Wheels Down in Jersey

Tweet of the Day

Truthh4 Keith Marshall

UNC practice was live

Keith Marshall is a Scout 5* running back beast from Raleigh.  Would love to see Marshall lined up in the Tarheel backfield.  Check out the film. 

One word: RE-DONK-U-LOUS!

As I've said before, most football posts are being held until after basketball season.  It is just so hard not to write about it because I am so pumped!  Since we decided to play big boy football, hiring Butch Davis and upgrading the facilities and Kenan Stadium, UNC is on the way to becoming a dominant force in college football.  Get your popcorn, this season is going to be fun! 

Good Reads of the Day 

(Marquette and Buzz Williams Related)

@kenpomeroy

On Monday, I introduced Ken Pom.  I have been following him for a couple of years, but now the country is paying attention.  The New York Times just did this write up about him, Meteorologist Becomes Go To Guy.  Not only is it a good read, but it talks about Marquette's Buzz Williams and his use of these advance stats as well as Synergy in game planning.  Article will give you getter respect for Buzz Williams and Brad Stevens.  Also, Pom has been tweeting the likelihood of a win for a team based on his advanced stats during games for the Tournament.  If you are interested, his twitter name is under the pic. 

If you haven't figured it out by now despite me actually writing this previously, I really like Buzz Williams.  He is a GREAT coach.  This article by Gary Parrish, Breaking down Holloway leads to Marquette baffling Xavier, really demonstrates how prepared Buzz is and, therefore, how well his team is.  Note, UNC is not a team that you can prepare for like Xavier.  We have balanced scoring and a free form offense.  Translation, while everyone has tendencies and I might really like Buzz Williams and his preparation, you can't gameplan us as easily as you can most teams in the NCAA.  Everyone knows what we are going to do.  The question is, can you stop us?  The Elite Eight is on the horizon!  GO HEELS!!!

Coaches as characters in the Godfather.  While Roy Williams doesn't make an appearance, it is entertaining. 

Age Ain't Nothing But A Number

Random "One More Day Until We Play" Thoughts

Last night, our guys landed in Jersey after over two and half hours on the tarmac in Raleigh.  Weather in Newark delayed the flight.  Only the Sweet 16 is worth leaving this weather for the snow they have in Jersey right now.  Despite the weather, Strickland is pumped about being at home.

DStrick01 Dexter Strickland

Wheels down in Jersey!..Home Sweet Home!!

Dex is a guy that is just now starting to get the credit and media attention he deserves.  All I have to say is FINALLY!  There is more to winning than putting the ball in the basket!  Glad he gets to play in front of friends and family this weekend.

WARNING:  The next few sentences are going to be ridiculously premature.  Please skip ahead to the next paragraph where it says "START HERE" if you are not interested in speculation on the NBA draft.  The rumors coming out of the Dean Dome are that every underclassman will probably return.  While it is way too early to make a definitive statement, it is interesting that it is a common refrain from most circles including those that cover then NBA.  Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN, contributing mostly insider content.  In an online chat yesterday when asked about Henson and Barnes draft status, he wrote,

"Both would be lottery picks. Barnes still in the running for the No. 1 pick. The word on the street is that both are likely to return to school. However, things can change. We've seen top players in the past say they were coming back and then change their minds. But it sounds like both are pretty sincere. Another year at school would help both of them become better pros. Of the two, Barnes is more NBA ready right now[.]"

The common refrain for Henson is that he will be better served coming back one more year and developing his body as well as his offensive game with negative comparisons to Brandon Wright if he were to make the jump now.  As for Barnes, while there are areas that need improvement, e.g. ball handling and reducing turn overs, he can play in the NBA right now.  However, Barnes is on track to graduate in three years, maybe as early as two and a half, and not only is school important to Barnes, so is his legacy.  He knows what it means to win a National Championship at UNC and have your jersey hanging in the Rafters (remember I capitalize Rafters because it deserves it).  Obviously, a lot will depend on the next two weeks, but that is the word coming out of the Dean Dome and NBA circles at this point.  

START HERE.  One of the most interguing things about the Heels this year is how young they are.  I always knew we were a young team, but Sports Illustrated produced some pretty interesting graphs for a Sweet 16 power ranking article (UNC was 7) that really put it into perspective.  WE ARE YOUNG.
 

This is not a surprise.  Knox is our only scholarship senior.  Roy has said it many times and I will repeat again here, Knox has been a "Godsend."  He brings an attitude, maturity, and toughness that we really needed.  Zeller and Henson have really benefited from Knox's presence, but he averages 14.5 mpg on the season and 10.6 mpg over the last five.  Therefore, the results of the graph are not surprising.  What struck me was the next graph. 

This is the graph that put it in perspective for me.  You could say that sometimes I am a visual learner and it took this graph for me to have an Ah-Ha moment.  We are extremely young . . . and successful.  We are the youngest team in the Sweet 16.  Younger than even Kentucky.  Let me repeat, YOUNGER THAN KENTUCKY.

It is good to be a Tarheel.  Realizing that some might have skipped the warning paragraph, I will pose this question.  How good are we going to be as this team matures?

Between football and basketball, I am smiling ear-to-ear.  

Found this online and had to work it in.