I had the pleasure of watching my Tar Heels in person Sunday night (to wash myself of the stink of defeat on Saturday).
This Tarheelblue article talks about Larry Drew and his breakout performance last night. Go Drew!
Other important stats from the Nevada game:
- Deon Thompson scored a career-high 23 points!
- Ed Davis tallied 16 points and 15 rebounds
- Roy Williams earned his 600th career win - go Roy go!
Also - props to my Gators for knocking off Michigan State and Rutgers this weekend to win the Legends Classic in Atlantic City, NJ. And for the Gator football team finishing the regular season 12-0 with a thwomping of Florida State on Saturday.
Go Gators and Heels!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Steve Carell Talks Gators
Steve Carell, before he was famous, previews the 2001 Orange Bowl. His career started as the co-star in a bunch of FedEx spots. The matchup was between the last Maryland team that was good at football and a Florida team led by QB Rex Grossman (incidently, the last time he was good at football).
It was one of my favorite bowl games of all time.
Congratulations Deon Thompson
Congratulations to Deon Thompson. On a dunk last night against Gardner-Webb - he became the 63rd Tar Heel to score 1,000 points in his career.He came to UNC overweight and slow - but since the departure of diaper dandy Brandon Wright, he's been a solid 2 (going on 3) year starter for a UNC team filled with stars that often stole the spotlight.
But his ability to average 10+ points and 5+ rebounds every game was essential to the Tar Heels national championship last year - and this year he will be counted on to take a central role in a rebuilding squad.
Congratulations Deon Thompson. Rarely do you see such consistent improvement in a player - don't rest on your laurels. We've got a championship to defend!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Ty Lawson Dunk
A lot of people have seen this already - but in case you haven't...
Why didn't he ever do this for the Heels?
Why didn't he ever do this for the Heels?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
UNC - Known for it's Kickers?
Former UNC Kicker Connor Barth was a fan favorite as he gave UNC a stellar kicking game for the past few years.Crazy as it might sound - UNC had a great weekend for it's kickers. Wait - before you yawn and go to CMBlog, hear me out.
As we probably know, Casey Barth was 4-4 kicking field goals and 3-3 on extra points against Miami this weekend (accounting for 15 points). However, his brother, Connor Barth, hit three field goals, all over 50 yards, for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 25-23 loss to Miami. Also, former UNC kicker Jeff Reed scored all of the Steelers' points as he was 4-4 on field goals in their 18-12 loss to the Bengals this weekend.
UNC's Kickin' Ass! (Sorry)
Boston College Preview
Kendric Burney had a big game last year, picking off two passes in UNC's 45-24 spanking of Boston College. He also had a big game this past weekend against Miami, picking off three passes, one for a TD, and one for a lateral/fumble which went for a TD - totaling 170 INT return yards - a UNC and ACC single-game record!Success has found UNC football! We're 7-3, and finally .500 in ACC play!
I can't believe we've beaten Virginia Tech, an impressive Duke team, and Miami in consecutive weeks!
But don't be fooled by the moderate hype surrounding this "reborn" UNC team. There's still plenty of flaws - and Boston College is not a football team to be trifled with. They're also 7-3, and they're undefeated at home (which is, of course, where we'll be playing them).
They might have the best offensive line in the ACC - luckily, UNC has one of the best defensive lines in the nation. Add an elite linebacker corps, and I expect UNC to put up a wall against Boston College's impressive running game.
They're freshman QB Dave Shinskie (who's 25 years old after a short career in the baseball minor leagues) is better than expected, but if UNC can force Boston College off schedule and into throwing - perhaps we can notch a few more interceptions (for BC's sake, I hope they don't throw it anywhere near Kendric Burney - that guy is a bawl hawk).
BC is favored by 3 in this game - expect them to carry some significant home field advantage. While I predict UNC wins this game, I wouldn't be surprised by a loss. They've got a solid defense, the loss of 3 of our starting 4 tailbacks is significant. Offensive coordinator John Shoop has done a good job installing some gimmicks to lighten the running load on Ryan Houston, giving Jerhanie Boyd, Johnny White, and Greg Little some carries on end-arounds and even conventional runs. But if Houston can't get some solid yardage on say, 30 or so carries, I'd be worried about the effectiveness of those gimmick runs as defenses get used to seeing them on tape and on the field.
However, don't discount the effectiveness of Casey Barth so far, who has hit 13 straight field goals - especially in a defensive struggle like this game will probably end up being.
My prediction: UNC wins, 24-14.
Go Heels!
