Showing posts with label North Carolina Tar Heels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Carolina Tar Heels. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
First Taste: Playing Pickup With The Tar Heel Basketball Team
(Props to The Big Lead)
Let me be the first to say, this is awesome. The Tar Heel freshman just decide to come out and play pickup with the freshman at the various basketball courts on campus. I am assuming if I played on these courts that Harrison Barnes would likely dunk on me within the first five minutes of the game. I do know one thing if Eric played, he would probably try to start a fight with John Henson.
-Charlie.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Elite Eight Picks Part Deux
Well I went 0 for 2 yesterday, and I woke up later than I wanted to so I am going to basically give you a three sentence prediction. Likely, more to come from us today with the first Half Assed Previews (HAP) for Major League Baseball and the latest Brewer trade.
11.) VCU v. 1.) Kansas- In no way should I doubt the Rams in this game. CBS executives woke up from nightmares watching the Rams play the Butler Bulldogs in the Final Four. The Rams need to come out firing threes if they want to win. The Jayhawks just need a good performance out of the Morris Twins and Thomas Robinson. I think if Tyshawn Taylor plays well, this could be a long day for the Rams. Kansas pulls away late. KU 80-70
4.) Kentucky v. 2.) North Carolina- The Wildcats are on a roll, and I love everything they are doing right now. I think Jorts Harrellson will be a problem for the skinny Tar Heels inside. If I am North Carolina, I am taking it right at the Cats' big man trying get him in foul trouble. I think Brandon Knight hits another big shot late and the Cats head back to the Final Four. UK 91-89
-Charlie.
11.) VCU v. 1.) Kansas- In no way should I doubt the Rams in this game. CBS executives woke up from nightmares watching the Rams play the Butler Bulldogs in the Final Four. The Rams need to come out firing threes if they want to win. The Jayhawks just need a good performance out of the Morris Twins and Thomas Robinson. I think if Tyshawn Taylor plays well, this could be a long day for the Rams. Kansas pulls away late. KU 80-70
4.) Kentucky v. 2.) North Carolina- The Wildcats are on a roll, and I love everything they are doing right now. I think Jorts Harrellson will be a problem for the skinny Tar Heels inside. If I am North Carolina, I am taking it right at the Cats' big man trying get him in foul trouble. I think Brandon Knight hits another big shot late and the Cats head back to the Final Four. UK 91-89
-Charlie.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Rebecca Black
I liked the format that I used for the games yesterday so much, I thought I would use it again. Also since Marquette's first half was the ugliest thing on Friday, I decided to use Rebecca Black's name instead. Hit me with the cyberbullying charges!
-So far this March Madness had brought us Mr. Onions, Brandon Knight. He is a stone cold assassin in the late game situations. Knight struggled mightily all game, but nailed the shot when it mattered
-Josh Harrellson has become the centerpiece of the Kentucky Wildcats offense, and my favorite white center since Kevin Pittsnoggle. I also loved that he spiked a ball off Jared Sullinger.
-The Fightin' Shakas live for another day! Even though Florida State threw a block party, the Rams were able to survive to face Kansas. David meet Goliath.
-Tyler Zeller had another great game and played tough defense all game. We all should forget that asshole who said he couldn't play defense, whoops.
-If you review my predictions, I basically laid out the Kansas game for you.
-The Dwight Buycks Era is over! (Yes I know he did some nice things, but bad outweighs the good)
-Pumped that Robert Forenza hit a three in his final game of his career. Beyond awesome ending to a great Marquette season.
The Bad
-Florida State not getting a shot off in regulation or overtime. The Noles late game situation troubles made Marquette's look minor.
-The ref who gave Jae Crowder a T when Marquette is down 26. Don't worry that cushion is big enough for the Heels to win, stripes.
-Marquette's three point performance was horrendous especially after they fueled the three-point goggles phenomenon this week. Embarrassing.
