University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Alums Set The Tone
August 13, 2014 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
After a quick water break during one of Carolina's pre-Bahamas practices, the practice plan called for a period devoted to the Tar Heel screening game. When executed properly, it's beautiful to watch, with screens being set all over the floor, usually resulting in a layup. When executed poorly, it's painful to watch, with confused faces and the ball often caroming out of bounds.
With three freshmen on the roster, Roy Williams needed a very reliable group to demonstrate the offense. Someone who had repeated the drill numerous times. Someone who had actually executed the offense in a game. Maybe even someone who owned a championship ring. Someone like...oh, how about Sean May, Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Tyler Hansbrough and Justin Watts?
Those were the five players--all of whom own an NCAA title ring via their Tar Heel experiences--Williams drafted to serve as the demonstrators. The current team stood at the midcourt line watching the drill. "Now, some of these guys haven't done this in years," the head coach said, just before the quintet ran it perfectly.
NCAA rules allow alums to practice occasionally with the current team. The timing of Carolina's summer trip to the Bahamas worked perfectly, because numerous players now in the NBA or playing overseas are already in Chapel Hill in August. When they were notified that the current team would be practicing all this week in advance of the trip, they turned out in force.
In addition to the five players who ran the drill, Deon Thompson and James Michael McAdoo also participated in practice, while 1993 national champion Henrik Rodl and 2005 national champion Melvin Scott were on the sideline observing. In all, eight national title rings were represented simply among the alumni in attendance for practice. It was plainly obvious that the current team could get much better competition by playing a best-of-five series against the assembled alums than by flying to Nassau.
Membership in the exclusive fraternity of Carolina basketball alumni has its privileges. During an early shooting drill, post players were running off the baseline, catching an entry pass, and executing a quick scoring move. Everyone needed a basketball, but May didn't have one.
"Big May, do you need a ball?" asked director of player development Eric Hoots, who is essential to maintaining the link to former players.
"Nope," May said, as he swiped a ball out of Brice Johnson's hands and began running the drill. The Tar Heel junior simply shrugged and chased down a ball off a nearby rack. What can you do when the 2005 Final Four Most Outstanding Player wants to use your ball? You just hand it over.
Even though the first practice was held in the practice gym, the banners hung by the returning players remained a constant presence. Smaller replicas of the championship memorabilia from the Smith Center adorn the practice gym. During one fullcourt drill, the teams were split white (roughly the starters), blue (roughly the reserves) and navy (given to alums--and no, navy isn't in the future plans. The navy practice jerseys are left over from several years ago and haven't been used because Roy Williams quickly mothballed them after only a couple days of practice).
When white allowed navy to throw an easy entry pass to May, who then took his time and scored, Williams blew his whistle to stop the action.
"You see that banner up there?" he said, pointing at the '05 banner. "That means that guy is pretty good. If you just let him dribble, dribble, dribble, he's going to score."
Of course, Carolina post players are unlikely to face anyone as skilled as Sean May this season; one of the things you quickly realize when watching professional players is how good you can get at playing basketball when you get paid to play the game. We tend to think of Tar Heels as finished products when they are seniors, but the reality is that the pros get much, much better. So it's nothing to see Hansbrough drain a 17-foot step-back jumper, or Thompson to come around a screen and drop through a three-pointer.
But their skill level is probably less important than the example they set. During one drill, the current team and alumni were mixed together. About a minute into the period, Williams blew the whistle again.
"I hate to spend all our time talking," he said, "but Sean May and Tyler Hansbrough are down there working harder than anyone."
It was hard not to remember the days when May was a Tar Heel, and he wondered if he'd ever reach the exalted status of Raef LaFrentz or Nick Collison, two players who were constantly held up as examples by Williams of hardworking players he wanted the Tar Heels to emulate. Now, here was May, a decade (wow) later, having reached the same plateau.
But that status doesn't come with complete immunity. As always, practice concluded with sprints. Players are required to touch the baseline with their foot on every crossing of the court during full-court sprints. May was roughly in the neighborhood of the line, in the same way that Chapel Hill is in the same neighborhood as Apex.
"Sean May missed the end line by three feet," Williams announced to the team. "Coach Rob, keep an eye on him."
