Check out my article from isportsweb about the 2013 five star recruit Troy Williams. I will be interviewing several people in the coming days/weeks about this (and other) young man that are on the Heels’ radar. If you have any questions to ask about any possible recruits for North Carolina please let me know in the comments and I will make sure to ask the analysts. This is what Bobby Bancroft, who covers Mason and G’Town for “106.7 The Fan” and the Big East & recruiting for National Hoops Report, said this of the young man who plays AAU for the famous Boo Williams team…

“I’ve seen him a few times both last season in HS and during the summer in AAU. He’s got incredible athleticism that would be best served on a team that gets up and down the court. His shot needs work but it’s fixable. I really think it’s a top 3 of Kentucky, UNC, Georgetown. I’d put Kentucky as the favorite.”

Tonight at the Smith Center #4/#6 North Carolina (7-2) will be hosting Long Beach State (4-4), tip off at 7:30 pm EST (televised on ESPN3), in a match up that should bring back memories for this Tar Heel squad. As I said in my other preview at isportsweb The Aces, behind 57 second half points, made last season’s game into way too close for confort one for head coach Roy Williams and his team. I am sure that the coaching staff has reminded this to each and every player, and if they play with the same intensity has they have in the last three games it should not be a problem. But if the team comes out flat, like they have in a couple of games, and has lapses, like they did against Kentucky, where they do not score for five plus minutes, this could be another one of those games where the team has to work a lot harder than they should.

Both teams like to run, which should favor UNC and their talent, as well as make point guard Kendall Marshall have a good day in getting assists. One more point for senior center Tyler Zeller and he will become the 64th Carolina player to score 1,000 points, which is going to be a NCAA record. The last player donning carolina blue to get to this plateau was Deon Thompson, who ended with 1,412 points, in the `09-`10 season. Behind Zeller the next closest to 1K points are John Henson, who has 771 points and Harrison Barnes, with 735. The Aces are very thin, going seven deep at the most and where most of their scoring comes from four starters, all of them in double digits. The one thing that could worry coach Williams’ team is that their top scorer is a guard, and we have seen many times those type of players go off on UNC. On the other hand, with the improvement of Dexter Strickland as the perimeter defender this does not bother me as much.

In the end I see Carolina winning this one by double digits but not hitting the century mark, with the final being 92 to 76. Then the Tar Heels will head off for a break and come back at it a week from tonight to face off against Appalachian State.

Well tonight’s game between fourth/sixth ranked North Carolina (6-2) and Evansville (3-3) is nowhere close to the magnitude that the last two games, Wisconsin and Kentucky, but that does not mean the Tar Heels can ease up. After the bump in the road with UNLV, the tough win at home against Wisconsin and the one point loss to top ranked Kentucky squad, head coach Roy Williams must make sure that his team does not suffer “playing against the level of competition” mode and fall into a trap game. And after Evansville there will be plenty of more like this in Chapel Hill, as the Heels will not travel until mid January and will be playing against below average non BCS teams (exception being Texas) until the beginning of the ACC schedule.

As I said in my preview over at isportsweb this string of game is going to help the team to gel, to get some rest for the players that need it and most of all to work out anything that needs fixing, either on an individual or a team basis. This should be an easy game for this squad, as the opposing team has no one that is taller than 6’8″ and is not very good rebounding, which should help Tyler Zeller get the 13 points to get to 1,000 for his career, making him the sixty-fourth player in Carolina history to get to the mark, which is an NCAA record. One player coming off the bench I like to see is Stillman White playing some point guard, giving a blow to Kendall Marshall, who is the one Tar Heel playing over 30 minutes per game.

This should not be a problem, and I doubt any of the other games should be either, as this team will be with the same amount of losses at the beginning of January as they have now, but with more experience and more unity. The Vegas line put the Tar Heels as 25 points favorite and I would have to say this game they surpass that spread and hit the century mark once again in this game.

Last Saturday we saw two goliath programs, both for the all time achievements as well for this season, go after one another for forty minutes, and while top ranked Kentucky (8-0) beat North Carolina (6-2) at Rupp Arena by one point 73 to 72, as I said in my other recap at isportsweb the Heels should not look for a moral victory, they should look for why they lost. On the other hand, for head coach Roy Williams and his squad that game on Saturday showed two things: that they can compete with the best in the land and that the UNLV game was a bump in the road and nothing more. It also proves to me that this team has the talent to win but need to still work on things.