- Roy Williams leaving his starters in until the 2 minute mark, I wish Devante Gardner would have leveled that pretty boy Zeller.
-Dallas Lauderdale bows out in his college career with a five minute performance. That would be tough to swallow if I were him.
The Rebecca Black
-I am very glad I watched the game with my parents because if I watched with my boys, it would have been non-stop jokes. Marquette could not have played more tight. MU threw up so many breaks in the first half, they could have built an Extreme Home Makeover home.
-Anyone who scheduled the second round games in Newark. Horrible choice.
-Darius Johnson-Odom did way too much for my liking. It's okay, he will be great next year.
-Florida State was 7/18 from the line, which has to bite you in the ass if you are a fan. If I were a Noles fan I would tell myself, 'well at least we got Jenn Sterger.'
-William Buford missed the final shot and went 2 for 16, yikes. He will be thinking about this one for awhile.
-Charlie.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday Picks (Southwest and East)
Well we went 2 for 4 last night, obviously hoping for better this evening. I'm really not that nervous about the big one, more so excited for it to start. Tacos and Miller Lite are awaiting me after I let the Sno Tap nation in on who I am picking tonight, which is also very exciting.
Southwest
12.) Richmond v. 1.)Kansas: Can someone explain to me why ESPN and others act like this one will be even close? I have seen 1 v. 12 matchups before, and they go a little something like this... the 12 seeded team will give a strong effort for the first 10 minutes playing their asses off and then run out of gas faster than Kristie Alley's treadmill workout. The Spiders do have some good talent in Justin Harper and Kevin Anderson, yet they lack size underneath. The Morris Twins will drain this team, and win in convincing fashion. KU 87-71
11.) VCU v. 10) Florida State: I guess Shaka Smart needs to stop playing the tapes of all the naysayers because that's long gone. He created the Havoc defense, which I personally love and think most high schools if talented should adopt as their primary system. Florida State has a ton of size, but they fail to score the ball plus they turn the ball over too much. I like the Rams because of their defense and their ability to score. I think they win going away for the third straight game. VCU 71-57
East
11.) Marquette v. 2.) North Carolina: Whoa nelly, I have been ready for this game since Sunday night. From everything I've read and heard, the Warriors seem pretty loose and ready to play against the Tar Heels. I really hope Darius Johnson-Odom, a Carolina kid doesn't do too much in the beginning of the game. Marquette needs to be strong on the perimeter or else it will be a long day for the Warriors with Carolina's ability to shoot threes. The Tar Heels have great size, and they need to attack right away down low with Tyler Zeller/Gumby Henson. I got called out last week for being a biased homer, so why ruin tradition? MU 79-76
4.) Kentucky v. 1.) Ohio State- I am eagerly excited for this game because I feel the Buckeyes will get exposed if they do not scorch the earth from three. Ohio State cannot matchup with both Josh Harrelson and Terrence Jones at the 4 and5. I am assuming that Jared Sullinger will take Harrelson leaving Dallas Lauderdale on Jones, which is more of a mismatch than a war between US and Bangladesh. If last night was the Derrick Williams show, tonight could be Jones'. Also I feel Brandon Knight can tire out Aaron Craft very quickly. The only thing I worry about is Ohio State coming out strong, and Kentucky not responding. The Cats win with a Jones' tip-in at the buzzer. UK 84-83
-Charlie.
