Reason for worry

I don't really feel like elaborating on this blog simply because I am too depressed. The time has finally come for our heroes to throw in the towel. Final Score: 84-66 Kansas. Early in the game Carolina was down 40-12 late in the first half and managed to come back within 5 points with 9 minutes to go. The comeback was stifled by Kansas sensation Brandon Rush. Memphis beat UCLA so I guess the final will not involve the real college heroes. Kansas and UCLA will be duking it out for the title. I can't bear to talk about it anymore.....

Player of the Year

Tyler Hansbrough is the player of the year. Unlike many players, he works very hard for his status. He is from Poplar Buff, Missouri and weighs in at 6-9, 250 pounds sporting the number fifty. He is a potentially hated player in the NBA simply because he works so hard. Players on whatever team he decides to play for will love having him on the team, but will hate how he works so efficiently and will most likely make them look bad. Tyler Hansbrough is a coaches dream. On many occasions, although North Carolina is a single unit, Hansbrough and Roy Williams have had an exclusive huddle all to themselves where Williams tells Hansbrough to do something important and Hansbrough agrees without contest. Psycho-T is the first player in ACC history to make first-team All- America honors as a freshman. I say Psycho-T, but many don't know how he got that name. In the match between the Dookies and our Tarheels on March 4, 2007, Gerald Henderson facing an inevitable defeat couldn't handle the skills and work ethic of Hansbrough. Carolina had a 12 point lead with 16 seconds left. With all hope lost, Gerald Henderson threw a punch at Tyler Hansbrough while going up for a rebound sending Hansbrough writhing to the ground breaking his nose. Sportsmanship has never been a value held by Duke, but this crossed the line. Coach Mike Krzyzewski was clueless as to how to explain his players behavior in the post game press conference. Maybe one explanation would be simply Tyler Hansbrough. Players just can't handle his work ethic and unflappability in the game. He had 26 points and 17 rebounds in this particular Tobacco Road match up. His sophomore season he was named consensus 2007 first-team All-America (NABC, USBWA, Sporting News) which places him in the exclusive company of players such as Michael Jordan, J.R. Reid, Jerry Stackhouse and Forte. He has been first team All-American and All-ACC in all of his college years. The records stack up so high I don't think this website has enough memory space to fit it all. Follow the first link in this post for the exact information. He is only a Junior and has a very promising Senior Year......obviously. NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE CAN HOLD HIM! PSYCHO-T Y'ALL, GET USED TO IT!!!

Where's Duke???

Carolina is making a trail this year and I cannot help but gloat in the face of Duke fans. This will be a short post due to the short run that Duke made at the tournament. Basically the t-shirt that has been circulating the internet and will soon be on the back of many heels fans explains it all. I just can't explain through text and typing the emotion of Duke and North Carolina fans. Cameron Crazies watch every second of every North Carolina game and cheer for the opposing team as if it were their own, even if its a smaller rival of the school. For example, when Maryland got lucky with a win over Carolina earlier in the season, Duke fans were ecstatic. Even though Maryland is an ACC team that Duke would normally despise, nothing compares to the Tobacco Road rivalry. I am going to sleep well tonight knowing that our players are in San Antonio competing for it all, when Duke players are sitting in "Dirty Durham" crying over the heart wrenching loss to J. Alexander and the Mountaineers. Good luck watching us win Dookies. I loathe you!!!!

Final Four matchup

With all of the teams in the final four being number one seeds, the competition is bound to be fierce. Our match up with the Kansas Jayhawks will be all but easy. They have four players that average over ten points a game in Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Darrell Arther, and Darnell Jackson. These four will provide an inside and outside threat to the North Carolina defense. The only problem I foresee is the potential complacent attitude in some of our players. I have faith that Roy Williams will stop any thoughts of a power trip or a predicted win in practice and in all that he says to the team, but everyone knows that the final four is a big deal and some players might still get cocky. On a side note, the second match up in the final four is Memphis and UCLA. UCLA fans may say that their Kevin Love is the equivalent of our Tyler Hansbrough. Anyone other that UCLA fans and Carolina haters know better but the threat still remains in the Championship if UCLA beats Memphis. If Memphis goes to the big dance, we have much to worry about. They made Texas, whom many thought could win it all, look like chickens with their heads cut off in their game. 85-67 was the number which is unheard of for an elite eight game but the Tigers made it happen. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose along with many other players are part of the all star team that is the Memphis Tigers. I feel confident in our Heels, but I am also very aware of the possibility of a loss. Honestly, It would be better for our team to play UCLA in the final simply because their best player, Love, would be matched up with Tyler Hansbrough, and although many make it out to be an even match...I trust Hansbrough against any player in the NCAA hence why he is the best player in the NCAA. The game against Kansas is April 5th. Get ready Tarheel nation. This is our time.....

