HeelsBlog.Com: Read. Recap. React.

An hour or two from now, in a Louisville airport . . .

jtw3 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:52:03 -0400

Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino bumps into Louisville women's basketball coach Jeff Walz. "Why the long face, Jeff?"

"Oh, we just lost to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, and our season is over."

"That's too, bad."

"You don't look so happy yourself, Rick."

"Yeah, well, we just lost to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, and now our season is over."

"Sorry to hear that, Coach."

"You too."

Heels topple Cardinals to advance & Heels topple Cardinals to advance

jtw3 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:22:39 -0400

The ink hasn't yet dried on the Tar Heels' victory over Louisville, but the men's basketball team is headed to the Final Four in San Antonio next weekend. And the Tar Heel women's basketball, thanks to LaToya Pringle, came back from an 18-point deficit to get past Louisville and into the Elite Eight.

"The big fella" has a very nice jumper. I love the fact that Tyler Hansbrough can hit from 18 feet now. Twenty-eight and 13 for the national player of the year, when the Tar Heels needed him. Didn't get a lot of scoring help in the second half from the backcourt (save a big three from Lawson), so Hansbrough took the game into his own hands, and the Tar Heels move on to face the Davidson/Kansas winner. Funny that all of us that cheered for Davidson in Raleigh could see them on Saturday night. Funny thing: I just saw Jonas Sahratian blow kisses to the crowd from the podium and saying, "We love you!"

LaToya Pringle, the quiet one, the one that's always there, but you don't realize it until she's got 27 and 11, willed the Tar Heels into the Elite Eight past Angel McCoughtry (35 and 13) and Louisville. I thought the ride was over for Coach Hatchell's crew, but the Tar Heels regrouped, made a run, and held off a furious rally. They'll play LSU Monday in New Orleans for a Final Four berth. The #1 seed plays the #2 seed 65 miles from LSU's home floor. Right . . .

Four time, four time, four time, four time ACC Champs

jtw3 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:19:58 -0400

The Tar Heel women's basketball team took care of business yesterday, defeating Duke, 86-73. It was the third time this season that the Heels beat the Devils, and their fourth straight ACC Tournament Championship. Third-seeded Duke surprised Maryland on Saturday. The Tar Heels had beaten Duke 82-51 just last weekend, but the Blue Devils came out energized and ready to go. But Erlana Larkins, LaToya Pringle, Rashanda McCants, Cetera DeGraffenreid and the rest of the Tar Heels spoiled the party.

This has been an awfully fun team to watch, and I will enjoy watching them try for a third straight Final Four.

Catching up . . .

jtw3 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:35:00 -0500

Tennessee beat Memphis, then promptly lost to Vanderbilt. According to ESPN, that puts the North Carolina Tar Heels back on top of the Power 16. Yay.

Actually, that is a good thing, because if Tennessee is ahead of the Heels in the final season polls, they probably get the #1 seed in Charlotte, because it's the regional closest to them, too. So, it's conceivable that both Tennessee and Carolina get #1 seeds. But, if Tennessee is the higher #1, they'll get Charlotte, and the Tar Heels could get Detroit, Houston or Phoenix. The crazy thing is, if Duke is a #2, for example, they could still go to Charlotte as the #2 there. But, for now, the Tar Heels are in the driver's seat. They just need to get the job done these next three games and in the tournament.

The Blue Devil fell off his surfboard and sprained his knee. In my best Nelson Muntz, "Ha ha!"

Rashad McCants has a web site. Yikes.

ESPN has hired Bob Knight as a studio analyst. Fantastic.

The Tar Heel women close out the regular season at home Sunday against Duke. The game's at 5:30 on FSN.

This story is interesting. It's an editorial from the Duke Chronicle about sneaking into Cameron for the 2006 Carolina game. This guy goes to great lengths to get into the game, and, well, Duke lost. He left that part out. Ha!