Monday, November 16, 2009
UNC's Class of 2010
As most of you know, UNC just added the #1 overall recruit. I was just reading some interesting stuff about all three guys. It sounds like we're 2 years away from a dominate backcourt. Even if we only get Barnes for a year, these other two guys sound amazing! They're all five-star recruits!
This is copied from ESPN Insider recruiting - I did not write it.
PG - Kendall Marshall (#4 PG, #19 overall - according to ESPN)
August, 2009: Marshall is the best passer in all of high school basketball. In transition he handles the ball with his head up and eyes taking a picture of the court to see if the throw ahead pass is available to a teammate sprinting a lane. He is extremely efficient with his dribble as he uses it to push the ball in transition. Everything this young man does throughout the course of a game has a purpose. He is so adept at seeing the entire floor and making the assist on target and on time. He makes all kind of passes (penetration and kick, dump off from his drives, skip pass, post feed, open cutters) that lead to open looks. I love the way he supports and encourages his teammates if they drop one of his passes a sign of a true leader. A good mid range shooter who needs work on his jumper behind the arc. Headed to UNC where there will be plenty of assists to hand out in the future.
SG - Reggie Bullock (#2 SG, #13 overall - according to ESPN)
July, 2009: What makes Bullock stand out is his versatility and ability to score as a big shooting guard. He showed a patient game at the Super Showcase in Orlando, not forcing his offense, letting the game come to him by taking what the defense gave him and picking his spots to attack. The future Tar Heel will fit in well in Roy Williams' fast-break style as he is a versatile athlete that can consistently knock down open 3's, take contact and finish in transition, and is an effective passer off the dribble. He should be able to quickly adjust to the collegiate game defensively as he is sound on and off the ball and is able to defend multiple positions. He did a nice job on the offensive boards using his length to rebound over his opponents and get his team more possessions. Where Bullock separates himself from the pack is when he takes over the game offensively. He has the ability to score in bunches and wants the ball in tough situations. He is a mentally tough kid and at the end of games he is a consistent free-throw shooter. He is a worker that is very coachable and understands how to play.
SF - Harrison Barnes (#1 overall player according to everyone)
July, 2009: Barnes had some dominate possessions today (LeBron James Skills Academy). He displayed all around scoring ability. He knocked down open three's, attacked the lane and finished through contact and hit the mid range pull up. Barnes is a silky smooth player. He doesn't waste motion or energy. He never lets the defense speed him up. He simply takes his time and makes scoring plays repeatedly and competes on both ends of the floor. Not flashy just productive. Barnes length and smooth stroke allows him to knock down shots over smaller defenders with ease and he does a great job setting up his mid range jumper with a nice shot fake to raise the defender. He is a good rebounder on both ends and has the ability to lead the break and go coast to coast. Good ball handler and passer when he draws multiple defenders. Smart defender that uses a safe distance from live dribbles to keep the ball in front of him and does a great job of using his length and athletic ability to contest shots. Explosive above the rim finisher in transition with excellent hang time and concentration on the rim in the lane. Smooth skilled wing.
This is copied from ESPN Insider recruiting - I did not write it.
PG - Kendall Marshall (#4 PG, #19 overall - according to ESPN)
August, 2009: Marshall is the best passer in all of high school basketball. In transition he handles the ball with his head up and eyes taking a picture of the court to see if the throw ahead pass is available to a teammate sprinting a lane. He is extremely efficient with his dribble as he uses it to push the ball in transition. Everything this young man does throughout the course of a game has a purpose. He is so adept at seeing the entire floor and making the assist on target and on time. He makes all kind of passes (penetration and kick, dump off from his drives, skip pass, post feed, open cutters) that lead to open looks. I love the way he supports and encourages his teammates if they drop one of his passes a sign of a true leader. A good mid range shooter who needs work on his jumper behind the arc. Headed to UNC where there will be plenty of assists to hand out in the future.
SG - Reggie Bullock (#2 SG, #13 overall - according to ESPN)
July, 2009: What makes Bullock stand out is his versatility and ability to score as a big shooting guard. He showed a patient game at the Super Showcase in Orlando, not forcing his offense, letting the game come to him by taking what the defense gave him and picking his spots to attack. The future Tar Heel will fit in well in Roy Williams' fast-break style as he is a versatile athlete that can consistently knock down open 3's, take contact and finish in transition, and is an effective passer off the dribble. He should be able to quickly adjust to the collegiate game defensively as he is sound on and off the ball and is able to defend multiple positions. He did a nice job on the offensive boards using his length to rebound over his opponents and get his team more possessions. Where Bullock separates himself from the pack is when he takes over the game offensively. He has the ability to score in bunches and wants the ball in tough situations. He is a mentally tough kid and at the end of games he is a consistent free-throw shooter. He is a worker that is very coachable and understands how to play.
