Tar Heels, take a step back.

Since the union of the University of North Carolina and basketball, we UNC fans have been a fickle bunch. None of us were conscious during the early struggles of the Coach Smith regime. UNC students and fans wanted little to do with the short, large-nosed, young man who dared to think he could take over the program Frank McGuire built into a national power. They hung him in effigy...twice. They berated him in the student paper. No one outside of his close friends and the Athletic Director supported the no name from Emporia Kansas. Imagine where UNC would be had it listened to its fickle fans then.

During Coach Smith's 36 years of unmatched excellence, we as a fan base became "fat and happy" (to borrow one of Coach Williams' terms). ACC title after ACC title. Final Four after Final Four. National Titles. Collegiate and NBA superstars. Man, its good to be king, huh? Duke went back to back, but we answered and now they are struggling to even challenge Wake Forest. UNC is the dominant program in all of America.

Then came the summer of 1997. The end of an era. The saddest day in my entire life. On that day, Dean Smith stepped down and handed the reigns over to his longtime assistant and friend, Bill Gutheridge. Now, in interests of space, I will selectively skip the Gutheridge and Doherty eras as its impossible for UNC fans to agree on who's to blame. Regardless, the IBM of the college basketball world tumbled into mediocrity. The proudest and most arrogant fan base in the land was smacked with the ultimate insult: irrelevance.

Coach Williams' arrival changed all of that. He taught his first team how not to lose. In 2005, he tought UNC how to win. Oh, how quickly we arrogant Heels forget our lessons.

Was that 2005 team not comprised of the same characters who blew lead after lead in the '03-'04 season? Was that not the same team that squandered a 20+ point lead at halftime against FSU and ended up getting embarassed? The very same team who had its heart, will, and desire questioned game after game, week after week? The team loaded with talent, yet never quite doing what we expect?

Its amazing what a national title will do for our memories, isn't it? All people seem to remember is the great leader and game breaker Felton became, not the horrendous shooter and turnover machine he was the previous years. We remember how Sean May became an animal in '05, a double-double machine. We forgot all about the soft as Charmin May of '04. The do-all-the-small-things mentality of Jackie Manuel and Jawad Williams is adored by Tar Heels the world over. They never seem to mention Jackie's terrible shooting, bad free throws and turnovers. Or Jawad's shying away from the hoop.

That 2003-04 team was comprised of mainly sophomores and juniors. Not just that, but they were learning a new system under a new coach. They might as well have all been freshmen. They were a young team who's bandwagon emptied as much as it was filled. They were a team that everyone became convinced would never allow the team concept to penetrate their talent and ego riddled minds.

What happend? Time. Practice. LEARNING.

Roy Williams took a group of kids that had never won anything of significance at the collegiate level and in 2 years turned them into national champions.

So, the next time UNC blows a lead they shouldn't, the next time Brandon bricks a free throw, the next time Lawson attempts a pass he shouldn't or the next time the Heels look lost during an end-game possession, remember one thing.

The 2003-04 Heels looked even worse. And how did they turn out?

All the talent in the world is great. I wouldn't trade UNC's future for anyone else's. It is common for young teams to be really, really good. They are, however, seldom great. We are being treated to a great season. And you know what the best part is?

Its only going to get better.


- "UNC" Charles

The Heels Can’t Find Their “Way”

Photo by ROBERT WILLETT - (Raleigh) News & Observer


By


Patrick Kendall


You have no idea how much that title hurts to write. The Tar Heels have no idea how difficult they made my Monday (what with Bob the Terp and all). Now, Virginia Tech and Maryland have both given losses to the two top ACC programs of the past twenty-five years and I’m left speechless at the fact.


Duke is easier to explain. They don’t have the talent. Carolina is harder to explain. They have the talent. They just don’t have the “Way.”


What is the Way, you ask?


Prepare yourselves for a journey to the Far East (of Basketball anyway) as we head to the streets of DC and NYC where the Way is sought, studied, and in some cases – attained. The Way is a mythical experience that provides guidance and calm to competitor warriors during pressure situations. Like “chi” (and the Force), the Way binds all things sports related; it surrounds athletes; it protects them. But in order to achieve Way, one must believe.