Podcast #4: February 5, 2008

jtw3 — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:30:38 -0500

I recap the women's game at Duke, preview the men's contest against the Blue Devils, and give you a special treat - a dramatic reading of a Cameron Crazies Cheer Sheet. It's all on the podcast for February 5, 2008.

Podcast postponed until Tuesday

jtw3 — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:28:38 -0500

Hey Gang -
I set the next HeelsBlog podcast for today, but I'm pushing it back to Tuesday, so we can have a more complete show for you. We'll have recaps from the men's game against BC and at Florida State, and talk about the women's games at home against Maryland, at Wake Forest, and Monday night's game at Duke. Plus, we'll preview football signing day, which is Wednesday. And, we'll have a special guest. So thanks for your patience.

Nice win over Boston College last night. Ty Lawson's line for the last two games is amazing - 20 assists and one turnover. Deon Thompson played perhaps his best game as a Tar Heel, and Tyler Hansbrough was Tyler Hansbrough.

Will the team look past Florida State on Sunday? I don't think so. They might have if they had not lost to Maryland, but I think that game woke the team up. Toney Douglas will be tough to guard, but the guys can get it done.

Women hang on in a thriller

jtw3 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:49:30 -0500

Carmichael Auditorium was LOUD on Saturday afternoon. The North Carolina Tar Heels hosted Maryland. Both teams were ranked, 3 or 4, depending on which poll you looked at. Sylvia Hatchell's Tar Heels were up big in the first half before falling behind by 7 late in the game. A fortuitous Erlana Larkins steal and LaToya Pringle layup plus 1 tied the game, and the Heels dominated the second overtime to pull out the victory.

Check out the excellent article by Lauren Brownlow here.

The Tar Heels travel to Wake Forest on Tuesday before heading to Cameron Indoor Stadium next Monday. It's a great time for the seniors to step up and lead this team.

The HeelsBlog Podcast is back!

jtw3 — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:51:47 -0500

After nearly two years, the HeelsBlog podcast is back! Join me as I recap the Maryland and Miami games, look ahead to Maryland for the women's team, and pick the next ten ACC games.

Subscribe in iTunes by clicking here.

Conference Road Trip for Tar Heel Women

jtw3 — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:54:19 -0500

Traveled with the Tar Heel women to Blacksburg on Thursday. You can read my notebook on the game here. Erlana Larkins is still playing brilliantly, even with a cast on her left hand, and Rashanda McCants continues to fill up the box score.

The Tar Heels do miss Rebecca Gray, out a few games with a stress fracture in her right foot. She fills a valuable role with her outside shooting and minutes at the off-guard spot. The Tar Heels trailed heading into the break until McCants' three with seven seconds to go tied the score. A quick start to the second half took the crowd out of the game and left the Hokies behind.

Another big test on the road Sunday at N.C. State. The Pack aren't great, but they always get up to play the Tar Heels, and Reynolds Coliseum will be rocking. At 15-1, the Tar Heels need to get some wins in tough environments and gain some confidence before they head to undefeated #1 UConn on January 21.

Through 11 games - UNC Women's Basketball

jtw3 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:58:54 -0500

The UNC Women's basketball team is 10-1 through its first 11 games, and I thought I'd take a look at how they've gotten here and to #3 in the AP poll.

At the risk of alienating the greatest player to wear a Tar Heel uniform, I think this team may be a product of addition by subtraction. Ivory Latta was a great player, but she dominated the offense. Everything had to go through her. That was great when it was working, and against an opponent that couldn't stop her. But the Tar Heels lost to Tennesee last year when Latta went 4-13. When teams took a lead and stopped the Tar Heels from running, Carolina fell into shooting 3s to try to get back in games. They stopped running their offense. Erlana Larkins had but four(!) field goal attempts in last year's national semifinal. They quit going to the well, and they lost. This year's team has much more chemistry than 2006-07, and I think they'll be better for it.

MVP to this point: Has to be Rashanda McCants. Rashanda has finally found her place in the Tar Heel offense. Maybe she was hesitant in her first two years. Maybe she didn't have to take the shots she's taking now. But she's shooting 48 percent from the field, scoring 16.5 ppg, and playing less than 25 minutes a game. Rashanda is not afraid to take the game in her hands.