SF - Harrison Barnes (#1 overall player according to everyone)
July, 2009: Barnes had some dominate possessions today (LeBron James Skills Academy). He displayed all around scoring ability. He knocked down open three's, attacked the lane and finished through contact and hit the mid range pull up. Barnes is a silky smooth player. He doesn't waste motion or energy. He never lets the defense speed him up. He simply takes his time and makes scoring plays repeatedly and competes on both ends of the floor. Not flashy just productive. Barnes length and smooth stroke allows him to knock down shots over smaller defenders with ease and he does a great job setting up his mid range jumper with a nice shot fake to raise the defender. He is a good rebounder on both ends and has the ability to lead the break and go coast to coast. Good ball handler and passer when he draws multiple defenders. Smart defender that uses a safe distance from live dribbles to keep the ball in front of him and does a great job of using his length and athletic ability to contest shots. Explosive above the rim finisher in transition with excellent hang time and concentration on the rim in the lane. Smooth skilled wing.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I'm Coming to you my pretty
Waiting for me at Blockbuster. This will probably be the last anyone here's from me for at least a month...
Monday, November 9, 2009
UNC Basketball!!!
It's time. I don't think I've ever been this excited about UNC basketball. Even though I absolutely miss Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Frasor, Danny Green, and yes, even Mike Copeland - I'm really pumped about watching this new crop of talent develop.
So - I never did a posting about my thoughts after going to Friday's exhibition game vs. Belmont Abbey - so I will start there.
Thoughts on the Heels after the exhibition game:
I was very pleased with my Heels. It's hard to develop a total team picture with such an inferior opponent - so I will detail individual thoughts (sort of stream-of-consciousness like):
Most Impressed With:
Dexter Strickland - This kid can play. He's going to be a star next year if not this year. You know a guy this talented is a good person when he elects to be a supporting cast member of such a talented team - because he could star just about anywhere else. He'll likely never develop the foot speed of Lawson (who ever will?) and his ability to defend remains to be seen - but this kid is talented. I see him as a 19 ppg SG by next year. I see him pushing Will Graves for the starting two-guard spot in the coming months.
Justin Watts - who knew? I knew this kid was athletic (for a 3-star recruit), but I expected him to be another Mike Copeland. But no - this kid has really enhanced his game over the summer. It's unfortunate (for him) he's on such a stacked team - but if he plays consistently, he'll earn perhaps some Frasor-esque minutes in the years to come.
Needs Work:
Unfortunately, the most important cog in our team did not impress me too much. Larry Drew did a nice job managing the game, but I don't see him as much of a scoring threat, which will severely limit his ability to find open guys. He will need to threaten other teams by either finishing around the hoop or showing his shooting range. There's still a ton of time - and I'm not worried - just didn't see a dramatic improvement so far.
Other Thoughts:
John Henson looks like Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas. That kid is over a foot taller than I am only ten pounds heavier. His wingspan looks even more freakish than Ed Davis' - he reminds me of a more versatile Brandan Wright. He could leave after this year - here's to hoping Ed improves his draft stock and mentors Henson into waiting it out. I was really impressed already with his ball-handling and speed on the wing.
The Wear twins look really versatile - I can't wait to see how they develop.
AND NOW - THE Florida International Game!!
- I feel a bit better about Larry Drew. He drained a nice looking 3-pointer - showing that off season work on his shot I've heard so much about. He also drove to the lane very efficiently and looks like - when Roy takes the leash off a bit, he could score some points. He really does have a natural talent for the drive and dish - I'm just worried better offensive teams will cut off his pass lanes if he gets too predictable and doesn't occasionally score a bucket or two on his drives. He had a really nice, unique scoop shot late in the game.
- Deon Thompson looks very good. He looks more fit, and he played with that aggressiveness he had when Tyler Hansbrough was out early last year. He finished with 2o points and 10 rebounds - and was the best player on the floor whenever he was in. He should be a work man for us. He's not very athletic (comparing him to the freaks around him), but he always gets incrementally better - and in his senior season - it really could pay off.