I also agree with the Tar heel Fan blog who said that this game was a great game and that it is ok to be upset for the loss. But it is also ok to remember we had the ball with a chance to win it. I have to say that I like Fansided’s KeepingItHeel thought about what the Atlantic Coast Conference is really all about: basketball, even though I have to say I still do love my gridiron. And at SB Nation’s Carolina March they pose the question of why no one called a time out with 20 seconds to go. I am of the opinion that you do not, cause while you set up a play, the defense does as well.

You have to believe that if you go by the polls UNC did a good job in this game as they only fell one slot in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll going to the sixth place, while in the AP rankings Carolina is fourth. In both polls the top three teams are the same, with Kentucky leading the way, followed by Ohio State and then Syracuse.

As far as the game I will say this, for the most part the game was played well by the Heels, which held the lead for a long part of the time and kept the game within reach for the duration. The early turnovers in the first half need to stop, that can be very costly when the post season comes. The five minute draught in the second half also can not happen again as well. The brain freeze of not fouling at the end is also something that needs to be addressed, while the staff needs to make sure that in games like this their player do not make “dumb” fouls that puts them out in the game for a while.

But no need to keep harping on this game as the team sets up for their next game tonight, so stay tuned for the preview of it this afternoon.

In less than half hour the game most college basketball fans have been waiting since the first minute of this season, fifth ranked North Carolina (6-1) versus top ranked Kentucky (7-0) at Rupp Arena (CBS), will be tipping off. Since I did not have time to do two previews for the game here are some others from the world wide web…

First off here is the one I did at isportsweb where I say the Tar Heels will win 85 to 82 thanks to the better play at the point guard. Another UNC blog, Tar Heel Fan blog, goes with Kentucky by 5, final score being 77 to 72.

It’s going to be a bunch of talented young men with the Wildcats, starting three frosh and two sophomores, against a team that played for the most part together last season and came back for one more run. It’s also a game that could be revenge for Carolina as it lost to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, and one of proving they belong, as coach Calipari has his team on top of the rankings. Two of the best team of this season, as well as two of the winningest programs overall, meet up shortly, and it should be a fight from the beginning to the end!

If you wanted a team that would test everything that the Heels aren’t doing as well as they should then tonight’s match up at the Dean Dome between fifth ranked North Carolina (5-1) and Wisconsin (6-0), the last game of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, is the game you would ask for. At 9:30 pm EST on the World Wide Leader of Sport we will be watching, very carefully I might add, exactly that. For head coach Roy Williams and his team tonight’s match up is going to show if they can bounce back after the loss to UNLV or if the flaws shown are a lot harder to fix. In all this is going to be a game, the second one of the season, that it’s not just about what UNC does, but what their opponents can do as well.

As I said in my other preview over at isportsweb this game is going to be about who can put their game plan into effect. The Tar Heels love to run, the Badgers love to crawl, and then play tough defense, and have been very good so far this season, even if their opponents are not of the best quality. On a one on one basis the point guard match up is going to another one that should be watched carefully tonight. Marshall is loved by all at Carolina, but today he is going to probably face the biggest competition he will this season in Jordan Taylor. One thing I noticed in the game against Nevada-Las Vegas is that when Marshall was getting beat coach Williams never switched him up with Dexter Strickland, so I have to wonder if that could happen if the same thing happens against what some say is the best point guard in the country. While the other thing most fans will be watching how well Harrison Barnes will do with his tweaked his ankle. From a small article on ESPN it is said that there is no doubt that the sophomore All-American will be playing, the key is how well he will be, especially when you remember that the young man left Orleans Arena in crutches Saturday night. Finally, one thing that I will be looking for is how well does senior big man Tyler Zeller comes back from what is probably the worst game in a long time for the seven footer.

In the end I have to hope that the front court for coach Williams should be able to do what most of the fan base in Chapel Hill believe and take control of the game early, making their shots and when fouled hitting their free throws. If that happens I do not see a problem for UNC winning this Top 10 match up against Wisconsin, where the line has them as a 7.5 points favorite. But, if they do not do the basics, such as manage the boards and hit their shots from the free throw line then this could be a long night for both the team and the fans.