Disappointment: Losing Alex Miller hurt. A lot. Granted, she wasn't the most efficient offensive player, but Alex was supposed to be the stop-gap between Latta and this year's crop of freshmen. Her season-ending knee injury made the learning curve that much sharper for CeTera DeGraffenreid, Italee Lucas and Rebecca Gray. And that leads into . . .

Pleasant Surprise: The play of those very same freshmen. Though Lucas was touted as Latta's heir apparent, she struggled with those expectations early. Her adjustment to the college game took a few games, but she's getting it, controlling herself and starting to play solidly. Lucas got her first start on Sunday, and rewarded Sylvia Hatchell with 10 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

DeGraffenreid emerged and started six games after Miller went down. She is incredibly aggressive and knows how to take the ball to the basket. She wasn't finishing as much as she should in her first few games, but she's maintaining her focus and getting lots of plus-one opportunities. CeTera is second behind McCants with 12.5 ppg.

Gray is Carolina's deadliest threat from the outside, and when she's open, she's hitting her shots. She too can handle the ball when needed.

One of my favorite lineups has been the three freshmen on the perimeter, with Jess Breland inside with McCants or Larkins. Just a sophomore herself, Breland is a lot of fun to watch. She can handle the ball, and she's loooong.

Outlook: The Tar Heels have to be considered a top-two team in conference (with Maryland), and should challenge for a deep NCAA tournament run. The loss to Tennessee was disappointing, sure, but it was encouraging with what we saw. The Heels won the game in every category except at the free throw line. A tweak here or there and the Tar Heels are sitting at #1. Carolina and Tennessee might just meet again this spring.

Check back later for a look at the men's team.

Back again

jtw3 — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:58:00 -0500

Well . . . I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Presidents Day, Happy Groundhog Day, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, it's been that long since I updated, and I must apologize. Again.

It's just that graduate school, working two or three jobs and trying to help plan a wedding (I did say help, honey) take priority over blogging. That's part of it.

The other part is there are excellent sites like Carolina Water Cooler that sort of do the same thing I did. There are hundreds of people on the Internet talking about the Tar Heels, and I'm just one guy. Adam Lucas is a much better writer than me, with much better access. All I can offer you is my opinion from my seats in the stands, or on the couch. If you wanted my opinion on what's going on, you'd ask for it. So I'm not going to try to do that. I simply don't have the access that some of the other sites do. My whole idea in starting this site was to give you how I felt about what was going on in Carolina athletics. Not that I was going to get the exclusive interviews or get to attend the press conferences. I certainly wasn't going to call high school kids at home and get their top three choices for what school they'll be attending. I was just going to tell you my reaction.

I've fallen down on the job. There are so many things I had to put ahead of blogging, and there are many things I chose to put ahead of blogging. Like the Carolina Hurricanes. I've become a huge hockey fan over the past eight or nine months. It's silly how much I enjoy it, all of a sudden. But anyway. . .

So now I'm just going to give you my experiences as a Tar Heel fan. I'm not going to try to recap every game. I can't. But I can tell you about what I'm thinking as a fan. I'm just an alum who likes (or liked, at least) to write about my team. So instead of being a Tar Heel writer, I'm going to be a writer who loves the Tar Heels. Some of you will like the new direction. Some of you will hate it. That's okay. Like I said, there are plenty of places to go to get someone's opinion. But I hope some of you will stay, if you come back in the first place after the long sabbatical.

So, without getting too deep, let's get to a little Tar Heel talk.

