Not much new info tonight.  You can read all the predictors if you like, but there's really no real news until tip-off Saturday night.  Marvin's family representatives have apparently contacted the NBA about the possibility of the age limit, according to some sources.*  I wouldn't read too much into that. A) Marvin appears to love the college experience, and B) so many players are declaring this week, the whole draft board is up in the air.  Besides, Marvin will turn 20 before the 2006 draft, so a proposed age limit wouldn't affect him after his sophomore year.  And they aren't going to implement one this year.

So I know some of you are headed to St. Louis.  Tried to make it work, but just couldn't justify spending that money right now.  You know how it is.  We'll get there someday.
Instead, I'll be at the Spring Football game Saturday at noon with HBG, and hopefully will take in a baseball or lacrosse game as well.  Not sure where we'll be viewing the basketball game, but if you'd like to meet us for the football game, drop me a line at the Contact link above.  Hopefully I can meet up with some readers and enjoy seeing the gridiron Heels work out.

The football game is open to all fans, though the barbecue lunch is limited to Rams Club members.  Although, if you're not in the Rams Club, I think I can get up to 5 people in on one card.  HBG and I are both members, so feel free to inquire about that if you're interested.

Thanks for stopping by.

*  Scroll down about halfway for the note on Marvin.  The guy uses this phrase, " In what is the strongest signal to date that North Carolina's star freshman Marvin Williams could be heading to the pros..."  What is a strong signal that something could happen?  That seems ambiguous to me.

Good piece on Sean

SI on Roy and the Heels

Dickie V on the Heels

North Carolina crashes Midwest party

The above link is the only article I've seen that mentions Coach Doug Wojcik, an assistant at Michigan State (soon to be head coach at Tulsa) who was an assistant under Matt Doherty, and knows the junior and senior Tar Heels very well.  I was thinking that during the Kentucky / Michigan State game.  He may know a thing or two we don't want our opponents to know.  Interesting storyline...

Notes from Greensboro News & Record

The media either loves us or hates us.  It's no big whoop that we're in the Final Four, We're destined to crash and burn, Roy chokes, anything other than the championship is a disappointment (which is true).  We're damned if we don't, damned if we do.  Still, let's 'do' anyway.  Go Heels!

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.

Box Score
Four down, two to go.  The Tar Heels survive and advance.  But what did you expect?
I didn't watch the second half of the Villanova game.  Why?  Because I knew, deep down, that this was supposed to be the year.  This is the team.  The right coach, the right group of players, the right mix of experience and talent.  This is it.  I couldn't watch.  So I turned off the lights in my bedroom, closed my eyes, and listened to Woody.  I wanted to 'go where you go, and do what you do' because that game had an ugly feel to it.
But what did I expect?  The Heels pulled it out, as they did today.  The right guys made the right plays.  And the right guys advanced.
Two games to go.  Michigan State is going to be a tough out.  Certainly, they've had the tougher road, beating Duke and Kentucky on their way to St. Louis.
Louisville has great firepower, and great luck.
Illinois is playing like a destined team.
Carolina has their toughest two games ahead of them.  But they're the only team that is Carolina.


By the way, sorry about the lack of updates.  I've had a busy week at work and also am trying to figure out exactly what I want to do with HeelsBlog.  I need some feedback.  Do you like it?  Would else would you like to see?  I've posted over 110 articles but only have 89 comments on those articles.  I need to know who I'm writing to, and I need to be able to exchange ideas and opinions with you.  So use HeelsBlog.  I'm doing this as a labor of love.  Certainly I'm not making any money off of it.  I need you to register (for free) and react.  Give me something to write about and I'll make it worth your while to stop by.
- Turner

Box Score

The Heels looked like the Tar Heels yesterday, getting the most lopsided win so far in the tournament over an overmatched Oakland team.
I realize it was a 1-16 matchup, but this is the kind of ball we need to be playing.  Marvin dominant on the blocks, Sean running the floor, Raymond making the passes and hitting open looks, Rashad hitting inside and out, Jackie in the right spots, and Jawad the silent leader.  Even Reyshawn got in on the action, Quentin had 4 assists, and Jesse missed an oop.  Not bad.
I wanted to get to 100, but we'll take 96.
Heck, Duke only won by 11.

Mike Krzyzewski tied Dean Smith's record for tournament wins, but let's get something straight.  Coach Smith coached for almost twenty years in a time when a) you had to win your conference tournament to get to the NCAA tournament, and b) there were a lot fewer teams, thus fewer rounds, thus fewer games to win in the tournament.  Don't let this man's credit card commercials fool you.

I'm going to wait til April 5 to comment on this.

It's the day before the Madness begins.  The greatest two days in all of sports.  16 games a day for 2 days.  64 teams vying for the one trophy of the NCAA Champion.  It's going to be a great tournament.  There are strong teams all over the bracket.  Surprises, superstars, and Cinderellas at every turn.  If you dream of brackets, this is the time for you.  As Tar Heel fans, we're all in this thing together.  For several years, I would always choose the Heels because they're my favorite team, even thought they might not have been 'the' favorite.  Now, my team (and yours) is 'the' favorite. What does the team have to do to win six in a row against stellar competition?  Competition that wants to beat us and be the champions. What do the players have to bring to the table in order for the Heels to cut down the nets on April 4?

Raymond Felton - Keep the team running. Ray's gotta get the ball up the court like he'd been doing the first 3/4 of the season.  The secondary break allowed the team to run away with games in the first ten minutes.  That's got to happen again for the Heels to dominate and put teams away.  We let some lesser opponents hang around in recent games, and it bit us against Georgia Tech.  Keep distributing the ball and create your 3.

Jackie Manuel - Keep playing shut-down defense.  Jackie is the lock-down defender that can be a difference-maker.  Every team in the tournament is there because of scorers.  Jackie stops scorers in key situations.  The Heels don't need him to jack up 3-pointers, and he knows that as his discipline is vastly improved.  We also need Jackie to slip in for some nice offensive rebounds and toughness.  His lankiness allows Jackie to get in places for quick tips and key grabs.

Jawad Williams - Settle down, and don't feel like you've got to carry the team on just your shoulders.  I think some of the pressure has been getting to Jawad as he approaches the close of his Carolina career. Jawad has been a rock for four seasons.  Who was the person that answered questions after 8-20 and after the NIT season?  It was Jawad.  He's got to settle back into himself, the Jawad that we saw the first half of this season.  The silent assassin.  We saw flashes of it at Maryland with that huge triple he took.  Assert himself and play within himself.  We've got Sean and Marvin to help him on the glass, and a whole lot of guys that help with scoring.  Jawad's got to play his own game with confidence.

Rashad McCants - Put on a jersey.  It's so nice to have Rashad back in the lineup for the Heels.  We forget how good he is when he's gone, and sometimes didn't appreciate him when he was in the lineup.  His scoring from the perimeter and ability to slash and post from his position make him an incredible asset.  He’s also become a great passer.  I don't have to tell you that.  What some need to be reminded of is Rashad's defense.  He has learned to ring it.  He gets in the way of passes, can grab long rebounds, and frustrate a dribbler.  With Sean playing out of his mind offensively, Rashad's defense may be what we need the most out of him.

Sean May - Carry over the performance from the end of the regular season and the second half of Georgia Tech.  Everyone in America knows who Sean is, and what he's done recently.  Stay tough, and be aggressive on the boards.  Sean is running the floor this season better than he ever has at Carolina.  Stay out of foul trouble and don't get down on yourself.  Marvin and Jawad can help, but Sean's got to be the enforcer in the lane.

