Comments on: 2009-10 Basketball Preview

By: Jordan8027

Jordan8027 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:50:30 +0000

yeah, i think 4 losses is very optimistic b/c you have ups and downs all year and if you lose 3-4 games in 2005 and 2009 w/ seasoned polished teams winning championships….but there also aren’t 8 dominant teams so i think if we finish strong we could still get a 2 seed….

By: scl11

scl11 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:25:54 +0000

^Optimism at its best…

By: keithunc

keithunc — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:52:44 +0000

I smell sagging defenses all year long. I see 10 to 17 losses if we can not hit the three. Hopefully we (no, I do not have a mouse in my pocket) taste two wins against dook. Go Heels and good luck this season, it’s going to be a ride. Remember the sky is not falling if the losses come in numbers (that was for me).

By: Jordan8027

Jordan8027 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:39:10 +0000

great comment scl11 and i totally agree we should all enjoy the ride. this would be a totally different conversation if we didn’t have 2005 and 2009 to look to as far as how a program should ideally develop, each year working towards the same goal with a bigger picture in sight, b/c you literally can’t win them all. this will be a fun ride, i love the start of every season, learning about new players, seeing whose made strides towards improvement since last year, and seeing how this team plays together. I can’t wait!

As far as the post season is concerned, again, SCL11 hits it on the head. a team does NOT want to see us in their bracket, bc unlike last year where teams thought they knew the keys to stopping us, this year will be much different. you can’t “stop” great defense and athleticism, where we could essentially disrupt any teams game plan.

I actually see our team this year as a classic Tom Izzo type team. a team that has ups and downs through the year, but who is built for the tourney with depth, size, and defense. and the years his teams do really well, it’s b/c they can find some offense. so as long as our constants remain constant (defense rebounding), then while we should not be a favorite by any means, it just takes a few big buckets to fall and we could pull an upset or two here and there and have a really successful season.

GO HEELS!

By: scl11

scl11 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:19:52 +0000

I think everyone is taking some lackluster performances in an exhibition game and a “secret” scrimmage a little too literally. Unlike the past two years, where we knew what we had by the start of the season; this team will grow and improve exponentially by the end of the year. With the number of new and inexperienced parts it won’t be unusual to see drastic improvements even on a week to week basis. Stop trying to pin point a loss total or an ACC finish, and instead enjoy the ride. This will be an exciting team to watch as they progress through out the season. Yes, this team will have flaws, but so does every other team in the nation at this point.

With the talent in the front court and the ability of this team to defend (which they are just beginning to scratch the surface on how good they can be defensively), IF this team makes ANY outside shots (1-2 a half) they will be very difficult to handle by anyone in the country. But on nights when they are unable to convert outside shots, this team will struggle against teams with similar talent (hello Texas, Kentucky, Duke) or an experienced backcourt (hello Cal, MSU, and Maryland).

But come March, no one who has National Championship aspirations will want to see Carolina on their side of the bracket. Just give this team time to grow, mesh, and develop while enjoying the ride knowing that a couple bumps in the road may be in store during the months of November, December, and January.

By: Ron

Ron — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:03:08 +0000

Well said Ed. That’s exactly my take on this year. The preseason ranking is too high obviously and is based on reputation more than fact. The numbers Ed noted is a best case scenario for us I think. Reasonably I think we can expect the Heels to keep the 20 win streak alive, finish between 2-4 in the ACC regular season, give teams fits in the ACC tourney, and then at least make it to the sweet 16. If we do that and steal a win here and there I will be happy with this season. Anything beyond that is gravy.

By: ed geth lives

ed geth lives — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:51:17 +0000

The most important thing is for us just to look at this season as one big pot of gravy. Remember how much fun 2006 was because we didn’t have any pressure on the team. If we look at it this way, then I think we’ll be in for a fun ride.

As for predictions on numbers of losses, I would be ecstatic with 6. If we can go into January with only 3 losses (say at KY, at Texas and then one of either OSU or MSU) and then go 12-4 in the ACC, which almost every year gets you the league title. I’d be really happy. Again, everytime the team takes a knock this year just look up at that 2009 banner and remember this is a great time to be a Tar Heel.

By: esheel31

esheel31 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:49:02 +0000

while they anoint this team as final four contenders at the start of the season,i fear that the media will not be so kind if and when the losses come.poor larry drew.like it or not,he is about to be under college basketballs microscope.perhaps roy should arrange a meeting with q.he could shed some light on what its like to be almost disrespected by crazed fans.people use to cringe whenever he came into the game.quentin never got the respect he deserved until his senior year,yet he took all the pressure in stride.

By: DownAtTheHeel

DownAtTheHeel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:48:36 +0000

We’re just not a top 5-10 team right now. For instance we’ll struggle with any D-I squad with experienced guards; that isn’t a knock on the current squad so much as it is an appreciation of the value of experience. It took the already-almost-legendary 2009 team three years to gel, and yet for some reason this year’s team, with little experience at three of five positions, is widely heralded as being of Final Four caliber. I think it’s interesting that so many experts talk about the matchup problems our big lineup is going to create, but that works both ways. And then of course there’s the point guard situation that everyone acknowledges but then ignores when it comes time to rank us. We won’t have the fast break we had last year and we have no proven shooters, so I suppose this squad is expected to execute the half-court offense better than ‘09 did after three/four years of playing together. I hope that turns out to be the case. I agree we could make a strong run down the stretch if everything breaks in our favor, but there will be more than six losses along the way.

Down At The Heel

By: TheUNCFan

TheUNCFan — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:43:39 +0000

Sure, out of kilter, but one exhibition game? We’ll see as the box of cupcakes opens up next week and they get time playing together. Even last year’s team got out of kilter on several occasions.

If any big man can hit threes, I don’t think the coach would hesitate to keep a zone honest by having them do it on a secondary break, where the ignored big guy is lumbering up to the key… a quick pass and a three, and the other coach has to think about how many times the Heels will run that play if they stay in a zone.

What I want to know is what genius scheduled the NC CENTRAL GAME at 9pm!? I understand really big games being late, but NC CENTRAL!? The only possible drama in that game is whether the walk-ons are good enough this year to get us into triple digits in the last five or six minutes. No one is going to stay up to midnight for that.