> An NIT berth, which would require at least a 17-14 record, should be viewed as a major success and step forward for this very young Tiger team. That may be asking too much though. Growth, steady improvement, and closer to 15 wins is what I’m expecting this season as big success may still be a year away.
I am guessing that I will not be watching too many Tigers basketball games this year.
> Presuming that [McAdoo] does find his way back to the power forward position, what can we expect? Well, Roy Williams is hoping to return to the larger lineups he typically runs; if none of last year’s players prove up to the task, freshman Kennedy Meeks almost certainly will. This should limit opposing double teams, which should increase his rebounding and scoring totals. Sadly, the exhibition game didn’t present much evidence that his biggest weakness has been overcome — poor dribbling in traffic, and the resulting turnovers. I’m hoping for quicker starts from the junior, however. He’ll continue to lead defensively, as his game never really relied on the type of defensive play the new rules are outlawing. And I expect the same number of open-floor steals and spectacular fast breaks as last season.
Aside from P.J., McAdoo’s development as a player is going to determine just how far Carolina goes this year. I am hoping that an off-season with a little less hype caused McAdoo to really focus on improving his offensive game.
> So what can we expect from Hairston this season? It is probably reasonable to assume that what Hairston did at the end of the last season was not a fluke, and given the penchant for players to blossom in Roy’s system during their junior season (if you need a list, you haven’t been paying attention), it’s possible that that 13-game stretch was just the tip of the iceberg. At 6’6″, a legit 220 pounds, and with an explosive first-step, Hairston is a prototypical NBA athlete, with the type of skills to put up a 50/40/90 slash line (FG%/3P%/FT%) for the season. Given the volume of touches he is likely to receive, that type of efficiency, or even close to that type efficiency, would certainly put him amongst the top five players in the ACC, and could put him in the running for ACC Player or the Year. Of course, this all assumes that there is no recidivism on Hairston’s part. How likely is this? Only Hairston can know for sure, but the hope is that, at the very least, even if no lessons have been learned, the rigors of the college basketball season will be enough to keep him suitably occupied.
I have a feeling that Hairston will take whatever suspension he gets and come back more determined than ever. I have a feeling he is going to be unstoppable this year.
With college basketball season a little over a week away, it's time to start looking at how Carolina measures up against the rest of the ACC. C.L. Brown provides some quick notes to get you started.
> Under the revised block/charge call in men’s basketball, a defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has started his upward motion with the ball to attempt a field goal or pass. If the defensive player is not in legal guarding position by this time, it is a blocking foul.
> Previously, a defender had to be in legal guarding position when the offensive player lifted off the floor.
It should be interesting. The change does not seem to be that large, but I hope it makes the “default” call a block instead of a charge.[^fn1]
[^fn1]: Most importantly, I hope it drops Duke’s lame charge call numbers significantly.
I love listening to basketball coaches diagraming plays. Now, I am going to be watching every Carolina game, looking to see if I can spot this one.
It is weird to see Syracuse listed in the Preseason ACC poll.
> The lack of additional media stories about Hairston’s situation probably means there isn’t much to find out beyond what we already know. The fact Hairston, Roy Williams, Bubba Cunningham and everyone else at UNC is operating on the assumption the junior wing forward will play this season means whatever information is known to them points to some sort of suspension but nothing earth shattering. The only remaining questions are how many games and when will it be announced?
All indications are that Hairston is getting his butt kicked by Roy all summer. Sit him 3-5 games and then let him play. It is time this story dies.
> Jack Halperin, a longtime academic tutor for North Carolina’s athletic department, wrote an open resignation letter to Williams that appeared in Friday’s edition of the Daily Tar Heel. Halperin is apparently furious Hairston will play for the Tar Heels this season despite offseason arrests for reckless driving and speeding, including one in which police allegedly found marijuana inside the rental car Hairston was driving and a nine-millimeter gun and nine rounds of ammunition outside it.
Are you kidding me? Really? Halperin stuck around through all the garbage with the football program but has an issue with Hairston not being kicked off the team. Just ridiculous.
Hopefully, this type of gag will be the extent of Hairston’s hijinks for the rest of the season.
Glad to hear it. I hope PJ can put the off-season behind him, and just play basketball.
If being VCU's top priority appealed to Larrier, so did the way Smart and his staff pursued him. Smart made it a priority to get to know the New York native during the 18 months that VCU recruited him, calling on his birthday, mentoring him regarding life as much as basketball and getting to know his friends and family.
Who would not love to play for Shaka Smart?
Jeff Eisenberg writing at Yahoo:
Spreading word via flyers and social media that Williams might attend helped Telman transform a small-scale fundraiser into a meaningful one. Three times as many people agreed to walk or run as initially expected and the event raised more than $28,000, nearly tripling the already wildly optimistic target Telman had set for herself when she came up with the idea a few days earlier.
Well done Coach Roy. Well done.
This really needs to happen. College Basketball is better with these two teams playing every year.
Of course, no matter what the rules are, Carolina will have to play Kansas in the second round.
When one of the top college basketball writers in the country is starting to cover this story, I start to get really nervous.
I think he would have looked better in Carolina blue.
This a no-brainer. Of course, we are talking about the NCAA, so it probably will not happen.
Speaking of Carolina basketball, it looks like McAdoo will be coming back. Paige, Hariston, and McAdoo should make a the Heels formidable next season.
It is going to be tough to see Reggie head to the NBA, but I cannot really blame him for this decision. I doubt he would be able to improve his draft position with next year’s draft class being so strong.