- Marcus Ginyard with the three pointers! He was 2 for 4 from three point range - and his shot has lost that hitch and looks so much more relaxed. He was a constant threat on the 3-point line - here's to hoping that he maintains that to replace some of the long-range scoring we lost from the early departure of Wayne Ellington. He also looks VERY strong. If he can add some strength to his finishing skills, along with some outside shooting, to his lockdown defensive abilities - we've got another Danny Green this year. In a play that perfectly illustrated the potential of the new Marcus Ginyard - he stole the ball and batted it around, trying to wrest it away from another FIU player battling for possession. Will Graves was streaking from behind - but instead of trying for an awkward pass off to his more offensively-minded teammate, he simply grabbed the ball under the hoop and went up high and strong for a monstrous dunk.
- John Henson really impressed me tonight. That kid is athletic! I'm more impressed with him than I was after seeing Ed a few times last year. I don't know if he'll ever the be strong inside presence Ed Davis is threatening to develop into - but he could be a versatile shot-blocker/scorer in college and at the next level. He'll struggle against bigger guys when UNC plays tougher competition - and when playing the SF spot as Roy has put him in so far - he'll probably get beat by smaller perimeter plays. But I'm very excited about watching him develop.
- Ed Davis didn't blow me away. Probably just wasn't time for him to do anything that amazing - though he did have a really nice rebound and dunk from a position a little bit too under the basket, showing off his wingspan. He also had 4 blocks (though this is FIU we're talking about).
- We're gonna block a lot of shots this year. The team blocked 8 total tonight.
- I'm not really worried about all the turnovers. We had 26 - which is awful - don't get me wrong. But Roy was just messing around with the lineup, and will continue to do so. Larry Drew finished with 6 assists to 2 turnovers, which is perfectly fine. It was a lot of new guys trying to do the ballhandling who committed a lot of the TOs, and that's OK. When we settle on a starting lineup, most of our offense should flow through Drew II. He's a good floor general. A lot of those turnovers were our guys experimenting - they don't know each other yet. If you noticed, after some heinous TOs, Roy was clapping for that effort. It has to improve - but it will. I rarely saw the same lineup twice - so embrace the sloppy play like you enjoy watching a puppy tumble clumsily around.
These guys are going to be some seasoned veterans. The only thing than can keep the Heels from a likely National Championship in the next 2-3 years is too many early departures that stagger our talent enough so that we never quite peak.
On that note, I hear Harrison Barnes is going to Duke. That's too bad - because I hear some crazy things about this guy, like he's the best basketball player since Lebron etc etc. We'll see about all that.
I also hear that this John Wall kid at Kentucky is at the very least the next Derrick Rose.
Dammit - I'm glad the selfish one-and-dones who are AMAZING don't usually come to UNC - but I hate hearing how good these two guys are knowing they're gonna play against us.
Harrison Barnes officially committs Friday - and it's down to UNC and Duke. Here's to hoping we get Lebron II.
Go Heels!
So - I never did a posting about my thoughts after going to Friday's exhibition game vs. Belmont Abbey - so I will start there.
Thoughts on the Heels after the exhibition game:
I was very pleased with my Heels. It's hard to develop a total team picture with such an inferior opponent - so I will detail individual thoughts (sort of stream-of-consciousness like):
Most Impressed With:
Dexter Strickland - This kid can play. He's going to be a star next year if not this year. You know a guy this talented is a good person when he elects to be a supporting cast member of such a talented team - because he could star just about anywhere else. He'll likely never develop the foot speed of Lawson (who ever will?) and his ability to defend remains to be seen - but this kid is talented. I see him as a 19 ppg SG by next year. I see him pushing Will Graves for the starting two-guard spot in the coming months.
Justin Watts - who knew? I knew this kid was athletic (for a 3-star recruit), but I expected him to be another Mike Copeland. But no - this kid has really enhanced his game over the summer. It's unfortunate (for him) he's on such a stacked team - but if he plays consistently, he'll earn perhaps some Frasor-esque minutes in the years to come.
Needs Work:
Unfortunately, the most important cog in our team did not impress me too much. Larry Drew did a nice job managing the game, but I don't see him as much of a scoring threat, which will severely limit his ability to find open guys. He will need to threaten other teams by either finishing around the hoop or showing his shooting range. There's still a ton of time - and I'm not worried - just didn't see a dramatic improvement so far.
Other Thoughts:
John Henson looks like Jack from the Nightmare Before Christmas. That kid is over a foot taller than I am only ten pounds heavier. His wingspan looks even more freakish than Ed Davis' - he reminds me of a more versatile Brandan Wright. He could leave after this year - here's to hoping Ed improves his draft stock and mentors Henson into waiting it out. I was really impressed already with his ball-handling and speed on the wing.
