Season: 2005-2006
Record: 23-8 overall, 12-4(2nd place)
ACC Tournament: Lost to Boston College in the semifinals
NCAA Tournament: Lost to George Mason in the 2nd Round
Roster: Dewey Burke, Mike Copeland, Bobby Frasor, Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green, Tyler Hansbrough, Wes Miller, David Noel, Will Robinson, Byron Sanders, Reyshawn Terry, Quentin Thomas, Thomas Wilkins, Surry Wood.
Source: UNC Media Guide
If we were ranking Tar Heel teams based on how much we loved watching them regardless of record, this team would battle it out with 1993 for #1 in my opinion. The common thread between those two teams was the emergence of an incredible senior leader. In 1993 it was George Lynch, in 2006 it was David Noel coming in with his paltry 3 ppg from the national title team.
There were multiple aspects that made this team fun but what really sticks out to me was the fact what they accomplished was all gravy. The Heels won the title in 2005 which was promptly followed the top seven players leaving Chapel Hill for graduation or the draft. But hey, what did we care? The way I looked at it, if you had come to me prior to the 2005 season and told me UNC would win the title but lose a slew of players turning 2006 into a potential hell I would have said, “Give me the title.” Imagine mine and everyone else’s surprise when we got the 2005 title followed by massive player losses and still ended up 2nd place in the ACC based largely on the play of three former reserves and a bunch of freshmen. It was very much a nightmare in ABC Land since they were all certain this season would be another shot at taking down the Heels. It was profoundly sad to disappoint them.
On top of all of this, we all came to know a freshman named Tyler Hansbrough who is now on the verge of becoming one of the greatest UNC players of all time. Back then he was just this wide open, all effort freshman who averaged 18 ppg, was the ACC Rookie of the Year and during one game against George Tech in Chapel Hill dropped 40 points on the Jackets to rally the Heels from a deep hole to win 82-75. The crown jewel of his rookie campaign came in the finale at Duke where Hansbrough drove a landscaper’s stake into Coach K floor to lay claim to Cameron Indoor Stadium and as a bonus received the deed to Shelden Williams rear end, capped off by this:
The game at Duke was really the peak. UNC really did not play well after that and ended up falling prey to the George Mason juggernaut in the NCAA Tournament. Of course that really does not take way from the torture we dealt to our rivals. Aside from ruining the senior night for JJ Redick, the Heels also had that fabulous visit to the RBC Center where they precipitated the end of the Herb Sendek era by whipping the Pack by 24. NCSU only won once more that season and Sendek left amid a full blown fan rebellion. Nothing like sticking it to your chief rivals in a “down” year.
Countdown So Far
19. 2001
20. 1992
21. 1996
22. 1999
23. 2000
24. 2004
25. 1990
26. 2003
27. 2002
![[Bloglines]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Technorati]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://www.tarheelfanblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
Loading ...
So, I get to work… gonna check THF real quick, and after watching 20 minutes of youtube I finally am going to do some work.
David Noel was one of my favorites, but I’d always though Rayshawn was gonna show us something special. And he did the next year IMO.
This was a fun team to watch, but the George Mason game broke my heart. That alone was enough to move this season to where you have it ranked. Good job so far.
Still think we should have beat George Mason. That was a tough ending to a great season.
I enjoyed this season probably more than any other outside of the National Championship years of course. “No Expectations” and going into the RBC and stomping on state college. (I think this game officially got Herb run out of Raleigh) The game at Kentucky AND of course the incredible game at Cameron.
I was at Noel’s senior night and he was VERY funny, joking to the “old, rich, white people in the cushy chairs”.. Would have loved to have had his leadership last year.
One would think that Roy’s job that year might have quieted some of his critics. I refuse to let the last game ruin my memories.
THF, told you so, your bud Joe Ovies had to mention Marcus Ginyard. http://www.850thebuzz.com/blog/?p=4704
Gravy is absolutely right. Perfect description IMO. BTW, I never really got how Shelden Williams got the nickname “Landlord.” He continuously got abused in the paint by Sean May and then got embarrassed by a freshman in his last home game. The best thing he’s ever done is successfully get engaged to Candace Parker.
A wiki search gets me this:
“While commonly known as The Landlord he has also garnered the nickname ‘Klingon,’ due to his oddly shaped head.”
Hahahaha.
George Mason…I still see them in my sleep. WE had them by 14 stinking points. GM seemed not to miss a shot in the second half, and lets not talk about how the officials swallowed their whistles. We only shot four count them 4 free throws.
I don’t think we had enough to beat the juggernaut UConn. But what a fun year I had watching them. I had no expectations of them winning 6 ball games. What a pleasure it was watching Hansbrough play, and Noel develop into a three point assassin. Loved this team.
also Noel had a heck of a last game. He tried to will the team to victory (lead the team in Points 22 assist 4 block shots 4 steals 1)but he could no overcome the officials.
I went back and looked at my postgame write-up for the GM game. UNC only attempted four FTs for the game the average for the season was 24.
I remember by daughter, who was three at the time was watching the game with me and things got dicey in the 2nd half so I told her to leave the room and go see her mother. She went upstairs and told my wife “Daddy is upset, the basketball is not working right.”
The George Mason game got to be too much for me in the second half. I remember sitting in a parking lot, listening to the game go down the tubes as the sun cast a sorry redneck tan on my pale white arms. I was waiting for my wife to emerge from a department store, and she knew that I would be unpleasant to be around should UNC lose…
However, I wasn’t as bummed as I could have been. I really felt that the Heels ruining Senior Night for JJ, Klingon, The Rat, and ESPN was enough. Hansbrough’s season was more noteworthy than Redick’s.
For the record, what the hell is Sheldon Williams doing (in that photo with Psycho T)? Didn’t he win like 27 National Defensive Player of the Year awards while at Dook? And he does THAT when challenged by a rising freshmen in (arguably) the biggest regular season game of his career at Duke?
I mean, Tyler’s the man and all, but c’mon Sheldon…at least a flop would have appeased The Rat.