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WWW.GUILFORDIAN.COM
The Backstop
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1 can't look at the TV. I turn away and shake my head as my dad
slumps on the couch.
The room seems to darken. The University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill's men's basketball team just lost in overtime to the
College of Charleston. They will go on to lose to Clemson, Georgia
Tech, and Wake Forest, claiming a disheartening 12 wins and seven
losses.
1 can't believe this is happening. For seven years, 1 have put my
faith in Head Coach Roy Williams to pull my Heels through thick
and thin.
Williams works miracles at Carolina. He took a group of disparate
players from a disheveled 2002 campaign and made them into a
championship unit within a year.
Recently, Williams turned the overweight Sean May, the selfish
Rashad McCants, the football-playing David Noel, and the scatter
brained Quentin Thomas into basketball players.
What's the matter with this group?
For Carolina, the problem begins and ends with guard play. UNC
has a posse of productive postmen including senior Derm Thompson,
sophomore Fd Davis, and sophomore 'l)ler Zeller. They lead the
team in sct)ring and all shwt better than percent fnmi the floor.
UNCs thn*e main ball handlers, sophomore Larry Drew 11,
first-year Devter Strickland, and first-year l.eslie McDonald, how
ever, do m*t have the experience to run a team in the Atlantic Coast
ConferiMH'e \ i*t With experience I have no doubt that each will grow
intt) a fine lli>or gi*nera! But, for the time Ix'ing, their inexperieme has
led ti> 10! ti4rno\ers betweei\ the thn*e of them in the first W games
SenuM guard Marcus Ginyan.1 and junit»r guard Will Craves simply
don't have the skill to make up (or the cast of inexperienced undet-
cUssimm Lai h s!ux>ts alnive -kl fH‘rcent tn»m .'^•pomt range, but nei-
ihif has m.ide moie than '20 .'\-pttiiUers this season.
I Vsniie tlu* current slate o| attairs, worry not lar Hei*l faithful, thr
drougnl will luH last li*ng \t‘xt \ear, ( aroiina vxt*lcomes a stiK^ked
class t>( (lesluuan Iwlleis. w!u», along with airrrnt players, will take
I Nt' b.u k to (he |'ixmus«*d Land
lurwaid Hanis»m Harnes, arguably the ht*M plavif in tfie 20lii
diafi 4 lass along with pass-iiapfW' jXHnt guaid Kendall Marshall, and
man i*hiU1 of a slunKing guard Rej^^u* Hulitxk all brn^g Uieir akllK to
l ha|xel Hill I lieu .uiwal utlsets tlie dej»4i1u»e ol I hiviv
and C.iiw.uil .md oill l>lend nuelv with the rvturnit\g pla)erk.
‘I.md to}’,clhei r natuai 1'Nt liati a |XMaa* pnldutti^r
(xivi men llie \f.»ionl\ mafa';. us Miongd and the u\e\ liable ned.u
Ilf i n fill i ‘ \\vfc!
— -SPORTS
Hr$t-iMr$ uk* II die CMUt
By Andrew Kelley
■— Staff Writer
As the women's basketball team (9-7, 6-5)
prepares to head down the final stretch of
the season, a strong finish is essential to the
Quakers' tourney dreams.
In the midst of competing for crucial Old
Dominion Athletic Conference tournament
seeding, the Quakers are receiving major con
tributions from first-years who Dick Vitale,
college basketball anouncer, would call a few
real "diaper dandies" — in other words, "sen
sational freshmen."
Brittany Atwater, Brenda Hayes, Vanessa
Johnson, Morgan Weeks, Shelly Barker, Jessica
Brown, and LeAnne Birdsall make up this
year's cast of rookies.
"Even though we've never had four seniors,
1 still expected this freshmen class to step in the
way they have," said Head Coach Stephanie
Flamini.
With so much experience coming from seniors
Jasmine Wood, Ann Seufer, Alexa Williams and
Joclyn Terry, Flamini went on to say, "Having
seven freshmen on the team gives us much-
needed depth. We have a freshman to fill every
position."
This talented group of first-years is head
lined by the play of Atwater and Hayes who
have combined for 121 points, 72 steals, and 32
assists this season.
The Quakers are coming off a recent win
where Atwater had 12 points and 3 assists.
"I expected to be a contributor on the team
this year," said Atwater. "That was one of the
main reasons 1 came here."
According to Flamini, Atwater has received
praise for her athleticism and extremely aggres
sive defensive play.
"She goes really hard to the basket," Flamini
commented.
Hayes is another guard who the coach
described as "very skilled with a lot of quick
ness."
Averaging three points and 11.8 minutes a
game, her distinctive Mohawk-like hairstyle
is almost as flashy as her quick moves around
defenders.
Giving first-years substantial minutes early
in their careers can often do one of two things:
pressure a player to where they try to play
above their abilities, resulting in sloppy play,
or give an already cocky freshman an even big
ger ego. Flamini insists that neither case is true
when it comes to her first-years.
"The upperclassmen have really taken this
young group under their wing," said Flamini.
"We don't really even consider them freshmen
anymore because of that extended playing
time."
Accompanying Atwater and Hayes are
Birdsall and Barker. Birdsall is a pure post
player, which can be unusual for a first-year.
Birdsall and Barker have combined for 85
rebounds and 51 points this season.
Flamini said Birdsall has greatly improved
this season, and has outstanding box-out skills.
According to Flamini, Barker has also improved
despite changing positions during season.
L'lamini credits Barker'- improvement to her
intelligence on the court and her hard work in
practice.
With ‘•even ot the Quakers' last nine ganu
i n the load, the girls \iill have Ui be clicking on
all I vlinders in order to end the regular si .i-on
on a high note
1 like uur ihaiues the o| the ua'. a *.1,
said Ati\ .iter \\t- have a chaHi e o! tu i! e itrt* t-|
the top team- .inil i kiiou v%’c Can do it
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