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6 Friday, November 9, 2001 t -< ( ,’*’ J§ ,:?., DTH/BRENT CLARK North Carolina senior forward Kris Lang (left) guards Shane Battier during the ACC Tournament last season. Curry's, Peppers' Status Up in Air By Rachel Carter Sports Editor No one expects Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers to be in uniform Nov. 16 for North Carolina’s first bas ketball game. No one really expects them to even be in the building, because UNO s star quarter back and defensive end will be with their other team, preparing for Saturday’s game against Duke. But as the season goes on, the expectations will change. There will be those expecting Curry, at least, to be back running the point. There will be those expecting Curry and Peppers to stay away and instead work on improv ing the NFL draft status. Publicly, at least, UNC coach Matt Doherty would welcome the duo back on his court with open arms. “Would I love to see Julius Peppers play basket ball?” Doherty said when asked about Peppers’ sta tus. “Yeah. But I’d love to see him win a bowl game first Then I’d go over and pick him up at his apart ment and invite him to practice. I’m sure we could find a jersey for him.” The North Carolina football team’s postseason, depending on which bowl bid the Tar Heels receive, will impact how soon Doherty gets an answer from Curry and Peppers. Doherty has kept up with Curry, who sparked an 18-game winning streak when he returned to the team last season and started 26 games at the point for the Tar Heels, but said he hasn’t talked to Curry about bas ketball season. Curry’s football season hasn’t been everything of the senior’s dreams. Redshirt freshman Darian Durant’s play has led UNC coach John Bunting to alternate Curry and Durant in a two-series system. And BHJ2jsS^|S2j^|^3J2jjjj^39S^^?J2jjjj(^^2^2|^2sj2j^s^^Hß 1840 Airport Road, HOURS: Chapel Hill, NC jfc Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm 1-40 and Hwy 86, V Kl te Sunday 1 pm-6pm a hamstring injury kept him out of the Georgia Tech game. But Curry still hold on to his starter slot and has completed 43-of-101 passes with five interceptions for 672 yards while rushing for 182 yards. “I see him on campus every once in a while,” said UNC junior guard Jonathan Holmes. “I have a couple classes with him, but I don’t go up to him and say, ‘Hey, Ron, what’re you thinking buddy?’ He has enough pressure on him as it is.” Curry has two years of eligibility remaining for basketball, while his time left with the football has slipped down to four games. After rupturing his right Achilles tendon against Georgia Tech dur ing football season of his sophomore year, Curry sat out the following bas ketball season, taking a medical redshirt. While it stands to rea son Curry might return because his NFL future looks bleak, Peppers’ draft status is solid, and there are some powerful rea sons for him not to return. NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. projected Peppers as an early favorite to be the No. 1 pick overall after Peppers’ performance against Clemson. If Peppers has Junior forward Julius Peppers could be a nigh first-round pick in the NFL Draft in April. Junior guard Ronald Curry sparked UNC to a 18-game win streak when he returned last year. his February and March free, he can have private workouts with teams and attend combines. But Doherty has said in the past he’s willing to let scouts in to prac tice to time Peppers in the 40. Doherty has also suggested playing basketball on national television would be a good way for Peppers to showcase his agility and physicality. UNC forward Jason Capel told reporters Peppers would be back. “I don’t know,” said Peppers of Capel’s comment “I don’t know. I’m still not sure about that situation.” Basketball 2001-02 Filling in th< After Key Losses, the Tar Heels Must Answer Difficult Questions By Mike Ogle Senior Writer It’s a common query in Chapel Hill: Can I see your ID? Date of Birth: Jan. 27, 1911 Bad Photo: Grey-hairedgrandpa, Dean Smith Address: Smith Center, Skipper Bowles Drive Eyes: Powder Blue Height: Three NCAA championships, 15 Pinal Fours, 27 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, 31 straight 21-win seasons, 31 top-three ACC finishes) in a row ID Issued: 1961 Expires: ? The identity of North Carolina basketball is easily quantifiable and well-documented. UNC is all those things listed above. The leg endarv ex-coach