Can anyone beat the Tar Heels?
Posted on December 4th, 2008 – 12:51 PMBy Myron Medcalf
Disclaimer: I grew up as a North Carolina fan. Way back to the Eric Montross years. That said, the following blog post is not a biased report. It’s simply the truth.
North Carolina has a legitimate shot to go undefeated this season. Let it marinate. I know, I know. The ACC has some talented teams like Duke, Maryland and Wake Forest. But I’m not sure anyone has the kind of talent to match the Tar Heels. Roy Williams’ bench might be the a top 25 team.
If No. 12 Michigan State is potentially the class of the Big Ten, then how good is a North Carolina team that went to Detroit and destroyed the Spartans by a 35-point margin at Ford Field Wednesday. Tyler Hansbrough didn’t even suit up against UNC-Asheville and the Tar Heels scored 116 points.
I’ve watched UConn and Gonzaga and Duke and every other top 10 team play this season. And I’m not convinced that any of them will defeat the Tar Heels in March. I also think Roy Williams might have his best team as the head coach at North Carolina. He doesn’t have the concentration of talent within his starting rotation that the 2005 NCAA champs had, but this team has as much if not more depth than that team, and this Tar Heels team is faster.
-Let’s chill out with the NCAA talk for a while, Gophers fans. If the Gophers beat Louisville (Dec. 20), Michigan State (Jan. 31) or Ohio State (Jan. 3), then it would be OK to start the premature buzz about the Big Dance. Until then, realize that Minnesota has yet to play a legit NCAA tourney team. And the Gophers are not a top 25 team. I’d only vote for Minnesota if it picked up wins over at least one of the opponents mentioned above. And that’s assuming the Gophers won’t lose before they face Louisville.
-Speaking of Gophers fans, what was up with members of the student section interrupting the national anthem prior to Tuesday’s Virginia game?
-Cornell is coming, Cornell is coming. The Ivy League champs led No. 16 Syracuse by 16 points in the first half Wednesday before a second half collapse and ultimately, a loss.
-The Big Ten/ACC Challenge: ACC 10, Big Ten 0. Maybe, it’s time for Big Ten officials to ask the MIAC or Northern Sun conferences if they’re interested in an annual challenge.
21 Responses to "Can anyone beat the Tar Heels?"
The only thing that is going to stop UNC this year is an injury to Ty Lawson. He is the engine that makes that team go. My guess is that teams are going to start going after him to get him in foul trouble. It worked last year.
The Gophers do not deserved to be ranked right now.
Another year, same boring teams. Go Gophers.
Yeah the national anthem thing was rude. They did sing the song slower than i have heard in a while, but still…we play the song for a reason. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again.
“The Big Ten/ACC Challenge: ACC 10, Big Ten 0. Maybe, it’s time for Big Ten officials to ask the MIAC or Northern Sun conferences if they’re interested in an annual challenge”
Pretty funny stuff…I have a better idea, maybe you should talk to your boss and ask them why i still have a job covering gopher basketball.
That being said i do agree with UNC going undefeated..but even my wife thinks that…..
And the talk about the gophers going dancing, let us talk about it. The rest of the teams in this town right now are worthless-like this column-
Rude yes. It is over and done. Let’s all start practicing National Anthem Ethics: If played by a band, sing along. If performed live, listen along. Simple.
How is it possible that it was ACC 10, Big Ten 0, when MN beat VA?
Myron P. Medcalf has covered Gophers basketball since the 2007-08 season, meaning both he and Tubby Smith were rookies last year — kind of (This guy is still a rookie writer after one year). Prior to last year, he was a general assignment and city hall reporter for the Star Tribune, which he joined in 2005, the same year he graduated from Minnesota State Mankato. (Go Mavericks!) (They are almost as good as Winona State, NOT!) He’s also worked for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com as a freelancer and intern. The first time the Milwaukee native watched Gophers basketball, he thought there was something wrong with their elevated court (It’s the “Barn” one of the greatest places to watch college basketball, dumba**). He’s still wondering when it will get fixed. Gold in the Barn is a college basketball blog that focuses on Minnesota basketball but also includes takes on the Big Ten and the national landscape.
Mike, no need to bash Myron…Anyways, NC can not be stopped this year, but they may come across an upset late in the tourney. They are too quick, deep, and talented not to gain a #1 seed. Roy is a good coach, but a talented, hot tourney team who plays virtually mistake free can pull an upset. As of now I do not see NC dropping from their #1 ranking all season.