I didn't get to see the win over BC. I heard the last minute or so on the radio. HBG (you remember her? She's now my fiancee, by the way) sprained her foot badly playing racquetball Saturday morning. We went to a bar in Greenville to watch the Canes game and the Tar Heels, but the pain was too much for her. We went to the ER, and spent several hours getting her taken care of.
I hope the win over BC inspires the team to greater heights. Marcus Ginyard recognized that this team needs a leader, and needs to be confident in its potential. What it is capable of is great things, and they need to recognize that.
I'm disappointed in the recent play of the Tar Heel women. In the loss at State, it seemed they were content to pass the ball around the perimeter or simply dump it inside to Erlana Larkins. That's an okay strategy, if you're hitting shots. They weren't. It was a nice comeback attempt, but it still goes down as an 'L.'
I'm excited about baseball season, and hope I get to go to some games. But not at sub-45 degree temperatures.
There are some great YouTube videos that Tar Heel fans will enjoy. Particularly this musical tribute to everyone's least-favorite announcer.
I'm pumped to get to see Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Carolina Hurricanes on March 2. I told you I was a hockey fan.
Not one person has signed our 'The Knot' page.

So there you have it. Welcome back.

Turner

Regrets

jtw3 — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:29:28 -0500

Sorry about the lack of updates - I experienced a hard drive crash this week that has severely limited my ability to post. Also, the time and effort required by graduate school (and planning a wedding) have made if difficult to keep up enthusiasm for HeelsBlog, and for that I apologize.

Here are some thoughts -

The Tar Heel women looked good (Carolina girls always look good) in a test against Tennessee on Sunday night in Carmichael. The pace at which the women play tends to create turnovers, but the Heels handled the Vols, forcing them into sloppy play. And how about Alex Miller from deep as the shot clock expired? She is impressing me more with every game.

The men are out of action until they take on High Point Saturday night.

Worried about the women

jtw3 — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 22:28:28 -0500

If you have never watched women's basketball and want a great introduction, you couldn't pick a better night than Tuesday. The four best programs in the country will be featured in two Elite Eight matchups at 7 and 9 on ESPN.
Carolina plays Tennessee first, and Duke plays Connecticut in the second game.

That right there is a Final Four in itself. Heck, the Cleveland regional semifinals, which featured UNC, Purdue, Tennessee and Rutgers was a Final Four in itself. Thanks again, committee.

By the time you read this, half of the Final Four will be set. The winner of UNC/Tenn will play Maryland (Thanks again, committee), and the winner of Duke/Connecticut will play the LSU/Stanford winner.

I'm not really all that confident for the Tar Heels' game against Tennessee. The squeaker over Purdue didn't exactly inspire confidence. I watched Tennessee shut down Rutgers' All-American Cappie Pondexter, and I worry now.

But as much as we love Ivory Latta, she won't be the key the Tar Heels need to get going. Ivory will get hers. If her shot isn't falling (it wasn't against Purdue), she'll score from the line. No, the key for the Tar Heels will be Erlana Larkins. The Tar Heels must get Erlana the ball, and she must get it in the basket.

The Heels also can't fall asleep watching Candace Parker, whose pseudo-dunks have the rest of women's college basketball mesmerized.

Anyway, the point is, if you want to watch women's college basketball, good women's college basketball, check ESPN tomorrow night.

Women carrying the torch

jtw3 — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 13:52:27 -0500

No, I haven't been under a rock for a week. Just busy. It's about 45 minutes until the women tip off against Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen in Cleveland. I'm very excited about the game, even though the seeding in the women's NCAA tournament is a joke.

This is the year for the Tar Heels, much like last year was for the men. This was the year for Duke's men, but they didn't get it done. The Tar Heel women have the stars on the perimeter and inside, the senior leadership, and the depth to get this done this year. But the tournament committee didn't make it easy.

I'm watching Tennessee-Rutgers right now, and Tennessee has been able to neutralize Rutgers' Cappie Pondexter. The winner of this game will take on the Purdue-North Carolina winner, so it's definitely interesting. This game is in high definition on ESPNHD, but the Tar Heels will play on ESPN2HD. I don't get that channel, so I'll have to watch the game in crappy standard definition. Thanks, Time Warner.

