You know what would be fun for me? I’ll tell you what would be fun for me. If I could create some sort of censoring device that would shield my eyes, ears, and brain from any further slurping of the 2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team.
If I created this device, would you want one too?
Ever since Tyler Hansbrough “shocked the world” by announcing he would return for yet another season in Chapel Hill, playing every game with his mouth open and no expression on his face, the media has officially awarded Roy Williams his second national championship trophy.
Every preview article I read has a section entitled “How Will Carolina NOT Win It All,” or “Five Ways Carolina Could NOT Win It All,” etc. etc. etc., blah blah blah.
Why even play out the season, right guys? Obviously no other team out there will be able to beat the Tar Heels. So I say we cancel the entire season, give UNC the title, and of course, give Hansbrough his second straight player of the year trophy.
OK, enough with the blatant sarcasm. Let me get real for a second or two.
First, the fact that Hansbrough decided to return for his senior season is not at all shocking. A) He hasn’t won the title yet, and B) He’s only 6'7"—he would get absolutely manhandled in the NBA, while being dunked on more than Shawn Bradley and Patrick Ewing put together.
Second, Ty Lawson is more overrated than mustard. He’s stubby, plain and simple. He is not a great shooter, either. When I watch Carolina play (which I will do my best to limit this season), I have never, ever, once thought, “Man, Lawson is sweet.” He has never done one thing that deserves a second look.
And last, this team just has too many of the same thing. Danny Green and Wayne Ellington may as well be the same person, except that Green isn’t good. Ellington can shoot, but he takes it to the hole weaker than Fabricio Oberto (not sure why I chose to use Oberto here—oh wait, yes I am…I hate him!).
So, in conclusion, yes, I admit this team is stacked. But plenty of stacked teams have lost in the NCAA Tournament—and most of them were coached by Roy Williams!
9 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Jonny Solovy 7 months ago
I used to be a UNC fan as well as a die hard USC fan... but the past couple years I have really gone against UNC, I can't stand Hansborough, he is a whiner and throws fits on the court. He is a great college player but even Kevin Love will have a better NBA career.... Tyler will be a bench player averaging 3-4 points a game in the NBA. I think Lawson is a great ball handler and passer, but he is a terrible shooter. Danny Green is overrated, Ellington, if he is hot is sick and tough to contain. Something about the cockiness and how the media has fallen in love with UNC has drawn me away. And even though I am not a Duke fan at all... Coach Williams isn't even close to the coach that Coach K is...i don't like Duke but he is a coach I would dream of working with or playing for.
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Danny Penza 7 months ago
You mean ESPN doesn't decide who wins all the national championships???? WOW!!!! Sick of the dam bias!!!
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Nick 7 months ago
Umm, yeah Tyler's mouth is always open, everyone knows that. But I'd like to point out that his always-open mouth also always looks like he just ate a box of powdered donuts with his hands tied behind his back.
that's probably why he's such a spaz on the court.
And I also know on good sources that Jux, author of this article, knows the powdered donut theory as well.
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Michael Peila 7 months ago
Why all the hate? Yes, many of the players currently mentioned, or should I say bashed, in the article and in the comments more than likely won't be"name" players in the NBA if any of them even make it. Yet, if their future potential is what you are basing your opinions on, then maybe you should just write on the NBA blogs. No one person can carry a team to the NC by themselves (see Beasley, Odem, Durrant, etc), yet a group of players working together as a team can. Isn't that what college basketball is supposed to be about?
How many of the members of the 2005 UNC Championship team that are in the NBA are getting all pro honors and knocking people dead? None that I can think of. In college they played lights out TEAM basketball to win and yes, Roy Williams did coach that team. There is always going to be hype about a certain team winning it all as Duke and UNLV were written about in the 1990's, etc. You can say what you want about UNC's players this year and how "spastic" or how "unathletic" they are, yet year after year UNC is in the title hunt. What does that say? Probably that Roy Williams is a very good college coach and recruiter and he teaches his players how to play as a team.
I suppose that you guys also are getting tired of hearing about how good UCLA is every year since Howland took over or how UConn is always in the top ten, etc. Put your petty jealousies away and look at all this as what college basketball is about. UNC has the POTENTIAL win it all as does other teams. Florida had everyone comeback and won two in a row without a main star (none of their players have lit up the NBA) so you must have criticized their team also when they were going for back to backs. If you guys don't like UNC or reading about them why read the articles and waste your time writing about them? GO HEELS!!!!
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Leann 7 months ago
When writing an opinion piece like this, it's usually best to at least have your facts straight. This way people might lean towards supporting your opinion if they know it's based on substantiated evidence.
Tyler Hansbrough is 6'9" not 6'7".
If your facts aren't even correct, how can your opinion be?
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Jux Berg 7 months ago
He is not 6 foot 9. I promise you that. He maybe LISTED at that height by some sources, but he's 6 foot 7.
And I am done mentioning him for the rest of the season and hopefully my life.
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Michael Peila 7 months ago
He is not 6 foot 9. I promise you that. He maybe LISTED at that height by some sources, but he's 6 foot 7.
And what are your sources? Have you met him or do you have inside info from the UNC coaching staff? Obviously you have a bias against UNC which does bode well for credibility regarding your article whether it is an opinion piece or not. I for one am happy you will stop mentioning Hansbrough for the rest of season. GO HEELS!
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Michael Peila 7 months ago
So after the Maui Tournament, what do y'all think now? Must be pretty to be so overrated that UNC cruised through the tournament and had three players on the first team all tournament team. But hey, not one of UNC's starters are any good. GO HEELS!!!!
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Robert Tyndall 7 months ago
Having only stumbled across and read this article in the aftermath of North Carolina's dismantling of number 12 Michigan State, I think it is pitifully evident that in this grossly uneducated opinion piece, the author has exposed his incompetence and utter impotence in evaluating the ability of a top notch college basketball team and its players, and in the process essentially epitomized the concept of "talking out of your ass". Perhaps a little advice may be in order for the author - people that don't have a clue as to what they are talking about should probably keep their opinions to themselves. As the old saying goes, it's better to keep your mouth shut and have everyone think you are an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt. Any real basketball fan knows that the true measure of a point guard is his assist to turnover ratio. What is Ty Lawson's on the season now, 5,6,7 to 1? Yeah that guy really sucks huh? Next he'll be saying that he's really not all that fast either. Lol! What a jackass!!
Btw, you are again misguided in your growing propensity for uniformed basketball analysis - I think Roy Williams NCAA record holds up quite favorably to Coack Kryzchwskiwevskzyskii's 3-7 Final Four record.
Plain and simple, the Tar Heels can score from anywhere on the floor, and have the depth, experience/leadership, athletic ability, coaching, and talent to dominate the college basketball landscape from start to finish. Can they slip up and maybe lose a game or two along the way to the likes of a Wake Forrest? Of course they can, and they most likely will. But have no illusions, this is BY FAR the best basketball team in the country and barring injury or some unforeseen catalyst for a meltdown, this team will be cutting down the nets at the end of the season. So for all of you who don't want to see Hansbrough, Lawson, Thompson & Co. succeed this season, I suggest you ask for some box set DVD's or Blu-rays of your favorite television shows for Christmas this year. It'll give you something to watch while we Carolina fans watch our team put on a scoring clinic from now till March.
GO HEELS!!!
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