University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: May's Return A Bright Spot
March 15, 2003 | Men's Basketball
March 15, 2003
By Adam Lucas
GREENSBORO--As it became apparent to those around the Carolina basketball program this week that Sean May's return from a broken foot was imminent, someone posed to him the question, "So, Sean, you going to pull a Willis Reed this weekend?"
May's response showed that although he's got as good a grasp as anyone on basketball history, there are times when we have to realize that 18-year-olds, occasionally, don't have the full encyclopedia of basketball knowledge that we sometimes assume that they do.
His response to that question: "Huh?"
May, of course, was a long way from being born when Reed took the floor at Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. He doesn't remember Reed coming back from a torn leg muscle to lead his team to the league title that year; heck, he wasn't even born when Michael Jordan hit the 1982 championship-winning shot in the Superdome.
So it's no surprise, then, that he didn't quite have the proper script down for pulling a Willis Reed. He got the first part right--dramatically rip off warmup top, run to scorer's table, check into the game to a standing ovation from a hearty contingent of Tar Heel fans. Then, post up and score four quick points.
This is good stuff. This will make a great scene in the movie. From there, though, we'll have to fade to black.
The rest of Saturday's semifinal game against Duke was a clinic on the Blue Devils rediscovering some of the magic they had earlier this year. They hit 8 of 11 three-pointers in the first half and bolted out to a 54-point first half.
"They were getting some good looks early," sophomore Jackie Manuel said. "I think yesterday's game took a lot out of us. The energy wasn't there."
As much as the overwhelmingly pro-Carolina crowd in the Greensboro Coliseum tried to manufacture that energy, Manuel was correct--it just wasn't there.
There will be those that immediately point the finger at May's presence as a problem for team chemistry, as a problem that somehow upset the Carolina momentum. Don't fall into that trap. The likable freshman has been like a Ferrari kept in first gear over the past couple of weeks, eager to get back on the court in a game situation and help his teammates.
It's not as though they last saw him on Dec. 27 when he broke his foot against Iona. He's been on the floor with them consistently in practice, especially over the past couple of weeks. They've worked both with him and against him in that situation, and adding a few people in the stands doesn't make much of a difference.
Most importantly, getting him back in uniform allowed him to do what he came to Carolina to do, what he loves to do. Imagine a master violinist attending Chapel Hill on a music scholarship, only to have their violin taken away for two months. Think back to your own freshman days--it's not the easiest time period, even without the one thing you've dedicated your life to doing being ripped away from you.
"Dad [former Indiana star Scott May] told me that it was risky to play, that he didn't know if it was worth it," May said. "And I told him, 'Dad, you have to trust me. I've been going hard in practice, I know what I'm capable of.' If I didn't think I was capable of holding my own, I wouldn't have played. He finally gave in this morning."
If you're wondering what that noise is, it's the sound of maturity talking. Knowing his limits. Acting on what is best for him even when it might not jive with wishes of a beloved parent.
Those are the things Sean May learned this season, even more than a new post move or how to play college-level team defense.
Now, he knows something else: how to pull a Willis Reed. He just needs to work on the ending to that script.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.
