Athleticism and Talent

Ton of discussion in the comments section about talent and athletic players. I think we can all agree that perhaps one of the more startling examples of both in UNC history was the 1998 team which I have come to believe Bill Guthridge never did any real coaching with. I mean how do you coach some of the freak show things those Tar Heels did? Anyway, here is a montage from the 1998 UNC-Duke game illustrating just what kind of outlandish, athletic, freakish, insert your own description plays these guys could make.

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28 Responses to “Athleticism and Talent”

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C. Michael
January 14, 2009 at 2:55 pm

Greatest “Missed” dunk of all time was that off the backboard oop… Carter flushes that and the DES would have ceased to exist…
The Great Buntino
January 14, 2009 at 3:06 pm

how this team didn’t take the national title, i still have trouble understanding. freakin’ andre miller and the rest of the Utah Utes…
william
January 14, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Lack of height, lack of depth, Ndiaye, and inconsistent outside shooting.
Tar Heel Fan
January 14, 2009 at 3:37 pm

One thing about that game. Duke makes a 14-0 run to cut it to four and Ed Cota took control of the game from then on. He had two baskets and an assist coming off penetration. That is what Lawson should be doing in tough games. Lawson needs to learn how to manage the game and control what happens out there. It is not always a matter of scoring but how he runs the offense.
Thank the Passer
January 14, 2009 at 4:34 pm

Thinking about 98′ still makes me sick to my stomach. I still wonder why Guthridge alternated Carter, Okolaja, and Ndiaye in the starting lineup. Ndiaye didn’t deserve to wear the uniform. Maybe I’ll get over it in another ten years.
Tar Heel Fan
January 14, 2009 at 4:47 pm

No, you won’t. Anyone over 1984 yet?
BlueBlood
January 14, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Still cant believe that team didnt win it all. I forgot they Haywood coming off the bench. I was at a sports bar watching that game vs Duke.. when Vince went up for that dunk the place erupted. Didnt even realize he missed and Shammond drained a 3.

I think if Dean would’ve stayed one more year and coached that team they would have won the title.

Still painful…..f’n Utah?
C. Michael
January 14, 2009 at 4:49 pm

The only thing that made me feel better about the end of the ‘98 season, was the end of the ‘99 season…
Thank the Passer
January 14, 2009 at 4:49 pm

I rank 87′ behind 98′ as the most painful losses for me. Hell, they’re all painful.
wb3
January 14, 2009 at 4:59 pm

The 1998 team was the first Tar Heel team that I followed after I was admitted to law school in early December 1997. I loved the beatdowns of Duke, but did not understand the loss to Utah. Would have been a great matchup with Kentucky, but they were pretty good.
TARurself
January 14, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Watching this reminds me of how together that team was. So much talent and so many opportunities for any one player to try and be the 1 and only hero. But they played as a team and did it well.
HeelYeah
January 14, 2009 at 6:03 pm

“Cota is taking over the game with his dribble penetration”. I wish we’d hear more of that this season, and I’m not sure why we haven’t.
william
January 14, 2009 at 7:02 pm

That team was definitely known for the mystery loss and almost loss. I will never forget that comeback win against Georgia over Xmas break.

But losing that game at Duke, after leading by double digits and then having Wojo and K run across the court with hearts in their eyes and shouting, “I love you, I love, I love you” and then smooching all over the place…. Ugh. Wojo and K set back Polish people all over America, many of whom had arrived here with nothing on their backs after arriving from Europe in those submarines equipped with screen doors….
keithunc
January 14, 2009 at 7:49 pm

Probably my favorite team and favorite two players ‘twan and carter. How this team did not win should be a wake up call to us all in the odds of this the 08-09 team winning it all.
william
January 14, 2009 at 7:54 pm

If Zwikker had been back instead of Ndiaye, they might have.

Carolina grads that seldom get mentioned (positively) on this board:

1. Ndiaye
2. Mcguiness
3. Reid
4. Lang
5. Doherty
TxTarheel
January 14, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Painful…1994 to the dreaded BC iggles and that Curley dude in the paint.