Last night, HBG and I went to see the Carolina Hurricanes at RBC. I'd never been to a hockey game, and I have to say, the phrase "You'll know when you go" couldn't be more appropriate. It was a blast. The Canes lost, but being there in person was amazing. I'd never been a hockey person, but last night was a lot of fun. I realize I'm not the first person in the world to discover hockey, but if you haven't been, go. I'm hoping to make it back for the playoffs.

In the meantime, one more Tar Heel team has a chance to bring back a trophy. Let's go Tar Heels!

Tuesday links

jtw3 — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 22:26:05 -0500

This season has been a whole lot of fun. The Tar Heels are one of the most exciting teams to watch, and very easy to pull for.

Robbie Pickeral has a nice article in Tuesday's News and Observer about what's working for the Heels this season.

Ivory Latta and Erlana Larkins made first team All-ACC. Latta and Duke's Monique Currie (is it me, or is she vastly overrated?) were the only unanimous selections.

Check out this quick hit from Mike Krzyzewski on how he doesn't like the term 'working the refs.

Q: Do you think coaches have an influence on the referees and how the game is called?

A: No, I don't. An official cannot allow that to happen. That doesn't mean an official, a referee, would not listen to a coach, as far as there might be a call or the way that the game is going or whatever. ... [The referee] has to be influenced only by what's happening out on the court.

How great would it be if he actually believed that?

Women take second game from Duke, ACC regular season title outright

jtw3 — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 12:56:29 -0500

Tar Heels beat Duke

It wasn't pretty, but it was a win securing the ACC regular season championship and probably the #1 ranking in the nation.

The Tar Heel women beat Duke yesterday, 77-65, in Carmichael Auditorium. The Heels gave Duke just their second loss of the season. They seem to have Duke's number.

Carmichael was sold out and loud Saturday. Games like this are an opportunity for young kids and local folks to see a Carolina game, those fans that might not often get to see their heroes up close. I would guess maybe 1/6 of the fans were pulling for Duke, but they weren't loud for long.

I'm really proud of the way the Tar Heels have been able to exorcise the demon that had been the Blue Devils, and have now beaten them five times in a row. There's no rest for the weary, as a likely showdown awaits in Greensboro.

The HeelsBlog Weekend

jtw3 — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 10:10:05 -0500

Big weekend for UNC sports. Today at 2, the Tar Heel women take on Duke at Carmichael. The winner of this game wins the ACC regular season outright, and the #1 seed in the tournament next weekend. Carmichael is sold out, and should be rockin'. I'm looking forward to an atmosphere not seen in a long time at a women's game. The past two years, this game has been played to big crowds at the Smith Center, big crowds, but not intimate, and not sold out. This one will be intense.

The baseball team continues their season today at 1 and Sunday at 1:30 against George Washington.

Gymnastics Sunday at 1. A chance to see Courtney Bumpers in action.

Men's basketball Sunday at 5:30 against Maryland. Heels need to continue the momentum they've been carrying since the Duke game. I think the fanbase is energized by the way the team's been playing, and the fans will be out in full force. Maryland needs wins to look good for the NCAA Tournament committee, so they'll be playing hard, too. Should be a good one.

Women stumble, fall from unbeaten ranks

jtw3 — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:40:20 -0500

Tar Heel Blue story

Well dang. Maryland beat the Tar Heels in overtime in Carmichael, 98-95. Apparently Ivory was fouled shooting a potentially game-tying three, but it was not called. Taylor Zarzour, the voice of Tar Heel women's basketball, called the foul in the play-by-play very matter-of-factly, but the officials ran off the floor.

The loss of the game does not hurt as bad as the loss of players. Alex Miller went down hard in the second half, and was taken to the hospital. Erlana Larkins did not play in overtime due to cramps. Here's hoping those two can play again really soon.

The loss brings the Tar Heels back to a three-way tie for first in the ACC, with Maryland holding the tiebreaker. Now Carolina has to win out and hope that Maryland falls to Duke in Cameron, for the ACC regular season crown (Maryland holds the tiebreaker, obviously, if the two finish with the same record in conference).

