Tar Heels Will Leave Footprint On ACC

I was convinced it was a typo. I watched figure skating for much longer than I should have just to see the score flash across the ESPN2 bottom line again.

North Carolina 109, Maryland 75. Could that possibly be right? Are we sure it wasn't Maryland/Eastern Shore? Are we sure it wasn't 89-75? Are we sure it wasn't a women's score?

A few triple sow-cows later, I saw the score again. It said the same thing. No typo.

I knew North Carolina was good, and I knew a score like that would have made sense if the Tar Heels were entertaining the likes of Cleveland State or William and Mary.

But Maryland? The Terps may not be a top-10 caliber team this year, but they're certainly not an ACC doormat. They came into Saturday's game against the Tar Heels toting a 9-2 record and a top-25 ranking. They left with their tails planted firmly between their legs.

When you play North Carolina, you'll have that. I thought the Tar Heels were back last year. With all that talent plus a savior on the bench in the form of Roy Williams, we were sure the Heels would climb to the top.

But North Carolina stumbled on the way up. It wasn't a head-over-heels fall, but it was bad enough. Nine ACC losses translated to a No. 6 seed in the Big Dance, which translated to a second-round defeat at the hands of third-seeded Texas.

Along the way, there were questions about maturity, questions about defense, and questions about heart. I don't know that all of those questions have been answered. We won't really know until March. But if these were essay questions, we'd have rough drafts.

The Tar Heels are good. Really good. It's safe to say that they're on another plane of existence in the college basketball world.

Yes, North Carolina did fall flat on its face in a season-opening loss at Santa Clara, but still, this team is special. And that first game was filled to the brim with extenuating circumstances. Point guard Raymond Felton was suspended. The team was on its way to Maui and probably looked past Santa Clara.

But once they got to Hawaii, the Tar Heels started rolling. BYU, Tennessee, and Iowa did little to get in the way as the Heels cruised to the Maui Invitational title.

They haven't let up since. While the schedule has been stocked with a few cupcakes, the numbers make up for it. A 13-point win over Kentucky. A 28-point win over upstart Vermont. And an average margin of victory of 36 in the cupcake games.

Of course, it gets tougher. The Heels play Georgia Tech and Wake Forest this week. That means I might end up sounding like an idiot if the Heels lose. You can read this column in a week and laugh at me.

But I don't think they'll lose. There's too much talent, too much chemistry, too much offense, and too much good coaching.

There's Rashad McCants, Jawad Williams, Sean May, and Felton. Those four are easily the best quartet in college basketball. No other team has four players in the starting lineup with that much talent.

And this year, Roy Williams is making the pieces fit together. McCants and Jawad Williams carry the bulk of the scoring load. May grabs 8.6 rebounds a game. And Felton does everything else.

As of Monday, the Heels boasted a 13-1 record. They're ranked third in the AP poll and fourth in the ESPN/USA Today poll. If not for the loss out west, they'd be No. 1.

In a way, the situation is reminiscent of Connecticut last year. A few stumbles early on kept the Huskies down, but all the while, they were the most talented team. And it showed in March.

North Carolina finds itself in a similar position. No bulls-eye on the back, but plenty of talent. Sure, the Heels are still not a dominant defensive team. And if injuries strike, they're in trouble.

But for now, we can once again add powder blue to the list of primary colors in college basketball.

College Basketball Notebook

Trends

Ah, the joys of an easy non-conference schedule. Many teams have those cupcakes to thank for outstanding starts to the season. And there sure seem to be a lot. In the seven major conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big 10, CUSA, PAC 10, SEC), there were 27 teams with two losses or fewer. A few of them are legitimate, but others probably aren't. Cases in point: Arizona State, whose toughest games were at Temple and home against Vanderbilt; Texas A&M, whose biggest test was at Penn State; and Kansas State, who went to Rutgers ... and lost. I'm not saying these teams aren't for real ... well, actually, I am. We'll see what happens in conference play.

Eye on the Prize

While North Carolina may have the most talent in the country, Illinois still has a firm hold on the No. 1 ranking. And it's not undeserved. The Illini have coasted through a moderately tough non-conference schedule and made emphatic statements in wins over Gonzaga, Cincinnati, and then-No. 1 Wake Forest. In the Big 10, where only Iowa and Michigan State would seem to pose big threats, the Illini might just keep it going.

Team to Watch

George Washington. The Colonials, ranked 22nd in this week's ESPN/USA Today poll, have only two losses. One was a 21-point defeat to Wake Forest, the other a six-point loss at West Virginia. There's no shame in either of those losses. And in a weak Atlantic 10, GW should get 20 wins easily and might sow up a four- or five-seed with a conference tournament crown.

Players to Watch

Craig Smith, Boston College — The wide-bodied junior is averaging 19.6 points and 8.7 rebounds for the undefeated Eagles.

Brian Thornton, Xavier — The transfer from Vanderbilt is putting up 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He's also shooting 66 percent from the field.

Player to watch because he has an interesting name (aka "The Majestic Mapp Award")

I should explain this. Majestic Mapp played for Virginia a few years ago and vaulted to the top of my list of greatest names ever. He was plagued by injuries throughout his career, which is a shame because I really wish Majestic Mapp was a household name. The best part? His brother's name is Scientific. Seriously.

And this week's winner: Englebert Cherrington, Houston. The 6-7 forward hails from Belize and obviously from a very creative family.