OK, now is the time to address the 2009-2010 North Carolina Basketball Team. Growing up a Tar heels basketball fan, there have obviously been more ups than downs. From Coach Smith to Coach Williams, there have been two things fans have never had to question prior to this season: heart and desire. After attending the Virginia game this past Sunday evening in the Smith Center, one can not help but question both the heart and desire of this team. At no point during that game did anyone step up and take a leadership role with the team. Maybe as fans, the David Noel, Tyler Hansbrough and Sean May have spoiled fans in recent seasons with their leadership skills, whether verbally or by their actions. There has seemingly always been an upperclassman to step up into that role and from the outside, it does not appear that Marcus Ginyard (5^th Year Senior) or Deon Thompson has stepped into that role. Junior Will Graves seems to be the most willing to step up, but with his past off-court issues, is he able to get the younger guys to follow his example this season? Neither Ed Davis nor Larry Drew seem to want to step into that leadership role, so who do the five freshmen turn to when there is an issue (specifically in game)? Sometimes they need to (or should) be able to look to a teammate for answers or maybe they don’t want to go to the coaches with an issue. When things begin going bad, NO ONE stepped up to give the team a pep talk or seemed to have any sense of urgency when Virginia made the 18-2 run to start the second half. Everyone kept waiting for one of UNC’s patented runs, but it never happened. UVA walked out of Chapel Hill with their largest margin of victory in Chapel Hill. Look at some of the player’s quotes after the game and they all seem to know there is an issue with intensity. Some fans have called for changes in the starting lineup and coaching style, but will either of those things change the heart and desire of this team? Some of the upperclassmen spoke up and out after the game about some of these issues, but one thing always holds true: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. The win at State means really nothing now. This week begins a pretty tough stretch for the Heels with back to back road trips to Virginia Tech and Maryland before hosting Duke and NC State next week. Sitting 2-4 and in 10^th Place in the ACC is not familiar territory for Coach Williams or the Tar heels. This is the time where the players have to take ownership of the season. Right now, the consensus is this team is just not that good. Should they want to change that perception, the next four games will give them the platform to allow their actions on the court to speak louder than their words to the press.

 

·         Duke’s loss to Georgetown in Washington in front of both the President and Vice-President was extremely damaging to the reputation of the ACC. A middle-of-the-pack Big East Georgetown team beat arguably the ACC’s best in Duke by 20 points. Some will say is was less than that because of the final score but realistically it was a 20 point loss. The ACC has been quite mediocre this season with teams winning big one game and losing big the next. One can not help but wonder how much this defeat and the margin will hurt the conference when NCAA bids are given out in March. UNC has carried the banner for the conference the last few years but this season, no one seemingly wants to step up and run with the banner. It will be very interesting to see how things play out over the next five weeks.

 

·         The PGA Tour was in the news this week, but not in a way they would like. Although the saying no publicity is bad publicity, the Tour could not like the cheating and slanderous comments made over the weekend. Phil Mickelson has been accused of using clubs he should not be using. The United States Golf Association (USGA) implemented rules on Jan. 1 outlawing the use of square or U-grooves on clubs but the Ping-Eye 2 wedge is deemed legal because of a lawsuit won by its manufacturer over the USGA in 1990. A few players have been using these wedges and it has created a controversy on tour. Scott McCarron implied Mickelson was cheating by using these wedges and Mickelson responded threatening legal action for the slanderous comments made towards him. While Mickelson may not be cheating, he is playing in a grey area. The USGA and PGA Tour left a loophole in this new rule and Mickelson is taking advantage of that loophole. This is comparable to a NASCAR rule that leaves a grey area. The smart teams are going to do everything they can in that grey area until it becomes black or white and that is all Mickelson and others are doing here. Should the Tour change the rule within the next 90-120 days, as many expect they will, everyone will begin using the equipment the Tour thought everyone would. We all look for these areas where we may have an advantage over someone or something, so why are so many upset with Mickelson? How big of an uproar would this have caused had he won this weekend or wins before the rule is changed? The Tour, sans Tiger, made news this week. By the way, with all of this controversy surrounding Phil and the Ping Wedges, anyone know who actually won this weekend at Torrey Pines?

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