HBG was at the game, and said it was very rough. I didn't see it, but Sylvia Hatchell herself called it a "bloodbath."

I hate it when people say you need a loss to re-focus, but maybe this can do that. Still think we're the national champs.

HeelsBlog Podcast #1

jtw3 — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:23:23 -0500

So HBG and I sat down to record the first HeelsBlog podcast on Sunday night. We look back at the week in Tar Heel basketball, HBG gives out her report cards, and preview Tuesday night's matchup.

It's the very first one, so it may be a little rough, but check it out. I welcome your suggestions on improving the podcast, what you'd like to hear, or suggested topics.

Tar Heel women sell out Carmichael

jtw3 — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 21:39:43 -0500

Still riding the wave of Sunday night's come-from-behind win at Duke. We're talking about women's basketball today, so if you're one of these people - "I can't stand women's basketball. A high school boys team would wipe the floor with the best women's college basketball team." - Please move on to another conversation.

Finally. Adam Lucas revealed in today's Mailbag that the women's basketball team's game against Duke on Feb. 25 is sold out. It's about time.

The last two years, I've attended the Duke/Carolina women's game in the Smith Center. While it was fun, the arena definitely wasn't filled. This year, the team voted to play the game in Carmichael, their primary home floor. Perhaps it will be in front of fewer fans, but the atmosphere will be electric.

HBG and I were too late to get our own tickets. We didn't think it would be a problem. I'm glad it is, though. I'd rather watch a sold-out Carmichael on TV than be in there with just a few hundred folks. The #1 Tar Heel women deserve a sold-out home floor against Duke. This team is putting together a serious national championship run.

One of my friends named Jimmy recently started thinking about the women and who their counterparts would be from the current or very recent men's team. For example, he compared Ivory Latta to Raymond Felton, and Erlana Larkins to Sean May. Can we expand that a little?

Latta - Felton
Jessica Sell - ?
Camille Little - Marvin Williams
La'Tangela Atkinson - Jawad Williams
Larkins - May

McCants - McCants?
Alex Miller - Melvin Scott
Christina Dewitt - Danny Green
Latoya Pringle - Byron Sanders (though she's a better women's player than her boyfriend is a men's player)
Heather Claytor - Wes Miller (both deadly from 3 when they are on)
Iman McFarland - Jackie Manuel

Some of those are a bit of a stretch. As you can see, several of the women do not really have male counterparts. In my opinion, this year's women's team is even deeper than last year's men's team, and we know how far they went. Go Heels!

Tar Heel Women on top

jtw3 — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 21:18:02 -0500

Down 13 at the half - down 58-46. Win 74-70 in Cameron over the Blue Devils. The #1 team in the country in women's basketball - and the only undefeated team in men's or women's college basketball - lives in Chapel Hill.

I was worried prior to the game, and I was worried at halftime. But Ivory Latta and the Tar Heel women put on a show. Congratulations.

Statement Win for Tar Heel Women

jtw3 — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:47:52 -0500

AP Photo

"I'm a little banged up, but I'm a tough soldier. I'm'll keep fighting on and on."
- Ivory Latta after the Tar Heels spanked the UConn Huskies, 77-54, in Hartford, Conn.

Goodness. I was worried about this game? This team and this game? The Tar Heels were up by 31 at one point. In Hartford. Geez, Louise.

They handed Geno Auriemma his worst home loss ever. Ever. Worst UConn loss in 13 years.

ESPN, SI and Tar Heel Blue don't have box scores up yet, but trust me, it was a dominating performance against a great program (I don't have to tell you about the UConn women).

The Heels play Wofford Thursday at Carmichael at 7, and Coastal Carolina Saturday at 2. Go see a great Tar Heel team.

Edit: SI story is up from AP

Check out the box score from ESPN. Latta, Little and Atkinson all over the scoresheet. Rashanda chips in 8. What a performance.