Predictable

The road to the Final Four was a long one for many teams. Memphis, UCLA, Kansas, and our Tarheels are the last four left. We get the privilege to play Kansas and their famous Brandon Rush. Kansas had a very tough match against Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats. The game came down to the last second in which Curry was obviously handed the ball and had nowhere to go with it. He ended up passing it Jason Richards for a last second prayer of a shot that had Kansas holding their breath. But to no avail. Davidson's run to the championship was cut short. The match ups go as follows: North Carolina and Kansas. UCLA and Memphis. There was no challenge for Tyler Hansbrough in Louisville. The heels ran away with an 83-73 victory over the Cardinals. He had 28 points and now averages 22.8 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. With the player of the year on our side.....I truly believe that this is our year!

Some new Tarheels

I know this seasons National Championship isn't won yet, but its time that I talk about our future Tarheels. Travis McKie is another solid recruit from Richmond, Virginia placing Richmond on the map as a place that produces quality ball players. McKie is a 6'7 sophomore that has recently led his AAA John Marshall to the state semi-finals. Reggie Bullock is another huge recruit for Carolina. He got the chance to play at the Dean Dome, his future home, for the North Carolina State Championship where he led his school, Kingston, to the championship. Dean Smith always has a great recruiting class. Fans know that the Tarheels are stacked with the top 5 scorers all sophomores and juniors but one cannot forget planning ahead for a case like the Frasor injury this season.

Easy ridin'

So the tournament is underway and upsets have run rampant, but not for Carolina. They have scored over 100 points in their first two tournament games. They smacked Mount Saint Mary's 113-74 and murdered Arkansas 108-77 both in front of home crowds in Raleigh. The next game that we play is against Washington State. This team is not to be underrated. They beat Winthrop and a very talented Notre Dame by at least 20 points a piece. They have four players that average over ten points a game in Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver, Taylor Rochestie, and Aron Baynes. This is nothing to worry the deeply stacked Tarheels but I am not getting to comfortable with the predicted sweep of the tournament due to recent upsets like Davidson beating Georgetown, Villanova beating Clemson, and Siena beating Vanderbilt. These were all huge upsets that obviously not many people predicted so I'm not getting to used to winning easily. If the brackets go as planned, which is highly unlikely or the games wouldn't be played, we will be playing Tennessee in the Elite Eight. We'll see how things play out.

LET'S GO HEELS

What we have all been waiting for is finally here. The brackets came out on the 16th and Carolina is looking good. The top five are Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, Kansas, and Wisconsin. We have the advantage of playing the first three games on home turf in North Carolina. Both Raleigh and Charlotte will be buzzing with Tarheel mania soon enough. If the brackets follow through without upsets we will play an play in team, Indiana, Notre Dame, then Tennessee. This is a far from easy road to the final four for our Heels. I can fully explain how this road to the Championship can take place....simple. I thoroughly believe since Carolina seemed to get even better without Lawson and Frasor, now that Lawson is back it will be a breeze. Lawson doesn't have a high points per game rate but after watching the way he handled the Clemson full court press with east I, along with others would fully place him as the best guard in the country. So that means we have the best player in the country(Hansbrough), the best guard in the country(Lawson), a leading three point scorer(Ellington), and the best team player available other that Hansbrough(Green). With these four averaging a double double a game along with a very deep bench should have no problems handling the tough road ahead.

ACC CHAMPS!!!

No surprise. Carolina won the ACC tournament in Charlotte, NC. While we are on the subject of the ACC tournament, let's talk about our infamous Dookies. What happened to them? Wasn't it a given that Carolina and Duke would play in the final? Well, it would be if Duke didn't suck. They lost in the semifinals to Clemson whom we murdered in the final. The competition in the most competitive conference in the NCAA seems to not be all it cracked up to be....or at least not for Carolina. The 86-81 finish against Clemson is one of many as the NCAA tournament is rapidly approaching. For a quick recap on the game I will give you the games leading scorers. The first leading scorer surprisingly isn't Hansbrough! Wayne Ellington "made it Wayne" with 24 points followed by Hansbrough with only 11 and Lawson at 8. This championship placed us at the inevitable one seed in the BIG DANCE! Tarheel Nation is in full swing. Get your game face on!

