There have been challengers to the Tar Heel dominance in the ACC with most of it being right here in the Research Triangle.  Bitter rivals from up the road in Raleigh set the stage after bringing in the most athletically talented player college basketball ‘had’ ever seen when Coach Norm Sloan convinced David Thompson to join the Wolfpack.  No matter what one thinks of the methods ‘Stormin’ Norman used to get the kid with the 44 inch vertical jump to get Thompson to leave small town Shelby (yes, it’s true they did not have paved roads before Thompson was recruited) it changed the way players were recruited forever in this conference.  It didn’t hurt that North Carolina State basically got an entire starting lineup with that now junior class (7’4 Tom Burleson, ‘Hawkeye’ Whitney and Dematha High School stud Kenny Carr were also in that class).  Though they had to sit out one year due to violations from Thompson’s recruitment (Duke, the Tar Heels most hated rival, also got a slap on the wrist after Smith exposed them for buying Thompson a sports coat) the Wolfpack proved last year they could hang with the Big Dogs on the porch of the ACC.  No longer would recruitment be some friendly game where these schools would support each other letting their brethren from the Triangle ‘get theirs’ as long as you got yours.  Of course recruitment was never going to be the same around these parts after both the Tar Heels and Wolfpack were implicated in a point shaving scandal that would lead the incredible Dixie Classic to be dropped.  This was the best in-season college basketball tournament ever produced as it put all four of the North Carolina schools (Wake Forest was included in this as well) to host four other major programs from around the country in old Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.  This tourney was huge for this area with huge audiences and publicity from the national media which was a catalyst these schools (and a few more) to leave the Southern Conference and build their own league in the ACC.  The other three schools did not like this having to play extra games in Raleigh though all four schools did win a title (Billy Packer led the Demon Deacons to a huge upset in the tourney’s last official tourney before all hell broke loose) and no team outside of these ‘Big 4’ ever won this prestigious post-Christmas tourney.  When the ACC tried to replace this with a Big 4 tourney which was a huge cash cow for the league with tickets being harder to come by then the ACC tourney the coaches eventually protested that the extra game against other teams from the league was limiting their ability to play (and recruit) nationwide.  All of this led to Smith realizing he would have to up his game in recruitment and one of the things he pushed for and received was the building of a new modern arena to replace Carmichael Auditorium (named for administrator Donald Carmichael who is the brother of the first Tar Heel All-American Cartwright Carmichael) which in fact was built connected to Old Woolen Gym.  Carmichael seated only a little over 8000 people and Smith knew to compete on a national level recruiting wise North Carolina would have to build a much larger and modern arena.  He had no idea that the new 21,000 plus arena would be dubbed the ‘Dean Dome’ but then again he did not protest when it became official as the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center.  Smith realized like many others that branding for a program would bring huge dividends recruiting wise and who better to be branded than the head coach who, if your college is lucky, does not graduate from the college to pro levels.  After all, it worked pretty dang well for Smith’s alma mater back in Lawrence Kansas with Allen Fieldhouse. 

