Not so Fast: Don't Overlook UNC just yet
By Paul Jordan
Everyone take a deep breath and relax and let the Kanter appeal run its course but in the mean time:
All eyes are now on the huge match up in the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, North Carolina tomorrow between the Kentucky Wildcats and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Except this year it’s a different story.
Flash back to last year with the special talent Kentucky had. Young, talented, cocky and looking for a big time win in the first game of a three game stretch which would see where the young team stood… North Carolina came into Rupp Arena as the defending champions and the Wildcats were licking their chops to prove themselves on a national scale while North Carolina was looking to punch this young and upcoming team in the mouth. It was Kentucky that did the punching.
The Kentucky game last season seemed to send North Carolina in a downward spiral that ended up as runners up in the NIT which is not quite where Roy Williams wanted his team to be. Kentucky on the other hand made a deep run in March and sent five players to the NBA.
Fast forward a year later to where things are a tad bit different this time around. The Tar Heels who will be hosting the match up this year landed a huge recruit in Harrison Barnes in the off season but has already dropped three games this season.
Kentucky dropped one game to a hot UConn team and now rests at 4-1 with a new group of freshman that may not be as highly touted as last year’s Kentucky squad but still weighs in as the number one recruiting class in the nation and already hold one marquee win over an athletic Washington squad.
Let’s face it, this year the Tar Heels are looking for a chance to prove they are better than their 4-3 record reflects and you know Barnes is looking to prove himself on a national level, I for one am not ready to write him off as bust just yet, especially not on a national stage with his back against a wall. He wants to prove himself and what better way to do so than against Kentucky on CBS in front of a national audience.
Kentucky on the other hand is a young team going into a hostile environment, the Dean Dome will be rocking and this time the Kentucky team is not full of swagger and walking tall. They were sent home from Maui with their tails tucked between their legs and slept walked through a first half against the Boston Terriers.
Between these two teams, something has got to give.
North Carolina’s record may be a bit misleading, losing to Vanderbilt and Minnesota on a neutral floor and then Illinois at Illinois. One thing is for certain, North Carolina is set to give Kentucky fits inside. Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Justin Knox and Harrison Barnes will be all UK can handle Sunday. Henson, who is 6’10 and averaging a double-double, will get most of the attention in the paint but Zeller is no pushover either who gave Kentucky troubles last year in the game at Rupp. Harrellson, Jones and Miller will absolutely HAVE to stay out of foul trouble in this game or it will be A LONG day against the Tar Heels.
Kentucky’s strength will come with guard play. Although inexperienced, Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb and DeAndre Liggins should be able to slice through the guards of North Carolina without a problem and Knight’s quickness and ability to shoot the ball well should be able to wreak havoc. Unlike Wall, Knight has the ability to pull up from the three point line all day which means it will be impossible for North Carolina to clog the lane, leaving driving lanes for Liggins and Miller and Lamb with his floater.
The X-factor could very well be Terrence Jones, which will be the case in almost every game this year. The big men of North Carolina may not be quick enough to check Jones on the perimeter and the forwards are smaller than Jones and could easily be post up in the lane for an easy basket.
The final verdict is: Kentucky MUST stay out of foul trouble tomorrow; if not North Carolina has the ability to run away with this game just like UConn did. Harrellson must play the best game that he has all season, and that is asking quite a bit considering that he has played his guts out every game this season. Look for Jones to have a big day, but I also look for Harrison Barnes to prove to all doubters why he was the number one player in his class. It’s going to be interesting to see how Carolina reacts to three early losses and already dropped out of the top 25, but when it’s all said and done..
It’s going to be a battle in Chapel Hill.
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