Is Carolina the most overrated preseason No. 1 in college basketball history?
We’re all excited about the basketball season, which begins officially next weekend. But that excitement has to be tempered by this question: how exactly are the Tar Heels No. 1 in the AP and other preseason polls, darn near a consensus No. 1?
Ol’ Roy’s lucky 13th Carolina team is coming off a good season last year but did not win anything of significance. The Heels led Duke in the second half of both games before losing; they led Notre Dame with 10 minutes to play in the ACC championship game before losing; they led Wisconsin with 7 minutes to play in the Sweet 16 before losing.
How does that translate into being No. 1 in most polls, with not even the same players back? Say what you want about J.P. Tokoto, but he would have represented another example of what Coach Williams likes to call experienced talent. J.P. surprised us by entering the NBA draft, and after getting cutting by the 76ers has now signed with Oklahoma City.
So sans Jean-Pierre, how can the Tar Heels be better? They can with more maturity from everyone returning, but that is speculative until they show on the court that someone besides Marcus Paige can be a reliable three-point shooter and the sophomores and juniors have taken quantum leaps, not to mention whether Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks have truly toughened up enough to be a championship front court.
Maybe all that will come to pass, and we are certainly hoping so, but is hope the basis for ranking a team No. 1? Is there a sure-shot pro on the Tar Heels who can put them on his shoulders game in and game out? Can the defense finally be as good as Roy wants it to be, and clearly better than it was last season? Who besides Marcus will emerge as a go-to guy at crunch time?
In college basketball, where you start is irrelevant. It is where you finish, and Carolina has been to the Sweet Sixteen once in the last three years. Starting the season at No. 1 robs the Heels of the time to find themselves and establish an identity as one of the best teams in the country, rather than being labeled as such before the ball goes up.
How does defending national champion Duke feel seeing UNC atop the polls? How about Virginia, the two-time defending ACC regular-season champion? Top-ranked Carolina has now given them even more to prove.
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That’s exactly correct! Unc desperately needs to find motivation in b ball and f ball from all the
negativity that has been thrust upon them! Except the role of us against the world attitude! As far as recruiting goes unc needs to address to athletes and parents are past and recent accomplishments of the alum and school itself and that sky’s the limit on what the student athlete can accomplish at unc as a education. Also ask the sa , would you like to find out where you rank among the best bball players of all time All they have to do is look up at the rafters enough said!! Also seating needs rearrangement in smith center it desperately needs a better atmosphere it’s much too laid back! Best seats for families are the first few rows in upper,give the floor to students, if people really care they shouldn’t mind this to help unc I sure bet coach smith would approve students first , this would help team and recruiting!!! Also, the media and mostly espn hurt unc not much air time for unc and players notice that. Unc should not have done alum game with uk it was to embarrass unc and make unc look bad . We must have them down here and bring all the alum to game to show uk what real players look like. The elbow to Fraser was plane bulling at the end and they laughed about that! That kind of stuff cannot be accepted it makes unc look weak! Simply put unc needs major attitude change start hunting stop being the hunted , the times have changed!!! Also watched espn college football show tonite and they said theirs only 2 teams in Acc ,fsu and Clemson! Unc gets no respect! I wish unc would outwork everyone have a nasty attitude on field and shut these people up!! Outwork the other schools on the field and classroom!!