Rice is not enough

Tyrese Rice scored 34 points in the first half of the game between North Carolina and Boston College. Unfortunately he is a Boston College player. He also scored the first two baskets of the first half to set us down by 18 points. This is almost unheard of for the Tarheels. Little did Rice know he was playing the best team and the nation and they were done playing with him after they realized that they had to win this game. Rice ended the game with 46 but Hansbrough and crew finished the Eagles off 90-80. The highlight reel is chalk full of three put down by Rice at the beginning but by the end of the clip it looks like your average UNC game. Boston College was hoping to be another upset since this week seems to be the week for upsets within the top ranked schools. Not Carolina though. In next weeks poll Carolina should be ranked number 2 or 3 and well on the road to Cameron. March 8th. If that doesn't ring a bell it should. The second match up of the season between Carolina and those Blue Devils happens at 9pm. Hopefully this game will be a good start to spring break.

Ode to Roy

Many thought that once Dean Smith left the Tarheels, the team would be done for. Rumors were confirmed with shaky coaching choices in Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty. Many thought Roy Williams would be just another bad choice in coaches for Carolina. Roy came over from University of Kansas where he was second place in most wins. Williams was born in Marion, a small town in North Carolina and grew up in Asheville, NC. He lettered in basketball at T.C. Robertson High School in Asheville. Williams played basketball for the Tarheels under Dean Smith. I guess this explains the intensity in his passion for the game as played by Carolina. He coached as a high school basketball and golf coach before he worked as an assistant coach to Dean Smith. From there he coached at Kansas. He was offered the job at Carolina in 2000 but turned it down. His loss in the title game against Syracuse in 2003 settled the deal for him to move in down south. Coach Williams in now a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and also received the John Wooden "Legends" award. Roy Williams. With many other awards, Williams stands as a coaching legend.

A History Lesson

I feel that it is necessary that if you are reading this blog, that you understand the history behind the title "Tobacco Road". Tobacco road, or now known as Interstate 40, is a road that runs between Duke, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. All of the schools are within 25 miles of each other with the exception of Wake Forest. Wake Forest is only an hour down I-40 or tobacco road. It used to be located within the 25 mile limit in Wake Forest, NC until it was relocated to Winston Salem, NC. These four Universities are known as the Big Four and have competed in the "Dixie Classic" tournament and the "Big Four" tournament. The fight song for NC State mentions all four schools in the lines, "Come over the hill, Caroline. Devils and Deacs stand in line." Come over the hill is replaced with "go to hell" by fans simply of hatred for the Tarheels. Although these four schools in the Research Triangle of NC are all competitive, the main competition is the "Battle of the Blues". Carolina and Duke. Nothing more needs to be said. A poll conducted by ESPN in 2000 ranked it the 3rd greatest sports rivalries of ALL TIME. The game on March 4, 2006 was the most watched game in college basketball history. At least two times a year the two teams meet. North Carolina is leading the series 127-98. The two schools have won the ACC title 79% of the time that the ACC has existed. Duke has won three National Titles and fourteen final fours. North Carolina has 5 championships and an NCAA record 16 final four appearances. The best account, I believe, of the rivalry is the Will Blythe's description. He said, "to legions of otherwise reasonable adults, it is a conflict that surpasses sports; it is locals against outsiders, elitists against populists, even good against evil. The rivalry may be a way of aligning oneself with larger philosophic ideals -- of choosing teams in life -- a tradition of partisanship that reveals the pleasures and even the necessity of hatred."

RIVALRY HISTORY

Tobacco Road at its Finest

The big game is coming. You know what I'm talking about. The stats are clear. UNC 26-2. Dook 23-3. As of now, our Tarheels are sitting pretty at number one in the most competitive conference in college basketball. Now we have to prove it as we play at Cameron. The Cameron Crazies, Dukes nationally renowned student section, will be there to welcome us with all the hate they can muster. I can't wait.....

Tobacco road rivalry

Another One?

