team in the NCAA tournament. While it might seem like gravy from here on, and some pressure may be off, make no mistake that this team isn’t satisfied yet. Within minutes after the game, the players were talking about going to Newark, NJ. There is still some work to do.

For more on the Washington game, please click here.

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

UNC women survive 50 three-point attempts to advance

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The North Carolina women’s team survived a 50-three-point shot barrage to defeat Fresno State 82-68 in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Spokane, Wash. today.

Fresno State only connected on 14 threes for a 28 percent clip. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels managed six of 16 threes and had five women in double figures.

Italee Lucas led the way with a game-high 22 points. Chay Shegog scored 12, followed by Cetera DeGraffenreid’s 11 along with Jessica Breland’s 10 and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt’s 10.

“They took 50 threes — that’s 10 more than anyone has ever taken on us. We had to make a lot of adjustments to cover that. The big kids had to come out,” UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said. By that she means that Carolina’s tallest players moved out defensively to guard the perimeter players from the three-point line.

Waltiea Rolle, the Tar Heels’ tallest player at 6-foot-6, saw 10 minutes of action while another tall non-starter 6-1 freshman Laura Broomfield played 19 minutes. Starters Shegog, Breland and Krista Gross are 6-5, 6-3 and 6-0 respectively.

UNC advances to the second round in Albuquerque on Monday against the winner of the Kentucky-Hampton game.

Featured stories, UNC

Hansbrough says he’d pull for Notre Dame over Carolina

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Tyler Hansbrough, the leading scorer in North Carolina basketball history, said it might “piss a lot of people off” but he’s rooting for Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament and would have no qualms pulling for Notre Dame against the Tar Heels.

Real family is thicker than basketball/alma mater family but it might have been nice had Hansbrough said he hated to do it or he would have conflicting feelings but he would have to cheer for his brother or something a tad gentler.

Granted Buck Williams who played at Maryland isn’t my brother but he invited me to sit behind the Maryland bench for a game against North Carolina. I cheered for North Carolina and I cheered for Buck. People must have thought I was schizophrenic but I hoped that Buck scored 40 and hauled in 20 rebounds … and that the Tar Heels won the game.

I frankly think it’s perfectly ok and understandable that Hansbrough would pull for his brother’s team though but if I were him, I would at least say that I hope the two teams don’t face each other because it would be difficult to watch.

Instead, Hansbrough said, “Notre Dame, I hope they win it all. I’m a UNC fan but my brother plays for Notre Dame so that’s who I’m going with this year.” When asked if he had any qualms rooting for Notre Dame if they come up against the Tar Heels, he said “No question I’m pulling for the Irish. It might piss a lot of people off but that’s the way it is.”

Duke, Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Duke has to play out West but has an easier road than Heels

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Duke and North Carolina both get to play first round games in Charlotte but the Tar Heels have a much tougher road to the Final Four.

Duke got a No. 1 seed but after playing two games in Charlotte that the Devils should win – against Hampton and either Michigan or Tennessee – they are shipped out to Anaheim to try to get a couple more wins to reach the Final Four. San Diego St., at 32-2, is the No. 2 seed in the West, followed by Connecticut and Texas.

San Diego St. has never won an NCAA tournament game. Connecticut, a young team, had to win five grueling games to take the Big East tournament. Texas has not played well lately, losing three of its last five games.

If Carolina can get through two wins in Charlotte – against Long Island and either hot Washington or Georgia -they’ll get to play closer to its fan base in the regional finals (Newark, N.J.) than Duke. The bad news is that, top to bottom, the East region is the toughest.

The tournament’s overall No. 1 seed Ohio State is in the East region as are Syracuse and Kentucky. Syracuse saw its six-game winning streak end Friday, with an overtime loss to UConn in the Big East semifinals while Kentucky handled Florida in the finals of the SEC tournament finals.

If Washington is the Tar Heels second-round opponent, it could prove to be a tough game. The Huskies, winners of three straight, talk like they still have something to prove after surprisingly winning the Pac-10 conference tournament.

