University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Seniors Have Seen it All
February 8, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2005
by Aaron Beard, Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL --As a high school senior, Jackie Manuel watched North Carolina earn a No. 1 ranking, finish tied for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference and reach the NCAA tournament.
Standard stuff for anyone wearing a Tar Heels jersey, he figured.
Instead, Manuel, Jawad Williams and Melvin Scott walked in as freshmen to probably the most turbulent time the storied program has known. That included an 8-20 season, missed NCAA tournament bids and an ugly coaching change.
Now, with North Carolina ranked No. 2 heading into Wednesday's game at Duke, the seniors are finally having the kind of success they expected would be an annual occurrence.
"We just sit back and laugh at it and say, `Man, it's about time,'" Scott said. "This is what it's supposed to be like. We were supposed to enjoy this for four years.
"We've been patient and it's our time. If anybody deserves to win, it's us."
After three years of rebuilding, North Carolina (19-2, 8-1 ACC) is now routinely mentioned as a favorite to reach the Final Four. All but one of its wins have come by double-digit margins, with the Tar Heels beating opponents by an average of 23 points.
The seniors have played key roles, with Williams averaging about 15 points, Manuel starting every game as the team's top defensive player and Scott shooting 39 percent from 3-point range off the bench.
But more importantly, they're having fun.
"I definitely think (the success) means the most to them," junior David Noel said. "It's really been a tough road for those three guys, but this year has been a breeze for them. ... I'm happy for them and hopefully we can take them out with a bang."
That would be quite a leap forward from the start of their careers.
First came the eight-win season in 2001-02, the school's first losing record since Dean Smith's first season in 1962. That ended a streak of 27 straight NCAA tournament appearances and a 31-year run of 20-win seasons.
The next year, the three had to adjust their roles when then-coach Matt Doherty brought in the recruiting class of Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and Sean May. That team finished 19-16 and reached the NIT quarterfinals, but made more headlines when Doherty resigned after the season.
Included in the public split were reports that players and parents complained to athletic director Dick Baddour about Doherty's intense practices and drastic mood swings.
By the time Roy Williams took over as coach, the three had been through everything from considering whether to transfer to the pain of seeing the once-proud program struggle on their watch.
"It was crazy, a crazy time," Manuel said
In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Doherty said he felt badly that his first recruiting class faced those tough years.
"No young person needs to go through what they went through," he said.
Despite this year's success, the trio is quick to point out that the Tar Heels have plenty left to accomplish. Jawad Williams, Manuel and Scott are 1-6 against the rival Blue Devils, and are winless in three tries at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
They have yet to finish among the top three in the ACC standings, which the Tar Heels did for 37 consecutive seasons before the 8-20 debacle.
And then there's the matter of having just one NCAA tournament win at a school with three national titles and a record 15 appearances in the Final Four.
"This season can't be considered a success just yet," Williams said. "We haven't done anything. We've won a few games in the regular season. It won't be a success until we've won a national championship."
Still, this season has been a source of pride for Manuel, who said the seniors have had a big role in bringing the program back to elite status.
"Sometimes I find myself daydreaming and just thinking, `Wow, I can't believe how we're doing this season,'" he said. "It's just a quick thought, and then it's time to move on."
