Maybe Im being a homer but...

[thaUNCshow]

Whats up everyone? Glad to be back on the forum with the start of the season.

Am I the only one that feels this team might even be under ranked at number 6? Hicks and Meeks is as good of a frontcourt as there is the country and we should once again be able to dominate the paint. Berry looks like a legitimate Cousy award candidate, and the role players like Kenny and the freshmen look better than I expected even though its early. JJ should be great with another year and getting Pinson back adds more athleticism and more perimeter defense. Is it crazy to think that this team could easily win 30 games this year and be right in the mix for a championship again?

 

[gary-7]

Whats up everyone? Glad to be back on the forum with the start of the season.

Am I the only one that feels this team might even be under ranked at number 6? Hicks and Meeks is as good of a frontcourt as there is the country and we should once again be able to dominate the paint. Berry looks like a legitimate Cousy award candidate, and the role players like Kenny and the freshmen look better than I expected even though its early. JJ should be great with another year and getting Pinson back adds more athleticism and more perimeter defense. Is it crazy to think that this team could easily win 30 games this year and be right in the mix for a championship again?

Nope. It is not crazy.

 

[heels05champs]

We've got a good team and we'll find out how good soon with a tough early schedule.

 

[Ozheelfan]

Very realistic for the team to achieve both of those (30 wins & contend).
Of course there's sure to be a game or two where you just turn off the tv and say wtf happened there? !!
Btw this team looks FUN.

 

[Jafo4444]

I love our chances so much I'm going to run to the sports book in the morning and throw some cash on them to take it home this year. Maybe a homer too. Maybe I have a man crush. Joel Berry just seems to be the best PG in NCAA this season. He's the complete total package. He's like a bull taking it to the rack. One of the best assist/TO ratios ever. Just keeps getting better with the 3 ball and his defense is grade A. I'd hate to have to bring the ball up against him for an entire game. He's the heart and soul of the team and I think that'll be good enough for a chip

 

[thaUNCshow]

Its criminal to me that UK and Dook are ranked ahead of us just based off of hype from a recruiting class. Yeah those players might have NBA measurables and a cool hoopmixtape video but can they play together and run a fluid offense? Can they play team defense for 40 minutes? Ill take a team with a starting 5 of guys that played a significant role on a title game team over a thrown together group of freshmen auditioning for draft position. At least let them play a game first before you crown them the #1 team in the country. As far as Im concerned its still a team that got wiped off the floor in the Sweet 16 and lost its best player to the draft.

 

[Archer2]

Like Oz said, this team looks like it will be a fun team to watch. And like Heels05 said, we have the 2nd toughest OOC schedule, with games against LBSU, IU, and UK coming up. So we will be well tested going into the ACC season.

With Theo, I love our chances. His absence will necessitate more PT for guys like Nate, Kenny, 7th, and Brandon, something that will only help them down the road. And if we we get Theo back healthy, and can avoid any more serious injuries, we have as good a chance as anybody to cut the nets.

As Oz said, there will be a couple of head scratching losses, there always are in a 35+ game season. But this should be a fun ride.

 

[Tom79]

I like Roy going 10 deep to start and it seems to be a benefit to all the players in this early stretch.
A little odd to start yesterday but they put the clamps on and turned it (get it?) around to our style of play.
Really like this team. They will be a fun bunch.
I do like the "team" as they care about each other and the team success and it shows.

 

[DSouthr]

I don't really care where we are ranked right now, don't need to look that far ahead. WE will take some hard losses but this was the kind of game I wanted to see from us. That was not an easy team we destroyed yesterday. But we did have a strong size advantage in the paint, going to be real interesting to see how we play vs the size Ky will throw at us. I also want to see how effective we wil be attacking a strong zone throw at us and maybe specifically how we attack it when those entry passes are not as easy.

So some stuff I do want to see but yesterday made me feel a heck of a lot better about our chances than the other couple games did.

 

[TRU CANE]

Its criminal to me that UK and Dook are ranked ahead of us just based off of hype from a recruiting class. Yeah those players might have NBA measurables and a cool hoopmixtape video but can they play together and run a fluid offense? Can they play team defense for 40 minutes? Ill take a team with a starting 5 of guys that played a significant role on a title game team over a thrown together group of freshmen auditioning for draft position. At least let them play a game first before you crown them the #1 team in the country. As far as Im concerned its still a team that got wiped off the floor in the Sweet 16 and lost its best player to the draft.

