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(03/21/06 5:00am)
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It was finished - the possession, the half, the game, the four-year career in which David Noel had risen from football star to basketball walk-on to inspirational leader of an inspirational team.
(02/23/06 5:00am)
RALEIGH - As Quentin Thomas drove the lane and looked back for an open kick-out pass late in the first half, he met the eyes of Wes Miller, North Carolina's long-distance specialist, open behind the arc.
But Miller wasn't looking for the ball. He was pointing frantically at David Noel, the even-more-open sharpshooter to his right. Thomas delivered the pass without hesitation, and Noel stroked an easy-looking 3.
Every time the Tar Heels had to have a basket against N.C. State on Wednesday, the ball seemed to find Noel. The senior finished with 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting, eclipsing the career high 21 he'd set during North Carolina's NIT run in 2003.
"David's been looking for this big-time game all season long," said guard Marcus Ginyard. "He's been playing great minutes for us throughout the season - maybe not scoring 25 points, but making the tough shots when we need them. Tonight, he was there for every shot that we needed."
But as has been typical for Noel, his contributions didn't end with his scoring. He snatched 11 rebounds, including four at the offensive end, and he did not register a turnover for only the second time this season.
"Dave's been that guy who's been able to do anything we need all year long," Miller said. "Anything this team needs, Dave's there to do it . and tonight, we needed him to score. He stepped up and he made big shots."
Noel spent much of the game matched up against 6-foot-10 forward Andrew Brackman, a physically daunting post player who couldn't stay with his more athletic opponent on the perimeter. Noel hit three 3-pointers in the game, but he also scored on several step-back jumpers from inside the arc.
"(Brackman) forced me to put the ball on the floor," Noel said. "For the most part, I was able to rise up and knock down some tough shots."
As has become customary, Noel also found a way to score against his opponent's imposing forwards under the basket.
"Even in the post, he was hitting jumpers, falling away, getting offensive rebounds and scoring that way," said guard Bobby Frasor. "He was just scoring every way there was tonight."
Midway through the second half, with the Wolfpack on a run and threatening to swing the momentum, Noel once again found himself open in the corner for an open 3. To the surprise of exactly no one on his team, he drained it.
"Everyone else is a little hesitant at times," Frasor said. "But Dave's going to take the 3, take the jumper, take his man to the basket - he's going to score and stop the run."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/31/06 5:00am)
Want to be compared to Kirk Hinrich and Paul Pierce?
There's a simple formula - miss a few shots, throw a few bad passes and ignore a few defensive assignments. That's what it took for North Carolina coach Roy Williams to compare Danny Green's early struggles to his former Kansas stars.
"They had some really bad games," Green said. "He was just making a point that you're going to have bad games - shake it off and play the next game, play harder, and don't worry about the last game."
Green, touted as a wing player with a strong outside shot, hit just seven 3-pointers in his first 13 games. But in the Tar Heels' last four games, he's shot 11-for-17 from behind the arc.
In the Tar Heels' 86-69 win against Arizona on Saturday, he hit five of his six shots from the field, including three of his four 3-point attempts.
The game also epitomized the up-and-down nature of Green's rookie season.
During one two-minute stretch early in the second half, Green scored six points and blocked two shots but also threw what his coach called "two brain-dead passes."
Right after the second pass found the hands of an Arizona defender, forward Reyshawn Terry - as if reading Williams' mind - jogged to the scorer's table to substitute for Green.
"It's not OK to say, 'Well, I struggled because I'm a freshman,' but you've got to understand that they bounce back from it," Williams said. "Danny took that to heart more than anybody."
Miller continues to shine
Guard Wes Miller, playing on his 23rd birthday, started for the third straight game and continued to shoot well from the perimeter, while playing tough defense.
He scored 14 points, the second time in three games he has scored in double figures, on 5-of-7 shooting (including 4-of-5 from 3-point range). He drained a layup on a fast break after a David Noel steal, his first non-3-point field goal since the Tar Heels' win at Kentucky on Dec. 3.
In that time, Miller had hit 28 3-pointers without sinking a shot from inside the arc.
At the other end, the 5-foot-11 Miller defended 6-foot-3 guard Mustafa Shakur for much of Saturday's game. Shakur led the Wildcats with 18 points, but he hit only one of his three 3-point attempts.
"It was as hard to stay in front of him as it was for me to ever stay in front of anybody," Miller said. "He's got the ball on a string, and he's super quick."
Miller also earned an ovation from the Smith Center crowd with five minutes remaining in the game - and with the Tar Heels ahead by 17 points - when he dove on the floor for a loose ball and called a timeout to secure possession.
"He's epitomized by that dive on the floor, picking up the loose ball and calling a timeout," Williams said. "He's a kid who's worked his tail off."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/26/06 5:00am)
The way Boston College moved the ball between its guards and its forwards, opening up gaps in the defense long enough for uncontested 3-pointers and dunks alike, it might as well have been running drills in practice.
It was fitting, really, because the mentality of practice is exactly what North Carolina seems to need to bring to its game situations.
Behind 17 points from forward Jared Dudley and 16 from reserve guard Tyrese Rice, the No. 20 Eagles extended their winning streak to four games with an 81-74 victory against the unranked Tar Heels.
