TARget Practice
Written by Benn Hodapp, Tuesday April 07 2009
I don't think anyone is surprised that it was the team in light blue from Chapel Hill cutting down the nets on Monday night. Despite being the third one-seed, they were always the favorites in most people's minds.
However, no team in recent memory made it look like such a formality. You know by now that I am a UNC fan. I make no effort to hide it and it is hard for me to be objective when it comes to them. But let's be honest, friends. They made that tournament look like the Celtics playing in the NIT.
Their wins of 43, 14, 21, 12, 14 and 17 were remarkable. And by the way, only one of those games (an 84-70 second round win over LSU) was even as close as the score suggested. They demolished Gonzaga, could have beat Oklahoma by 50 if they wanted to, and openly mocked Villanova and Michigan State.
All that remains now for the official best team in the country for 2008-'09 is word from key players about their futures, whether it be at UNC or in the NBA. Ty Lawson is almost certainly heading to the NBA where he is already an underrated prospect, Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green will be taken somewhere in the late first-early second round range and Wayne Ellington may want to cash in on his Final Four Most Outstanding Player award and become a sniper for someone.
The most intriguing decision will be made by super-talented but raw freshman forward Ed Davis. The sweet-shooting lefty big man is projected as a lottery pick because of his seemingly limitless upside and potential. However, Davis might want to take a look at another Tar Heel who probably left a year or two too soon; Marvin Williams.
The situations are nearly identical. Williams was the ultra-talented sixth man for the 2005 title team who everyone knew was going to someday be great. He left and became the No. 2 overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks. He is a good player and all (averaging 14.0 pts and 6.4 rebs this year), but there is little doubt that he would have been better prepared for life in the NBA had he stayed in college and at least been the man for a year.
That draft also spoke to the inexact science of taking players that appear to be on their way to superstardom rather than taking more dependable players. Some of the guys who went after Williams in the draft include Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum, Danny Granger, David Lee and Monta Ellis. All of whom would likely go ahead of Williams in a draft held today.
As a Heels fan I hope Davis stays, but really, I think he would benefit his future by sticking around. But when guaranteed millions are out on a slip of paper and pushed in your direction, well, I can't fault anyone for grabbing it, smiling and walking out the door.
Congrats to the undisputed best team in college basketball.
Oh, and one more thing: Dook sucks.
Photo Credit: Detroit Free press / Zuma Press / Icon SMI
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I am far from a Tarheels fan, but I give them credit... there is definitely no doubt they were the best team this year!