The weekend that was...part 1

jtw3 — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 21:54:08 -0500

It was another one of those sports weekends in Chapel Hill. Women's Basketball Friday. Football and Basketball Saturday. Sheesh.

The women's team let Davidson hang with them for 15 minutes before pulling away for the rest of the game, winning 86-48.

The Tar Heels looked pretty good in pulling away. They will miss Nikita Bell's rebounding, but some of the freshmen looked good in filling in, and sophomore LaToya Pringle will be a big help on the blocks.

Rashanda McCants. It's uncanny how much she looks like her brother. Her game, mannerisms, and the way she carries herself on the court. Her line? 4-15. Heh. A little too much like her brother.

The Tar Heels face Liberty, a Sweet 16 team in 2005, at 7 Monday night in Carmichael. The first few games might be a little sloppy, but this is going to be a championship-contending Tar Heel team.

Part 2, on football, to come.

Big Big Weekend

jtw3 — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 23:54:08 -0500

If you're going to be in Chapel Hill this weekend, you're in for a treat. A virtual Tar Heel sports smorgasbord will take place Friday through Sunday.

Friday at 5 p.m., the ACC Champion Women's Soccer team will take on Western Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Fetzer Field.

If you're in Cary, the men's soccer team takes on Clemson at 8 p.m. Friday in an ACC semifinal.

As you know, the gridiron Tar Heels take on Maryland at noon Saturday. The Heels, at 4-4, have three games remaining. As noted, they need two of three. Unless the Tar Heels plan on beating Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on November 26, they need to take care of business Saturday.

As I said before last weekend's games, John Bunting's teams find a way to win in tough spots. Jesse Holley is truly asserting himself, in spite of other holes in the offense. The Tar Heel defense is carrying the team (aside from Holley).

John Bunting has never beaten Ralph Friedgen. He will this weekend.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, the men's basketball Tar Heels take on Catawba at the Dean E. Smith Center. Catawba fans, don't forget to pick up your t-shirts to commemorate the game.

If the women's soccer team wins Friday, they would take on either Virginia Commonwealth or Clemson at 1 p.m. Sunday at Fetzer in the NCAA second round. At the same time is the men's soccer ACC final at SAS soccer park in Cary.

Also - Craig Shemon and James Washington (Shemon and J-Dub on Fox Sports Radio) will be broadcasting live from Spanky's on Franklin Street on Friday and Saturday.

Have a great weekend, and go Heels!

At 7 p.m., the Women's Basketball Tar Heels take on Davidson in their first game of the season at Carmichael Auditorium.

Here's what I don't understand: how is it that Duke is the preseason #1 team in the country (here's a hint- Monique Currie is seriously overrated), and the Tar Heels, who return four starters and have brought in a great freshman class, oh, and swept Duke, beating them by 3 million points in the ACC final, are ranked #7?
Listen, the Heels have one thing no other team in the country has: her name is Ivory Latta. Watch out. Don't sleep on Camille Little, either.

Tracy Schultz of SI.com has the right idea.

Tar Heel Tour Stop

jtw3 — Thu, 26 May 2005 07:51:28 -0400

Had a great time at last night's Tar Heel Tour Stop. Not a whole lot of news, but I'll post mp3s of the speeches tonight. For now, pictures...

Interesting story on Nigerian players; Rashanda

jtw3 — Wed, 11 May 2005 13:15:59 -0400

Here's a neat piece on three players from Nigeria, and how they came to the States to play high school basketball. One of the players mentioned is Uche Echefu, a forward prospect who will graduate this year. Roy Williams is hot on his trail, and the Heels are definitely in the mix to add to this year's class.

Rashanda McCants joins the Tar Heels' Women's basketball team this fall, just after her brother helped the men to the national championship. The Orlando Sentinel named Rashanda to their All-Southern team.
Here's an interesting excerpt:

But while one McCants prepares to enroll in Chapel Hill, the other is making preparations to leave. Rashad has hired an agent, meaning he cannot change his mind about the NBA. Many North Carolina fans thought his sister might convince him to stay one more year.

