UNC could surprise doubters

Despite hosting a playoff-caliber team last season, Carmichael Arena wasn’t quite as populated as Sylvia Hatchell had hoped it would be.

So this season, the North Carolina women’s basketball coach may take matters into her own hands.

“I’m going to see if (my car dealer) will let me wrap my dealer car,” Hatchell said. “And I’m going to do a Carolina women’s basketball season ticket thing … And I’m going to drive it around Chapel Hill.”

With the Tar Heels projected to finish sixth in the ACC, this year’s team could be a tougher sell than usual.

But Hatchell isn’t buying into the preseason talk just yet.

“I think we’re going to better than people think we’re going to be,” Hatchell said. “In fact, I know we’re going to be better than people think we’re going to be.”

For the coach’s prediction to hold true, though, the team will have to adjust to a new lineup configuration, as not a single player who started last season’s opener will be taking the court come Nov. 12.

Senior forward Jessica Breland and guards Italee Lucas and Cetera DeGraffenreid have all graduated, leaving imposing gaps in both the frontcourt and backcourt. Combined, the trio accounted for 45 percent of the team’s scoring offense last season.

To worsen matters, UNC will also be without a pregnant Waltiea Rolle until at least Dec. 17, and junior guard Tierra Ruffin-Pratt will likely miss just as much time after undergoing surgery on her right shoulder in July.

Hatchell said either or both players could be redshirted, and with both projected to be starters this year, their absence will certainly be felt by their teammates.

“They’re two essential players to our team,” senior guard She’la White said. “They both started multiple times last year and, depending on how they come along, will determine a lot for us.”

White will be stepping into the void left by Lucas and DeGraffenreid in the backcourt, and the senior said she’s been working all summer on preparing herself for the new role.

Already, White has made a strong impression on strength and training coach Jason Beaulieu.

“He’s actually wanting to take She’la White to the 2012 Olympics in her weight class in power lifting,” Hatchell said. “‘Pound for pound,’ he says, ‘I’ll win a medal with her.’ He says she’s stronger than any of our football players.”

That kind of athleticism appears to run rampant on the roster.

Hatchell said she’s been impressed with the fitter, slimmer Chay Shegog’s mobility up and down the court, and she noted that 6-foot-1 forward Laura Broomfield has been dunking in practice.

Both of those seniors will likely see sizable time in the frontcourt this season.

“I think our inside play is going to be really strong this year,” said junior Krista Gross, who will likely grab a starting guard position. “We’ve got Chay Shegog who’s been working really hard and Laura Broomfield is one of our best athletes … but we’re still going to have to be Carolina fast.”

Frontcourt players are a minority on this year’s team, though, and with a guard-heavy and talent-heavy recruiting class coming in, Hatchell said she wouldn’t shy away from playing four guards on the court.

“I like being able to have all those kids out there — then you don’t know what to expect,” Hatchell said. “Even coach Hatchell’s not going to know what to expect sometimes.”

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