Some may say, "Mr. Krzyzewski, what are you doing with your life." I simply laugh and remind this person that the infamous Dookies have lost another game to an unranked opponent. Miami has defeated Duke for the first time in 45 years. I guess is just not the devils season. A loss to Wake Forest, which Carolina stomped 89-73 on Saturday, and a loss to Miami will plummet the standing of the Blue Devils. Also in recent basketball news, number one Memphis loses at home to number two Tennessee. This means Tennessee will move to number one and Carolina will most likely move to number two as Duke is nowhere to be found. These are glorious days in college hoops. This is our year Tarheels! We're goin' to the big dance baby!
hurricanesports.cstv.com/

HAHA!!! Dookies

Carolina spirit is sky-high after a shocking Duke loss to Wake Forest. Duke was ranked #2 headed into this game while an unranked Wake Forest squad was struggling very much to say the least. The contest was an ugly affair to say the least. Five Duke players fouled out while each team had at least 20 turnovers. The most surprising part of this game is the fact that the game's top 2 scorers were both Wake Forest Freshman. People feel that the ACC is down from recent years, and that's fine. When you see Freshman going out there and beating the #2 team in the nation, you can only smile about the future for teams like Wake Forest. For Carolina fans, it always a good thing when Duke loses, but this lose means so much more to Tar Heel nation. This loss puts Carolina only one game back of Duke in the ACC standings. This means a Carolina win against the Devils in the regular season finale (pending 0 losses between Duke and Carolina) will result in a Carolina-Duke tie for first place. What this means to all Tar Heels fans. Beat Duke in the regular season finale and beat Duke in the ACC tourney, and your Tar Heels will receive a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. As always Go Heels and beat those Devils!!!
wakeforestsports.cstv.com/

Injuries Galore

The game against Virginia could be summed up just by watching the team unload the bus. First is Ty Lawson with a boot on. Then Ginyard was wearing the same thing. And last you would see Hansbrough wearing sandals. I can't explain North Carolina's point guard problems to the degree that they are in. First string- injured. Second string- injured. Third String- picked up 3 fouls before the half and 4 fouls four minutes into the second half. Yes, it continues. Fourth string- turf toe and sprained ankle. Carolina has no point guard. It is a miracle that we even beat Virginia. I believe these injuries are going to thoroughly effect the rest of the season.

Close Call

WHOOAAAA!!! Way to close for comfort for our Tarheels. The final score of the UNC vs. Virginia was 75-74. This game was supposed to be a blowout. Sean Singletary of Virginia put up 27 points exceeding the 23 scored by Hansbrough. Don't get me wrong, its good to win, but this was cutting it a little to close. Good old Wayne Ellington put up 19 to help the Tarheels in this Victory.

Get Ready

Another ACC match up for the tar heels awaits tomorrow night in the hometown of Dave Matthews. Virginia is ready for an upset and has been waiting on the greatest team in the ACC to come to Charlottesville to brawl. Be ready for a heated competition in Virginia and keep checking for updates on the Tarheels at the link below.
http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/

Comeback and Victory

In the history of UNC basketball against Clemson, Carolina has never lost to Clemson at the Dean dome. Carolina was down 11 points with three minutes left in regulation. Carolina rallied and came back to take the two teams into overtime. Tyler Hansboro was one point shy of his all time scoring record of 40 with 13 of the points coming in the two overtimes. Ellington, who was ice cold in the Duke game, must have warmed up because he contributed 28 points to the Carolina scoreboard. Although they are still missing star point guard, Ty Lawson, they have proved they can win a tough game without him. Coach Roy Williams said of the game, ""Fellas, it wasn't looking good. We were looking at a 30-point butt-kicking there about 5 or 6 minutes into the game, If I live to be 106, I won't be any more proud of a group of kids than I am of that bunch right there." This is the Carolina team that I believe will carry the Tarheels back to the Big Dance.

This is a picture from last years match between the two rivals in which Duke's Gerald Henderson in desperation elbowed Tyler Hansbrough and broke his nose. This elbow was thrown due to the fact that Duke was down nearly 10 points with less than a minute to go.

We've been Dooked!

Last night, February seventh in the year of 2008, the North Carolina Tarheels lost to Duke. It ended the 3 game winning streak by Carolina in the rivalry series. This is disappointing for Tarheels fans because they know that their first and second string point guards were injured and two of their leading scorers, Ellington and Green, were ice cold.