What the Heels have done instead of believing, is buying into their own hype. They believe that talent alone will be enough. They believe that by throwing bodies at the other team and trying to run them out of the gym, they will succeed. They believe that intensity is a switch that can be thrown any time, and that momentum (Uncle Mo in my house growing up) only matters when going downhill. The Heels can’t find their Way, and they will not win the Championship without it.


In 2005 Sean May was the Way. He became a force of nature on the floor; unstoppable, unyielding. Heels ’07 needs the same beacon to come to light now. Hansbrough could be the Way, but he still misses free throws at game’s end, or turns it over critically in situations that require doing the opposite. That is not the Way. Reyshawn Terry would like to be the Way because of his senior status, but he is a guy who unfortunately is only good enough to play for the Heels AFTER all the talent leaves the team.


Ty Lawson is learning his Way but he’s not ready. Freshmen rarely are. Carmelo Anthony and Pervis Ellison leap out at me as freshmen who were the Way but those guys are few and far between (17 years in fact). Brandon “I’m Still Learning How To” Wright is a little slight, a little young, and a lot deferential.


So, who can this young team turn to in its time of desperation and need?


I submit that Roy Williams must become the Way.


Think about it. In 1991, when Duke was again faced with that juggernaut of an opponent, UNLV, just one year after getting waxed in the most lopsided Championship game ever by this same exact team, Coach K had to become the Way in order for those guys to succeed. His certainty (not belief, for you must believe in the Way, but it must be done with certainty) in his players showed them the Way, and their belief brought them victory. It’s time for Roy “Where There’s a Williams, There’s a Way” Williams to follow that same path.


Now is the time for Roy Boy to pick up the torch of his forecoaches and pursue his destiny. It will not be an easy journey. His faith will be tested (by Maryland and another Williams no less!). His answers questioned. His leadership challenged.


But in the end, the journey will pay for itself because it will teach him the Way and in return he will show a young, talented group the same.


Then UNC can go out and rip Florida a new one in the Championship game and all will be balanced in the Universe.

It's Hard to Like and Dislike this Duke Team

Unpredictable


What I like about this Duke team is the exact same thing I dislike about this Duke team: they are unpredictable. I can’t think of any other K-coached team that has gone through the (pardon the cliché) “ups and downs” this team has. They’re like a Maryland team – start off hot; fall apart; regroup; then wilt like daisies (can’t wait for that to happen – I’ll get to watch Bob the Terp’s heart literally explode from the experience). So when I chart the progress and decline of these Devils it’s difficult for me not to get excited. They play a smothering brand of defense (albeit not always for a full forty minutes) that of late has allowed them to build up leads then withstand furious rallies for the win.


But what is also apparent to me is that Duke IS getting better. Their offense is beginning to catch up to their defense. They CAN score 80 points if they have to, but the pace of their weave offense (for lack of a better word) sets them firmly in the high 60s and low 70s for a comfort level. They continue to be plagued by quick, slashing, scorers (Thornton and Singletary come to mind immediately, as does Dowdell from Tech) but they aren’t the only team in America that gets pasted by that kind of player. They still lack a firm “go to” guy at the end of the game, though McRoberts showed some good court sense to take the ball all the way down the court last night and score an uncontested layup. He took what the defense gave him and capitalized. Personally, I’d like to see more of that kind of play because he still, in my mind anyway, is a tremendous matchup problem.


Let me be honest for a minute: I don’t see Duke winning the ACC Tourney, nor do I see them making it to the Sweet Sixteen this year. But as I watch them, I see a true team concept playing out there. It reminds me of the mid-major programs that always sneak up on the power conferences come March. Of course, having DUKE across your jersey doesn’t allow you to sneak up on anybody, but they do play the kind of basketball that will give teams fits in March.


Historically, you prepare for Duke in two ways: 1) you must be ready to withstand Duke’s high powered offense and not wilt from the pace of it, and 2) your defense has to key on the offensive focal points with superior athleticism. Those aren’t the easiest things to do. It’s not like you can run out to Dick’s Sporting Goods and pick those things up off the end cap, so Duke has always had a statistical advantage over most teams they face.


That’s not the case for this team.


This team is only going to beat you if all seven players in the rotation show up and work together. They won’t beat you with talent, and it’s obvious they won’t beat you with fear. I haven’t even seen the same heart that Duke Teams are famous for, but that doesn’t matter. This is a dangerous team to play anytime and anywhere because you as the opposition don’t know who to focus on, and you have to stand up to the pressure of their half court defense, which still (for the most part) holds teams in the sixties and below.