Smith has always got supreme talent but it went to an entirely different level last year bringing in a class that was the best in the country and arguably the most athletic ever put together.  Led by Thompson clone Michael Jordan, Smith got just about everybody that he wanted including a high profile win over Mike Kryzezwski and Duke when JR Reid decided to come to Chapel Hill.  Combine these two with a group that includes forward James Worthy, point guard Kenny Smith, big man Sam Perkins and the first seven footer ever to commit to the Tar Heels in big Brad Daugherty.  Daugherty, who wears # 43 in honor of his idol race car legend Richard Petty, who was only 16 when he first stepped onto campus, might be the most important of these as the Tar Heels attempt to keep up with the Joneses in college basketball.  After all if you are going to beat the likes of UCLA or Kansas you better have somebody who can hang with Jabbar or Chamberlain.  Daugherty at 7’0 245 from up the road in Black Mountain did not play much last year except for on the notorious Tar Heel JV team as Smith stuck with legendary George Glamack in the post but as one can see from the results in last year’s Big Dance (a loss to Kansas as Chamberlain went for 37 points and grabbed 23 boards) this team needs him to get on the court with some productive minutes this year.  After all if rumors are true superstar George Glamack has decided to forego his senior year and enter the draft a year early and become a professional.  Smith supposedly recommended Glamack go get paid now while the getting is good so Daugherty’s time is now for this 17 year old sophomore to be.  Daugherty is a bit wet behind the ears and some say soft but size does matter and Glamack, as great as he has been offensively,  goes only 6’7 though a robust 230 and is as tough as the town he hails from, Allentown Pennsylvania, but cannot match up with the monsters he has been asked to guard.  Glamack fouled out in 13 minutes versus Chamberlain (as did backups Mitch Kupchak and Tom LaGarde and even Perkins got four in one of the few games he got into on the varsity) but for now he is the starter for the Tar Heels.  The ‘Blind Bomber’ is after all the first superstar the Tar Heels ever had and the fans in Chapel Hill love him so replacing him might not as easy as one might think.  Speaking of replacing Jordan, who actually played for Smith as a freshman defensive specialist off the bench, is in line to start this year in the back court next to Junior stud and team captain Phil Ford.  Jordan was a late bloomer in High School in Wilmington as he was a skinny 6’3 kid who got cut from the varsity but after a growth spurt came back with a chip on his shoulder the next year.  Jordan quickly proved he could play and once the NC coaches got a whiff of the 6’6 198 leaper they attempted to keep him under wraps at least at a national level.  Smith assistants Bill Guthridge and Roy Williams were on contact but Williams almost made a mortal mistake when he recommended Jordan go to a youth camp where of course he dominated.  The game was on but Jordan stayed with the guys who had found him first and enrolled at North Carolina last year and Smith had found somebody who could at least hang with Thompson athletically and will no doubt be guarding the player he looked up to. Everybody in North Carolina looks up to Thompson as he changed the game of basketball forever with his ability to hang in the air and then somehow seemingly go above the big guys for drop in layups.  Of course he was not allowed to dunk back then though he did throw one down on an alley oop in his last game as a freshman as the fans in Reynolds went ballistic even though he got T’d for the obvious FU to the man!  Some say that Jordan might even be better than the skywalker but on Smith’s socialist team he will never put up the stats of his idol.  The two did match up last year in limited minutes for Jordan and Thompson had his way with the freshman but I guarantee you this kid will not forget this as he uses any sleight as motivation and will be coming back for payback this year.  Of course Jordan still has to earn the starting role for the Tar Heels and I am pretty sure last year’s starter the aforementioned Scott plus fellow senior York LaRese and fabulous junior sixth man Walter Davis are not going to just sit back and let this kid pass them by on the Tar Heel totem pole without a fight.  No matter how good this kid is!  Smith is notorious for having incredible depth and playing a large rotation with 11 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game last season (no one averaged over 30 mpg) and even as good as Jordan is that will not change but Jordan is special and boy do Tar Heels fans love him. 

Ford will once again be the starter at the point but if Scott does eventually give way to Jordan he will still get plenty of minutes as he a true combo guard.  Scott, from Stuy High School in NYC (yes, Smith has recruited out of North Carolina) goes 6’5 and a svelte 175 has all of the skills to play either position but might be better suited as a point guard at the next level with his lack of girth.  When you go to North Carolina preparing for the next level is always part of the equation as Smith is always about the player first as we have seen with the Glamack situation.  Of course this reputation does not hurt his salesmanship out on the recruiting trail.  There are a slew of other players who would probably play for 98% of the teams in America biding their time, deep on the bench or on the JV!  Of course you can only suit up 13 players so many of these kids might not see the light of day but those dreams of wearing Carolina blue never die!  That is why the Tar Heels have the greatest JV program in the country!  They are all walk-ons (or so they say) but they are they the best damn walk-ons you have ever seen!  Ford is another Carolina kid who has mastered running Smith’s motion offense (or passing game as the Dean calls it) and is adept as getting the ball in his terrific teammate’s hands so that are in position to score.  This Rocky Mount kid can also score and at 6’2 175 is the prototypical size for the modern point guard.  His ability to run Smith’s four corner offense at the end of games is like ballet but I have no idea why a team as talented as this has to run that slow down thing to win games?  Smith trusts Ford implicitly with his team and there might be no better connection between a player and coach in the country. 

With Glamack gone the leader of this team will be senior Lennie Rosenbluth.  Lennie is a 6’4 190 basketball savant who learned the game in the Bronx before playing high school at an academy in Virginia.  Since he walked on campus Rosenbluth has been the primary go to man offensively as he fits Smith’s motion offense perfectly.  He has a great mid-range game and can run all day and is tricky inside with a variety of moves.  He is a bit undersized though and did start to lose minutes last year.  He is the team captain and a legend already in Chapel Hill so Smith will play him but there might be some faster horses in the barn.  Senior Billy Cunningham will be starting at the opposite forward position and brings intelligence, toughness and incredible springs to the never ending stew Smith is simmering.  He is only 6’6 210 but this Brooklyn native can flat jump out of the gym and loves to go inside.  The Kangaroo Kid as he has been dubbed flies high for his boards and runs the court like a gazelle but sometimes gets hurt due to his voracious appetite for getting to the hoop.  He missed 8 games last year with a variety of injuries but should be ready for his last year at Chapel Hill and will be a huge part of this team’s success no matter at the three or four.  If Cunningham ends up at the four then fellow senior Larry ‘the Dealer’ Miller will be in the mix for the starting job at the three.   Miller has been outstanding for the Tar Heels in his time here with his terrific mid-range game but at 6’4 190 is better suited for the two.  He is not nearly as athletic as the guys he is battling with but he knows how to play and will get a shot as Smith loves his game.  Walter Davis is a 6’6 193 pound wing who is the shooter this team has to have especially the way the game has changed.  Smith would like to keep him coming off the bench but he might need to insert him into the starting lineup either at the two or the three depending on need.  He is not a great defender and is nowhere near as athletic as Jordan but he can play and when you can shoot like he does you will get minutes.  Senior Bobby Lewis is also in the mix at the wings but unless something happens to the guys in front of him he might not make the 15 man roster.  After all Smith has got to get his young guys on the court or he won’t be able to keep recruiting as he does because nobody wants to go somewhere that you don’t play.  And there is an entire front line of players ready plus an eloquent point guard who are ready to take the step to varsity after having a dominant JV year. 