Just for a little argument sake, Allen, Jones and Jefferson were all major contributors to a national title two years ago. And Allen (a junior) is a National Player of the Year candidate. If the aforementioned players were not on the team I think UNC would be rated higher and rightfully so. I could be wrong and as many have said, it doesn't really matter. It won't affect seeding. It will all get settled on the floor.

 

[dadika13]

So I enjoy this team more than last so far because of the lowered expectations. Coming in at #1 last year, I was almost afraid we'd lose games. This year, who cares if we lose a few. We're extremely talented and have the roster to get back to the Final Four, in a year when we lost our 2 best players from a NC game team.

 

[DSouthr]

This team, if last couple games are indications will have a bit more of a Joel Berry aggressive foot print than the more finesse nature of last season. I say this because I see our guards attacking more aggressively on the defensive end. They seem to feed off Joel's energy and Joel has decided to ratchet things up defensively and his guys have followed that lead.

 

[Archer2]

Couldn't care less what's going on in Durham or Lexington, nor where they may be ranked. I do enjoy reading the sheer idiocy on DI from time to time. It's always good for a laugh.

Knight Lite has more talent at his disposal than any other team in America. We'll see how it shakes out.

 

[Tom79]

And only one ball....

 

[trestyles]

I like the fact we under-ranked. It gave this team even more motivation. Especially Berry.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

dSPN seems to be hyping up Duke and Kentucky while sh***ing on our team, per usual!!

 

[acarter0277]

Once Seventh gets back healthy, this team will get even better. He's a fraction of himself right now. He's still nursing a bad ankle sprain that happened about a month ago.

 

[Tom79]

Kid is fast with or without the ball.

 

[dadika13]

dSPN seems to be hyping up Duke and Kentucky while sh***ing on our team, per usual!!

Goodman goes "once they get Theo back they could be good".

Really dude? We "could" be good? We're very good as it is right now, anyone who has watched 80 minutes knows this.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

dSPN seems to be hyping up Duke and Kentucky while sh***ing on our team, per usual!!

Link to prove it (lead article on ESPN's Men's bball page right now): http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...oup-freshmen-define-college-basketball-season

 

[gary-7]

This team, if last couple games are indications will have a bit more of a Joel Berry aggressive foot print than the more finesse nature of last season. I say this because I see our guards attacking more aggressively on the defensive end. They seem to feed off Joel's energy and Joel has decided to ratchet things up defensively and his guys have followed that lead.

...and he can take over the game on the offensive end when needed. I love JB taking the ball to the rack and having a 90% FT shooter on the line.

 

[Steat]

So I enjoy this team more than last so far because of the lowered expectations. Coming in at #1 last year, I was almost afraid we'd lose games. This year, who cares if we lose a few. We're extremely talented and have the roster to get back to the Final Four, in a year when we lost our 2 best players from a NC game team.

Well, I care about the losses. Getting a #1 seed will basically put you in the Elite 8 game. Then win one more game and you are in the Final Four. If the Heels can duplicate last year's regular season record and and win the the ACC regular season (or win the ACC Tournament) you are looking at a #1 seed. Sorry folks....the Heels need to cut down the nets this year. In my opinion, anything less than a #1seed is a failure with the horses we have. Joel Berry is the best point guard in the country....period. If he didn't get hurt in the title game against Villanova last year an argument could be made that the Heels would have won the game and he would have been voted MVP. Many seemed to forget that he hurt his ankle late in the first half. He was on pace for 30pts+ in that game.

 

[Butterbutt44]

Seems like a lot of the media is really sleeping on berry(which is very strange considering he most likely woulda been the final four MVP if we'd have won)and our backcourt In general. I think a rude awakening is coming.

 

[trestyles]

One thing I learn is the media, especially ESPN hypes the freshmen because fans like whats new. It generates the most clicks. They have a clear agenda.

 

[goheels653]

Sorry folks....the Heels need to cut down the nets this year. In my opinion, anything less than a #1seed is a failure with the horses we have.

Pretty strong opinion here. I'll go with hoping they win it all and expecting them to have a really good chance. This is not the 2005 or 2009 team, however, so I disagree that it's championship or bust.

Joel Berry is the best point guard in the country....period.

Absolutely, 100%

 

[gary-7]

Seems like a lot of the media is really sleeping on berry(which is very strange considering he most likely woulda been the final four MVP if we'd have won)and our backcourt In general. I think a rude awakening is coming.

Truth and truth. The ACC-area media finally figured it out because of the ACC Tourney, but the national media hasn't wised up yet --- otherwise he would have made the preseason AA teams as he should have. I believe JB will wake them up.