Drawing up a game plan for this squad means you have to consider everyone – even down to Hocius Pocius (when he magically appears in the games anyway). Ignoring Paulus’s outside shot puts you at risk of him going for a surprising twenty; give Nelson the lane and his slashing game, and he’ll go for sixteen.


McRoberts is not the player I hoped he would be, but he IS one of the most versatile players in the country because of his ball handling and passing skills. And Scheyer would have to be considered on the short list of freshmen who have had an immediate impact on their respective teams, though he is not ready to beat you night in and night out (sorry for another cliché).


The point is… who do you trust on this team? Who do you fear? Who do you zone in on and who you concede shots to?


If I’m playing against Duke, I hate each and every one of those questions because this team is unpredictable.


And like I said earlier, that’s not always a bad thing.

"Chemistry For A Carolina Fan"

written by Hooper

"Chemistry For A Carolina Fan"

Did you see it? Did you see him? Jay Bilas said he's like Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is "a mathematical limit on the accuracy with which it is possible to measure everything there is to know about a physical system." It basically says, that by the time you are able to predict where a particle is in an atom at a given moment, it is already gone (that's as far as the chemistry goes... I promise). I'm sure Heisenberg spent countless hours in a lab figuring this out, when all he had to do was watch Ty Lawson play basketball.

When I watched Ty Lawson on Youtube before the season started, I was ecstatic. I could not wait to see this kid in uniform. When he got on the floor in the beginning I saw flashes of Raymond Felton. But that's only what they were. Flashes. Some games he would completely disappear in games. Against Tenessee, he had me singing his praises to everybody I knew. Then against Kentucky, I wondered if he got more than 10 minutes.

After the Georgia Tech game, Roy Williams told Ty Lawson that he needs to use his uncanny ability to create for himself as much as he does for his teammates. It's been very noticeable that someone lit a spark under the McDonald's All-American. Since the remark, Lawson is averaging 14 points per game and about 6 assists per game. The thing that amazes me when I watch him is his sudden confidence to take big shots. His play has been phenomenal as of late (Duke and Arizona come to mind). Every time that Boston College made a run tonight, by the time they accounted for him on defense, he was reversing in mid-air finishing a beautiful layup. He only had 11 points, but I can remember just about every time he scored. Once, it was hitting a deep three with the shot clock about to expire. Second was after a nice take by Rice to cut the game to three or four. Lawson went coast to coast in (no lie) about 2 seconds. It got to the point where I was wondering why he didn't just fly down the court every time and score from 3 feet. And the third that comes to mind, were the two game clinching free throws he hit at the end of the game.

We know about Hansbrough. We know about Wright. We know Roy can coach. It seemed like, that with Bobby Frasor sitting with a nagging foot injury, the Heels really just needed someone to be a catalyst for their offense. I don't think there is a better suited point guard for this team than Ty. Bilas said he made Heisenberg proud, and he gets no argument from this Chemistry major. This kid is going to be a stud.

Surprising Parity in the ACC Keeps Duke and Carolina Off Balance

By


Patrick Kendall


The ACC currently has two teams ranked in the AP Top 25. North Carolina is one; Boston College is the other. In an effort to not beat a dead story too badly, Duke is an obvious absentee from this week's poll – the first time in over ten years that Coach K has not read about his team in that situation. And so, this by itself makes for a "BIG" story, but in my opinion the bigger story should be that the ACC currently has ONLY two teams ranked in the AP Top 25 yet experts are predicting that the conference will send the most teams to the NCAA Tournament this year. Depending on who you listen to, the ACC could send anywhere from seven to nine teams to the Big Dance this year. My gut tells me that nine is unrealistic, but eight is very likely.


Why, you ask?


Easy. At various points this year six ACC teams have found their way into (VA Tech is most likely to become the seventh this next week) the Top 25. BC, Clemson, Virginia, Maryland, and of course Duke have all enjoyed some time on the list, while UNC remains in the Top 5 (probably Top 10 after the their loss to VA Tech), which means, that seven of the arguably Top 25 teams (at various points) have been battling one another at least once, and sometimes twice, leaving scars in the form of losses that would seem to, on paper at least, indicate a danger of not making the Tournament.


I am going to submit my argument for the teams that I believe are a lock to make it in from the ACC as well as the "bubble" teams, then finally, the teams that could be surprise entries into the Tourney.