Southwest
12.) Richmond v. 1.)Kansas: Can someone explain to me why ESPN and others act like this one will be even close? I have seen 1 v. 12 matchups before, and they go a little something like this... the 12 seeded team will give a strong effort for the first 10 minutes playing their asses off and then run out of gas faster than Kristie Alley's treadmill workout. The Spiders do have some good talent in Justin Harper and Kevin Anderson, yet they lack size underneath. The Morris Twins will drain this team, and win in convincing fashion. KU 87-71
11.) VCU v. 10) Florida State: I guess Shaka Smart needs to stop playing the tapes of all the naysayers because that's long gone. He created the Havoc defense, which I personally love and think most high schools if talented should adopt as their primary system. Florida State has a ton of size, but they fail to score the ball plus they turn the ball over too much. I like the Rams because of their defense and their ability to score. I think they win going away for the third straight game. VCU 71-57
East
11.) Marquette v. 2.) North Carolina: Whoa nelly, I have been ready for this game since Sunday night. From everything I've read and heard, the Warriors seem pretty loose and ready to play against the Tar Heels. I really hope Darius Johnson-Odom, a Carolina kid doesn't do too much in the beginning of the game. Marquette needs to be strong on the perimeter or else it will be a long day for the Warriors with Carolina's ability to shoot threes. The Tar Heels have great size, and they need to attack right away down low with Tyler Zeller/Gumby Henson. I got called out last week for being a biased homer, so why ruin tradition? MU 79-76
4.) Kentucky v. 1.) Ohio State- I am eagerly excited for this game because I feel the Buckeyes will get exposed if they do not scorch the earth from three. Ohio State cannot matchup with both Josh Harrelson and Terrence Jones at the 4 and5. I am assuming that Jared Sullinger will take Harrelson leaving Dallas Lauderdale on Jones, which is more of a mismatch than a war between US and Bangladesh. If last night was the Derrick Williams show, tonight could be Jones'. Also I feel Brandon Knight can tire out Aaron Craft very quickly. The only thing I worry about is Ohio State coming out strong, and Kentucky not responding. The Cats win with a Jones' tip-in at the buzzer. UK 84-83
-Charlie.
Monday, March 21, 2011
No Defense In Chapel Hill
In the past moth, I pumped up the North Carolina Tar Heels like a promoter for Wrestlemania. I liked the Tar Heels' chances to go deep in the NCAA Tournament, but after this weekend games, I am starting to have second thoughts. No, it's not because they are playing my team, but it has to do with their lack of defense. They allowed a ton of points against LIU and gave up 83 in a victory against Washington. I am starting to wonder if the Tar Heels have some sizable holes on defense.
People make a big deal about John Henson's defensive presence. I understand this guy has a sick wingspan (7'4) and Henson makes a difference inside versus teams because he can block virtually anything. He reminds me a bit of Hakim Warrick at Syracuse. But explain to me why Washington grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Tar Heels as a whole? I have an answer for you... Tyler Zeller. He refuses to take charges, something Henson is not great at either. He always goes for the flashy play, which sometimes works but can also burn a team. Zeller also will not get physical like his counterpart Henson does each time down the court. Zeller getting exposed as a defensive liability sometime during the NCAA Tournament is something to watch for in the coming weeks. The other thing about the Henson-Zeller duo is they both lack any girth, both very skinny. I could blow on both of them and they would fall down.
Both teams played no defense whatsoever, and it basically became a scoring contest. The Tar Heels definitely have the skills to score 80 a game with the ability to score at all five positions. But at some point, teams who put all their eggs in their offensive basket run out of luck. There is not one guy on Carolina, I would call a defensive stopper. Not even Mr. Henson. The Heels want a track meet every time, and if teams buy into that pace, no one will beat them. But if a squad slows them down, the Tar Heels' year is over.
-Charlie.
 |
| Don't let the blocks fool you. |
People make a big deal about John Henson's defensive presence. I understand this guy has a sick wingspan (7'4) and Henson makes a difference inside versus teams because he can block virtually anything. He reminds me a bit of Hakim Warrick at Syracuse. But explain to me why Washington grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Tar Heels as a whole? I have an answer for you... Tyler Zeller. He refuses to take charges, something Henson is not great at either. He always goes for the flashy play, which sometimes works but can also burn a team. Zeller also will not get physical like his counterpart Henson does each time down the court. Zeller getting exposed as a defensive liability sometime during the NCAA Tournament is something to watch for in the coming weeks. The other thing about the Henson-Zeller duo is they both lack any girth, both very skinny. I could blow on both of them and they would fall down.