Jamison was a phenom from day one at UNC…I recall Carter being the more highly touted of that particular class. The way Jamison grabbed boards, you thunk he cheated…
Tar Heel Fan
January 14, 2009 at 8:11 pm

I am fairly neutral where Lang is concerned. I never thought highly of Forte but now I feel sorry for him. Capel bears a lot of blame for 8-20, not sure how fair that is. I was living in MA from 1999 to 2003 and missed a lot games because they were not broadcast up there save for a few national ESPN games. I suppose it was just as well all things considered.
william
January 14, 2009 at 9:28 pm

I had a back injury that season and missed it entirely.
heeledsoul
January 14, 2009 at 9:49 pm

i saw capel doing some tv broadcasting work for the acc tourney last year in charlotte. i hope he’s successful with his endeavors. i know we as fans blame him and lang for those terrible years but i’m sure it couldn’t have been more awful for the players involved. especially seeing how his older bro is successful as the coach of OU, i would like to see jason one up dookie jeff.
52bgJ
January 14, 2009 at 10:10 pm

His grandfather does some radio for us and says the whole family is doing fine, and Jason is digging his new broadcasting gig. I’ve heard him a time or two & think he’s pretty good at it. Jason came out of high school as “the man”, and unfortunately, (imo), he just wasn’t “the man” at UNC, although that realization was slow to develop. The Elder Capel raised one heck of a good brood–great great family! Felton is revered in these parts.
PRGuy
January 14, 2009 at 10:54 pm

Oddly enough I don’t blame the players or Coach Doherty (entirely) for that miserable 8-20 season. Guthridge did a horrible job of recruiting and that was partially offset by Curry and Peppers coming over from football to help out the previous season. Lang was always a trooper and Capel had his moments.
JBowling
January 14, 2009 at 11:11 pm

I tell you who had more talent back then than anyone now.

THE ACC OFFICIALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
52bgJ
January 15, 2009 at 6:48 am

truer words never spoken JB!
JBowling
January 15, 2009 at 9:03 am

Thanks BigGame!!
ed geth lives
January 15, 2009 at 9:48 am

Coincidentally, my wife and I watched the first half of this game last night and it was a treat. For all of Makthar’s foibles, I had forgotten that he did some nice things. He actually stepped up and popped a 3 pointer which I had no recollection of and hit some nice shots.

I am a huge Bill Guthridge fan and will always defend the job he did with this team. The alternating starting lineup thing really I think helped build team unity and made that year so successful. Don’t get me wrong, Utah is a top 3 all time tough loss but it was just one of those nights.

As for Lang, if you look at him is freshman year it is amazing what a good player he was for us. Injuries, especially that weird virus he had just killed him. He was a very good player.
DeanForever
January 15, 2009 at 12:13 pm

Guthridge used a funky substitution method in which he rotated players aplhabetically…yeah.

Ndiaye got playing time because he was popular with this teammates, but the dude came to UNC by way of Wake and Michigan.

This team embodied everything that haunts us about UNC basketball. We see it again this year. Some have said that UNC’s system is so formulaic that it is easier to prepare for than other programs. Or, some will say that Carolina basketball is where many coaching methods were developed, and most opponents use the Tar Heel strategies to beat us.

Whatever. A lot of it comes down to luck.
MDTarheel
January 15, 2009 at 12:40 pm

I agree that this year’s team does not match up with past Heel,s talent athletism (sp) but compared to are competition on the court today is there a TEAM that matches the Heels. I say no at the start of the year. Now I am worried.
Another qustion for discussion. Why do the refs not call the moving pick? Does the rule allow the offensive picker to move once his teammate rubs off him or must he wait to move for the defender to go by. Sure seems to me the pickers are moving right into the defender.
BlueBlood
January 15, 2009 at 7:36 pm

THF,
that could be an interesting thread topic. “Toughest UNC losses that took a while for you to get over.”

Me:
1. 1998, Utah (I was so sure they would win it all, they had won like 15 or so in a row and got to back to back Final Fours, then…my friends and I just sat there in stunned silence afterwards.

2. 1994, Boston College
3. 2008, Kansas
4. 1987, Syracuse
5. 1997, Arizona (Dean’s last game)
6, 1991, Kansas

let me stop before I get too depressed