Oct. 24, 2008

by Ben Baden

This year's junior varsity team will feature seven returning players and eight new additions. Two of the returning players, Alex Craig and Michael Cvelich, will only practice and not play with the team.

Other returning players include Daniel Bolick, Van Hatchell, Claude Shields, Ford Tanner and Thomas Thornton.

The team will return its leading scorer in Tanner, who averaged 16.3 points per game last year, but will look to add new scorers since the team has lost its next two leading scorers. Thornton was the team's fourth leading scorer averaging 10.7 ppg. First-year player D.J. Johnston will have to sit out the season because he transferred from a Division III team.

C.B. McGrath will become the team's head coach, and former junior varsity player Robert Johnson will serve as McGrath's assistant. McGrath led the team to a 12-2 record two seasons ago.

The Tar Heels will play five teams they didn't face last season in their 13-game schedule. These teams include Pitt Community College (Nov. 15), Guilford College (Nov. 18), Methodist College (Jan. 17), Southern Wesleyan University (Feb. 26) and Guilford Technical C.C. (Feb. 28). The team also will look to avenge its losses in the last two seasons against Fork Union (Jan. 21) and Hargrave (Feb. 18).

The team will play before 10 men's varsity games and three women's varsity games since the women also will be playing their games in the Smith Center because of renovations to Carmichael Auditorium.

None of last season's junior varsity players were able to make the varsity team this season.