 

[Archer2]

Based on pure talent, there are at least a half dozen teams who are more talented. dook is certainly much more talented. So to say if we don't win a #1 seed it will be "a failure" is ridiculous, IMO.

Do we have a nice blend of talent and experience? Yes. Do we have a great coach? Again, yes. But we also play the 2nd most difficult OOC schedule and happen to play in the toughest conference in the country.

We have also had a major injury to one of our top 5 players, one which he may or may not fully recover from this year. Again, to say not earning a #1 seed would be a failure is ludicrous to me.

 

[Ozheelfan]

Based on pure talent, there are at least a half dozen teams who are more talented. dook is certainly much more talented. So to say if we don't win a #1 seed it will be "a failure" is ridiculous, IMO.

Do we have a nice blend of talent and experience? Yes. Do we have a great coach? Again, yes. But we also play the 2nd most difficult OOC schedule and happen to play in the toughest conference in the country.

We have also had a major injury to one of our top 5 players, one which he may or may not fully recover from this year. Again, to say not earning a #1 seed would be a failure is ludicrous to me.

Yeah, that may have been a bit of over-exuberance following two very good wins.
It's super early, but a #2 should be a fair expectation with the chance to move into the upper echelon in the coming weeks with some pretty tough OOC games to play.
It's also important not to get hung up on one or two losses since they're bound to happen (I'm not printing/buying any 40-0 shirts!)

 

[dadika13]

Based on pure talent, there are at least a half dozen teams who are more talented.

Nope.

 

[Archer2]

We'll agree to disagree then. We seem to do that pretty often.

 

[Butterbutt44]

A half dozen? Really? This must be a hell of a year in college basketball. I'll have to see that to believe it.

 

[trestyles]

can you name those 6 teams please?

 

[Butterbutt44]

I mean we have 3 upperclass 5 star recruits. Plus maybe the best pg in the country. If there's six teams with more talent than that it's gonna be a hell of a year in hoops. But I don't think that's true at all.

 

[trestyles]

I mean we have 3 upperclass 5 star recruits. Plus maybe the best pg in the country. If there's six teams with more talent than that it's gonna be a hell of a year in hoops. But I don't think that's true at all.

Dook, Kentucky, Arizona, Maybe Kansas......

 

[heelmanwilm]

As far as nba talent goes ky, dook, and ariz have more. And dont crucify me but u could make a strong case that nc state does as well.

I wouldnt trade our roster for any of those though.

 

[Butterbutt44]

Not buying Kansas. Who does state have besides smith and the Turkish kid?

 

[trestyles]

As far as nba talent goes ky, dook, and ariz have more. And dont crucify me but u could make a strong case that nc state does as well.

I wouldnt trade our roster for any of those though.

Smith got 2 players.....their case is not that strong

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Not buying AZ or Kansas. I will say that puke and Kentuck have a paper talent advantage, but even this isn't as great a difference as peeps make it out to be. Our experienced talent makes up a good bit of the difference.

UNC stacks up with every team in the NCAA and only 2-3 can even argue they MIGHT be better. Sounds like the makings of an awesome year to me!

 

[Archer2]

Oh I agree TPFKAPFS. I think we're in store for a fine year. I'm just trying to be realistic. When we lose a few games, and we will, some of these very same people will be the most critical.

One need only read the numerous recruiting threads to see all the angst due to Roy not signing any top 20 players, not being able to sign OAD's when UK and dook are signing multiple OAD's every year. Many have stated that we shouldn't have had to "settle" for higher ranked recruits like Huffman, Manley, and Platek.

So yes, we have a great combination of 3-4 year guys, IOW a classic Roy Williams team. But one of our most dynamic and versatile players has sustained a very serious injury, a troubling recurring injury, and his return/recovery is an uncertainty.

Personally, I think we overachieved by reaching the title game last year. And I think we have a pretty good chance to make another deep run if we have no more serious injuries, if Theo returns at close to 100%, if Kennedy continues to play at his current level, if our freshmen can make significant contributions, and if we can continue to make a good percentage of treys.

So I anticipate the inevitable ups and downs and the head scratching losses that always occur with players who are 18-22 years old. A 35-40 game season is always a roller coaster ride, especially with a very difficult schedule like we have ahead of us. The 7 games in the next 2 weeks will tell us what kind of team we have at this stage.

 

[Butterbutt44]

I think with Theo we are right up there with anyone talent wise. I also dont really see how we overachieved last year by reaching the title game(not saying it wasnt a fantastic achievement) seeing as we were preseason number one or two according to almost everyone.