The Wear twins look really versatile - I can't wait to see how they develop.
AND NOW - THE Florida International Game!!
- I feel a bit better about Larry Drew. He drained a nice looking 3-pointer - showing that off season work on his shot I've heard so much about. He also drove to the lane very efficiently and looks like - when Roy takes the leash off a bit, he could score some points. He really does have a natural talent for the drive and dish - I'm just worried better offensive teams will cut off his pass lanes if he gets too predictable and doesn't occasionally score a bucket or two on his drives. He had a really nice, unique scoop shot late in the game.
- Deon Thompson looks very good. He looks more fit, and he played with that aggressiveness he had when Tyler Hansbrough was out early last year. He finished with 2o points and 10 rebounds - and was the best player on the floor whenever he was in. He should be a work man for us. He's not very athletic (comparing him to the freaks around him), but he always gets incrementally better - and in his senior season - it really could pay off.
- Marcus Ginyard with the three pointers! He was 2 for 4 from three point range - and his shot has lost that hitch and looks so much more relaxed. He was a constant threat on the 3-point line - here's to hoping that he maintains that to replace some of the long-range scoring we lost from the early departure of Wayne Ellington. He also looks VERY strong. If he can add some strength to his finishing skills, along with some outside shooting, to his lockdown defensive abilities - we've got another Danny Green this year. In a play that perfectly illustrated the potential of the new Marcus Ginyard - he stole the ball and batted it around, trying to wrest it away from another FIU player battling for possession. Will Graves was streaking from behind - but instead of trying for an awkward pass off to his more offensively-minded teammate, he simply grabbed the ball under the hoop and went up high and strong for a monstrous dunk.
- John Henson really impressed me tonight. That kid is athletic! I'm more impressed with him than I was after seeing Ed a few times last year. I don't know if he'll ever the be strong inside presence Ed Davis is threatening to develop into - but he could be a versatile shot-blocker/scorer in college and at the next level. He'll struggle against bigger guys when UNC plays tougher competition - and when playing the SF spot as Roy has put him in so far - he'll probably get beat by smaller perimeter plays. But I'm very excited about watching him develop.
- Ed Davis didn't blow me away. Probably just wasn't time for him to do anything that amazing - though he did have a really nice rebound and dunk from a position a little bit too under the basket, showing off his wingspan. He also had 4 blocks (though this is FIU we're talking about).
- We're gonna block a lot of shots this year. The team blocked 8 total tonight.
- I'm not really worried about all the turnovers. We had 26 - which is awful - don't get me wrong. But Roy was just messing around with the lineup, and will continue to do so. Larry Drew finished with 6 assists to 2 turnovers, which is perfectly fine. It was a lot of new guys trying to do the ballhandling who committed a lot of the TOs, and that's OK. When we settle on a starting lineup, most of our offense should flow through Drew II. He's a good floor general. A lot of those turnovers were our guys experimenting - they don't know each other yet. If you noticed, after some heinous TOs, Roy was clapping for that effort. It has to improve - but it will. I rarely saw the same lineup twice - so embrace the sloppy play like you enjoy watching a puppy tumble clumsily around.
These guys are going to be some seasoned veterans. The only thing than can keep the Heels from a likely National Championship in the next 2-3 years is too many early departures that stagger our talent enough so that we never quite peak.
On that note, I hear Harrison Barnes is going to Duke. That's too bad - because I hear some crazy things about this guy, like he's the best basketball player since Lebron etc etc. We'll see about all that.
I also hear that this John Wall kid at Kentucky is at the very least the next Derrick Rose.
Dammit - I'm glad the selfish one-and-dones who are AMAZING don't usually come to UNC - but I hate hearing how good these two guys are knowing they're gonna play against us.
Harrison Barnes officially committs Friday - and it's down to UNC and Duke. Here's to hoping we get Lebron II.
Go Heels!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Beautiful Spots
Here's two beautiful spots:
1 - Saw this in a screening today. As poetic visually as the words behind the pictures.
2 - another spot - wonderfully edited and some great photography
1 - Saw this in a screening today. As poetic visually as the words behind the pictures.
2 - another spot - wonderfully edited and some great photography
Blog Change
As I thought I would - I have changed the format of my blog. I realized that I'm most interested in posting about UNC and Florida sports - so I'm making that the official point of my blog (even though work has made me too busy to post lately).
I will often post other things - but that's what miscellaneous is for.
Enjoy!
I will often post other things - but that's what miscellaneous is for.
Enjoy!
Monday, November 2, 2009
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