"We've just got to start bringing it on game night, for real," said UNC senior David Noel. "We do so good in practice - we hustle in practice. Really, I think, sometimes we practice harder than we play in games, and that's something that's going to have to reverse."
Boston College (15-4, 3-3 in the ACC) entered the game with a reputation for dependence on its forwards, Dudley and Craig Smith. And while the Tar Heels (11-5, 3-3 in the ACC) played tough interior defense early, the focus on the paint created opportunities for the Eagles on the perimeter.
Guards Rice and Sean Marshall unleashed their entire arsenal on the North Carolina defense in the first half. Midrange jumpers, 3-pointers from the wing and acrobatic shots in the paint all contributed to the duo's combined 22 first-half points.
"We're trying to pay a lot of attention to Craig Smith - he's a hell of a player down inside," said UNC guard Wes Miller. "When he kicked it out, Rice knocked down some big ones."
North Carolina stayed close, thanks in part to back-to-back 3s from freshman Danny Green midway through the half, but the Eagles exploded late and went into the locker room on a 24-6 run.
"It's just mental lapses," said Green, who scored 16 points.
"We get lapses, and tonight we had a lapse that was too long. . We know teams are going to go on spurts, but we can't allow it to be that big of a spurt."
Early in the second half, however, it looked as though the Tar Heels had rediscovered enough hustle to overcome a double-digit deficit for the fourth time in six games.
Boston College endured several ferocious minutes from Tyler Hansbrough at the onset of the second half. The rookie forward scored eight of the Tar Heels' first 11 points and created the other three with a kick-out pass to David Noel.
But despite the powerful individual effort from Hansbrough - who would finish with a game-high 26 - the Eagles still led by 12 with 11 minutes remaining.
Patience with the shot clock and a balanced attack contributed to a consistent, if not flashy, offensive performance as a team.
"Guys took their time," said B.C. coach Al Skinner. "They had to be real strong with the basketball, and we had a pretty good idea of where our looks were going to be."
Two free throws from Reyshawn Terry cut the margin to two with 5:35 remaining, but the Eagles responded with a basket from Smith and a shot-clock-beating 3 from Rice to extend the lead back to seven.
"We kept climbing, clawing at them," said guard Bobby Frasor. "We just couldn't get the lead back, get the crowd crazy again."
The defensive struggles reflected mental lapses and struggles with fundamental technique, but they also were a potential sign of fatigue wearing on a young team.
But with tough games ahead against Arizona and Maryland, UNC coach Roy Williams can't allow his team to use weariness as an excuse.
"We can't cancel the last half of the season just because we're tired," Williams said.
"We can't cancel the last half of the season just because things aren't going as well.
"Life's not supposed to be easy all the time."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/24/06 5:00am)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Open behind the 3-point arc, the game on the line, the ball in his hands.
This was a play Wes Miller had seen before. He just hadn't been awake the previous few times.
"I've had dreams about this," he said, a wide grin on his face after North Carolina's victory at Florida State on Sunday. "It's great. My teammates found me tonight, and I was able to hit some shots. It's such a big win for our team."
The big win wouldn't have been possible without such a big effort from Miller - including two critical 3-pointers in the last three minutes.
The 5-foot-11 junior guard scored 18 points (a career high) on six 3s (another career high) in 31 minutes played (still another career high).
In short, he delivered a better performance than even Coach Roy Williams could have expected when he inserted Miller into the starting lineup in place of defensive specialist Marcus Ginyard.
"Wes has been playing so hard," Williams said. "I've always said that if you play extremely hard and play well on the defensive end of the floor, you should be rewarded."
But to take advantage of his reward, Miller first had to take time to settle his nerves.
"I had some butterflies, there's no question about that," he said. "I never really thought there'd be a time where I started a game at North Carolina. It's a dream come true, but I just tried to stay calm and tried to do the things I've been doing the rest of the year."
Miller's primary calling card has been his tough defense, but Williams also knew he could hit a few long-range shots and spread the defense, relieving pressure on Tyler Hansbrough in the paint.
"Everybody that we've played has been surrounding Tyler so much . because he's such a threat," Williams said. "You're going to have more open shots when they give one guy that kind of emphasis."
Miller hit a 3 to give UNC its first points of the game, and he finished the first half with nine points.
And it was a Hansbrough screen that created the space for Miller's last trey, a 22-footer in the final minute over a defender who didn't seem to believe Miller dared try it.
The audacity of the shot - and Florida State's lackadaisical defense on North Carolina's hottest hand - flabbergasted one of the NBA scouts on press row.
"How'd they leave him open?" he asked no one in particular.
While that question remained unanswered, the outstanding play of Miller did provide an answer for those who wondered if the Tar Heels could hit enough shots to win games down the stretch.
"There's no question we needed this one for our confidence," Miller said. "We've been really working hard in practice, and those last two losses, those were a little uncharacteristic of our basketball club.
"But we stayed positive and we stayed together, and this is a big win for us."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/23/06 5:00am)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Suddenly, none of it mattered. Not the turnovers, not the defensive lapses, not the back-to-back losses against Miami and Virginia.