After a good Thanksgiving meal and more left overs today/tonight it’s tough to think that you have to stay up until midnight, but that is exactly what you have to do if you want to watch top ranked North Carolina (4-0) go at it with South Carolina (2-2) in the semi-final of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. The game, which is being played in the Orleans Arena, will start at 10:00 pm EST and will air on ESPN2. As I said in my preview over at isportsweb once again this game is almost all about what head coach Roy Williams’ squad should and will do and not so much what their opponents will do. Of course the one thing that you can not do with teams that have nothing to lose is let them stay close enough that they begin to believe they can win.

On the offensive side the two key question for the Tar Heels are still their shooting from the charity stripe and from beyond the arc. If the team can handle those two parts of the game then you have to believe that it’s going to be very tough for any team to beat Carolina. While playing D the team has to work on stopping the dribble penetration as South Carolina is going to shoot the long ball being that inside the Gamecocks are going to be outmatched. Another thing that will be interesting to watch is how UNC is going to adjust when pit against a lot of fresh legs as it seems that S. Carolina does like to put plenty of bodies on the floor. On the other hand the Gamecocks could throw even more players at the Heels, the difference is talent is just so wide that it’s not going to matter.

Look for Kendall Marshall to get another good number of assists as the group of bigs pound the ball inside and Harrison Barnes shows off some of his great skills. I am going to look to see if John Henson keeps emerging as the leader of the team and if James McAdoo keeps improving with each game. I am also going to watch if Tyler Zeller plays once again strong inside like he did against Tennessee State and if Dexter Strickland comes back strong after a so-so game in his last outing. Lastly, as team, I want to see if coach Williams’ team comes back focused after having had a good outing, a short turnaround and traveling cross county. Sometimes teams say they play 5 vs 8, having the refs against them, for the Heels they might be playing 5 vs 6, with jet lag being against them.

The Las Vegas line has North Carolina as a 20 point favorite in this one, and I tend to agree with it, seeing UNC taking this one by the final of 89 to 65. (On a side note, I truly believe that the should be a law against a line being set on games played in Sin City). The team will have little rest as they will play another game in this tournament tomorrow night, the opponents being either Southern California or Nevada-Las Vegas.

If you watched the game last night Dino Gaudio, the ex Wake Forest head coach and now tv announcer, said that the difference he sees between this team and the `09 National Championship one is that on the latter there was Tyler Hansbrough, the “iron fisted leader”. Watching the game last night between top ranked North Carolina (4-0) and Tennessee State (2-3), where the Heels crushed the Tigers 102 to 69, I would say that there might be a leader emerging on this squad as well, junion power forward John Henson, who has had his 3rd straight double double and 12th in 14 games. Before I go on, let me say that I do not agree with the iron fisted part of the comment, but for both Zeller and Henson I do believe leader fits. The label of the tough guy might just go to the common denamenator on both teams, head coach Roy Williams!

In this game there were many great performances as I wrote about over at isportsweb in this game, but for me the one that stands out is Kendall Marshall’s 15 assists. While it’s not his own record, nor the school’s record, it is the second time in three games that he has had 15+ assists and the third one in 24 starts. The sophomore point guard is the only Tar Heel to ever have more than one of these types of performances, thinking back about the floor generals that have donned the carolina blue that is an amazing statistic in itself. It also has to be included that after some dismal shooting from outside, where coach Williams’ team was shooting 28.9% from beyond the arc (11 for 38) shot 11 for 18 (61.1%) against Tenn State. Most of them coming from Reggie Bullock, ending the game 6 for 7 and a game high 23 points last night.

Lastly, Tyler Zeller, who had 16 points and 7 rebounds, might not be the biggest part of the night’s game, the way he scored was, as the senior center got a lot of dunks instead of lay ups. The ESPN3 commentators said this of the seven footer “Zeller reminds me of a Eric Montross. Runs court better… maybe a modern day version”. For those of us who were able to watch Montross I would say that comparison is a pretty good one, and the comment about Zeller running the court better is also correct. While this was a great win for this team the fact that their free throws are still way too low for my taste, 9 for 16 (56.2%). Dino Gaudio said last night that “You can teach free throws”, while coach Williams said that the team hits a lot better at practice, hopefully they will begin to hit the same way during the games.

