Talking Wake Forest-UNC Basketball With Tar Heel Fan

by Martin Rickman on Jan 30, 2012 5:35 PM EST

In case anyone forgot or didn't know, Wake plays UNC tomorrow at the Joel. I know it has been quiet, but this used to be a pretty big game. To create some "hype" and "buzz" (as the kids like to say), we reached out to Brian over at Tar Heel Fan. Make sure and give him a follow on twitter, and check out our answers to his questions between now and game time on Tuesday night.

We talk point guard play, UNC's terrific frontcourt and the future of the Tar Heels after the jump...

1.) Since the one-point loss to Kentucky, the Tar Heels have hit their stride, winning 12 of their last 13 games, with the mere blemish a 90-57 road loss to Florida State. What has made UNC so successful this year?

One of the best frontcourts in the nation. When Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes are clicking this team is scary to watch. Zeller has really hit a stride of being really consistent alongside putting up big rebounding numbers. Henson has been the defensive monster everyone thought he would be but also has a more polished offensive game. Barnes, likewise, has been very good. Add to that Kendall Marshall, who simply knows how to get the ball to these guys in scoring position, and its a recipe for success.

2.) Everyone expects the Heels to be a dynamo scoring the ball, but those not paying close attention have missed how well UNC has played on defense. They are currently 11^th in the country in efficiency and 34^th in defensive eFG%. Are Roy's boys doing anything differently, or is it just a product of how much of an effect Tyler Zeller and John Henson have on the game?

Henson and Zeller really push teams out the perimeter. UNC fans love to give Roy Williams a lot of grief for his teams not being good perimeter defending teams, but during his eight seasons in Chapel Hill, he has, for the most part, had quality big men in the paint. This season has taken it to a different level.

Henson is a known commodity, but now Zeller has been more aggressive going after blocks as well as taking charges. Barnes can be a really good defender when he wants to be and Marshall is the crafty sort who picks your pocket here and there. The now-injured Dexter Strickland got a ton of credit for really locking down opposing teams perimeter aces with his quickness. Now that he is out, Reggie Bullock is starting in his place. Bullock has shown signs of being a good defender who relies more on his size and length rather than quickness.

It will be interesting to see how that impacts the defense and if the added offense in the form of better perimeter shooting is worth taking a slight hit on the defensive end.

3.) It's all but assumed Harrison Barnes will be gone by year's end, Zeller will be graduating, and Henson might declare, but there's plenty of firepower remaining in P.J. Hairston, James McAdoo, Reggie Bullock and Desmond Hubert. Talk a little bit about the future of the Heels, who are also bringing in ESPN's third-rated class nationally behind Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson, J.P. Tokoto and Joel James.

Roy Williams tends to recruit on two year cycles. I am not sure whether this is intentional or not, but his best teams are really brought together over the course of two classes with one of them being strong and the other being full of almost NBA-ready-type talent.

This class is more of the former with the 2013 class shaping up to be the multiple five star group. Still, there are some solid players coming in. Marcus Paige, just this past weekend dropped 46 points in a game. He is more of a scoring point guard and if he can play well right away it will really help Marshall at the point.

J.P. Tokoto and Brice Johnson are freak athletes who can run the court and will excel in Roy Williams' up-tempo offensive game. They will probably be a little raw on some offensive skills but UNC will have plenty of shooters to take care of that.

Joel James at 6-10, 280 lbs will provide the Heels some bulk in the middle and undoubtedly a physical presence. The post will be thin in 2012-13, which makes James perhaps the most important player in that class outside of maybe Paige.

4.) Dexter Strickland's injury has definitely had an impact, but you have to be encouraged with the unlikely productive minutes North Carolina has gotten out of freshman Stilman White. Will he be able to give Kendall Marshall enough rest to keep the sophomore fresh down the stretch?

The good news for UNC on the backup PG front is Roy Williams went down this road in 2005 with Raymond Felton being the only real PG option. In those days a freshman named Quentin Thomas was simply a turnover machine. In fact, UNC's first game of the season in 2004-05 was versus Santa Clara, which the Heels lost because Felton was suspended for one game by the NCAA and Thomas filled in.

The end result was a ton of minutes for Felton over the last half of the season with Thomas and Melvin Scott pulling spot duty at point. You will see much the same this season though Stilman White has actually looked decent in the minutes he has played. Williams likes to put White in before a TV timeout occurs so Marshall gets a minute or so before the timeout and a minute or so on the other side of it to rest.

Other than that, Marshall will have to play somewhere in the 35+ minutes range in big games. He did so last season, so I am not expecting it to be an issue.