who is the personification of the pro gram. The mystique. The tradition. The streaks. The Smith Center rafters that serve as much as suspenders of banners and jerseys as supports for the roof. There’s also more. The fiercely loyal, gigantic family. The graduation record. The innovation and trend setting. But mostly, the Tar Heels just win. No question. Right? “They’re North Carolina," Virginia forward Chris Williams simply stated. “They’re always going to be good.” Duke forward Mike Dunleavy said, “The tradition Carolina has, you can’t ever pick them to be very low.” As the 2001-02 campaign gets under way, many are questioning more than ever in recent memory whether the Tar Heels can keep their license from being suspend ed. And the ACC driver’s test seems to be getting more and more difficult. “To be among the upper echelon of this league means you literally have to be among the top 10 teams in the country,” said Maryland coach Gary Williams. The media picked North Carolina as the conference’s fourth-best team behind Duke, Maryland and Virginia. Despite leading his team to a share of the league’s regu lar-season crown last season, even second-year coach Matt Doherty believes that might be generous when throwing Wake Forest into the mix. “If I’m a sportswriter," Doherty said, “that’s probably who I’d pick as my top four. As the coach of North Carolina, I’ve got a different agenda.” At the top of that agenda is filling the voids left from last year’s team to prove the naysayers wrong. Would-be junior Joseph Forte, 2001 co ACC Player of the Year, and alumnus Brendan Haywood are gone. UNC’s top two scorers were first-round NBA draft picks. Muscle-bound forward Julius Peppers and starting point guard Ronald Curry won’t be available until the new year with the football team eyeing its first bowl game since 1998. That’s if they decide to even exercise their hoops options - something Peppers has recently indicated is unlikely. “We have to worry about our team that’s in here now,” senior Kris Lang said. “We can’t expect Ronald and Pep to come back.” Backup guard Max Owens has also departed along with Michael Brooker andjim Everett. Those missing players left behind huge holes to fill: 62 Where's the Points? With the departure of Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood to the NBA and the possible defections of Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers to the NFL, a good chunk of UNC's offense disappeared. Out the Door PPG FG% RPG APG SPG BPG Joseph Forte* 20.9 45.0 6.1 3.5 2.0 0.4 Brendan Haywood* 12.3 59.2 7.3 1.3 0.5 3.6 Ronald Curry* A 5.5 43.1 3.4 4.3 1.2 0.0 Julius Peppers A 7.1 64.3 4.0 ‘ 0.8 0.5 0.2 Max Owens 5.7 40.7 1.4 0.9 0.5 0.1 Still on the Floor Jason Capel* 11.4 47.0 7.3 3.4 1.1 0.3 Kris Lang* 11.3 55,0 5.7 0.7 0.5 0.7 Brian Morrison 3.0 33.0 1.1 1.2 0.4 0.1 Adam Boone 1.5 30.0 0.9 1.4 0.5 0.1 * denotes 2000-01 starter A— denotes possibly returning ■^WTITTW i fl ...... , <• -■ “The biggest key in filling those losses is actually creating anew identity. ... We’ve got to create anew identity for ourselves. ” Adam Boone UNC Sophomore Point Guard percent of UNC’s scoring and 51 percent of its rebound ing. Not to mention 58 percent of its assists, 64 percent of its steals and II percent of its blocks. Doherty knows what needs to be answered. “I’m sure there’s a point guard question in there. I’m sure there’s a Julius Peppers and Ronald Curry question in there. I’m sure there’s a go-to question in there,” he anticipated as he sat down with reporters recently. The doubters and questions have come and gone before, each time with the streaks and traditions still intact. Tar Heel basketball is still alive. The closest UNC came to extinction was seeing its 172- week streak in The Associated Press Top 25 expire in January 2000 after four straight losses dropped North Carolina to 11-8. But the Tar Heels bounced back just two months later for an improbable run to the Final Four behind that season’s answer, Forte, who became the first freshman in school history to lead his team in scoring. UNC history had to metamorphose a bit to keep the tra dition going. Now, the burden lies on the shoulders of a pair of seniors who have started since their freshman years - Jason Capel and Lang. Both have the potential to carry the load, to be the man. Both were McDonald’s All-Americans in high school. They’ve been patiendy waiting their turns in the UNC system. “It’s something we both look forward to, the tradition of North Carolina,” said Capel, who has been the emo tional sparkplug from the start. “Asa kid, you always gl ow up just waiting for going to Carolina, filling in roles and your senior year getting a chance to showcase your talent. Well, it’s our turn. It’s our turn to step up to the plate and How Did They Bounce Back? Seven times in North Carolina history the Tar Heels have lost two first-round draft pick Here's how the Tar Heels fared the year after. Previous Record Draftees Lost Resul 1977-78 28-5,9-3* A1 Walter Davis, Tommy LaGarde 23-8,'9-i 1984-85 28-3,14-0* Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins 27-9,9-! 