On Friday Carolina will be back in action on the West Coast as the fly to Las Vegas for a game against the other Carolina. Look for my grades on this game for each of the players later today and of course the coverage of the football team on Senior Day against in-state rival Duke both here and on isportsweb.

It’s game time once again as top ranked North Carolina (3-0) gets their second game in two days at the Dean Dome facing Tennessee State (2-2) tonight at 7:30 pm EST (ESPN3). While the opponent is not the strongest, they do have some size in the front court, they are coming off an upset win against the other Carolina and they, like many other teams in the early season, nothing to lose playing a game like this. For head coach Roy Williams it’s about fixing things that are pretty fundemental if this squad wants to win it all come March Madness: the free throws and the three point shooting. As I said in my piece on isportsweb this game is once again about what UNC can and will do that what the opponents do, in my opinion this means hitting their shots.

I am looking for several things in this game. First, an overall game from the team to be a bit snappier from the beginning of the game, last thing that anyone wants to see is a team who just had an upset sticking around with you and believing they can do it again. Second, an improvement on the perimeter shooting from this talented squad. Third, another game where the bench plays a good amount of minutes and none of the starters have to go anymore that 27 minutes. Lastly, more individually here, I like to see Kendall Marshall hit a couple of shots, as he needs to be able to do so in order to keep the defense honest. For the rest, I like to see if Justin Watts is ok from the injury he substained on Sunday and that the freshmen are getting their legs under them.

Even with the early season flaws I just do not see this game being a problem for the Heels. I do want to see a bit more sharpness from their game, and just like Sunday put the opponents away before the end of the first half. With the trio of John Henson, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes playing well I am sure that the post will be fed early and often, something that I have doubts the Tigers will be able to stay with that type of man power. In the end, while I doubt that UNC will cover a 27.5 points spread, as well as getting to triple digits, I do see them winning easily, with the final being 89 to 67.

It’s the second game of the season for the Tar Heels and I believe it’s the first trap game of the year as well. Top ranked North Carolina (1-0) is going to face UNC-Asheville (0-1) at their new arena this afternoon at 4:00 pm EST after flying back from the West Coast having played in the inagural “Quicken Loans Carrier Classic”. In other words one team is about to face the top college basketball has to give this season while the other team is coming off an experiece of a life time. If you do not think that this is not a scenario for what could be a trap game then I am not sure there is one. Head coach Roy Williams’ squad will be fighting a team that is playing in their new arena, jet lag, and having the bullseye of being the top team in the country.

The two teams met one another last season, when UNC-Asheville lost 80-69 in Chapel Hill, but not before cutting the lead to just six points in the second half. From that game Carolina returns five starters and UNC-A returns four, which makes the match up even more interesting, and even more scarier for the Heels. But while I am worried about this game, it seems that the head coach has a different theory on it…

“We have a pretty good team, so I think we should challenge them,” Williams said. “If it were like ’06 and 2010, I would have been scared stiff, but we want to see how we respond.”

Maybe because I am one of those fans that worries until the final buzzer sound, I might not be scared stiff, but I am somewhat scared of this game. When you are the top team in the country you have always everything to lose, when you meet a team like the Heels will today, they have nothing to lose, as this is their national championship, and that again, scares me. On the other hand, having watched basketball for over three decades, knowing the game, I have to admit that in order to be the best you have to set yourself up for it. A turnaround game like this one, against a team that got to the second round of the tournament last year and is the favorite to win its conference, is a good way to prove to yourself that you can play hard two games in a row.

The things I am going to look for in this game is if the perimeter game gets better, as the Heels will be playing back in a normal venue, but with tired legs. And with those same tired legs, will Carolina be able to have its patented running the floor style of game. Which means in this game I will be more interested in how the duo of Kendall Marshall and Dexter Strickland do than the trio of Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes. I will also be more interested in the ones that are not starting than the ones that do, to see if coach Williams goes back to his normal rotation or if he keeps giving the starters more minutes than he has in the previous seasons. The Vegas insiders have Carolina has a 16.5 points favorite, and while I am pretty sure that this team can cover it, the above mentioned concerns will have me say that the Tar Heels win this one by double digits, just not by that much.