Foremost of these moving on up is sophomore James Worthy.  Worthy goes 6’9 and hails from Gastonia NC.  He is long and agile and strong and can do just about everything on the court except lead the break.  But finishing the break is his calling card with a variety of shots off the board with superb English or touch or the good old-fashioned power slam.  He is also a terrific defender whether banging down low with big s or stopping small forwards on the perimeter.  If he does not get huge minutes this year it is because the legendary Rosenbluth is in front of him and Smith has some upperclassmen he wants to keep in the mix.  But if Smith wants to get over the hump finally and get that national title he better forget his loyalty and get this big game player on the court.  The aforementioned Perkins is a gamer who will battle inside and can guard on the blocks.  This 6’9 235 pound lefty can flat stroke it but never looks like he is playing all that hard and with some unique eyes (no he is not on drugs) and has earned the nickname ‘Sleepy Sam’ from his teammates.  Perkins will get plenty of minutes this year with Glamack gone and this smooth cat does not care if he is starting or coming off the bench or whether he is at the four or the five.  He is used to coming off the bench as he did all of last year on the JV but did get moved up for the tourney after Cunningham came up lame. Though he gets lost in the shuffle at times on a star studded team he is a terrific player who can do it all on the blocks and his ability to hit threes brings something to the Heels they sorely need. The much ballyhooed Reid is also in the mix if Cunningham switches to the three or is injured again.  This Virginia Beach kid is built like a brick you know what and goes 6’9 247.  He can dominate games inside the paint but is notorious for a short fuse and missed some games last year after an incident where he almost broke an opponent’s jaw.  His play next to Worthy and Daugherty on the JV last year was inspiring at times but he did not like not making the varsity especially when Smith went with Perkins over him to keep the cohesiveness of the front line for Coach Williams.  Of course Smith was right as the Tar Heels did win the national title for JV squads but don’t try to tell the square headed (and jawed and haired) Reid that.  Kenny Smith ran the team on the JV and is in line to get some minutes behind Ford.  The Jet can obviously run but his best asset is he can heat it up from beyond the arc.  This Queens New York has got some the street game for sure and it will be invaluable to him learning the Carolina way and how to run a motion offense from the master Mr. Ford.  His future is bright as all of these kids who play for the Tar Heels are.  Think of this program like the Alabama Crimson Tide in football.  Even backups get a shot at the next level and if your resume includes being coached by Dean Smith then your chance of playing (or coaching) in the NBA are very good! 

Daugherty is not the only big man who will be battling in the trenches this season.  Senior carryovers Pete Brennan and Lee Shaffer will also be in the mix for front court play but both are a bit undersized (6’6 and 6’7 respectively) for this level of play especially if the Tar Heels are going to hang with the big boys though Shaffer is one heck of a board man.  Juniors Kupchak and LaGarde are next to each alphabetically and seemed to be conjoined at the hip sometimes in that they have similar styles and came up together.  This pair of jacks does have the size to hang down low as LaGarde is 6’10 230 and Kupchak is even thicker at 6’9 235.  Nobody is going to say they are too soft but then again neither of these have the skill set as Daugherty.  Solid, workmanlike and intelligent players this duo will contribute but if either averages over 15 minutes a game the Tar Heels might be in trouble.  As you can see this roster has more than enough talent but Smith always finds a way to get some role players on the court for some specific reason.  Another junior big man, Bobby Jones, is the prime candidate to be that guy this year.  With his penchant for driving offensive players nuts with his in your face defense this 6’9 210 pounder from Charlotte will get some minutes.  With this recruiting machine in place Smith has never really had to go the JC route but there are rumors he is bringing in some stud big man to replace Glamack.  Nobody can replace Glamack to Tar Heel fans but supposedly this 6’9 kid has range up to 20 feet and can still bang inside.  And lest we forget Smith has brought in 4 more Parade All-Americans to challenge for minutes though they will probably end up being on Williams’ JV squad because that is the Tar Heel way and the know that going in.  But you never know.  Jordan played a bunch last year and though he is a special athlete Smith wants that title bad and if he thinks one of these freshmen can help this team get a ring he will play them.