University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: FSU Game Again Sums Up
January 17, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2002
By Adam Lucas
TarHeelBlue.com
Funny how the Florida State game always seems to summarize the season. In 1993, it was an ESPN Classic-worthy game in which George Lynch made the steal that nearly brought down the Smith Center roof. That team was about heart, and the Seminoles and Pat Kennedy-who had passed part of the pregame afternoon checking out the section of the media guide devoted to Carolina comebacks-discovered it first-hand.
In 1996, it was a Senior Day loss that foretold an early exit from both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments in a season that ended in a hail of crashing glass from a Darvin Ham dunk. In 1998, it was a high-flying dunking exhibition that ended in a 103-55 rout. That team was all about flash and alley-oops, and many of the Vince Carter dunks that make up his personal highlight reel came straight from that game.
A couple of years from now, when we're looking back on the 2001-02 season and laughing at all the great lessons it taught us, we'll remember the Florida State game. It's the one where the 340-pound Seminole center drew a phantom foul on the first possession of the game, went to the free throw line, and promptly banked in his first attempt.
Like the Lynch steal or a Carter alley-oop, that Nigel Dixon free throw encapsulated everything you need to know about this season. Sometimes-and some seasons-everything that could happen, happens.
Sometimes, there are years when you have to watch freshmen grow up on the court. Sometimes, there are years when the seniors are either injured or giving everything they have only to see it fall agonizingly short. Sometimes, there are years when the depth chart is depleted enough that a Morehead Scholar and a career cheerleader are able to make significant contributions.
Problem is, those years don't usually happen in Chapel Hill. But they're happening now.
"There's no asterisk next to Steve's win," head coach Matt Doherty said of former colleague Steve Robinson, who got the win over the Heels without Jason Capel in the lineup. Doherty, who has impressively remained steadfast in accepting blame for every loss and assigning credit for every win, is still talking about ACC finishes and league standings.
After Wednesday night's 81-71 loss in Tallahassee, it seems clearer than ever that some redefined goals and expectations are necessary. Sure, the above-mentioned Will Johnson and Orlando Melendez are suddenly playing key roles, and that's a little scary to those of us who remember the days when the All-American on the court was only substituted for with a player who was two years from being an All-American.
But truthfully, it's enjoyable to watch Johnson and Melendez play the game. If you combined them, you'd have a phenomenal athlete who is the most fundamentally sound player on the team. In other words, you'd have a player just like several the Heels have had through the years.
This year, those traits aren't combined in any one player. But watching Johnson, Melendez, and the rest of the Tar Heels grow up isn't necessarily bad, it's just different. Johnson is a throwback who tries to make up for his lack of foot-speed with hustle. Watching Melendez finally get a chance to contribute after four years of leading the cheers from the bench is gratifying to everyone who knows the popular Tar Heel.
A few days ago, freshman Jackie Manuel was asked to describe his game when it's at his best. His response? "Unstoppable." It brought a smile then, since he hadn't been unstoppable so far this season. But for at least a couple minutes Wednesday night, he was, hitting a closely-guarded three-pointer, making a sweet block of an FSU dunk attempt, and then swishing an open jumper.
It wasn't enough to pull out the win. But it was enough to provide a glimmer of hope on a night when, like a Nigel Dixon free throw, everything else just seemed too painful to watch.
Adam Lucas is the co-publisher of Basketball America. He is a lifelong observer of UNC sports and can be reached at JAdamLucas@aol.com.
