Carolina held its first basketball practice much earlier than Tuesday.
October 15 used to be a sacred date in college basketball, the first day of practice. On whatever day the 15th fell, coaches and players could all be together on the court for the first time since the previous season.
Maryland coach Lefty Driesell had the idea to start practice at the stroke of midnight on October 15, and before the clock hit 12:00 there would be a giant pep rally at Cole Field House. Thus, was born Midnight Madness.
Soon, thousands of students were partying the night of October 14th even if it was a weekday and they had classes the next morning. So the NCAA rules committee changed practice to begin on the Saturday morning closest to October 15, and Friday night became March Madness across most of the country.
Dean Smith, who was among the last to go with it, said yes to ESPN about televising one of his practices if he agreed to a late “Primetime Madness” on Halloween, 1992.
Since then, more new rules watered down the official first day. As soon as classes started, a limited number of players could work out with a coach in the afternoons before “official” practice began. Then, when November tournaments became the rage, teams could count backward from their first game to start practice early.
This year, the NCAA allowed all players and coaches to work out any day and any way they wanted after classes started. So what happened Tuesday in the Smith Center wasn’t such a big deal, except for a couple of reasons.
Roy Williams dropped by to watch, likely suffering withdrawals from not having a team to coach for the first time since 1973. Hubert Davis, Sr. was also there to watch the first day his son would be head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. And the players had the spirit of a true first day.
The big questions that will loom: Will Hubert Davis’ first team be good enough to meet whatever standard has been set here over the last 60 or so seasons? With so much basketball pedigree, will Hubert adjust quickly to “making decisions instead of suggestions” every day. Would he be tough enough and fair enough to get the very best out of the 2022 Heels?
Stuff that only time, and practice, will tell.
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