AP:
1. Wake Forest
2. Duke
3. UConn
4. Pitt
5. UNC
10. Clemson
ESPN/USA Today:
1. Wake Forest
2. Duke
3. UConn
4. Pitt
5. Oklahoma
6. UNC
9. Clemson
Pomeroy
1. Duke
2. Gonzaga
3. UNC
4. Georgetown
5. Pitt
6. Wake Forest
22. Clemson
Wake was nearly unanimous. A few voters in each poll thought Duke should be #1 over Wake which makes little sense but illustrates the same maddening logic we see in football every year. The upside is the polls do not decide the champion, the teams do that.
Also, UNC is ranked #1 in offensive effeciency by Pomeroy and is up to 11th on defense. That marks a steady improvement in the latter category from where things stood two weeks ago. If the Heels keep that going they will be in great position. Speaking of the defense, I found this quote from Ty Lawson interesting:
“We weren’t playing defense well,” Lawson said of the first 16 minutes of the game, at which point Miami held a 32-25 lead. “Someone has to jump-start the defense, and Coach says sometimes that needs to be me. I decided to pressure and see how things go, and it worked out well.”
Let me say I really, earnestly hope this is one of those season changing, life altering moments in which Lawson shows up and plays the rest of the season like he did the final 24 minutes against Miami. If it is and Wayne Ellington has more, then it will be some ride.
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The 2005 team was #1 offense and #5 defense.
http://kenpom.com/stats.php?y=2005&s=14
Need to get just a little better.
If the last 24 minutes of the Miami game were a preview of the next 21 games, then Wayne and Ty are going to be earning themselves enormous amounts of money next year…
the naysayer in me asks why ty needs to decide to switch on the defensive pressure instead of doing it at all times. the fan in me says i’m just glad he figured it out sooner rather than later.
i thought we’d be #4 ahead of pitt but i guess i understand being #5. i hate that we are behind OU on one poll.
btw, i watched a little bit of the wear brothers destroy MJ’s son’s team. the wears were all over the court on both sides of the ball and was very active around the basket grabbing rebounds, showing great hands with effortless put backs, and nice jump shots to boot. personally, i just feel like they’re much better than they are rated on recruiting boards, and the two just seem to feed off of each other. i understand that maybe the competition wasn’t so great but they just look ready for the next level.
plus, scout.com now has UNC ranked #2 in the nation in football recruiting after OT travis bond and DB gene robinson verbally committed. i know recruiting season is far from over and recruiting rankings don’t give you wins but that’s insane.
Leave us at #5 until the ACC tourney, it won’t bother me. I just want to see some good ballgames and the guys play to their potential…then kick it up a notch and get that #1 seed.
I think Lawson’s comment was a revelation…. “Oh, Coach is right!” At least I hope so.
Heeledsoul, I am glad to see the Wears are contributing. I am really trying to figure out what next season, and beyond are going to look like for us. Here is what I am hoping for.
1. Dexter Strickland becomes the athlete of the bunch that is able to hit open jumpers, while being able to crash the glass on drives and finish. AKA Vince Carter, Brian Reese, David Noel. Remains to be seen but he has that type of ability, although to a lesser degree than say Vince did.
2. John Henson. My desire is for him to be a guy that can hit shots on the wing, and back people down in the paint & finish, and get multiple offensive rebounds & put backs. He has a good abilty to hit 3′s as well.
3. Wears. Right now, I put them both in the same class, although I am sure we will draw distinctions in their games as they arrive and play for us. I would like for them to be a Kyle Singler type of player that can hit the outside shot when guards are driving in and dishing out. I would say they can grab long rebounds, and even put the ball on the floor, and turn & shoot.
4. Leslie McDonald. I really do not know what to say about him, and if someone has any knowledge of what his game is like, please chime in.
5. Drew becomes a great passer in the half court, which I think he will. I can see our offense changing a bit to more of a half court set with all of the new guys, although I am sure if Leslie and Dexter can run with the best of them, Roy will make the others adjust to his status game.
6. Ed Davis. I think he will be ditto next season, and thereafter if we have him, but get better on his inside scoring and shot/pass selection.
7. Graves still continues to contribute helpful minutes.
8. If Wayne & Ty are back, we know what we will get from them, and I imagine we will be considered a powerhouse of a program next year if only one returns.
9, Thompson. I would say that Thompson would assert himself more in the game given the absence of Hansbrough, but now you have the same complicated situation with Ed Davis & John Henson vying for minutes. I would say that the Wears would be an issue with him here, but I see them as more of mid-range type of players that should not have any bearing on what contributions we have from Davis, Henson, or Thompson.
Please feel free to make observations, or compile you own analysis of what things might look like come next season. Wednesday, we will resume with the team at hand because there is a lot of work left to do, and a big time game to deal with. This is something just for thought while we await next game.
Thanks folks!!!!
