University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: MBB Asked & Answered
December 31, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2002
By Adam Lucas
Would you please comment on UNC's basketball staff 's decision to play May, hurt rather than having needed surgery almost three weeks ago?
Robert Williams
I was very surprised to read in your column that the basketball team doctors and Coach Doherty knew that Sean May had a stress fracture that "could break any time" and still elected to have him play against Iona. I suppose this reflects medical ignorance on my part, but why would it not have been smarter to have May stay off the court for a few weeks to allow the fracture to heal, rather than risk a break which would cause him to miss the bulk of the conference schedule?
Page Lea, Virginia Beach, VA
To those of us without medical diplomas on our wall, the Sean May situation was a little perplexing. However, the lengths to which some members of the email inbox took it (not the above pair) were the height of irresponsibility. First of all, the team doctors, not Doherty, have the final call on all injury situations. Marc Davis has been the Carolina basketball trainer for over 20 years and in 1998 received the physical therapist of the year award from the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association. Dr. Tim Taft is the director of Sports Medicine for the entire University of North Carolina and holds one of only two endowed professorships for sports medicine in the United States. He is a member of more boards and organizations than we have room to list here.
With that said, there were three options for May after the FSU game. He could have had an operation immediately, he could have had the foot put in a cast without operating, or he could have continued to play. The second option, which seems the most logical to those of us with no medical knowledge--let him rest the foot and have it heal--actually made the least sense. "It could have been in a boot for seven weeks and there's a chance it would have gotten better and he could play on it," Doherty said after the Iona game. "But it was still only a 60 percent chance. To put it in a cast for seven weeks, then you test for lack of conditioning, and there's a chance you are right back to where it was from the beginning. You'd rather play on it and hope it gets better. Now at least we know what we're dealing with and we're pretty sure about the time frame, and we can look forward to it healing 100 percent."
Incidentally, May isn't the first Tar Heel to suffer this injury. J.R. Reid and Brian Bersticker, among others, endured the same problem. Around the ACC, Elton Brand at Duke had the same injury during the 1998 season, as did Carlos Boozer in 1999. Basketball players are prime candidates for foot injuries because of their constant running and jumping on hard surfaces.
Is there a reason why Ray doesn't go to the hole more often? The last few games, to include the losses and the win over Vermont, near the end he showed that when he wants to go, he goes and can't be stopped.
Scott Murphy, Fayetteville, NC
You'll probably see Felton's penetration become a bigger part of the offense without May. But keep in mind that part of the reason he is able to get into the lane is because the defense has to respect Carolina's other offensive threats, which included Sean May. With May out, more defensive attention will go to Felton, which is why the Heels desperately need someone other than Rashad McCants to provide a legitimate perimeter threat and keep defenses from sagging back.
It's worth remembering that despite all the hype, Felton is still a freshman. He needs to improve his finishing ability, as his 35 percent field goal mark proves. But he's done a terrific job of running the team and controlling the flow of the game even when his box score statistics haven't been gaudy.
We had no business or connection playing Vermont. One of the ways Dean Smith built this program is by not playing those kinds of games. You said Carolina was "happy to oblige." We could get a home game with every "Vermont" in the country every year if we chose, so I can't see why we should be so excited (as the attendance proved, none of the fans were). Last year it was Hampton, Davidson, Binghamton and A&T. This year, Vermont, Iona, Old Dominion and Davidson (the rematch!). There's no sensible "pro Carolina" reasoning for playing these games. Matt is simply trying to pad the schedule (although it didn't work out last year), something Dean never did.
Kevin Barris, Houston, TX
Carolina didn't have to play Vermont, that much is certain. The alternative was to take a full two weeks off between the Kentucky game and the Florida State game due to exams. That's not a viable alternative for a young team that needs game experience. This week's AP Top five teams have the following teams on their schedule:
Alabama: Alabama State, Middle Tennessee State, UNC-G, Bowling Green, Morehead State.
Pittsburgh: Arkansas Pine Bluff, Norfolk State, George Mason, SE Louisiana.
Duke: Army, NC A&T, Fairfield, Butler, Michigan (currently at 5-6), UCLA (currently at 2-5).
Arizona: Western Kentucky, Northern Arizona, San Diego St., Boston University.
Oklahoma: UC Irvine, Prairie View, Hartford, Coppin State, Georgia State, UNC-A.
In the last five years of Dean Smith's career, Carolina's opponents included Butler, Cornell, Marshall, UNC-A, Old Dominion, VMI, Richmond, Dartmouth, Middle Tennessee, and Bethune-Cookman. To say that the Tar Heels have only recently begun placing mid-major teams on the schedule is inaccurate. It's also worth noting that the Heels went on the road to play Old Dominion and Miami this year and have Kentucky and Connecticut at the Smith Center. Although some people will never be able to get past the "Vermont" name on the jersey, the Catamounts have four starters back from a 21-win team that won the regular season title in their conference. Any examination of the schedule should also include the fact that this is the youngest team in program history, and it already has played in the Preseason NIT, Big Ten Challenge, hosted Kentucky, played at St. John's, and has upcoming dates with UConn, Miami, and Davidson (which, yes, beat the Heels last year and made the NCAA Tournament). The bottom line is this: complaining about one game on UNC's schedule is like finding fault with a hangnail on a supermodel. Watch the Sagarin ratings later this year, which will doubtless place the Heels among toughest schedules in the country, and get back to us.
Incidentally, the attendance for the Vermont game (with the students out of town) was 16,258, which is higher than the capacity of every ACC arena except State and the new Comcast Center at Maryland. Take a look at some of the other non-league attendance figures around the country and you'll see just how good that crowd was.
I am from Phoenix, AZ and have tried for years to get hoops tickets. It is pretty much impossible, I have found. Is there a website out there where I can get these from a student that can't make the game or something along that nature? Or, what are the chances of me just coming out there and scalping them? Is this even possible?
Randy Fredericks
We've gotten several emails concerning ticket availability. For years, there has been a perception that Carolina basketball tickets are approximately as available as Mona Lisa originals. With students occasionally failing to pick up their full allotment and economic realities forcing some staff and faculty members to decline their tickets, that's currently not the case. It's always worth calling 800-722-HEEL to check on availability for the game you want to see. Fans who followed that method earlier this year could get limited tickets to see the Heels battle Kentucky, Connecticut, and most any ACC game other than Duke or State.
If you strike out on that method, try acquiring tickets outside the Smith Center. It may take some time and effort, but it's usually successful.
And this week's alumni question...
Whatever happened to Dave Popson? I thought he was the type of player Coach Smith loved. Reserved, rebounded, picked up a few points and did the little things that helped a team win.
Mark Wilson, Concord, NC
Popson finished his Tar Heel career with a 5.7 points per game average. He started 34 of 36 games for the 1987 team that went 14-0 during the ACC regular season, averaging 10 points and five rebounds per game. He was drafted in the fourth round of the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and had a short NBA career. He currently lives in Pennsylvania, where he is a correctional activities specialist in Hunlocks Creek.
Adam Lucas will answer your questions about the Carolina men's basketball program this season in an exclusive column published each Tuesday. Lucas, editor of the Tar Heel Monthly, will answer your questions on personnel, strategy, opponents and anything on your mind about the Tar Heels other than recruiting specifics. Please send your questions to Adam at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com, and include your first and last names and your hometown.