Myron needs to work on his basic math skills. The results of the ACC-Big Ten challenge 6-5 in favor of the ACC (quite a difference from his 10-0 claim). In addition to Minnesota four other Big Ten teams - Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin - won their games against ACC teams.
The 10-0 comment is regarding 10 years of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and the ACC winning every year, thus going 10-0. He is not quoting the record of games this year.
I also don’t think Myron needs to be bashed here, but he’s providing plenty to spark debate.
First of all, this early in the year any talk about the top 25 is still pretty speculative. I’m not going to take the time to go through schedules/results of each tean in the top 25, but have all of them played enough quality opponents to definitively say they’re better than the Gophers?
Futhermore, if we’re reading this blog, there’s a damn good chance we’re Gopher fans. In my opinion, it’s much more fun to think about how good the Gophers might be than how terrible the Wolves are. Closed caption to Myron: Be careful not to alienate your audience.
Same goes for your ACC/Big 10 challenge comment. I realize you’re likely being at least somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but some of us delusional homers would like to believe that the Gophers (and by proxy, the Big 10) are on the path toward regularly competing with the best teams in the nation.
So, I appreciate the full disclosure on the fact you grew up an NC fan, but mark me down as being in the group that doesn’t give a flying you-know-what which team(s) you did, do or will root for. I don’t expect you to be a Gophers rube, but snide anti-Big 10 comments (joking or not) aren’t winning you any points.
The floor doesn’t need fixing. The Barn doesn’t need fixing.
Hey I thought the miac joke was funny,you guys need to lighten up, the Gops won their game and that’s good, but facts are facts, top to bottom the ACC is the superior conference, UNC mopped the floor on MSU as did Duke on Purdue and MSU and Purdue were at home, or Detriot but that’s Spartan territory, I think if were 8-0 heading into the Louisville game then the talk is legit, I like what I’ve seen so far, but intell the schedule gets tougher its tough to see how good this team really is or some of the ranked teams for that matter
Mike and Norm- Regarding the so-obvious-it’s-painful joke in Myron’s bio about the Barn: Get a clue.
Although you apparently cannot recognize one, you do know what a joke is, right?
I cannot believe how much focus is being put on Myron’s background and jokes. He’s right about top 25 talk being premature, and he’s definitely right about ACC cleaning the Big Ten’s clock. Until the gophers are ranked or the Big Ten does win the challenge, he’s right. I love the gophers but you don’t have to rank them #1 every week just to be a gopher fan
Facts are these: Myron is spot on.
The Heels are one of the best, most experienced, and most talented teams ever assembled. These guys stayed in school cause it matters to them to wear UNC on their chest. They might lose A game, but they won’t lose THE game. My money’s on Ty, Ty, Roy and the Boys.
And the fact is that the Big10 and the Gophers are not as good as they should be. He’s not alienating his crowd by reporting the truth. He’s not paid to write P.R. people. He’s a reporter. Maybe too many years of Sid made you forget the difference.
Did anyone at the game against Virginia realize that when Damian Johnson entered the game, the PA announcer said “Damian Jackson” at least two times. It’s kind of sad that sort of thing can happen at a home game especially to one of our better players. If I were Damian I would have been a little pissed off.
Anyways, Myron, I think you are doing a great job on this blog. I realize it is a Gophers blog, but at the same time your comments on the rest of the league are interesting.
Myron is right - beat a real team and then we can start talking NCAA. ACC has killed the big ten in the challenge, there is no argument. I do not think all of the students got together before the game and decided, hey lets ruin the end of the national anthem, calm down.
This year the acc v big ten just proved that the bottom half of the big ten is better than the bottom half of the acc.Im sure that the acc would have done the same to just about any other conferance in the country.The Big Ten didnt do so bad loosing by 1 game and if i remember right several of the games the acc won were by 2 or 4 points much better than last year.
And if anyone wants to read a one sided colum that is just a gopher P.R piece I believe Sid is still writing a colum for the Star.Lastly I would have loved to see a game between UNC and Ohio State with all the players that have gone pro in the last 2 years I believe that Greg Odum would still be a junior
I 100% agree that the Gophers shouldn’t be ranked, i 100% agree that UNC could go undefeated and i 100% agree that you don’t alienate you rube audience. Please don’t bash the Big Ten in the manner you did, it’s very dangerous to your paycheck Myron. Otherwise i usually respect your comments.
It’s true that the ACC has “won” all ten. However, I believe about half of those, including this year, were decided by a single game (5-4 or 6-5). Basically a wash, especially when you consider that in a lot of those one-win years the ACC had the extra home game. This year they had 2 (Ford Field isn’t a home game).
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