Every good literary character has a crucial moment of moral conflict in which they must question themselves and their intentions.
Raskolnikov, in "Crime and Punishment": Do I go against all notions of humanity and brutally murder this Russian pawnbroker?
Pontius Pilate, in the Bible: Do I go against the heavens and crucify the Son of God?
Me, in this column: Do I go against everything which is good and just and pull for the UNC men's basketball team?
Those of you who think that my dilemma is any less serious obviously weren't raised in ACC country. Down in Roanoke, the Star City, we Virginia fans learn something quickly: There's only one person as dastardly as the Hokie - the Tar Heel.
Thus, I was quite disturbed when questions started creeping their way into my head. Questions such as: "Has Brendan Haywood really become more than a petulant 7-foot child?"
"Has Jason Capel's level of skill finally surpassed his level of hype?"
Or, God forbid: "Who needs Ed Cota? They've got Curry!"
I feel dirty ... very, very dirty.
As much as I hate to say it, the Tar Heels have become a team. They've always been a talented group of individual players, but with the exception of a four-game stretch in last year's NCAA tournament, they had yet to play team basketball.
So why the turnaround? Most signs point to new coach Matt Doherty. When Virginia fans heard of his signing, they breathed a collective sigh of relief at the prospect of not having to face Roy Williams or Larry Brown two times a year.
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But Doherty has excelled on most fronts. He's kept the history that the program invokes intact while scraping away barnacles like former assistant coach Phil Ford who had managed to cling onto the school's athletic flagship. He's brought youth and enthusiasm back to a program that former coach Bill Guthridge had lulled to sleep. He's made a good team look even better.
But as Virginia's recent efforts against Georgia Tech and N.C. State prove, a good coach can only do so much. It also takes motivated players, something that last year's Tar Heels often lacked. Usually only Joseph Forte and Julius Peppers came to play. This often left Carolina 10 or 20 points short of a victory. As good as Forte is, unless you're Allen Iverson, you still need a good cast of supporting players to win.
In the Tar Heels' two losses - both of which came over two months ago - Forte played all but two minutes, took a combined 48 shots, and was more or less Carolina's only option. In UNC's most recent win, an 86-72 beating of beleaguered Maryland, Forte's 23 points stood alongside Peppers' 18, Capel's 27 and Curry's seven assists.
But beyond performing well, the Tar Heels are somewhat admirable in that they play with a sense of confidence. Call it arrogance if you will, but it may be just what a team needs to dodge its way through the parity-filled minefield that is this year's NCAA Tournament. Often, creating a sense of identity is the final step in culling a collection of playground legends and transforming them into a championship team.
With their new style and attitude, they've earned my respect.
But that doesn't mean I have to like them. Respect and like are two very different things. Come Feb. 25, you'll find me on the baseline of U-Hall, discarding my journalistic objectivity as I boo Curry and laugh with joy as Travis Watson rains fade-away jumpers over the outstretched arms of Haywood.
When all is said and done and Virginia has emerged victoriously, I'll take more from the win. Last year, it was fun to beat Carolina because they were so out of sync. This year it will be even better because they are the real deal.
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