Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / March 11, 1971, edition 1 / Page 5
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- V , , , T Jj ' A . f f f ' X?X, X'X X '! 'i i' '7" A h n IS.-, ,:, M rw-... 4 J t x . el- " '? u by Mark Whicker Asst. Sports Editor Charlie Scott graduated and most prognosticators tabbed Carolina for the second division in the ACC this year. Other than that, the 1970-71 season -did not seem much different from the four that preceded it with 99-24 records. The Tar Jleels won the regular season championship with an 11-3 conference record, and their 20-5 mark kept them in the national rankings for most of the season. And everyone outside the Carolina dressing room was surprised . While the Heels were panting through Coach Dean Smith's pre-season "boot camp," the observers scanned ACC rosters and pronounced Carolina dead without Scott, probably the greatest individual player the conference ever had. The fact that four of Smith's starters were among the most highly recruited players in the country at one time or another slipped everyone's mind. Forwards Dennis Wuycik and Bill Chamberlain, with inside moves that left opponents fouling and frustrated, and guards Steve Previs and George Karl were highly pursued by most major college basketball schools. The improved play of 6-10 center Lee Dedmon gave Smith a balanced five that shot better than anyone in the country ' besides Jacksonville, rebounded beyond their respective heights, and belly -flopped after every loose ball. Some of their passes had to be seen to be believed. Some of their defensive plays . v is. i x V reduced opponents offenses to the time-out signal. The Tar Heels started with 100 -point plus wins over East Tennessee, William & Mary and Crehton the latter nationally ranked at the time. The Creighton win was the first time Wuycik and Chamberlain played spectacularly the same night. Wuycik scored 39 and Chamberlain 25. Carolina opened conference play with an 80-75 win over Virginia, keyed by Wuycik 's impossible layup with four minutes left. Dennis got 30 that night. The doubters remained unconvinced in the Big Four tourney when UNC played miserably in an 82-70 loss to State. "If we play like this, that seventh-place prediction is optimistic," Smith said. An 83-81 consolation win over Duke; with Chamberlain taking Dedmon's pass for a last-second layup, preceded a 105-81 defeat at Utah. From there, Carolina won six in a row and took the conference lead (the Big Four games didn't count in ACC standings). Easy wins over Penn State, Northwestern and Tulane followed, and then South Carolina invaded Carmichael Auditorium, undefeated with a Holiday Festival title. But the Tar Heels came up with the most beautifully" disciplined game of the year to whip the Gamecocks 79-64, and it was then that the team fully realized its chances for success. Demoralized, South Carolina lost its next two conference games. "A J I) 5 I j. Carolina topped Duke 79-74 and Clemson 92-72 at home, with' reserve forward Dave Chadwick and third guard Kim Huband providing the impetus. Chadwick got 30 against Clemson and Huband popped in four straight jumpers that, combined with Chad wick's ten-point streak, killed Duke. Huband hit four in a row at Wake Forest, but Karl and Wuycik were in foul trouble and Wake's Charlie Davis was hot on his home court. Davis' 35 gave Carolina its first league loss 96-84, and the league leaders broke for exams. By then, people were beginning to wonder about the superb recuperative powers of Karl, a victim of a back ailment his freshman year. Karl had apparently wrecked his knee against Duke, but came back in five minutes later. The sophomore almost always came up with the jumper when Carolina needed it, and both Karl and Previs were ferreting out stray passes on defense. UNC came back after exams with a 105-77 blitz of Maryland and a 93-75 revenge win over Wake Forest. The Heels ventured out of Chapel Hill with a 65-63 win at State on Dedmon's free throws and smashing victories over Georgia lech and Clemson in the North-South doubleheader in Charlotte. Dedmon throttled Tech's center Rich Yunkus and grabbed 27 rebounds for the two games. Lee was putting the good games together after an erratic junior; year, and equalling more celebrated centers Randy Denton and Tom Owens of Duke and South Carolina. Carolina smoked Maryland out of unfriendly Cole Field House 100-76, playing its best first half of the year. Going into South Carolina, the Heels were ranked eighth and tenth in the polls. But the trip to Columbia was "most unusual," according to Smith, and most bitter to Tar Heel fans watching it on television. South Carolina won 72-66, holding Carolina to three field goals in the first half . Better remembered are the 57 fouls, the kick Karl received from John Ribock, the epithet John Roche hurled at Smith on the sidelines. Or maybe better forgotten. The Tar Heels overcame sloppy play to beat Florida State 70-61, with Dedmon rebounding 17 times, and then nipped Virginia 75-74 in Charlottesville with Wuycik scoring the last six points. The Carmichael Auditorium crowd of 8300 saluted the seniors in a 98-75 victory over N.C. State that gave the Heels the regular season title, but Carolina received its fourth straight loss in Duke Indoor Stadium last Saturday 92-83. With the midnight hour approaching on perhaps the most exciting ACC season yet, projectionists look at Smith's strong bench (Chadwick, Huband, Don Johnston, Dale Gipple and Craig Corson have all played well in spots), the team's imperturbable attitude, and the high shooting percentage. Also in Carolina's favor is the even scoring; the Heels can survive a bad night from one starter. Even the ones who pick South Carolina or - Duke to win are not discounting the Tar Heels any more, the team that Smith promised "would pull some surprises along the way." Thursday. March o x Chamberlain fakes 0 i- HI i s ! i . . - X m - " Of.: urn """-v wm$7 -.vvii-. . - X prr-x f' rJX ' X- X-X j hy . f J . : XX- V':,v' J - s '1 n n ix Th-s Da:: Tzr t 4 S' r-1 Coder for easy bucket. 11, 137! - 3 -i I i (vv'Lx XX' o L ' 1 I 1 xW j j j
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 11, 1971, edition 1
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