From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college
Subject: Re: Dean Smith (Re: UNC TARHEELS--1992/93 NCAA BSKTBLL. CHAMPS)
Date: 6 Jan 93 15:04:41 GMT
Reply-To: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Organization: Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center

In rec.sport.basketball.college, Craig.Simpson@launchpad.unc.edu (Craig 
Simpson) writes:

>In article <29112@oasys.dt.navy.mil> swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve 
>Williams) writes:

 >>Well, after UNC's recent loss to Michigan, it looks like UNC and Dean
 >>Smith need to do something if they're going to beat teams in the likes
 >>of Michigan in order to advance to the Final Four championship game
 >>this year.  If UNC doesn't improve, UNC likely is going to be upset
 >>by any team during the NCAA playoffs.
 >
 >First lets point out one thing here, Steve has seen UNC play ONE time
 >this year, yet this is his *second* post stating his displeasure at
 >how UNC has played.  Geez Steve, at least Siskel and Ebert
 >*watch* the movie before giving it a thumbs down.

I have been an UNC fan since I was a kid growing up in North Carolina 
in 1960's.  I have watched UNC disintegrated so many times that I have 
lost count.  Too many times by big scores.  Real embarrassing.  And
too many times to underdog teams.

I remember the year that UCLA had Lew Alcindor (during his sophomore
year) and UNC had Rusty Clark (a 6'11" center).  We UNC fans were excited 
about the possibility of UNC meeting UCLA in the NCAA playoffs that 
year. Guess what happened?  Of course, UNC disintegrated somewhere in 
the NCAA playoffs to an underdog team.  Brother!  And Dean Smith looked
befuddled on the sidelines.  What a heartbreaking experience.

Ever since I have seen UNC disintegrate to almost any team.  UNC has 
had a lot of superstars over the years; some get green light to score 
at will; many don't.  I have recognized many characteristics that UNC 
& Dean Smith developed over the years and display every year. Some are: 
slow starts, falling back and chasing up; losing to "surprise teams"; 
lacking good point guards (this often doesn't show up until at critical 
games); lack of leadership at awkward times (because of point guard); 
too many passes and no one willing to take a shot; the seniors have 
it all; once a player becomes a starter, he's a permanent starter
regardless he's improving or not; etc.

Believe it or not, I keep seeing the same characteristics every year,
for many years.  That's why I said that UNC and Dean need to do something 
if they're going to beat the teams in the likes of Michigan.  I don't
have to see many games to identify the kind of the season UNC is going 
to have this year.  The UNC team is pretty much the same team year after 
year, regardless of who's on the team.  Some UNC teams do get better, 
like this year's team because of a solid center in Montross. And some 
UNC teams do get worse.  However, because of Dean's teamwork philosophy, 
excellent coaching, etc., UNC will do well year after year. But UNC 
won't have a championship team unless Dean Smith eliminates some of 
the bad characteristics that I've pointed out.  Or several bad
characteristics don't exit in any UNC team.

 >Now lets comment on his previous statement "UNC and Dean need to do
 >something if they're goin to beat teams in the likes of Michigan."
 >Well Steve, since you did not see the game (since you have seen only
 >one game this year) let me tell you that UNC had the game won, it
 >took a *miraculous* play by Rose to win the game.  Dean could have
 >done nothing to have prevented this play from happening.

Let me point out something.  Why did UNC happen to have a slim (one-point) 
lead near the end of the game?  This is another characteristic of the 
UNC teams, which explains why many teams pull an upset at the last second, 
just like what Michigan did.

 >>And as for UNC's now-established reputation of slow starts.... UNC can
 >>get away with this in games against weaker opponents, but certainly
 >>not against teams like Michigan.  Why hasn't Dean Smith been able to
 >>solve this "slow start" problem?
 >
 >Just what do you consider a "slow start"?

At opening tip-off, when UNC immediately falls behind by at least 8
points and has to spend the rest of the half catching up, this is what 
I call a slow start.  By the way, this is another characteristic of 
the UNC teams.  Not only in first half, but also in second half.

 >With all of the great comebacks over the years, how can you say that
 >Dean's skills can be questioned?  If slow starts are a part on UNC's
 >history, so is UNC's comebacks.  You can not do this if the coach can
 >not make adjustments.

True.  UNC has had several great comebacks.  However, UNC shouldn't
have gotten so far behind in the first place.  Furthermore, I don't 
remember any UNC comebacks against strong teams in the NCAA playoffs.

Perhaps you'll like to humor us by explaining why UNC lost to Kansas
two years ago in the Final Four?  Or what about the loss to Ohio State
in the NCAA playoffs last year?  In both games UNC was favored to win.

>(3) Dean should have been able to stop Webber and Rose.
>
>    Come on Steve, give me a break.  These are two *great* players
>    who will never be *stopped*.

How come Duke was able to deal with Webber and Rose while beating Michigan 
last year in the NCAA Championship game and again, earlier this season?  
To say that Webber and Rose would never be stopped is ridiculous; these
players are very good, but they're not supermen.  Also, Michigan isn't 
a two-man team; there are also three other Michigan players on the court
along with Webber and Rose.  It takes a real teamwork to win games.

>Lastly, this was not a upset. 

Not an upset????  UNC was favored to win the game, and UNC was ranked
higher than Michigan.  Therefore, UNC was supposed to win.

>         .......  Yet with a real bad shooting [UNC's] first half,
>against Michigan playing the best they have played so far this year
>(Dean said this), UNC lost by one point on a shot that Rose could
>take 100 more times and not make again. 

Exactly what are you saying?  Is UNC better than Michigan or not?  From 
what you said, UNC should win the game, but had bad shooting in first 
half while Michigan had a great game.  Doesn't this mean that Michigan
pulled an upset over UNC?

And Rose could take 100 more times and not make again?  Is Rose a *great*
player or not?  Remember Laettner who made two great shots in the NCAA 
playoffs against Connecticut in 1990 and against Kentucky last year.  
Are you implying that Rose won't ever be as *great* as Laettner? Exactly 
what do you mean by a *great* player?

I am an UNC fan who happens to know that Dean Smith isn't a basketball 
god.  Perhaps just an angel or a saint or something.  Perhaps another
NCAA title will make Dean a god? :-)

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 Steve Williams                           swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college