Tar Heels Make a Statement

I am not going to give you my usual song/dance about the game but there are a couple things in the larger scheme of things that should be address things that every one of us learned watching that game.

1. Ty Lawson is the fastest man with a basketball. I am convinced that only Darren Collison of UCLA would be able to slow down a guy like Lawson and maybe Sheron Collins from Kansas has the same sort of speed. I think Lawson starting to realize that he is one of those guys that can take over a game and he really needs to keep doing things like he did in the second half. When he and Wayne Ellington are on, North Carolina is so hard to beat.

2. Tyler Hansbrough isnt the go-to-guy anymore. I am not knocking everyone's most hated player but I do believe that the Tar Heels are so deep this year with experience that Hansbrough isnt needed as much as the last two years. I think thats why you arent seeing the fist pumping and the emotion out of Hansbrough. I thought for sure after he nailed that dagger at the shot-clock buzzer, we would of seen some fire but really nothing. I think he has accepted a leadership position and wants to look the part.

3. Duke falls into the "Well if they face a big team, they are in trouble..." There are alot of teams who fit into this category such as Marquette, Villanova, and UCLA. Duke fits right in there with them if they see a DeJuan Blair or a combo like Hansbrough/Deon Thompson; they simply dont have the inside power to stop a great big man. Granted, Duke does a good job sweltering the pass to the paint but still good big men find a way to the basket.

4. If the 2nd half UNC team comes to play, no one beats them. Its pretty much plain and simple statement. I think the Tar Heels looked like the best team in the nation last night in the second half. Everything was working and thats really what needs to happen for Carolina to be at their best. When two of the big three are on, its going to be real tough for teams to contained them. In addition, if they get 10-15 a game from Thompson too, they suddenly become even better.

-Charlie.