Nov. 9, 2009

By Lauren Brownlow

The Basics

Defending national champions North Carolina will begin the 2009-10 season against Florida International on Monday night. FIU was 13-20 last season and 7-11 in conference, and lost four starters from that team. Isiah Thomas, former Indiana guard and NBA head coach, is now the head coach at FIU. It is his first college coaching job.

Game Time: FIU at North Carolina, 7:00 PM.

Last Time: Carolina beat FIU 65-44 on November 16th, 1998 in the first round of the Preseason NIT. Carolina was ranked No. 10 in the nation. Carolina held the Panthers to just 26.5% shooting and out-rebounded them 46-37. Carolina shot 41.8 percent. Ademola Okulaja had a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with 15 points. Jason Capel added 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals. Brendan Haywood had 12 points, ten rebounds and five blocks. Ed Cota had eight assists and seven points. FIU featured two current NBA players, Raja Bell and Carlos Arroyo. Bell had just six points on 3-of-15 shooting and Arroyo led FIU with 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting.

Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage will begin at 6:00 PM.

Injury Report: Will Graves is nursing a bad back and some of Carolina's other players are nursing various minor injuries but all will play.

Storylines

Turnovers: Carolina was not allowed to elaborate about its closed scrimmage with Vanderbilt, but Roy Williams used works like "yucky" and "ugly" to describe it. He was still not sold his team had completely learned its lessons from that game, though he said it has gotten better. To be fair - in the same way Carolina doesn't return many three-pointers, it also doesn't return many experienced ball-handlers. Carolina lost quite a few of its three-pointers but it also lost 77% of its assists and just 61% of its turnovers. Carolina had an assist-turnover ratio of 1.45 last season but without all of the returning players, that number would be 1.83. Carolina's returners had 158 assists (74 by Larry Drew II) and 183 turnovers (96 by just post players). In fact, Deon Thompson and Ed Davis combined for 48 assists and 88 turnovers (0.5 ratio) so both of them and the rest of the post players will need to be careful with the ball.

But it's going to be hard early on as this team develops chemistry and tries to find a rhythm. Quite a few turnovers on Friday were a result of trying to get the ball inside and the guards and post players seemed to be just a beat off from each other. But Carolina had 20 turnovers, 11 at halftime, against Belmont Abbey and that is too many. "Turnovers are the biggest concern and the other thing is our spacing on offense. When you're as big as we are and want the ball inside, you've got to do a better job of our spacing on the outside," Williams said.

Carolina's six post players combined for nine assists and seven turnovers, which is a good early sign. Deon Thompson and Ed Davis combined for six assists and two turnovers. FIU did force 24 turnovers in its exhibition loss to Northwood. The Panthers have the opposite problem of the Tar Heels - a ton of guard depth but some questions in the post. Coach Thomas wants to use those guards to force tempo, play aggressive defense and force turnovers. Carolina also likes to do that, but with an abundance of proven guards going up against quite a few young and unproven ones, Carolina will have to be careful with the ball.

Three-point shooting: Not only did Carolina lose 248 of its 264 made three-pointers from last season, but it also lost all of its best three-point shooters. Carolina's four returning players that have attempted at least one three-pointer shot a combined 16-of-69 last season (23.2 percent). In fact, without those four players' shooting, Carolina's three-point percentage as a team would have jumped from 38.7% up to 40.5 percent. Without Justin Watts and Marc Campbell (0-for-7), Will Graves and Larry Drew II combined to hit 16-of-62 three-pointers (25.8%). But it's a little bit of a misleading statistic. Will Graves and Marcus Ginyard both had limited seasons last year and in the 2007-08 season, they combined to make 31-of-73 three's (42.5 percent). Graves made 19-of-43 in 2008 and Ginyard made 12-of-30; Ginyard had made just 13-of-52 (25%) in his freshman and sophomore seasons combined. He did not attempt a three-pointer last season and Graves made just 10-of-36 (27.8%) before his suspension.

Williams does not mind his teams shooting three-pointers, even though he would rather build his offense around an inside-out game. But he wants to make sure that he has people that can make those three-pointers. Both Graves and Ginyard have made big three-pointers in their Carolina careers but neither have been asked to be that clutch three-point shooter that former Tar Heels Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson were. Many have drawn similarities between this year's team and the rebuilding project of 2006. But Wes Miller emerged as a three-point threat that year and Williams is hoping that someone can emerge this year.

"I do like to shoot a lot of three's if it's Wayne Ellington and Danny and Ty shooting them. I just don't like a lot of guys shooting them but don't make them," Williams said. "Last year, we had an abundance of guys that could make them and so far, we haven't even in practice that we have guys who can make a lot of them right now. We need to find somebody because we do need to have good balance. "I thought in fact one of the keys in '06 to really getting things going was when Wes became more of a factor because he opened up the defense a little bit more, got some people out of the lane, got them spread out a little more with his ability to shoot. Whether it was at Kentucky or at Florida State, which I think was his first game as a starter, I think that was really important to us. Nobody has identified himself yet, but we need to find somebody."

Against Belmont Abbey, the Tar Heels hit just 2-of-8 three-pointers. Carolina never had fewer than four three-pointers in any game last season and never attempted fewer than 11. But with six players 6-9 or taller and five 6-10 or taller, there's not much need for Carolina to become a team dominated by three-point shooters. If Carolina can construct its offense around its strength, which would be its height, then it can still run the offense smoothly without needing many three's. "I've said all along since the first day that we've got some question marks at guard play and we've got question marks at three-point shooting. But if we have that size advantage, I think we'd be dumb sitting out there shooting three-point shots. ... I'd love to take eight every game and shoot 24 free throws compared to the other team's six and we're going to win," Williams said. "There are some things you're not going to do as well. I don't think Tiger Woods is going to try to tee it up and hit it left-handed. He doesn't do that very well. So why should we continue to do things that we don't do as well?"