The ACC got four teams in the tournament – Duke, UNC, Florida State and Clemson – with Virginia Tech and Boston College being left out, as was Colorado which was thought to be a lock. Two inferior teams – UAB and VCU – made the tournament ahead of those three teams.

Despite three additional at-large teams being added to the field this year, Virginia Tech is outside looking in for the fourth straight season.

Hokie coach Seth Greenberg understandably isn’t happy about it. “You almost wonder if someone in that room has their own agenda and that agenda doesn’t include Virginia Tech. Just plan and simple,” he said in a released statement. “I totally wonder if someone in that room has an agenda. The explanation was so inconsistent with the result that it was almost mind-boggling.”

Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Tar Heels get No. 2 seed in East, play Friday in Charlotte

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NEWS RELEASE – North Carolina (26-7) is the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament East Regional and will open play on Friday in Charlotte against No. 15 seed Long Island University (27-5).

The winner of that contest will advance to face the winner of Friday’s game between No. 7 seed Washington and No. 10 seed Georgia on Sunday in Charlotte. The East also includes No. 1 seed Ohio State, No. 3 Syracuse and No. 4 Kentucky.

Roy Williams on 2011 NCAA Tournament selection:
“I am ecstatic about the making the NCAA Tournament field once again. It was kind of hard to enjoy the Tournament last year as it was the only time in 23 years that one of our teams had been eligible to make the field and did not. Tonight our guys were very excited when they saw `North Carolina’ show up early on the selection show. Of course, it was a little reserved because of the fact we had just lost to Duke about three hours before the show came on, but we have to congratulate the Blue Devils for playing so well.

“After we were selected, I looked around and realized that there were only two players in the room that had ever played in an NCAA Tournament game (juniors Tyler Zeller and Justin Watts in 2009). It shows how the culture of college basketball has changed. Two years ago we were the national champions and now after missing just one season we will go into the Tournament with such a young and inexperienced team.

“But I am extremely proud of my team and I congratulate them on the great run they’ve had since mid-January. Not many people would have thought that when we left Atlanta after the loss to Georgia Tech that we would have won the ACC regular-season championship, played in the ACC Tournament final and earned a number two seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now we have to get back to work and play better than we did this weekend in Greensboro.”

Duke, Featured stories, The skinny, UNC

Duke receives No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament

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NEWS RELEASE – Fresh off a victory in the ACC Tournament Championship game, the Duke men’s basketball team found out they would be awarded the No. 1 seed in the West Region for the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Duke will play its first round game in Charlotte against Hampton on Friday. It will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Pirates are 24-8 and defeated Morgan State, 60-55, in the MEAC Championship game. The winner of that game would face the winner of the 8/9 game between Michigan (20-13) and Tennessee (19-14).

It is the 12th time in school history the Blue Devils have been a No. 1 seed and second straight season. All 12 times they have been a top seed have come under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Since 1998 Duke has been a No. 1 seed 10 times. Overall the Blue Devils have a 43-8 record as a No. 1 seed in the tournament with three of the school’s four national championships coming as the top seed in the region (1992, 2001 and 2010).

Duke will be making its 16th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 35th in school history. The Blue Devils have a 94-30 (.758) all-time record in the tournament with a NCAA-record 77 (77-22) of those wins coming under Krzyzewski.

When playing in the state of North Carolina during the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils boast a record of 30-4, including an 8-3 record in Charlotte. The last time Duke traveled to Charlotte for the NCAA Tournament was 2005 when they defeated Delaware State and Mississippi State as a No. 1 seed to advance to the Sweet 16.

This will be just the fourth season Duke has been placed in the West region. The Blue Devils are 2-3 all-time when playing in the West region. The last time was 2008 when Duke lost in the second round to West Virginia. The Blue Devils also were in the West Region in 2003 when they advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Kansas in Anaheim, Calif., the site where Duke would play if advancing to the Sweet 16 this season.

This season Duke is 30-4 overall, the third straight 30-win season for the program. The Blue Devils are just the sixth program in NCAA history to win 30 or more games in three straight seasons. On Sunday Duke defeated North Carolina, 75-58, to claim its third consecutive ACC Tournament Championship.