AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > March > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDynasties are a dying breed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
East Rutherford, N.J. — There was the snapshot of what college basketball is today: a coach, sitting at the dais with the core of his team — three freshmen and two sophomores.
A decade ago, we would think: dynasty.
Today we wonder, “Who leaves?”
Brandan Wright, a freshman, has lottery pick stamped on his forehead. Ty Lawson, another freshman, has the speed at point guard to make up for his lack of NBA size. Tyler Hansbrough, a sophomore, would benefit from another year in college, but since when did that stop anybody?
“We could be like Florida if everybody stuck around,” Lawson said. “We could have like two or three championship runs.”
North Carolina, one step from another Final Four, faces Georgetown in today’s East Regional final. Take the snapshot, because logic dictates the Tar Heels won’t stay together.
This is a team with seemingly limitless athletic ability and potential, as evidenced in Friday’s semis when it went on an 18-0 run in 6 1/2 minutes and, after falling behind Southern Cal by 16 points, outscored the Trojans 41-15 to finish the game in a 74-64 win.
That has been a trait of the Heels this season: playing hard when they need to. But the comeback illustrated the upside of this team, an upside that may never fully be reached.
Carolina players realize this might be their one and only run together, although they are reticent to talk about it because it opens the door to questions about the NBA.
“I thought about that at halftime [Friday night],” Lawson said. “This is our chance at the national championship. This is our chance at the run. If we lost the game, our chance would’ve been gone.
“Maybe guys will leave. Maybe they won’t. But I don’t want to take that chance. I don’t want to wait and see what happens next year.”
Wright is a fleet, 6-foot-9 forward with a wingspan that crosses state borders. He also can sense questions about his future before they leave a reporter’s mouth, as he did Saturday when he said, “I’m just worried about trying to win games and helping this team get to Atlanta.”
But when asked how good he believed Carolina could be if the team stayed together, Wright said: “Great. Really great. I mean, we’re pretty good right now.
“Guys have different reasons for what they do, and I’m not the type of guy who’s going to get into people’s business for the decisions they make. But it would be nice to see a team stick together for a while, just to see what it could do.”
Every school goes through this, although North Carolina is worse than most. Two years ago, the Tar Heels won the national championship but lost their top seven scorers off that team — and four were underclassmen.
Coach Roy Williams has learned to trust this team, despite its youth. An example came when Southern Cal jumped ahead 49-33 early in the second half, and Williams … did … nothing.
“We’re down 16 points in the second half and we look over at Coach Williams and he’s not calling a timeout,” sophomore Marcus Ginyard said. “He’s just telling us to get the ball up the floor and continue to play. We feel the confidence the coach has in us.”
Williams has a chance to go to his second Final Four in three seasons. It helps that he can stuff his roster with high school All-Americans every year. But surviving roster churns, wayward freshmen and players distracted by impending NBA paydays is no easy feat.
As he sat on stage, Williams looked to his left and said: “We have five guys up here, all freshmen and sophomores. To be able to accomplish this would have been unheard of several years ago. I can assure you I don’t take it for granted. Before I go to bed, I sit back and I say, ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’ They make me look good, and I hope they continue doing it.”
He meant in this tournament. He knows it would be foolish to assume anything beyond that.
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By Buck Cochran in the NW
March 24, 2007 8:00 PM | Link to this
Williams and others are smart and play’um when they’re freshmen because the old days are gone. Not to the same % but the same thing is taking place in FB. Knowing that they won’t stay for 4 yrs., you put them on the court and field early(freshmen).
By p
March 25, 2007 7:59 AM | Link to this
The whole thing is a scam. a survey a couple years ago said that 85% of boy basketball players in HIGH SCHOOL believed they were going to the NBA, LOL. How many of these kids that even make it into an actual college and leave early stick more than a year? There are 30 odd NBA teams and two rounds of of the draft.
So every year 60-odd kids are going to get drafted, and maybe, maybe 10 of them will stick. The rest like louis williams will sit on the bench for one year - by contract, not ability, then get sent packing to europe or worse.
I hope they get enough of a signing bonus to set themselves up for life. If not, at least they’ll be in good enough shape to load trucks for UPS. not that there’s anything wrong with that.
on the first day of basketball practice EVERY YEAR, the players should have to watch the documentary “Hoop Dreams”. now that’s a reality show.
And how about every year, instead of perpetuating the myth, one newspaper with integrity, tracks back 10 years or so all of the kids that left early and find out what actually happened to those kids.