Not even the fact that he'd almost been yanked from the starting lineup mattered to Reyshawn Terry at that moment.
Standing at the free-throw line with 23 seconds remaining, all that mattered to Terry was hitting the front end of the one-and-one he'd earned with his most important offensive rebound of the season thus far.
With umbrellas spinning in the stands and 11,589 voices in his ears, Terry sank both free throws to provide the winning margin of the Tar Heels' 81-80 victory against Florida State at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Sunday.
"I was just focused on my routine and the way I know how to shoot," he said.
Wes Miller, starting for the first time in a North Carolina uniform, scored a team-high 18 points on six 3-pointers, and Tyler Hansbrough fended off double- and triple-teams long enough to score 15 of his own.
But Terry's clutch free throws were what allowed North Carolina (11-4, 3-2 in the ACC) to escape with a victory despite struggling both with control of the ball and - in an all-too-familiar theme for UNC fans - its perimeter defense.
Many a pass landed in the stands rather than reaching a powder-blue jersey. The Tar Heels finished with 23 turnovers - Terry himself had six. And it didn't help that the Seminoles (11-4, 2-3 in the ACC) repeatedly capitalized on their extra opportunities with the ball.
Guard Isaiah Swann played as if possessed in the first half, scoring from all corners of the court against every defender the Tar Heels threw at him. He hit each of his first six shots and scored 17 first-half points.
"It seemed like they made every shot early," said UNC Coach Roy Williams. "We were really tight - we turned it over four times just passing and catching. It wasn't very pretty. But we kept our composure, and we kept fighting."
In the second half UNC switched to a zone defense and it seemed to throw Florida State out of sync. The Seminoles misfired on each of their last six 3-point attempts.
At the same time, the Tar Heels suddenly found the scoring touch that had deserted them against Virginia last week. Trailing by seven points with 14 minutes left, Miller, Danny Green and guard Marcus Ginyard combined to hit four consecutive 3-pointers to give North Carolina the lead.
"I know I'm confident when our guys shoot the basketball," Williams said. "But you need to see it go in to get your own confidence."
From there, it simply was a matter of staving off Florida State's final run. The Seminoles tried to work the ball around the perimeter on their final possession, looking for an opening inside.
Six-foot-9 forward Alexander Johnson had just slipped past Hansbrough in the paint twice - once for a thunderous dunk - and the center had no intention of allowing his opponent to do so again.
Instead, Hansbrough snuck out to the perimeter and deflected an entry pass, forcing a scramble for the ball and a desperation heave that never came close.
"It's better than having (Johnson) dunk on us, I'll tell you that, to win the game," Hansbrough said. "That would have made me crawl in a hole for a month or two."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/10/06 5:00am)
Dec. 2 - As he rolled across the Lane Stadium grass on a cart Saturday, his left leg in an air cast, Kyndraus Guy clapped his hands together and shouted encouragement to his North Carolina teammates, imploring them to continue to compete against a Virginia Tech team rolling to a 30-3 victory.
(09/28/05 4:00am)
The North Carolina football team has faced a variety of offensive looks this season: the vertical attack of Georgia Tech, the bruising run game of Wisconsin, the run-and-throw balance of N.C. State.
(09/26/05 4:00am)
RALEIGH - This, they'd seen before.
(09/14/05 4:00am)
Steven Bell only narrowly edged Ben Lemming for the starting spot at center in the final week or two of training camp, and North Carolina Coach John Bunting promised both players would see their share of snaps at the position.
(08/29/05 4:00am)
Kyndraus Guy, a redshirt freshman still struggling with the nuances of the North Carolina defense, ran a cut-scramble to disrupt the play from underneath and create space for the linebackers charging behind him.
(06/30/05 4:00am)
NEW YORK — Marvin Williams, a freshly minted Atlanta Hawks hat atop his 6-foot-8 frame, had a more pressing concern than the throng of microphones and tape recorders in his face in the Madison Square Garden press room.
(04/28/05 4:00am)
North Carolina basketball fans might have a tough time recognizing the team taking the floor at the Smith Center next season.
(04/25/05 4:00am)
Roy Williams knew when he accepted the North Carolina coaching job that he’d have to rebuild.
(04/25/05 4:00am)
Nothing spells relief for struggling pitchers quite like Duke.
(04/21/05 4:00am)
The man with the music selection left after the fourth inning of Wednesday’s game, so for the rest of the game, the only song blaring through the UNC Softball Complex was the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
(04/18/05 4:00am)
Another member of the North Carolina basketball family has turned pro.
(04/18/05 4:00am)
North Carolina had put itself in position to win, to salvage a single victory from a series in which its pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone and its fielders couldn’t find the ball.
(04/15/05 4:00am)
He has wrapped his entire body in athletic tape during batting practice, he falsely claims fluency in both Spanish and Portuguese and he passes countless innings quoting Forrest Gump for the amusement of his teammates.
(03/30/05 5:00am)
Firefighters arrived at Boshamer Stadium midway through Tuesday’s game to extinguish a minor fire that began when a light fixture exploded in the North Carolina locker room.