University of North Carolina Athletics
Men's Basketball Preview: Part I
October 9, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 9, 2002
The official start of the college basketball season is just a few days away. With teams around the country beginning practice Saturday (Oct. 12), including Carolina hosting Midnight with the Heels, TarHeelBlue.com offers the first of a two-part preview of Carolina's men's basketball team.
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However, the challenge to return to the postseason won't be an easy one to meet, considering the 2002-03 Tar Heels will field one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams in school history and face another difficult schedule.
Head coach Matt Doherty has just two seniors (who have less than 20 combined career starts between them) three sophomores and six freshmen.
It is the first time since Carolina began Atlantic Coast Conference play 50 years ago that just two juniors and seniors are on the preseason roster. The previous low was four in 1990-91, but three of those four were senior starters. In fact, over the last 50 years, Carolina has averaged nearly eight juniors and seniors per season.
Doherty, 34-27 in his first two seasons at Carolina, will lead a team that must replace three starters and two other prominent reserves from a year ago who combined to score 65 percent of the team's points, grab 59 percent of the rebounds and hand out 60 percent of the assists.
"Our players and coaches are excited about the season and the challenges that are ahead of us," says Doherty. "Last year was rough for our team and our fans, who really stuck with us, but our players have great attitudes, are committed to getting better every day and are excited about the future of Carolina Basketball."
Jawad Williams, a 6-8 sophomore forward from Cleveland, Ohio, is the leading returning scorer and rebounder. Williams averaged 9.8 points and 4.2 boards per game last year. Williams scored in double figures in 14 times as a freshman with a season-high of 21 against Maryland and 20 against North Carolina A&T. He shot 51.5 percent from the floor, the highest percentage among the seven players with at least 100 field goal attempts.
"Jawad really matured as a player last year," says Doherty. "He developed into a great defender and had a better understanding of our offense. That continued in the offseason. He has been impressive shooting the ball in our drills, is committed to playing great on the defensive end of the floor and enjoys instructing the freshmen. He's shown exceptional leadership skills."
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"Our players and coaches are excited about the season and the challenges
that are ahead of us. Last year was rough for our team and our fans, who really stuck with us, but our players have great attitudes,
are committed to getting better every day and are excited about the future
of Carolina Basketball."
-- Matt Doherty
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"Melvin was put in a bad position early," says Doherty. "He hadn't played much point guard in high school, but we needed him there and he started the ACC season playing the point. That experience will really help his ballhandling this year. He gives us a great deal of versatility with his ability to play both guard positions. Melvin can really shoot the basketball. This year, I want him to focus on getting comfortable and hitting shots."
Will Johnson, a 6-8 forward from Hickory, N.C., is one of the two returning seniors on the team. Johnson walked on the team four years ago as a recipient of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship, one of the top academic and service grants awarded at the University of North Carolina.
Johnson averaged 3.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a junior. He started at forward in 15 of Carolina's 28 games and scored in double figures twice. He had a career-high 14 points against the College of Charleston and 11 against Binghamton. Johnson converted 42.9 percent from three-point range last year, making 18 of 42 from behind the stripe.
"Will is a such a smart and tenacious player," says Doherty. "He's always been a smart offensive rebounder, and he has worked hard to get stronger so he can be more effective when he gets the ball inside. He's also a good outside shooter."
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"Jonathan can really handle the ball and has a lot of court savvy," says Doherty. "We need Will and Jonathan to provide great senior leadership, probably as much as ever before because we are such a young team."
Sophomore Jackie Manuel also saw extensive playing time a year ago. The 6-5 swing man from West Palm Beach, Fla., played at small forward and shooting guard and was in the starting lineup on 16 occasions, including 11 of the first 12 games. He injured his ankle and missed a couple of games in January and was unable to practice at full-speed the rest of the season.
Manuel averaged 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds and had 55 assists in 26 games. He scored a season-high 16 points on five of seven shooting from the floor against Clemson in Chapel Hill. Manuel also had 11 points in Charlotte against 15th-ranked Saint Joseph's. He struggled shooting the ball early in the season, which affected his confidence. However, he has worked very hard in the offseason to develop more consistency from the floor.
"Jackie may be the best athlete on the team," says Doherty. "He missed some shots early last year and that shook his confidence. However, Jackie understood shot selection better as the year went on and became more comfortable on the court. He really has improved his strength and his overall athleticism in the offseason. He gained 10 pounds. That will give him a lot of confidence. I think you will see a much more relaxed player.
"Last year's experience obviously will help Jackie, Jawad and Melvin this year. Their leadership will be crucial this year. They can share their experiences with the freshmen."
Also, be sure to check out the following features on each returning player by Adam Lucas that have run on this site over the past several weeks:
