It was the game that would turn the season for two archrivals. On the night of October 9, the Tar Heels stopped T.A. McLendon on the goal line with seconds to go, causing a fumble and sealing the Carolina win.
On the play before, McLendon tried to burst through the middle of the UNC defensive line. A line judge on one end of the field had signaled touchdown, only to have the call overturned seconds later by the head referee and line judge on the other side of the field.
Head Referee Jim Knight ruled that McLendon's knee was down, and the official that made the original call could not see the knee from his vantage point.

N.C. State fans will forever disagree, but photos appeared to show that the ultimate call was right.
The Carolina students rushed the field, and the Heels had their first win over N.C. State since 2002, although it makes 9 wins out of the last 12.

State fans point to a video, but the one they cite is just  the second lunge McLendon makes after his knee touches down.

Check Andy Britt's column for further discussion.

It's a shame the game will always be overshadowed, as it was a classic.  But a W is a W, and it was one of 6 that made the Heels bowl-eligible this season.  The Pack would drop 4 of the next 5 and finish 5-6, out of bowl contention.

Incoming freshman Tyler Hansbrough stopped by ESPN.Com to chat on what he's looking forward to next season.

Is Mick Mixon leaving the Tar Heel Sports Network? Apparently, he's been offered the play-by-play job with the Carolina Panthers.

Sources say Raymond is next to announce for the NBA.

I'll check in with #7 in a couple of hours...

It should have been a let-down game.  After a heartbreaking one-point loss at archrival Duke, the Tar Heels had every reason to play lazily and lackadasically in a non-conference game at "neutral" Hartford Civic Center against #19 Connecticut.

Nope.  On February 13th, The Tar Heels showed renewed focus, winning 77-70.  Raymond and Rashad had 16 and 15, respectively, and the three-headed post attack of Jawad, Marvin and Sean helped combat UConn's frontcourt power.  I can't count the number of times Digger Phelps mentioned UConn's blocked shots.  18 was the CBS 'Stat of the Game,' yet everyone seemed to forget the Heels won.

The Tar Heels turned the corner on the ACC season and began the second half by getting a great road win against a great non-conference opponent.  They would go on to win out in the regular season, and the turn started in Hartford.

Press Conference Transcript

You knew this already; just for completion's sake, there's the link.  Rashad McCants was a huge part of the team that delivered a fourth NCAA Championship to Chapel Hill.  He will be missed, but we wish him the best.  We will watch his professional career with great interest.  There was a great article in the News & Observer a few months ago about getting to know Rashad - I'll link it if I come across it.  It's a fascinating read.  A misunderstood man who gave his all on the court, especially as he matured as a player and a person.

Edited to add link: To Understand Rashad... Fabulous story by Robbi Pickeral.  Thanks HBG!

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.

HeelsBlog kicks off the Top Ten stories of the school year with #10.

He only played 19 minutes at home against Clemson.  And then a ' mysterious illness' sidelined Rashad McCants for four games.  Four games right in the home stretch of the ACC schedule.  Four games the Tar Heels had to win to secure the ACC Regular Season Championship and the #1 seed in the ACC Tourney.  And probably a #1 seed in the field of 65.
The Tar Heels could have packed it in and prepared for the NCAA tournament.  They could have just counted on Rashad to be back for March Madness, and coasted through the schedule.
But they didn't.  Senior Melvin Scott stepped into the starting role and provided some offensive spark.  He shot well at N.C. State.  He got a little of his swagger back after stepping into the lineup with no problem.  David Noel stepped up with more minutes too.
Tar Heels that hadn't seen nearly as many minutes were making the most of what they were getting.  The Tar Heels went 4-0 without Rashad, including a thrilling comeback against Duke.
If Rashad had stayed healthy, would Melvin and David had brought the confidence they did into the tournament?  We'll never know.  But we do know that Rashad's illness was just one more obstacle for this team to get over.  This national championship team.

Tomorrow, #9.  And HeelsBlog makes the trip to the basketball team's awards banquet.

Will you stay or will you go?

Here's what I think will happen.  That's right, what I think.  Not what I want to happen.  What I want is obviously for all four of our underclassment that are potential NBA draftees to return.  That's wishful thinking.  Here we go:

Raymond Felton:  99% gone.  Raymond's got nothing left to prove at the college level.  He won the Cousy award and led his team to the national championship.  He was the savior talked about even back to his junior year in high school.  The expectations were unbelievably unrealistic, and yet he met, nay, exceeded them.
Raymond always planned to leave after his sophomore year, but we got one more out of him.  And what a year it was.  Word is, he'll announce Tuesday.

Rashad McCants:  90% gone.  HeelsBlog believes Rashad would be back for a fourth year if not for his mother's health.  He wants the best care for her, and NBA money will help that out a lot.  Rashad just thrust his name into the national spotlight by way of a national championship, and his stock is high.  Besides, what has he got to come back to?  More of the same scrutiny by the local (and now national) media?  Do you really think he wants more of the same?  Poor kid has been analyzed by every wannabe psychologist with a press pass, just because he's quiet.  Rashanda, his sister, is the X-factor.  Will he want to stick around and be the big brother on campus while sis begins her career for Sylvia Hatchell's Heels?  Maybe if Mom was cancer-free.

Sean May:  40% gone.  Sean's going to do what his dad says.  And why not?  Scott's been there.  There are several things to consider.  The Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, Sean May is the name on everyone's lips.  He simply dominated the competition in the highest tournament in college basketball.  On the other hand, he's kind of a 'tweener' for the next level.  Needs a bit more range on his jumper, and to play a little more with his face to the basket.
Another thing that could keep him in school: his family's well off.  His father has made some money in business in Bloomington, so no one at home really needs him to get the bucks now.  Sean loves college, and I expect to see him back.  However, he will talk things over with Dad, and they will do what's best for Sean, not necessarily what's best for Carolina.

Marvin Williams:  45% gone.  Ahhh yes, young Marvin.  Who really knows at this point?  Everyone's saying top three, but I think Marvin could use another year of seasoning.  He showed some promise off the dribble, but didn't get to do it nearly enough.  He's got the outside shot, but maybe needs to work on that dribble-drive. 
One thing's for sure:  He will be a star in the NBA.  The question is when.
Apparently he's talking to Shaun Livingston about life in the NBA.  Maybe Shaun is telling Marvin how hard it is being the 18-year-old boy among men.  Maybe he's telling him it's great.  Who knows?
But his family is asking about the possibility of the age limit.  This one's the toughest to call.

So there you have it.  My take on who's staying and going.  Whatever happens, good luck and God bless to our national champion Tar Heels.  They've brought home the hardware, not they ought to do what's in their own best interests.

Monday:  The countdown begins at 10.  The Top Tar Heel stories of the year according to HeelsBlog.

FYI:

Keep telling your friends.  Commenting is up, viewership is up, and it's fun for all ages.

December 04

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First, a board editorial written by the staff of the Daily Tar Heel. It is a well-written plea for the return of our superstars, espousing the value of life on the Hill.

Next, HeelsBlog reader William Loeffler submits the following essay for your perusal. He addresses a criticism many in the national media (I'm looking at you, Musburger) aimed toward the Tar Heels. Thanks, William!

It occurs to me that all season people said that Carolina had not had enough close games and would be in trouble in the post-season, but with the exception of the first Duke game and the somewhat meaningless GT game, Carolina ended up having quite a few close games and won all but the above two, which is pretty impressive in a Dean Smithesque sort of way.

e.g., defining close as a margin by the other team of fewer than 10 points: at Indiana, 70-63, at Maryland, 85-83, at UConn, 77-70, Duke, 75-73, vs. Clemson, 88-81, vs. Villanova, 67-66, vs. Wisconsin, 88-82, vs. Illinois, 75-70.

Honorable Mention: a win at NC State, 81-71, without McCants, and a loss at Wake Forest, 95-82 where Carolina was trailing by 7 or so in the last 2 minutes, but Wake hit all their free throws to win by 13, thereby becoming the only team all year to run with UNC and like the result.

The exceptions resulting in losses were at Duke, 71-70 and vs. GIT in D.C., 78-75.

All of the above games, except perhaps, the Wake and NC State games were in doubt in the final couple of minutes.

Strangely enough, it was Illinois that seemed, perhaps, not to have had enough nerve-wracking endings. With the exception of the overtime Iowa game in which Illinois never really trailed, and the OSU game, which was a loss and where Illinois really never trailed until the very end, and then the Arizona game, Illinois was simply not involved in many games where the outcome was undecided in the last two minutes. Probably not a factor Monday night, but it is interesting to note, and does seem to correspond with the strength of schedule ratings by both Greenfield and Pomeroy. Ed. note:  Also check Jeff Sagarin.

William Loeffler

 

As always, read, recap and react, faithful readers.

Tomorrow:  Who's checking out?

Coming Monday: HeelsBlog's countdown of the Top Ten moments of the school year.