Locks


UNC – an obvious choice, although their sweep by VA Tech and the loss to NC State puts them out of consideration for a number 1 seed. Look for them at number 2.


BC – still sitting near the top of the conference, they are in good shape for a number 4 seed.


Virginia Tech – a sweep of UNC and the win over Duke, along with their position in the conference are good for a 3 or 4 seed. If Tech wins the ACC conference and regular season I see them at a 2, which would be incredible.


Virginia – if they can remain at the top with the other three then I see them as a solid 4 seed in the tourney as well.


Duke – wins over Gonzaga, Indiana, Georgetown and a sweep of BC ensure that Duke is in the tournament. They begin the second tier of teams to get in and could be anywhere from a 4 to a 6 seed depending on how they finish up in the conference and conference tournament.


Bubble


Clemson – 17-0 to start the season, they have run into some ups and downs, but I believe if they win at least two more games in the conference it will be enough – 21 wins overall and 7 in a tough, deep conference will get them in at a 6 or 7 seed.


Maryland – they need a good run to finish up because of the hole they dug for themselves but I see them at a 6 to 8 seed, provided they get two more wins and one in the conference tourney.


Georgia Tech/Florida State – GA Tech is not the better team but they have one fewer loss at this point and if that holds they will get in. If Florida State leapfrogs them, pencil them in. Either of these teams, if they get in, will be an 8 or 9 seed.


So, there you have it. I don't see the ACC tying the Big East's record of nine teams (although it could be argued depending on how GA Tech and FLA State finish up in the standings) but in terms of talent from top to bottom, I think it is hard to argue that the ACC is the most deserving conference for consideration of the most teams. Of course, since I'm not on the committee (yet!) it's impossible to say that anything is certain.


Since this is a site dedicated to the rivalry between Duke and UNC I shall leave on this parting shot:


Duke is currently enjoying a one game win streak over a ranked opponent, while UNC is the throes of a one game losing streak to an unranked team.


The times, they are a' changin'.

Bleeding from my heart, But my blood is still DUKE BLUE.

written by Trinity



I finally pulled myself to my computer.

I am down but not out. And same can be said for DUKE.

I have recvd prob. 10 emails from young DUKIES saying WHAT IF??? NIT???? ????????

I want to scream my head off. This is DUKE BASKETBALL. A program that is one of historys finest.

Can we not have one season where we are in a drought?

When do people realize that you do not lose a JJ & a Sheldon & then ask 2 sophomores to step up to the plate and defend DUKE BASKETBALL the way it has been defended the last 10 years. How unfair is that?

We lost some players to the NBA like Luol Deng who would be a senior right?

Just imagine?

I want to tell everyone that this is not a bad thing.

This is a freggin foundation that is being laid for what will be in the next few years, a National Champion caliber team.

This is one of the first DUKE squads to be faced with losses & lack of true leadership from the court.

Josh & Greg are awesome but they are sophomores and they think like sophomores. They should not be blamed for that.

There is no JJ or Sheldon to guide them, give them the support they need, they are like orphans in a way.

But instead of getting our support, some of the DUKE fans are being bigger asses than our cryolina counterparts.

Coach K is remarkable. Most college teams face these droughts (rough seasons) every 2 season or so due to losing kids to the NBA.

K doesnt lose kids to the NBA often. He does not heavily recruit kids who he feels are just a flash in the pan.

Clint (unc fan) always cries, "UNC prepares kids for their future careers so williams applauds them when they leave early".....ok-- so say i am a unc student & i want to be a lawyer...would any other UNC athletic coach ENCOURAGE me to leave early for my future career? HELL NO. SO why should a basketball coach be excused for "supporting" a players decesion to leave early for the NBA?

K did not want Luol to leave, would not have imagined him leaving. Had DENG not left, this would be a diff season.

He left & so we deserve this drought, its the first in 10 years.

K is not God. K is a man, just a coach. He is no miracle worker.

Steps have been underway to garner a stronger bench, recruit nationally ranked teams and season the players who are currently wearing DUKE on their chests. This is what coaches do.

These kids have not had a bad year. Most of our losses have been decided by less than 5 pts, only 2 were 10+ digit losses. WE BEAT FREGGIN GEORGETOWN who right now is kicking WVA's ass who just beat freggin UCLA on Saturday.