Both teams played no defense whatsoever, and it basically became a scoring contest. The Tar Heels definitely have the skills to score 80 a game with the ability to score at all five positions. But at some point, teams who put all their eggs in their offensive basket run out of luck. There is not one guy on Carolina, I would call a defensive stopper. Not even Mr. Henson. The Heels want a track meet every time, and if teams buy into that pace, no one will beat them. But if a squad slows them down, the Tar Heels' year is over.
-Charlie.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
From A Duke Fan: UNC to Final Four
This could be a classic Brett Boyer knee jerk reaction but I have a hard time right now seeing the Tar Heels as a "pretender" going into the tourney. At the beginning of the season Roy Williams' squad started out in a rut but of their last 13 games they've won 12, and one of those coming against rival Duke for the right to be named regular season ACC champs.
As I watched the Duke game I became more and more impressed by this Marshall kid who is a freshman and was plugged into the starting line up half way through the year. Against Duke it tore up Coach K's notoriously tough Duke team defense for 15 points and 11 assists. It's amazing watching this kid play with the idea of pass first in the half court game, he reminds me a lot of a younger Jason Kidd, born to be a leader. Marshall isn't the only reason why I'm high on UNC though.
The emergence of the young phenom in Hairson Barnes has finally come about and it's everything people thought they'd see out of him. He's finally come into this own and playing much more comfortable and it shows. At the beginning of the year I think he may have had the "whole world on my back" mentality and for a freshman that is just simply too much to ask of yourself. Only player I can think of that didn't suffer with that is one Carmelo Anthony, and we know how that story ended. His size, strength and athleticism is something to awe at and admire. Barnes can now be looked at a guy to go to when the game is on the line and you need a bucket to score.
Maybe the most important aspect when looking at a team to make a deep run is depth, particularly in the 4 and 5 position. Look at Duke last year, they had Zoubek, Lance Thomas, Miles and Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly, probably not the most intimidating scorers or even defenders for that matter but what matters is when one goes down they have many else to go to. To have a chance to make a run, being able to rebound and bang down low with the big guys is way overlooked in my opinon. Last years Duke team, no matter what the foul situation was with the big guys was, had guys to fill in an do a good enough job on defense and offense. UNC fits this category better than any team I've watched this year (not much a statement) but they kept rotating and Roy went deep into his bench. They have no players that avg over 30 min a game. Being a Duke fan I have no idea what that is like because Singler and Smith avg well over 30. The Tar Heels have Zeller, Barnes, Knox (Grad student who played for Bama but had eligibility left), and John Henson. To have four viable forwards to plug in well help in a game with a team which relies on points in the paint.
Last nugget that impressed me was their fast break offense. Holy Hannah. I remember one highlight after Singler had scored and in less than 3 seconds the Tar Heels had passed the ball up the court for a dunk. There really is no defense for a fast and efficient fast break offense, especially at the pace they do. And this brings me back to the previous point of depth. The Tar Heels go balls deep in their bench and Roy isn't afraid to do so.
It took awhile for the Tar Heels to get their ball rollin' but it's rollin' and it's rollin' fast. Unfortunately this doesn't please me because of my love for Duke, but I'm a realist and I can atleast recognize when a team is playing well no matter who.
Should make for an interesting conference tourney and of course an interesting NCAA Tourney. As much as it kills me, right now I can see the University of North Carolina Tar Heels making a serious run. Gee dangit.
Seth
As I watched the Duke game I became more and more impressed by this Marshall kid who is a freshman and was plugged into the starting line up half way through the year. Against Duke it tore up Coach K's notoriously tough Duke team defense for 15 points and 11 assists. It's amazing watching this kid play with the idea of pass first in the half court game, he reminds me a lot of a younger Jason Kidd, born to be a leader. Marshall isn't the only reason why I'm high on UNC though.