I was one of those fans, I have to say. I hoped Rashad might want to be there for a year for Rashanda. Oh well.

P.S. Marvin has hired an agent. Here's wishing the best for a true future superstar. Once a Heel, always a Heel.
Unless your name is Mahktar Ndiaye.

#5: Ladies take back ACC title

jtw3 — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 22:44:12 -0400

If you aren't an Ivory Latta fan by now, you haven't seen her play. The sparkplug led the Heels with 26 points in an 88-67 romp over Duke in the ACC tournament final on March 7.

They'd played poorly in the first two rounds, just getting by Miami and Virginia. But not so for the game against the Blue Devils. I'd been worried that Duke would crush the Heels, who hadn't seemed to have their heads on straight for the tournament. Perhaps looking ahead to the NCAA games in the Dean Smith Center?

The Heels shot the lights out, with even Camille Little (23 points) getting into the act from behind the arc. Strong defensive play from Nikita Bell, La'Tangela Atkinson on the boards, and post play from Erlana Larkins with Leah Metcalf contributing off the bench.

It was a great day to be a Tar Heel. The day after the men came back to beat the Blue Devils, the ladies followed up nicely with a huge win over a Duke team that wanted badly to beat the Heels. Instead, they were badly beaten themselves.

#9: Women's Basketball Sweeps Duke

jtw3 — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 21:38:52 -0400

Sorry for the delay - I went to the awards banquet last night and didn't get home in time to post before going to sleep. More on the banquet later.

By now, you know my stance on women's basketball; I love it. I love having another Tar Heel basketball team to cheer for. Especially one that plays so much like the men's team. I love any Carolina team that goes 30-4, in any sport.

The Tar Heels won for the first time in 12 games against then-#1 Duke in front of nearly 7,000 in the Dean E. Smith Center on January 24th. They allowed Monique Currie and Duke to score just 13 points in the first half, then held off a late rally for the win, taking it 56-51.

It was an emotional win for the Tar Heels, who were slowly climbing up on the national radar. Ranked 12th at the time, the Heels would eventually grab a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They beat a bruising team that, like the Tar Heels, is reminiscent of its male counterparts. Gail Goestenkors is a delightful lady, if I may be sarcastic for a moment. She and Sylvia both work the refs as well as they coach their teams.

By all accounts, Duke should have run away with the second meeting in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Nope. The Heels rallied with 5 minutes to go and didn't look back, winning 77-68 in front of the delightful Cameron Crazies. Duke was ranked #2 at the time, Carolina #8.

Sylvia Hatchell's Tar Heels began to turn the balance of power in ACC Women's Basketball this season. Her quick, talented team earned the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament by virtue of sweeping the Blue Devils. They were a fun team to watch this year, and the future looks bright.

Ladies' season ends

jtw3 — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 21:32:19 -0500

Well, the North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team didn't make it to the Final Four this year, falling to Baylor in the round of eight. The Heels didn't hustle. Baylor did. The Heels didn't make open shots. Baylor did. The Heels didn't execute the fast break. Baylor did. The Heels didn't defend in the post. Baylor did. Baylor simply outplayed the Tar Heels. Wanted it more. Yes, they got every close call, but it's because they played their hearts out. Good luck to them in the Final Four. North Carolina loses Kenya McBee, Leah Metcalf, and Nikita Bell. Good luck to them. The returning Tar Heels need to remember how bad this feels, just as they did at last year's ACC Tournament. They came back and swept Duke, and beat them handily in the ACC final. Four starters return, and the Heels add the NC Player of the Year (by the name of McCants). Any team with #12 will have a shot to win every game. Here's hoping they make it even farther next year.

Heels get #1 Seeds; Join the HeelsBlog Pick'em

jtw3 — Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:17:55 -0500

Congratulations to the Tar Heel men and women for earning #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.

Join the HeelsBlog Pick’em contest by clicking on http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/. The Group ID # you’ll need is 42125 and the password is goheels – join us now!