At any Division I school, when the football team wins the same amount of games as the basketball squad, something is horribly wrong. When it happens at North Carolina, it's nothing less than evidence that the apocalypse is upon us.
As unlikely as it sounds, this is exactly what happened on Tobacco Road last season. Stumbling to a dismal 8-20 record, the Tar Heels had one of the worst seasons in their illustrious basketball history.
And this season, the youngest team North Carolina has ever had will take the floor and the team's two only returning seniors, forward Will Johnson and point guard Jonathan Holmes were both little-used reserves. There are no juniors on the team; the other nine players are all freshmen and sophomores.
Despite last season's campaign and the lack of experience, one thing this season's Tar Heel squad does not lack is talent. Three of the six incoming freshmen were ranked in the top 10 among all high school players last year: 6-foot-8 forward Sean May, 6-foot-4 guard Rashad McCants and the most highly touted of them all, 6-foot-5 guard Raymond Felton.
Felton averaged 31 points during his senior year at small Latta (South Carolina) high school, and set the state record with 117 three-pointers. According to third-year North Carolina coach Matt Doherty, he has the right attitude to go along with his talent.
"I asked Felton what his goals were, and he said 'Coach, I just want to win.I don't care about honors.If we win, all that stuff takes care of itself,'" Doherty said.
Felton is not the only one who hopes the Tar Heels return to their winning ways as soon as possible. Last year's season was nothing less than a disaster for North Carolina. They lost at home to Howard and Davidson. Three frustrated players transferred out of the program. And probably most disheartening of all for Tar Heel fans, they finished seventh in the ACC.
This season, North Carolina hopes to climb out from the unprecedented depths they fell to last year.
"I'm excited about this group," Doherty said. "There's reason to be excited, there's a lot to work with."
Sophomore forward Jawad Williams and sophomore guards Jackie Manual and Melvin Scott are the top returning players and are likely to win starting spots. The experienced Johnson is also a candidate.
"From an emotional standpoint, we need to stay committed," Johnson said.We're going to see some tough times, but it's a matter of knowing the highs don't get too high and the lows don't get too low. We need to stay focused on the goals we've set forth."
With the football team currently dwelling in the ACC basement, the Tar Heels basketball squad should have no problem snagging more victories than their peers on the gridiron this season. But if Doherty plans to keep the Tar Heel fans happy, his team must avoid another fiasco of a season and make strides toward the greatness that once came so easily for North Carolina.
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