Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
When: Thursday, January 15th, 9:00 PM
TV: ESPN
Records: UNC 14-2, 0-2 ACC; UVa 7-6, 1-1 ACC
Liveblogging: Yes
Livestats: ESPN Scoreboard
I hate playing at Charlottesville.
I can honestly tell you that I think UNC playing at Charlottesville and Clemson is a bigger issue than playing in Cameron. There is just weirdness when the Heels play in either of those location or maybe in the case of Charlottesville it is because I cannot get that 106-83 beatdown in 1989 out of my head which was compounded by the loss of Jeff Lebo to injury. At any rate, the Heels squeaked one out at UVa last season which came two days after beating Clemson in double overtime. They were also missing Ty Lawson.
This season UNC comes in 0-2 in the ACC which is a shock to everyone. Questions abound concerning what happened to this team on their way down the aisle to their coronation. You would hope we starting getting some answers this evening. If BC ended up being dangerous coming into the Dean Dome then we can safely assume UVa is also a dangerous team though the 7-6 mark means by definition they are really not a good team. The Cavaliers also lost Sean Singletary to graduation and have begun the rebuilding around Sylven Landesburg a 6-6 sophomore guard averaging 18.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg. He seems to be a fairly adequate fill in for Singletary the problem for the Cavs is they lack any other significant scoring threats. Only two other players average in double figures but it should be noted that BC’s Reggie Jackson was averaging 7 ppg before he faced UNC which means Calvin Baker or Jamil Tucker ought to be given stern looks.
I think given the past two weeks and all of the speculation swirling around this team the key for UNC in this game is to simply play well from start to finish. Roy says he never watches the scoreboard because he wants to know if they are playing well based on what he sees not the deficit. This game should be all about that mentality. Pay less attention to the score and focus on execution at both ends. That means Ty Lawson needs to manage the game, Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson and Ed Davis need to control the boards, Wayne Ellington needs to find his shot and Danny Green needs to be Danny Freaking Green. And for the love of the Old Well play defense like the next basket loses the game for you. Or as Roy says play smart. If they do that, things will take care of themselves and maybe we will get one of those epic thrashings like the 2005 team administered when they traveled to Charlottesville.
UNC 101 UVa 68
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At least it isn’t a 3:30 PM Saturday game… that would be a perfect storm of bad omens…
“You would hope we starting getting some answers this evening.”
There is no question that questions WILL BE answered tonight. Excluding the Rutgers game (a permanent bottom-dweller in the Big East), we have not beaten a major conference team since December 3, i.e., about a 1.5 months. This may only be a 7-6 Virginia team, but they are an ACC rival. I see this game as being of near critical importance for getting this team on the right track. If we lose, things might get ugly very quickly. We must play well and win, even if by 1 point a la last year. I, for one, will be watching the score quite closely.
I’m nervous about this game, more nervous about the WAY we play rather than the outcome.
I think we beat VA even if we play poorly, but if we see signs of defensive lapses, very little assists and lots of turnovers, I think we have long term issues. If we see some teamwork and blow them out, I think we might see a return to our early season form.
Will Marcus play???????
My understanding is Ginyard is out for this game. That decision was made prior to the Wake game. I think they intended to sit him two weeks and see how things were after that. Not sure if that means he will be available for the Miami game or not.
I saw a quote in one of the papers that Marcus was given a two-week rehab period to try and get better. It started last Wednesday and will end next Wednesday. Next Thursday they will see where he is at, namely, does he have pain in his foot which limits him.
Looking at the schedule, it appears that Roy may have set up Ginyard’s rehab schedule to coincide with the weeklong break between the Clemson game on Jan. 21 and the Fla. St. game on Jan. 28.
So, Marcus will have a full week to get back on the floor with his team and get into the flow. I sure hope he can do it.
I guess I was just hoping that maybe someone had “heard” something….about Marcus.
I’ve been mulling over Danny Green’s recent comments and talking with some other fans and we agree that the “problem” on this team might just be Tyler Hansbrough. Not from an effort or production viewpoint but the viewpoint of being a member of the Heels dedicated to sharing the basketball and also sharing all the hype.
On the surface one would think about Lawson creating issues to enhance his draft status, but I’m increasingly of the believe that the apparent internal problems start with TH.
Green’s comments as much as said there are no chemistry issues. I think you are reading into this way too much…
Think about the Ryder Cup. With Tiger Woods, the US has had trouble winning the Cup. Part of it is Woods does not play well but the other part of it is he is not necessarily a team guy. I also think he freaks out his own teammates due to his competitive intensity. Now I don’t think Tyler Hansbrough is a bad teammate or even puts himself ahead of the team. I do think there are disconnects where is concerned, especially on offense. This is what I wrote after the loss to BC:
Let me say that no one will ever argue Tyler Hansbrough is anything but one of the great Tar Heel players of all time. That being said there are times when his individual play does not mesh in with the rest of the team. There is a disjointed feel to the way the Heels execute on offense at times as though the team offense stops when the ball goes into Hansbrough. Obviously given Hansbrough’s track record, he should be the first option for the offense and the offensive flow should have him as the focal point in the halfcourt. The chief complaint I have is the offense executes but once the ball goes into Hansbrough that is the offense.
In other words the offense is Tyler Hansbrough and if he is not available or something breaks down in getting him the ball the Heels seem to be at a loss as to what to do after that. Heading into this season I thought Hansbrough would average 2-3 points less per game and the offense would balance out a little more making UNC more difficult to defend. That has not happened and I think that could end up being an issue at some point.