5.) The Tar Heels only have two road wins this season: a November victory over UNC-Ashville and a 82-68 win over Virginia Tech a couple weeks ago. Does the lack of success on the road worry UNC fans? How do you expect the team to play at the Joel against Wake Forest on Tuesday night?

It doesn't worry me because this is the same core group that scored some big road wins last season and did not appear to be the least bit intimidated playing in Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time. Even though they did not win at Kentucky, there was nothing in the way that game unfolded that gives me pause about road games. That being said....

6.) Prediction time. How do you see this thing playing out? What's your final score?

...this team is prone to poor starts on the road, with the Kentucky game being a notable exception. If Wake Forest is going to get some licks in, it will be early on before UNC takes control of the game and wins 84-61.

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Comments

MRickman: On JoshuaR

Quzybuk and I, which have disagreed on a number of things, and agreed on some things, were carrying on in the FSU thread and this gentleman – JoshuaR – gets in on the thread between between Quz, lets-go-dea-cons, and I just to say this:

Not surprised you showed up today. You have been absent after all the wins but always manage to provide negative input after a loss.

Can you remind JoshuaR of the rules here? I.e. that if you just file an inaugural post on a thread to call someone a troll and disloyal for his(/her?) meaningful participation with others – such as the thread Quz, Deacs, and I had that JoshuaR involved himself in just to insult me and not to contribute in any way – it just opens the door to a road that we neither want nor need to go.

People write here for a reason, because despite all of our differences, we want WF to do well. I know if I inaugurated my participation in a thread with something like that directed at SF, for example, I would be (rightfully) lambasted. Let JoshuaR know not to inaugurate his participation in threads to say things like that to me. I literally had not done anything improper in general or specifically to JoshuaR, and he decided to inaugurate his participation in that thread by basically ambushing me with those insults. Please warn him appropriately to keep pandora’s box from opening. All conduct like that does is spur unsolicited rudeness and infighting we don’t need.

by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 30, 2012 10:55 PM EST reply actions

Josh, play nice. No trolling from either of you, please.

That comment from Josh was trolling and unsolicited. This comment from you is also trolling and unsolicited.

GTS, did this have to go on my Q&A w Tar Heel? Is this really fair to him or me for the work we put into this? Couldn’t this have gone on any of the other articles that you already made all about you? Did you even read this or just skip to the comments to make your mark?

I understand your frustration, but your incessant “look at me! look at me!” tantrums get old fast. Contribute to the dialogue or find somewhere else to rant and rave. I want you here because you are intelligent and provide a contrarian viewpoint, but your recent comments in the last 24 hours are pushing it and wearing thin. We can take this off-site if you wish, but to disrespect me and the guest that I brought to the site to ask questions about our opponent is downright rude.

I expect better from all of you.

Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
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by Martin Rickman on Jan 30, 2012 11:34 PM EST reply actions

Didn't know where else to put it..

No offense or disrespect intended at the dialogue between you and Tar Heel Fan. When I’ve talked it hasn’t been “look at me” friend, it’s either a pithy comment like “ugh” or in response to someone else’s observation, either in agreement or disagreement, but always germane to WF hoops.

I understand your urge to split the baby, but I haven’t trolled one iota. I haven’t attacked anybody and have contributed to the dialogue between people. I think your off-site suggestion might be constructive if you care to discuss your feelings that I’ve been making “incessant look at me” tantrums. Shoot me an e-mail on my SBNation acct. I appreciate your work. That is all.

by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 31, 2012 7:37 AM EST up reply actions

Thank you for your well-reasoned and sound response.

I hope we can consider this issue resolved and move forward.

I have a lot of respect for the readers of the site, and steadfastly believe that everyone can promote a healthy community, whether we’re winning or getting blown off the floor.

Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
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by Martin Rickman on Jan 31, 2012 11:10 AM EST up reply actions

If you want a message board to say as much and as often as you wish, may I suggest OGBoards.com

It’s a fun place. I highly recommend it. Many of us post there.

This site is NOT a message board. I have repeatedly made mention to that fact.

Bah da da da da da da da, Go Deacs.
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by Martin Rickman on Jan 30, 2012 11:36 PM EST reply actions

Nice interview. I have no idea how we are going to handle their frontline. Walker and Desrosiers have been playing well lately but Henson/Zeller seem to be way to skilled for them to handle.

The Mikan Drill

by JoshuaR on Jan 31, 2012 9:06 AM EST reply actions

Great stuff Marty, as always.

If we want to have a chance tonight we have to play nearly flawless basketball, which we have not shown the ability to do over 40 minutes yet this year.

I like that final score, and wonder where our points are going to come from. Travis has to get out of this mini-slump he has been in lately.

Wake Forest '12

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by RAJohnston on Jan 31, 2012 9:26 AM EST via Android app reply actions