Marvin Williams – Come in with the confidence he brought to most of the ACC season.  Marvin seems like a humble guy, but he’s gotta remember to assert himself on the floor even as just a freshman.  He did that for most of the season but he’s got to keep it up.  Marvin is a key cog to the Tar Heel machine in the post.  Bring the intensity so there is zero drop-off when May goes to the bench.  Dunk on people.  It happens sometimes.

David Noel – David has emerged as a Jackie Jr. on the defensive end.  Keep the energy level up when Jackie comes out and get a few momentum dunks on the break.  David has also done a great job getting the ball inside to the bigs.  Anything he can do to draw defenders outside before dropping the ball in is key.

Melvin Scott – Don’t get frustrated with your shot.  Melvin can be an asset even when he’s not hitting from three, believe it or not.  He’s shown flashes of an ability to slash and get a layup and draw a foul.  Also, hit your free throws!!!  Keep up the good defense on-the-ball.  Also help Raymond with bringing the ball up if he’s pressured.

Quentin Thomas – Give Ray some rest, especially if games are in hand and they are the first of a two-game weekend.  Get some big-game experience, and don’t try to do everything at once.  Remain in control running the point.  Don’t get the ball too far out in front, and don’t be afraid to pop an open look.

Reyshawn Terry – Give Rashad/Melvin/Jawad some rest and don’t be afraid to take it off the dribble.  Reyshawn’s game has been a little one-dimensional this year, but he can take it inside and draw fouls too.  Hit the open looks.  Reyshawn has had a great year defensively, getting steals and blocks at opportune times.  Keep punching the clock, RT, your time is coming.

Byron Sanders, Wes Miller, C.J. Hooker, Charlie Everett, Damion Grant, Jesse Holley, and Brooks Foster – Cheer hard and look good in uniform.

Comments, or things I’ve left out?   I’d love to hear them.  Go Tar Heels!

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies of Michigan earned the right to face the Tar Heels in Charlotte on Saturday by beating Alabama A&M, running away to start the second half.

Marvin is ACC Rookie of the Year.  Duh.

Props to HeelsBlog’s own Ben Hudson making the cut in Adam Lucas’ MailBag this week.

Got any links or stories we’re missing?  Email me.

The Tar Heels have the toughest region in the tournament, I think. With teams like UConn, Kansas, Villanova, and Florida, it’s a hard road to St. Louis for the Heels, even starting in Charlotte.

N.C. State is also in that bracket, but they will run into UConn in the second round if they get past Charlotte.  Outlook not so good.

Of ESPN.com’s users, Illinois has the slight edge (50.4 to 49.6) over UNC in the final game.

Dick Vitale (yeah, I know, your favorite) has the Heels winning it all.

Andy Katz has Wake winning it all. (shyeah)

Maybe the best Rashad article ever written by Scoop Jackson on ESPN’s Page 2.

The ESPN media conglomerate is scoffing at the Lady Tar Heels, putting them at #5 in their Power 16. Just about everyone has us losing to Baylor in the regional final.  I don’t know, myself.  I think 2 things keep the Lady Tar Heels going:  Starting at home, and our team speed.  Our Gal Ivory is lighting-fast, and Nikita Bell gets after it on the defensive end.

Pete Gillen got voted off Coach Survivor.  So did UNC alum Buzz Peterson.

Don’t forget to join the HeelsBlog Yahoo Tournament Pick’Em Challenge!

 

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!

Is this what we get for cutting down the regular season championship nets?

The Tar Heels have been playing poorly lately and had to come back from behind in a lot of games lately  – Maryland, Florida State, Duke, Clemson, and tried to come back against Georgia Tech.  Where is the killer instinct that beat this team by 22?

I don’t understand why the effort hasn’t been there for 35 minutes in the last few games.  It’s like the hurry-up offense.  “Oh, we’re losing?”

Hopefully this is a wake-up call.  The Heels need it.

Thanks for giftwrapping another ACC Tournament for the Blue Devils.