Well, there are a few things to think about. If everyone brings the intensity and work ethic that Tyler does, we cannot be beaten. One thing you have to ask is this, why isn’t Tyler Hansbrough’s intensity and desire something that isn’t a shared trait among the rest of the team. I mean, anytime I play ball, I play my heart out, and others around me recognize that and try & do the same. When you see someone go the extra mile, don’t you feel an obligation to do the same? I think we all hate re-arranging living room furniture. But when we see our spouse take the initiative to do it, don’t we feel we need to take lead in getting it done? Why isn’t Hansbrough’s efforts contagious? Does the rest of the squad feel like chop liver because he gets all the attention? I have no clue, but maybe like Heels Perspective was pointing out, Tyler needs to be less of a factor in getting the ball if this is going to be the case. I have no answers to such a complicated situation.
CM,
There are different types of chemistry. On one hand Green was speaking to the fact everyone is getting along. The other kind of chemistry is how they mesh on the court with one another. Every player is a piece to the puzzle and I do not think that puzzle is necessarily all put together. I think that is what Green was talking about when he said everyone was not on the same page. I also think he was referring to how other players approach the games in terms of attitude and intensity.
CM – Believe me, I certainly hope you are right.
THF – “Why isn’t Hansbrough’s efforts contagious?”
Great question and only time will tell.
That seems to go along with the question: “Does he make his teammates better?”
I am not sure why his intensity does not spread to the rest of the team. Could be a personality thing with the other players.
My problem with all this is that where were these questions when UNC was throttling ND and MSU, games, btw, which Hansbrough was the leading scorer for UNC?? UNC was still playing the same style in the half court, but it was balanced with a lot more open court offense, and therein lies the rub. The biggest issue with the offense the last two losses has been the fact that UNC has gotten virtually no transition points.
If I were a team-mate of Tyler’s, I would think, “this guy makes nearly all of his shots in the paint. If I don’t get this ball into Tyler’s hands, I had better make my jumpshot!”
At that point you have to turn back to Ty Lawson who should be dictating the game and the pace. It also gets back to the defense which needs to create turnovers to ignite the break. The common theme in both losses was opposing PG play versus Lawson playing badly. At some point he has to show he can take on a high caliber PG and win the day.
JB is right. UNC has always been an “inside to outside” team and we become “outside to inside” and “outside” ain’t working, well we lose games like the BC game and the Georgetown game 2 years ago.
Tonight I will be looking for Ty to control the game and signs of any chemistry issues.
The chemistry issue I saw at the Wake game is that we weren’t running our offensive plays. I attended the open practice, and Roy made then run 3 or 4 set plays over and over, and made then do it again if they screwed up. During the Wake game, I didn’t see us doing that. Roy confirmed that the players were doing too much 1 on 1 during that game. The team just needs to do what the coaches are saying.
Amen. In someways, I could care less about opponents FG%, so long as UNC is forcing lots of liveball TO’s…
Carolina has moved up to number two in Pomeroy and we haven’t even done anything except lose to Wake. Maybe if we lose to UVa, we will go up to number one?
It is strange because he had us number one at the end of 2007 even after 7 losses and then last year when many of us thought we were so much better, I think he only had us third at the highest.
I think both Dave Leitao and Georgia Tech’s coach, Hewitt, may be in trouble if they can’t turn these programs around pretty soon.
Interesting to see UNC’s Adj. Def. ranked 8 spots higher than Pitt’s vaunted defense.
Tonight we just need to find a way to contain Ralph in the middle. Sam, can you handle that?
BTW, has anyone heard that new song “Get Down on It” by Kool & The Gang.
This is what blogging in the early 80′s would have looked like.
Sorry I have nothing more to add. After our last few games, I am just eager to see us take care of business and show dominance once again in the ACC.
Yeah but I have to ask. How the heck is Duke 18th in offensive efficiency. Their offense is horrible at least in the games I have seen.
I guess efficient, and pretty, aren’t necessarily linked at the hip…
the signs of improvement for me tonight would be: better interior & help defense on drives, better interior movement and passing, and stronger finishing (esp Deon).
I realize I’m in enemy territory here, but I just wanted to point out that Landesberg is actually a freshman, not a sophomore.
I hope the game is good tonight. Feels like a game where if Virginia loses by 10, it’ll be a victory for this team.
Thanks for the solid coverage. I’m also happy when fans are discussing tempo-free stats.
Take care!
Well it seems to me that if these guys dont play well this game then they wont play well the rest of the season. They have every reason to play well this game. If they dont I dont know what else can happen to make them play harder. Oh btw this is the last game before I leave for Washington DC tommorow and I will be there until Tuesday.
People move more freely in Moscow than in DC this week.
Well, maybe we can win one for the Gipper today, me being the Gipper of course.
william, most definatly. Right now its more likely there will be a terrorist attack in Raleigh (where I am) than in DC so much fun. But no Woody in DC so thats not that good.
winner winner chicken dinner. Just get the “W” and i think we can collectively cease the hyper-ventilation…I know i would.
The local yokels on Dallas sports radio (Randy Galloway) run something called “Over-reaction Monday” during Cowboys season…I am wondering if perhaps we need a similar program.
lol–maybe so. have a great time in DC! great, great story in SI this week about BO’s relationship with hoops.