I was out of town w/o a computer but watched the Miami game (much to the rest of the bar’s chagrin). I wanted to comment on one of the topics from an earlier thread; namely Bobby. He is really pressing his shot which is not really helping the team. However, I did really like something that Roy did in this game. With Drew struggling, Roy played Bobby at the point for several minutes with Wayne at the 2. I thought Bobbby did a really good job and seemed to settle the team while letting Ty catch a blow. I would like to see Roy continue to give Bobby some time at the point when Drew appears to be doing the freshman thing. It allows Bobby to be on the court defensively moving the ball around on offense without any focus on his shooting which we don’t need when he is at the point. Drew is going to be good and deserves minutes but he is still getting used to the pressure of conference play which is a different animal entirely. Why not us Bobby’s experience and savvy in critical situations when Drew is obviously having a tough time?
J, Nice review of the next tar heel team, the only thing missing from your analysis is the size we will have next year – I know Zeller is 7+, the Wear kids are 6’10″ and I was thinking that we would have at least 7 to 9 players over 6″10″. I know I read this somewhere, maybe here – apologize if so THF, but this would certainly give us a new look on the court.
I’m not really concerned about the rankings but I would like a shot at knocking off the number 1, Wake, Duke – whatever, let’s go.
Go Heels
I’m just peeved that Wake will have to lose at least 2 games for us to even have a chance at the ACC regular season title. I’d love to win the ACC tournament, but I tend to enjoy the regular season title more since it’s a more accurate representation of what you did during the entire season. Unfortunately I think I may end up having to pull for Dook to beat Wake before season’s end, and that just churns my guts.
Call me crazy, but I think there’s still a decent chance that Wayne comes back next year, unless he plays the rest of the season the way he did Saturday night. Lawson may go, but I think his size will keep him from being a lottery pick.
Has there been any more word on Bobby’s attempt to get another year? Even though he’s not playing great, I’d sure love to have a 5th year senior next year.
I’d settle for a number 2 regular season ranking just as long as the number one isn’t Duke. We could still be a 2 seed in the NCAA bracket.
Lawson might as well be a senior. No chance he comes back.
Wayne’s probably 50/50, but if he goes, it will probably mean UNC won a title, so I am all for that!
Bobby has zero chance at a 5th year. The rules are very well defined at 30%. UNC had 32 “countable” games last year, and he played in 12 (38%). The NCAA already rejected Mike Cook (Pitt) 3 times, with the last being the final, and he only played 11 of 32 games. For the NCAA to award Bobby another year, as much as we all like him, would be flat out wrong.
If UNC finishes the year ranked #2, then there is no chance that they are anything but a 1-seed.
Most definately. I wonder about their ability to finish ranked number 2. We still have two Clemson & Duke games left to play. Maybe those big east teams can beat down one another, but we will still have to beat a Duke and Clemson team once each.
Don’t be surprised if UNC ends up 14-2 in the ACC.
C Michael,
I concur. I would not be surprised one bit. Our team is one that has edured injuries, ungodly expectations, and poor play on both ends before midseason. That all was no fun to endure, but at least it negates the UNLV effect (in which the most talented team routinely thwarts any/all competition, only to fall to a lesser team in a big game). Can you imagine how we all would feel if the BC and Wake games happened (over a three game period) in the ACCT championship and then 2nd round of the NCAA tournament?!?!?!
Whatever it takes to get this team there, I’m for it. Dook have been there long enough to know that whatever ranking you have now is insignificant. Wake really haven’t. No one is seriously talking about them being the best team, just as no one had talked about Pitt being the best team.
I will tell you all this. Watch out for Louisville. Athleticism, depth, defense…and Coach Pitino. I still think that Duke are outside looking in on the best teams. Georgetown laid down for them. The Heels, Louisville, maybe Wake, and Pitt are my final four faves. UConn are like our boys, very tough when they are on. Different style of play, but tough to beat all the same.
Plus, as we’ve all learned the last several years, you don’t make any determinations about Duke until you get into February. They always look great from November through January.
JB,
i would agree with most of your pts. i haven’t seen dexter play except for highlight reels but i’d hope that he would be more impactful than noel was in his underclassman years. a vince like game may be too much to ask for but a slightly worse is still fantastic. coach roy says j henson is a 3, so we’ll see how he’s used but i can’t wait. as far as i can tell with the wears, travis appears more impactful. he seems more involved around the ball. but it sure is very difficult to tell them apart in a fast paced game. i haven’t seen leslie play but i did read about his heroics in one game where his team was down 9 pts with 1:42 to go. it seems like he’s taken a leadership role on his team as the go to guy who just makes plays. i also read that he played lance stephenson (#1 SF) in defeat leading his team with 24 pts before fouling out. too bad lance scored 37 pts.
http://www.tricitiessports.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=238&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=31273&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1131&hn=tricitiessports&he=.com
i agree about drew and ed. i think the staff will really focus on getting ed to gain more muscle, which will turn him into a monster. tyler z will probably have ed’s current year role as the 1st guy in to sub in for ed or deon. will has really done well to show more of his assets this year but hasn’t done so well to reduce his liabilities. i’m looking for him to cut down that side drastically as a leader on the team. i agree with you wholeheartedly about deon. i’m aslo looking at ty and wayne as gravy if one of them decide to come back.
i’m curious whether coach roy may sub 5 guys in and out at a time, especially against weaker competition: drew/wayne/jhenson/ed/deon and then dexter/leslie/will/wear/zeller.