University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina Central Game Guide
November 11, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2009
By Lauren Brownlow
The Basics
No. 6/4 North Carolina (1-0) will face North Carolina Central (0-0) in its season-opener and Carolina's second game of the season. This will be Carolina's second game of a span of three games in six days and five games in 11 days. Six of Carolina's first eight games will be in the Smith Center, and so are its first three in a row, ending with Valparaiso on Sunday Nov. 15th. Carolina is coming off of an 88-72 victory over Florida International on Monday night.
Game Time: North Carolina Central at North Carolina, 9:00 PM.
Last Time: This will be the first meeting between the two cross-town schools.
Radio Coverage: Tar Heel Sports Network coverage will begin at 8:00 PM.
Storylines
Smoothing out the rough edges: After Carolina plays Central, it will face Valparaiso at home on Sunday and five of its next nine opponents will likely be ranked. Williams said this is a team that he would like to have had a few extra practices with, and the 26 turnovers against FIU demonstrated the reason for that. Turnovers are the biggest issue of this group, but it's not as much about getting used to playing with each other. They have, for the most part, been playing pick-up basketball for the better part of the summer and fall together. But everything is different when the bright Smith Center and television lights come on. "Turnovers can come from anywhere. Some guys, once they get out there - 18,000 people, Coach (Williams yelling), `Go, go, go' - you just start trying to do a little bit too much," Larry Drew II said. "But the more you play the slower the game is going to get for you and the easier it's going to get for you."
Defense appears to be a strong suit of this team, but FIU scored 18 points off of 26 Carolina turnovers (Carolina did not allow a single fast-break point, on the bright side). It can be deflating when the Tar Heels are constantly having to play defense after a turnover rather than a made basket or at least a shot attempt. "I think we really do like playing defense, but we don't like it if we're going to turn the ball over and have to go back and play defense," Will Graves said. "So if we cut down our turnovers, then we'll love our defense."
The guard-heavy Panthers also exposed a likely strategy that will be used against Carolina all season - spreading out the Tar Heels and trying to exploit mismatches off the dribble, particularly at the three-spot where Will Graves and John Henson likely won't be quick enough to stay in front. "I do believe this will be a very good defensive club," Williams said. "John (Henson) is 6-10 and getting out and guarding a guy 40 feet from the basket is hard, but it's what we're going to be faced with so we have to do it. I do like the fact that we can challenge shots at the rim, so let's get out and pressure and see if we can get them to go to the rim and not let them have open shots without getting a hand up out on the perimeter."
At The Game
Listening to the Tar Heel Sports network at the game: The in-stadium frequency in the Smith Center will be FM 92.7. That station will have a non-delayed feed of WCHL 1360, the local affiliate.
Watching At Home
Turn down the sound: If you're watching at home while listening to the radio or over the computer via Carolina All-Access, there will inevitably be some delay. For the reason - and a possible solution - click here.
A full list of THSN affiliates can be found here.
ESPNU coverage: The game will be available on ESPNU.
Names To Know
Justin Watts: The sophomore swing man was essentially only an end-of-the-bench player last season, coming in only when the former JV players did. But Watts has shown that he could be sort of a Danny Green Lite, a player that can come in and provide energy off the bench. Carolina had a thin rotation in the ACC Tournament and Roy Williams trusted him enough to play him for five minutes in the Virginia Tech game, saying jokingly afterwards that he fed the post very well (notching an assist to Tyler Hansbrough).
In 84 minutes last season, he shot 33 times (nearly 0.4 attempts per minute) but scored 19 points, adding 20 rebounds, five assists, two steals, three blocks, six fouls and nine turnovers. Somewhat like a young Danny Green, fans knew that when Watts got on the court, something was going to happen, good or bad. But his impact on a game would not go unnoticed. He has worked very hard in the off-season though and after not making a three-pointer and shooting 24.2% last year from the floor, he made one of Carolina's four three-pointers against FIU and made 2-of-5 shots, scoring five points and adding two assists, a block and two turnovers in nine minutes.
On a team full of youngsters, he could work his way into being a consistent part of this rotation. "He's such a great athlete. He can get to the basket, and he's starting to shoot the ball with confidence," Deon Thompson said. "Justin Watts is going to be good. Tonight showed him there's an opportunity there because of the minutes he played. Once he gets more comfortable with his role, you'll see the true kind of player he is."
Dexter Strickland: Though his debut at Carolina did not go as smoothly as he would have liked, not many first-time Tar Heels get to make a buzzer-beating jumper at halftime for their first-ever basket. It was the only shot attempt he took, and he made it, but he had just one assist to five turnovers and four fouls in 11 minutes. The 6-3 freshman guard is not a natural point guard per se, which makes transitioning into a Roy Williams point guard that much more difficult. "It's challenging because you have to do different things," Strickland said. "On a shot I can't go to the rim because I've got to get back on defense and look to get my team involved, stuff like that. It's a challenge but I'll get through it."
Larry Drew II has been a natural point guard his entire life and found it hard enough, so he feels for Strickland. But he has also seen what Strickland can do and has complete faith that he will show what a great player that he is. At one point, Williams yelled out, `Go, go, go!' at Strickland when he got the ball. "I just sit back and I feel for him. He didn't have his best game but I know Dexter's potential. Dexter's going to be a very, very good player. He's going to get to where he needs to be," Drew said. "But right now, for him, somebody who didn't play point guard as much in high school coming in here and expected to play point guard at North Carolina, it can be tough on him. I know he's going to be all right. It's a learning experience."
C.J. Wilkerson: Anyone who saw Jerry Stackhouse's summer league play at NC Central might have noticed Wilkerson, and the junior guard will make an impact for the eagles. He is a transfer from Clinton Junior College and earned First-Team All-Region honors after averaging 14 points, four rebounds and two assists. The 6-3 guard played at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford, NC and was Player of the Year his senior year. The Sporting News named him the top newcomer among Division I independent schools.
Nick Chasten: The 6-7 sophomore forward had to sit out the first semester with academic issues but he scored in double figures in his first-ever collegiate game and finished the year sixth on the team in scoring (6.8 points per game). He shot 25% from three which was second on the team. He also added 3.9 rebounds and 12 blocks. In the "bonus game" against Winston-Salem State, a huge win for Central, Chasten had 13 points, ten rebounds and three steals. He had 15 points twice and once was at then-ranked Michigan. He attended Leesville Road High School in Raleigh and averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds there.
Quotables
"He was so serious. That's Marcus being Marcus. Marcus tries to act like he's Mr. Serious, but he's one of the guys on the team who's always joking. Coach likes for us not to celebrate after plays and hustle back on defense, so he was probably just doing what Coach wanted him to do and then celebrate later." -Will Graves on Marcus Ginyard not smiling after his dunk
Lauren Brownlow is the executive editor of Tar Heel Monthly.