At The Game

Listening to the Tar Heel Sports network at the game: The in-stadium frequency in the Smith Center will be FM 92.7. That station will have a non-delayed feed of WCHL 1360, the local affiliate.

Watching At Home

Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via Carolina All-Access, there will inevitably be some delay. For the reason - and a possible solution - click here.

A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.

ESPNU coverage: The game will be available on ESPNU.

Names To Know

Larry Drew II: All the preseason pundits are pointing to Drew as the biggest question mark on this roster. Having to follow Ty Lawson is not an easy task, but Drew is out to prove he's not the liability some seem to think he is and might even be a strength. He's not going to make the highlight-reel plays that Lawson made, but part of his skill set is his ability to keep things simple, which could be very good on a young team. "I wouldn't consider myself a flashy person. I just try to make the game as easy as possible for me," Drew said. "I'll make a simple bounce pass before I go behind the back or a through-the-legs pass or something like that. I'll lay the ball up before I try to go in through the legs and windmill and dunk it. I just try to make the game easy on myself."

Like most freshmen, he had his up-and-down moments last year. But he never struggled along the lines of some freshmen point guards, although he did have a game at Wake Forest where he had no assists and four turnovers in just six minutes. He ended ACC play with nine assists to three turnovers in his final four league games after he had 17 assists and 22 turnovers in his first 14 league games. He stepped into a tough spot for Carolina when Ty Lawson went out for three games and performed admirably. He had a veteran in Bobby Frasor to help him, but he still has Marcus Ginyard to fall back on if necessary and he showed quite a bit in his ability to step up and show flashes of the kind of point guard he can be.

Drew had an incredibly efficient postseason, dishing out 13 assists to just three turnovers. He had no turnovers in his final five games and in the NCAA Tournament, he had six assists to just one turnover. He had a very good off-season and according to his teammates, he has their complete confidence. "I feel very comfortable with our point guard position. I'm very excited about getting to see Larry out there and him having that chance to prove himself," Ginyard said. "Everybody's got something to prove this year and that way, they're all going to be able to step up and contribute to this team." Carolina has 158 assists returning and 183 turnovers as well. Without Drew's 74 assists and 45 turnovers, the returning assist-turnover ratio would be 0.6. Carolina has a very rough stretch of games coming up and it will be helpful for Drew and this Carolina offense to get into an early rhythm, getting Drew some confidence as well.

Deon Thompson: In the exhibition win over Belmont Abbey, Thompson had the kind of game Roy Williams said he couldn't realistically expect, but would love to see every night - 11-of-12 shooting, 23 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one turnover, and two steals in just 17 minutes. He has had his moments of brilliance for Carolina and he is capable of carrying this team offensively. But Roy Williams has emphasized throughout the entire off-season and pre-season that he does not need Thompson to do that. It's hard to play alongside an All-American who takes up so much space, literally and figuratively, down low like Tyler Hansbrough. But this team of versatile post talent should allow Thompson to showcase and develop his own skills a bit more. He looked very comfortable out on the court on Friday. His point totals last season ranged from two to 22, his rebounds from one to 13. But all four of Thompson's final double-figure scoring games last season came when Carolina really needed him - against Duke at home, against both Virginia Tech and Florida State in the ACC Tournament and against Oklahoma in the Elite 8. He had great numbers last season when Tyler Hansbrough wasn't playing, averaging 15 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks while shooting 60 percent. The rest of the season, he averaged 9.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.9 blocks and shot 46.2 percent. But he has certainly shown he is capable of being an important post presence.

It will still be a change for him going to essentially Carolina's No. 1 scoring option at the moment. Williams pointed out that he is keeping a lot more talent and experience than he did in 2006. But he also pointed out that, like in 2006, no one had ever had to be the No. 1 option or anywhere close to that. "Deon, people would say that he was the fifth option last year. Well, the fifth option doesn't get nearly the kind of attention that the first option does. So it's going to be a huge difference for him," Williams said. It will be an adjustment and a challenge, but one Thompson seems willing and eager to embrace.

Marvin Roberts: The 6-5 junior forward is one of FIU's junior college transfers and he is certainly one of the best. He led the nation in scoring in NJCAA at Redland Community College, averaging 29.6 points per game. He also made 47 three-pointers and averaged 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals. The versatile wing-forward also played high school basketball at Milestone (NC) Prep in high school, so there is a bit of a North Carolina connection there. He had 15 points in FIU's exhibition loss.

Antoine Watson: The 6-4 guard was Roberts' teammate at Redlands Community College. He averaged 24.8 points, good for fifth in the NJCAA and led the nation in both steals (4.7 per game) and three-point percentage (54-of-75, 72 percent). He also averaged 8.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Like Roberts, he also has a North Carolina connection, graduating from Wake Tech Community School in Raleigh.

Quotables

"I just did a talk at the medical school, at the hospital. They were talking to me about if I have it on PowerPoint production and some kind of drive and some kind of DOW and PDF. I asked them who the dickens did they think they were talking to? I came up there to talk to them and if I had to do all that stuff, they'd better get somebody else." -Roy Williams

"I can e-mail my son and my daughter and one guy that's a golfer. Every day I do that. I have to call the secretary and say, `What happens here?' because something's not working. So what's that, Amazon? They sell books? So Tim (Crothers, his co-author), we need to say good things about Amazon? They do a great job." -Roy Williams when asked about checking his book on the Amazon rankings

Lauren Brownlow is the executive editor of Tar Heel Monthly.