The emergence of the young phenom in Hairson Barnes has finally come about and it's everything people thought they'd see out of him. He's finally come into this own and playing much more comfortable and it shows. At the beginning of the year I think he may have had the "whole world on my back" mentality and for a freshman that is just simply too much to ask of yourself. Only player I can think of that didn't suffer with that is one Carmelo Anthony, and we know how that story ended. His size, strength and athleticism is something to awe at and admire. Barnes can now be looked at a guy to go to when the game is on the line and you need a bucket to score.
Maybe the most important aspect when looking at a team to make a deep run is depth, particularly in the 4 and 5 position. Look at Duke last year, they had Zoubek, Lance Thomas, Miles and Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly, probably not the most intimidating scorers or even defenders for that matter but what matters is when one goes down they have many else to go to. To have a chance to make a run, being able to rebound and bang down low with the big guys is way overlooked in my opinon. Last years Duke team, no matter what the foul situation was with the big guys was, had guys to fill in an do a good enough job on defense and offense. UNC fits this category better than any team I've watched this year (not much a statement) but they kept rotating and Roy went deep into his bench. They have no players that avg over 30 min a game. Being a Duke fan I have no idea what that is like because Singler and Smith avg well over 30. The Tar Heels have Zeller, Barnes, Knox (Grad student who played for Bama but had eligibility left), and John Henson. To have four viable forwards to plug in well help in a game with a team which relies on points in the paint.
Last nugget that impressed me was their fast break offense. Holy Hannah. I remember one highlight after Singler had scored and in less than 3 seconds the Tar Heels had passed the ball up the court for a dunk. There really is no defense for a fast and efficient fast break offense, especially at the pace they do. And this brings me back to the previous point of depth. The Tar Heels go balls deep in their bench and Roy isn't afraid to do so.
It took awhile for the Tar Heels to get their ball rollin' but it's rollin' and it's rollin' fast. Unfortunately this doesn't please me because of my love for Duke, but I'm a realist and I can atleast recognize when a team is playing well no matter who.
Should make for an interesting conference tourney and of course an interesting NCAA Tourney. As much as it kills me, right now I can see the University of North Carolina Tar Heels making a serious run. Gee dangit.
Seth
Sunday, March 6, 2011
The Tar Heels Look Like Contenders
I know a lot of times I live in the moment, but it's hard to argue the recent success out of Chapel Hill. The Heels are 11-1 in their last twelve games and gave Duke the business last night. The Dukies did not stand a chance yesterday as the Tar Heels played tough defense and looked great on the offensive end. Kendall Marshall and Harrison Barnes have a lot do with the Tar Heels' recent success, and they have become one of the most feared duos in college basketball.
I have watched three or four Carolina games in the last month and Marshall really impressed me. He makes NBA-like passes and can hit a jumper every once in awhile. When Marshall took over the point guard role from Larry Drew II, it the turning point of the season, and Drew leaving the team became a blessing in disguise.
Even though Carolina holds a soft spot in my college basketball heart, I laughed earlier this season when Harrison Barnes got off to a slow start. It made his preseason All-American spot look insane. Although in the last month, Barnes has become a go-to scorer. I like his smooth jumper, and that he is able to take the ball to the bucket. I also enjoyed the stepback three to beat Florida State on Wednesday, and he had another dagger three in the corner on Saturday. Barnes has the clutch gene, and someone I do not want face in late game situation.
Obviously, the brackets aren't set yet but I am not afraid to say the Tar Heels would be in my Final Four today. They are playing at such a high level, and have more athleticism then most teams in the field of 68.
-Charlie.
Monday, February 14, 2011
DOY: Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes is coming on strong during ACC play, after struggling in the first couple months of the season. He is a system guy playing in an open set, which hurts him a bit. This is a great dunk in a win against Clemson on Saturday.
-Charlie.
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