North Carolina
Does Carolina have the heart to beat Duke?
By Chris Morris Feb 9, 2010
It has become a familiar refrain for North Carolina basketball over the last five weeks.
The Tar Heels fall behind early and then play well for a stretch to make things interesting. Then, behind a combination of turnovers, poor shot selection, and lax defensive effort, UNC falls into a hole it can not dig out of and loses.
That scenario repeated itself again on Sunday as Carolina was blown out by Maryland 92-71 at College Park.
This has certainly become a season of frustration for Tar Heel coaches, players and fans. A team that started the year ranked nationally in the Top 10 is now fighting for its postseason life. How did things get so bad for this team, and more importantly, how can things be improved?
"There are several things that are at issue," Tar Heel Sports Network analyst and former UNC All-American Eric Montross told The Fan. "There doesn't seem to be a lot changing."
While the Tar Heels have fallen into this pattern of lackluster play, Montross says that there is hope for this team to improve, but it comes down to one key area.
"One of the players said (after the Maryland game) that it's an effort thing. Well, that seems to me like it is an absolute player issue," Montross said. "If this team has any chance of turning this thing around, these are things that are correctable. You can lose, but you can lose in a fashion that you can be somewhat proud of your effort."
Effort has been a hot-button issue this year's Tar Heel team. Coach Roy Williams has said that he is as frustrated as he has ever been by his team's performance this season, and has taken a great deal of the blame, claiming that he has done a bad job coaching and motivating this squad.
Montross, however, says that Williams hasn't changed his methods very much this year. "These guys don't seem to be responding to the normal methods of motivation," Montross said.
"My fear is that this team has issues with self-motivation, because the message has not changed," Montross said. "Coach Williams has not won 80 percent of his games because of luck. I think that this team needs to find some inner motivation and quit letting him put it on his shoulders. He is certainly partly responsible, but at some point you have to say the players are responsible for what is going on."
Next up for Carolina is a Wednesday night date with Duke in Chapel Hill. Montross said that game will be a good indicator as to how much hope Tar Heel fans can have for the second half of ACC play.
"We are going to see if this team has a pulse," said Montross. "If we see a team that comes out and shows effort and shows guts, then we've got a different ball of wax."
The Tar Heels and Blue Devils tip off Wednesday at 9 p.m. The game can be seen on WRAL-TV.
Copyright 2012 99.9 The Fan. All rights reserved.
Most Recent Comments
RE: Does Carolina have the heart to beat Duke?
[You mean like when Maryland came to the NOSEdome, won, and the fans were yelling at the players "Go back to the ghetto"????] -- Coach K is still great
Really? That's awful, I'm a little ashamed of my fellow fans for that.
- Posted by streetcar
Ashamed, you should be, surprised, not so much...
I've never been able to sit close enough to the court to hear what people are shouting to the players in the Dean Dome. But dude, don't act like it's any better at Cameron... it's fine to smack talk to the players, but there's a line that shouldn't be crossed no matter where you are. It should all be in good fun!
I didn't have to sit close enough to the court only the tv, where they had it on video tape, and the video doesn't lie.
I never said it was, but I also haven't seen/heard anything said with regards to that come out of any Cameron Crazy's mouth either...
Yes, It's fine to talk smack, but DUDE... when you take a personal jab based on some one's appearance or celebration of a big WIN, well that just goes to show you how classy KaraWHINA fans really are...
Good Luck tonight.
KaraWHINA 78
DUKE 69
I'm agreeing with you, it's bad. I don't remember it, but I don't always pay attention to the sound, so I'll take your word for it. And while I haven't heard the Crazies say anything like that in Cameron (have never been to a Duke game- wish I could though!), I have heard that exact phrase come out of a Chef's mouth while recounting the different ways they have heckled opposing players.
Good luck to you too, although I don't think you'll need it!
RE: Does Carolina have the heart to beat Duke?
Carolina is having a bad year. GET OVER IT!!!! Teams move up and down the Rankings list every year. My gosh, did the Tar Heels and their fans think that after last season, basketball was finished? That the 2009 Championship Game was the last one for eternity? Geeeesh. Move on, gosh!! Carolina won last year, Kansas won the year before, Florida won the year before that, and somebody else will win this year.
P.S. I was going to watch the game against Duke tonight until I read that Mr. Got All His Points From The Free Throw Line, Trying To Play In The NBA But Can't Hang With The Big Dogs, Tyler H. will be there. What time does Blockbuster close? GO KENTUCKY!
RE: Does Carolina have the heart to beat Duke?
[You mean like when Maryland came to the NOSEdome, won, and the fans were yelling at the players "Go back to the ghetto"????] -- Coach K is still great
Really? That's awful, I'm a little ashamed of my fellow fans for that.
- Posted by streetcar
Ashamed, you should be, surprised, not so much...
I've never been able to sit close enough to the court to hear what people are shouting to the players in the Dean Dome. But dude, don't act like it's any better at Cameron... it's fine to smack talk to the players, but there's a line that shouldn't be crossed no matter where you are. It should all be in good fun!
I didn't have to sit close enough to the court only the tv, where they had it on video tape, and the video doesn't lie.
I never said it was, but I also haven't seen/heard anything said with regards to that come out of any Cameron Crazy's mouth either...
Yes, It's fine to talk smack, but DUDE... when you take a personal jab based on some one's appearance or celebration of a big WIN, well that just goes to show you how classy KaraWHINA fans really are...
Good Luck tonight.
KaraWHINA 78
DUKE 69
RE: Does Carolina have the heart to beat Duke?
[You mean like when Maryland came to the NOSEdome, won, and the fans were yelling at the players "Go back to the ghetto"????] -- Coach K is still great
Really? That's awful, I'm a little ashamed of my fellow fans for that.
- Posted by streetcar
Ashamed, you should be, surprised, not so much...
I've never been able to sit close enough to the court to hear what people are shouting to the players in the Dean Dome. But dude, don't act like it's any better at Cameron... it's fine to smack talk to the players, but there's a line that shouldn't be crossed no matter where you are. It should all be in good fun!
RE: Does Carolina have the heart to beat Duke?
I truly believe Carolina will win this game. It reminds me of the time Coach K hurt his back, and the only game Duke won was against Carolina, and, that Carolina team went to the final four, if I'm not mistaken. Carolina is still more atheletic and taller than Duke. Carolina is missing heart, but against Duke it will be there.
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