We beat Aif FOrce, we killed Gonzaga who slam dunked UNC. Hammered NC STATE who nationally embarrassed UNC.

Wheres' the love?

Times Have Gotten Hard for Duke

by Tasha


This year has not started off very well for me in the sports world. The Cowboys...two words: Tony Romo. I won't go any farther than that.

And now, Duke has officially dropped out of the Top 25 today after four-straight losses.

I'll be 100 percent honest in saying that I don't get excited watching this year's Duke team. Something about them is just...different (and no...it's not just because they're not winning). I knew it was going to be a transition from last year. What team wouldn't go through a transition after losing two incredible players, two incredible people, and an incredible inside-outside duo? If anyone had any doubts as to what J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams meant to Duke basketball, they shouldn't have any doubts about their importantance and contributions to the team now. On top of losing Redick and Williams, I think that this team really misses the leadership of players like Sean Dockery and Lee Melchionni.

So I knew going into this season that we would be awfully young. Our "captains" on this team are even young. DeMarcus is a junior and Josh and Greg are only sophomores. Everyone else on the team has had no experience at the college level, much less at the DUKE level, until this year.

Even though I knew the transition would be difficult, I did not think it was going to include a four-game losing streak in which we gave away a win at home against UNC and were completely embarrassed by an unranked Maryland team. And to think: Our ACC record could possibly be even worse because let's face it...we got lucky in the Clemson game.

Josh, Greg, and DeMarcus have disappointed me this season. I was never expecting them to completely fill the shoes of J.J., Shelden, Lee, and Sean, but I at least thought that they'd make a better showing than what they have thus far. I just don't feel the passion from them. I could be wrong - I know that those boys love Duke and I know that they really give it their all, but I'm a stickler for looking at people's facial expressions and body language. From their expressions and the way they carry themselves on the court, on the bench, and following games, I just don't get a good feeling. They seem to have a blank, expressionless look on their faces...A LOT. That frustrates me.

The freshmen: Other than Scheyer, none of them have really stood out to me. Henderson, Zoubeck, and Thomas are all but invisible to me during the games. None of those guys have stepped it up for this team when it's been really needed.

Something about this team doesn't scream "Duke" to me. We as Duke fans have become awfully spoiled. I have not had the heartbreaks of the same magnitude that I have had with the Cowboys because Duke is pretty consistent with how they play and how they go about their business...simply put, they win, they typically win by a lot, and they win with a certain arrogance that only Duke fans can love. This year, Duke is not winning and I'm realizing just how fragile college basketball dominance really is. We haven't seen anything like this for more than ten years.

The game is crazy: Just think of the players that have left us: Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, William Avery, Luol Deng, Shaun Livingston... We could have had at least one more championship if any of those players had stayed with Duke longer. But even though many players have left prematurely or not come at all, Duke has still continued to have success. Someone has always stepped up...someone has always found a way to ignite the team...someone has always been "the guy" after the previous year's guy left us. But we don't have that with this team. No one has filled one-quarter of J.J.'s or Shelden's shoes and we're feeling the sting of that right now.

The one positive I can see in all of this is that we can finally unload all those bandwagon Dukies. I see another positive when I think of how the boys will grow from this season and hopefully come back even stronger next season. This season can be a learning experience from the top on down, from Coach K, to the players, to the assistant coaches, and to the fans. Winning, especially when it's done consistently and seems to come so easy to a team, can be taken for granted. I for one think that this season will be an eye-opener to many people.

I don't want this blog to come across as me thinking that our season is over, but we need to right the ship (borrowing that from Kristi ) right now. We have more road games left on the schedule compared to home games, and anyone that knows the ACC knows how big homecourt advantage is. This team isn't a national championship contender - I'll go ahead and say that right now. If we don't get back on the right track, I could see us losing early in the ACC Tourney, getting a mid-to-lower seed in the NCAAs, and losing in that tournament fairly early as well. That won't affect the love I have for Duke, but dang...how weird would that be?

So all in all, I want this team to make me feel like they're DUKE. And by saying that I want them to make me feel like they're Duke, I don't even necessarily mean by them winning because it's not all about wins, it's all about how a team conducts themselves through the good times and through the bad. I just want them to wear the uniform and to perform like all the other Duke teams have - show some intensity, show some passion, and most importantly, show some PRIDE.

Bring back the old Duke.