Carolina will be scary good by March
Posted: Monday, November 09, 2009 10:53 PM
Filed Under:
ACC
If one game is any indication, North Carolina’s the team you don’t want to play. And if you have to, do it early.
Check out this lineup:
Ed Davis, 6-10
Deon Thompson, 6-9
Tyler Zeller, 7-0
John Henson, 6-10
Those four forwards are fleet and aggressive. They're capable of disrupting opponents (long arms in passing lanes) and figure to make Carolina a team that's just as imposing on defense as it is on offense.
Gerry Broome/AP |
Tyler Zeller blocks a shot against FIU.
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That’s what Roy Williams rolled out Monday, with the results (watch here) as you’d expect.
The Heels breezed past Florida International during Monday’s opener despite committing 26 turnovers, tied for the most ever during Williams’ tenure. Granted, four came when Williams emptied the bench late, but that means the core group was a little sloppy.
“For the most part, I thought we were active. We were trying hard,” Williams said afterward. “We just weren’t very sharp. But it’s what you should expect this time of year.”
It stands to reason that’ll improve as the season wears on, and as Larry Drew II handles the ball more and more. In fact, the more Drew has the ball right now, the better.
His line – 7 points, 6 assists, 1 steals, 2 turnovers – was a promising sign for a team seeking a replacement for Ty Lawson. If Drew keeps his turnovers down and ensures the Heels continue to play fast (84 possessions vs. FIU), they’ll live up to that No. 6 ranking.
Games against Ohio State (Nov. 19), Michigan State (Dec. 1), Kentucky (Dec. 5) and Texas (Dec. 19) will be the biggest tests, but ultimately they’ll just prepare UNC for March.
By then, every D-I team should hope to avoid that monster roster.
Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.
