University of North Carolina Athletics
Droschak: May, Tar Heels Dominate the Paint
January 23, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2005
by David Droschak, TarHeelBlue.com
CHAPEL HILL - Frank Haith couldn't have walked faster to the Miami locker if he was skipping, slapping his hands together in disgust as he reached the state of North Carolina logo in the center of the Dean Dome.
Why was Haith in such a foul mood?
The Miami coach was upset because he spent the better part of the opening period within arms length of his three big men, who were saddled with foul trouble in a game they were desperately needed on the court to balance Miami's perimeter speed.
The result was a 14-point deficit that Haith's crew couldn't recover from in an 87-67 loss Saturday night.
"It was one of the keys that we put up on the board before the game," UNC coach Roy Williams said about trying to dominate the paint. "We wanted to get the ball inside to where we wanted to get it.
"It was important for us to get them into foul trouble because they are such a good rebounding team. When those big guys are sitting over there on the bench it's hard for them to get offensive rebounds."
Anthony King, the ACC's second-leading rebounder at 8.9 a game, can attest to that. He played just three minutes in the first half and fellow bruise brother William Frisby managed a total of 16 minutes before fouling out with 3:48 left.
The final rebound tally against the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the league was 44-33 in favor of the No. 6 Tar Heels (16-2) as Sean May had 17 points and 15 boards.
"I loved Sean May's work on the boards. That's some big-time playing," Williams said.
If May seems even more productive this season it's because he's getting help, major help underneath from freshman Marvin Williams, Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel and David Noel.
A weakness of the team a few years back has suddenly emerged as a strength - and a part of North Carolina's game teams are going to have to contend with come March.
The Miami game plan was a no-brainer for May.
"We watched them play the last couple of games and we watched the Duke game this week and Shelden (Williams) really took advantage of being strong and aggressive, and trying to get to the rim. I just tried to make it a point from the beginning. We attacked their big guys and we took them out of it."
Carolina's inside game has been steady all season, but has been an overlooked part of the team's success.
"It's because our guards are just that good and when they're rolling they're hard to stop," he said. "But anytime you've got inside guys and perimeter guys it's hard to stop. That's why Duke is good, Wake Forest is good and we're good.
"Tonight we got the ball inside more. It just shows how unselfish we are and how the guards are still keeping us involved."
Noel wished he was underneath more against the Hurricanes. The junior's main job when he came into the game in the first half was trying to shut down scoring machine Guillermo Diaz, who scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half when the game was out of reach.
"When you take me out of the equation as a big man that's even better for us," Noel said. "When I had to play down low I was always against bigger players and the other team had the advantage."
But what about being out on the perimeter against Diaz?
"That guy is fast, man. That dude is as quick as get-out," Noel said. "I was like, `Man, take me off this dude.""
David Droschak is the former sports editor for the North Carolina bureaus of the Associated Press, the largest news-gathering organization in the world. In 2003, Droschak was named the North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year. He currently works in public relations at Robbins & Associates International, based in Cary.