1987-88 32-4,14-0* Kenny Smith, Joe Wolf 27 7, IT 1991-92 29-6,10-4 A1 Rick Fox, Pete Chilcutt 2310,9 1995-96 28-6,12-4*’ Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace 21-IVI 1998-99 34-4,13-3 A1 Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter 24-10, t 2001-02 26-7,13-3* Joseph Forte, Brendan Haywood ????? * ACC regular season champs A —ACC Tournament champs ’ Final Four CROOK’S CORNER Bar & Dining room open every night at 5:30 pm. Crook's Comer 610 West Franklin Street Chapel Hill, North Carolina 919-929-7643 ®hp iatly ®ar Herl really help this team, carry this team as far. aslead ership and performance on the floor for us tohav. a good season. 1 think we’re both ready to do that" Capel wasn’t ready to do that Sunday ini the Iffi 76 exhibition loss to the EA 3pp(hUj All-Stars. He was nursing a sore hamstrmgiuid jJ did not play. Outside of Lang’s 34 points, the; ® Tar Heels had no other viable scoring -jU options. They also couldn't keep All-Stars from getting open shots screens. 1 “One of the mam things that con 1 corned me was that nut defense has < :J.| born prettv good, or mav be I’ve got ’■% ten a false sense ol it in piailue.” t?J|j I Dohertv said "Mavlie [A 'Kernels j.Sj. just really bad.” | ■ Whatevei the problems. I \( ■ I gave the critics 31 logs to ihniu mi the Jggt |8 liir uiiii ihf burning tj'it -litm II iu will the holes be filled? ” “><•*•. I "The biggest kev m tilling those Ins, Jdtrj t". I- ,u tualK creating a neu ulentilv." K Jl|r 'itjih'imnie Adam Boone said “I don't dunk we t an necessanlv bring somebody in and say he’s going to do what Brendan did or he’s going to do what Joe did. We’ve AJmE got to create anew identity for ourselves. I just I don't feel that with guys that are as good as ASSI Brendan and Joe and Pep and Ronald, I don’t think we can come in and replace them more sa?as*;jM we can have a completely new identity.” Part of that makeover could likely include a mOrebai j anced offensive output - not a foreign concept at UNC.! But a more dramatic change from recent years could be f* to a more quickly paced style of play, including running r the floor more and pressing and trapping on defense. The {■ changed makeup of the team makes these more possible., although the Tar Heels showed in the exhibition they f need much more work on such defenses. Doherty recruits Jackie Manuel, Melvin Scott and Jawad Williams will play a huge role in this identity change. “These young guys, two of them are two of the most athletic guys that I’ve ever seen,” Capel said about the freshmen. “So they bring a lot more excitement back to! Carolina basketball, which people say has been missing, j But I’m sure they’ll see it this year, especially with Jackie j Manuel and Jawad Williams.” In fact, UNC’s history could rely heavily on their step ping up like some of their predecessors were counted on to do. “It’s going to be very important for them to mature," | Lang said. “If they mature quickly, then the more success, we’ll have early. If not, then we’ll just see what happens L from there. That’s all I can really say. I can’t really pre diet.” Predictions are easy. None of the prognosticators haw! nearly as much to live up to as North Carolina basketball. “A lot of people have kind of written us off already, saying all the tradition, all the wins, all the things that stand with Carolina basketball are going to end this year,” Capel said. “Well, it’s my senior year. 1 don’t want it to! end on my note or my name. This team has a lot to prove J a lot of pride, a lot of tradition and a lot of great alumnij who have built this program to what it is. “And we’re going to make sure that it continues.”
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Nov. 9, 2001, edition 1
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