Clarion Content

Winning it all? It's tough even with the best team.



The Clarion Content normally does not cover a lot of college basketball before the New Year's holiday. In our view, it typically takes at least that long for things to start sorting themselves out, for the hype to dissipate, for the pretenders to separate themselves from the contenders. This year may be different.

This year a single squad is poised to dominate the college basketball landscape like no team since UNLV in 1990-91, perhaps even to make a run at joining the last undefeated, national champion, Indiana University 1976, in immortality. The University of North Carolina Tar Heels look just that good. The Clarion Content, despite our geographical proximity, is no homer for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are just long time college basketball fans who have seen something special.

It starts with the national player of the year returning for his senior season, Tyler Hansbrough. A solid post player, Hansbrough averaged 22.6 points per game last year, the most of anyone at UNC since 1969-70. (more than Jordan, Worthy, Sheed, Stack, or May.) He is the first person to return after winning the player of the year since Shaq in 1991. Of course, the past two seasons have demonstrated that having the young man voted the best overall player is not enough by itself. What really sets Carolina apart this year is the cast of characters around Hansbrough.

Point guard Ty Lawson is a future lottery pick. He was a likely first round draft pick last year, but elected to return to Chapel Hill. Lawson, already strong with the ball, has really elevated his game so far this year. Lawson is averaging nearly 17 points and 7 assists per game, but what is truly mind boggling is his nearly off the charts 6 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.

The Tar Heels have several other likely NBA players on the squad. Junior forward Deon Thompson has nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages from last year as he has filled out and become more comfortable in his body. Guard Danny Green looks like a terrific defensive stopper with NBA speed, and is contributing 13.5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Senior Bobby Frasor is a serviceable back-up point guard and a steadying hand if the Tar Heels ever have to play any close games. Finally, the one young guy whom people aren't talking about enough yet is (as Dickie V would say) the super-scintillating freshman forward, Ed Davis. Davis looks like Greg Oden's younger brother, as in his body is 18 going on 30. He is a man amongst boys, Oden-like except he is twice as athletic as the stiff, earthbound Oden. Davis shows the hops of a triple jumper. He is insanely talented, averaging nearly 10 points and 9 rebounds per game in very limited minutes early in the season.

Folks, the Tar Heels are loaded. Watching them blow out top 15 Michigan State in Michigan by 30 plus the other night, the only comparisons for this group coming to the Clarion Content were historical. There is nobody talent-wise who comes even close to this squad in this year's NCAA.

UNC's only Achilles heel is their atrocious game coach, Roy Williams. Can Williams take the best squad to the NCAA tournament and lose? He has done it before, and it is after all a North Carolina, and Dean Smith tradition.

Labels: college basketball, sports