It's been a crazy couple days.  Couldn't sleep Sunday night.  Didn't get to bed until 2 am after the game Monday.  Tried to make it to Chapel Hill Tuesday, and had a workshop for work in Greensboro today.  I've been all over the Triangle, Triad, and Eastern part of the state in the two days following a national championship win.  Still trying to detox...
But what a way to do it!  I'm exhausted but thrilled. 

First some business: HBG made it to the Dean Dome yesterday for the celebration, and hopefully you'll get to see her pictures.  In the following days, I'll count down the top ten stories of the school year and give you a piece about each player of this year's men's basketball team.  Now my championship reaction.

This is why we are fans.  Only one team in the 300+ Division I teams is the champion.  Only 65 get NCAA bids.  Every one of those teams' seasons ends in heartbreak.  Except one.  The NCAA Champion.  I realize the NIT Champions may be happy at season's end, but that's not where they wanted to be in the first place.
To put the NCAA Championship in proper perspective, think about this:  Dean Smith was only able to get two in his illustrious career.  It was a different time, but that's saying something.  Coach Smith built this program into a national power, and was only able to grab two NCAA Championships.  That's not a knock on him, it's a testament to the difficulty of the task.
When the team fell in the 2004 tournament, Corrie (not yet HBG) called me.  I wasn't disappointed the Heels wouldn't win the 2004 national championship.  I was sad I would have to wait 6-7 months to see the team play again.  I knew this year would be special.  So did you, in all likelihood.
The talk began at Midnight Madness.  It wasn't 'if' we win the title,' it was 'when.'
The pieces were in place.  Marvin gave us depth off the bench.  Quentin and Melvin spelled Raymond, one of the best point guards ever at the school, and Rashad.
David was the new Jackie, and Reyshawn the new David.
We knew this was a special team.
There's a reason I couldn't watch the second half of the Villanova game.  If not this year, it was going to be a while.  Our best shot in an era where the NBA robs college of developing players, our team was an anomaly.  Stars that make up a team.
I'm not going to get in to the team vs. talent argument.  That's not something you heard from local writers (and I don't mean AP writers.  They don't count as local).  That's something the national writers baked up for suspense, as if the game needed any.
You don't beat Duke if you aren't a team.
You don't win 5 games with our schedule (much less 33) if you aren't a team.
You don't beat UConn at Hartford, sweep Maryland, and win 4 NCAA tournament games of increasing difficulty if you aren't a team.

So this team brings home the hardware.  The national championship.  2005 NCAA Champion North Carolina Tar Heels.  Sounds good, doesn't it?

To Jackie, Melvin and Jawad:  Thank you for sticking with it.  We all suffered with you, but no one knows the emotions that you went through.  You could have gone elsewhere.  The North Carolina team you played on as freshmen was nothing like you expected.  You expected to be in Final Fours every year.  That didn't happen.  You certainly didn't expect 20 losses.  After a lot of soul-searching, you stayed and built a national champion.  For this, every Tar Heel fan is thankful.  Good luck and God bless to you.

Now things happen that we heard rumblings about.  Rashad will test the waters.  Raymond probably will.  Sean May may, and Marvin might.  I don't have any more insight than you, but you get the feeling that the 2005-06 team will be a lot different as defending champions.
Selfishly we hope they'll all stay.  Selfishly we want to see our team keep its stars, and keep winning.  But the guys have to put themselves first. 
Rashad would probably stay if his mother wasn't ill with cancer.  He wants the best treatment for her.  Can we blame him?
Sean's stock is as high as it will probably be.  The MOP of the tournament is the name everyone is talking about.  He's going to listen to his father.  Can we blame him?
Raymond stayed one year more than he originally intended.  He led a team of superstars to the national title.  He made the biggest play of the tournament.  If he's a lottery pick or close, he's going to cash in.  Can we blame him?
Marvin Williams has been talked about as the highest pick in the draft.  He was talked about last year.  He loves college, but every game he plays, he opens himself up to injury.  He's high on the draft board.  The sooner you go league, the sooner you get the big paycheck after the rookie contract expires.  He sees the future.  Can we blame him?
No, we can't blame them, because they delivered the national championship to a group of fans that are extremely hard to please.
We should appreciate the banner we have, wish the guys good luck, and trust Roy as he builds a team that will consist of interchangeable parts, and compete for the trophy every single year.
To the 2004-05 Tar Heels, thank you.  To Roy, thank you.
We can't wait for Midnight Madness.