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o 1j AM II - i U T 1 mil w AC? si JT f 1 14 Low 77 Years of Editorial Freedom Volume , Number 6r CHAPEL HILL NORTH CAROLINA, TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 25. 1969 Founded FcV.csry -23 fCTD PS 1.1. fl f I , J f I V" j y !i u Mi in TT v f , j KU lAI ; it gketoall Pre I j hnr i i I'll i I ; f 1 " " M 1 i I i What is basketball to Carolina? Although it can be vaguely parallelled to making "A" in a test, walking arrn-in-lirm witlvour favorite girl or a spot-hitting meal, basketball is more of a sensation. When that infamous drum roll fills Carmichael Auditorium and 9,000 "cloud-niners" rise to their feat, a personal tingle runs rampent down the spine. When those lovable Tar Heels emerge from the dressing fbom to the tune of "Rah-rah Carolina-lina," an irresistable rhythm befalls even the flattest Blue Heaven dweller. When the starting lineup is announced and the public address announcer's voice becomes obscured by the deafening roar. )oF Smith Says Meek rm jTi) Aim By ART CHANSKY DTH Sports Editor Dean Smith is approaching his greatest challenge at Carolina with the same controlled attitude that helped bring about three straight Atlantic Coast Conference and Eastern Regional Titles. ' The "Dean" of Basketball in Chapel Hill now finds himself in the unfamiliar role of not being the ACC favorite. He is taking great advantage of his new part. "We'll definitely be a contender for ACC honors," Smith has said. "And if you're a contender for ACC honors, then you are a contender for national honors." Thus, he revealed a slight inkling about his feelings for a team that has been called "on the way out." "Actually, I've been perfectly realistic in pre-season tilk," he continued. "We have some fine basketball players here. But there are some other fine players around the conference." A major reason for Carolina's tag of "mediocrity" this season stems from, ironically, what the Tar Heels do not have. Or no longer have. "There aren't many areas where we can be improved," Smith said. "Our five seniors that we lost last season could be contenders in the ACC by themselves." The dapper Carolina coach one last time referred to Carolina's "fabulous quintet" qf 1968. Rusty Clark, Bill Bunting, Dick Grubar, Gerald Tuttle and Joe Brown are gone, and Smith has reasserted time and time agam just how valuable they were. The loss of those five graduates leaves Smith with a barrel of question marks to go along with his talented holdovers. All-American Charlie Scott heads the list of potent returnees that is a might skimpier than in recent years. Scott, a 6-6 senior from New York City, would make any team a threat and could make Carolina a fourth straight champion. He has averaged almost 20 points per game in his first two seasons and once again has been chosen a concensus pre-season all-american. Scott has seen action at both forward and guard in two years, and Smith claims he may even play some at center this season due to the Tar Heels' lack of team height. TTI e inLUTuemeu ; ' if h " f i .! -1 I i ACC Contender - IJ j - ' if si tentn-. tirrrrr irttr-Ti - n"': - - Dean Smith Also returning from the 1968 starting lineup is senior quarterback Eddie Fogler, a 6-0 piaymaker that is adept at passing, ball handling and defense. Although a minimal scoring threat, Fogler has been near the top in assists over his first two years. Sixth and seventh men from last season, Lee Dedmon and Jim Delany, round out the Tar Heels' depleted corps of veteran performers. Dedmon, a 6-10 junior center with great agility, looms as a key figure in this season's plans. He gained valuable experience his sophomore year and may be ready to emerge as one of the ACC's most promising stars. Delany, a 6-0 senior guard, was a late bloomer his junior, year. But he ended up as one. of Carolina's clutch performers and started several crucial games in the 1968 stretch. A great hustler, Delany appears to have won a starting berth in the '69 lineup. "We'll be a good team, there's no doubt about it," Smith said. But in this conference, a good team is simply one that wins more than it loses." The difference between being a "good team" and a fourth straight conference champion may lie in the answers to the question marks, Smith mentioned. "Right now, I see four major areas that are in doubt," he said. "They involve our sophomores, the consistency of Lee Dedmon, our defense and injuries." Of those four, only two may be termed uncontrollable problems. . Sophomores, IVe X" f I I ) :' t r - -Mud V,-,, m,mmmjg I When the Tar Heels put a typical fast break streak together and the screeching levels off at a migrane pitch. When the reserves or irregulars are humourously shaking out the cobwebs late in the game, signalling another Carolina victory. And when you can sit back for a moment to think about the next opponent, or how to get tickets for the next game. All this is Carolina basketball. Most of all, it's a tradition. It wouldn't be the same without that drum roll, that irresistable rhythm, that deafening roar and that migrane screeching. And it wouldn't be the same without the winning. regardless of ability, must get playing time before they can show true potential. And injuries, of course, are undeterminable. Carolina has escaped with a minimum over the recent years, and it may be a tribute . to Smith's conditioning program. "Of course, you can never be sure, but I thought we'd depend heavily on sophomores," Smith began, outling the areas of concern. "We still may, but so far our most pleasant surprise has been the improvement of our varsity reserves." Two that have especially come on to challenge are a pair of juniors, 6-7 forward Dave Chadwick and 6-1 guard Dale Gipple. "There's a good chance that Chadwick may start some early games," Smith said. "Hg ,Jias made great strides in rebounding and defense in one year. "Gipple is a good passer and an excellent shooter. He has improved his speed by. losing some weight but still must become quicker." The improvement of these 1968 reserves may come as a shock to followers of Carolina's successful freshman, team of a year ago. "Our freshmen were highly recruited and we're delighted to have them," Smith said. "But they played against many freshmen who won't be playing this season. The big difficulty is working , them into varsity competition." Three sophomores with the "can't miss" tag are finding it a slightly tougher world than a year ago. Six-foot-six forward Dennis Wuycik and 6-5 forward Bill Chamberlain really cannot miss eventually, and both are in the thick of the starting lineup fight. Guard Steve Previs, a 6-2 workhorse, also looms as a future star, but for now is playing behind the experienced Fogler at quarterback. "Once again we will have 'seven starters'," Smith said. "We believe you must build depth by playing a lot of people, and that s what we will do early. With Kentucky and Florida State scheduled in the first four games, depth may come earlier than most people think. terans e 1 4V I f- f-"A -4 HI LW H.UJMBWI-. ,t II I III jimin .piilllllj HHlIWlU'iJL!Ui I "l W , ,4" 1 . . i y 1 y I 1 1 x; ' - ymm "mm f r 0 jr Tar Heel igWHO WHEN WHERE S: Florida Southern December 1 CHAPEL HILL : Mercer December 3 CHAPEL HILL : :$ Kentucky December 8 Charlotte & g: Florida State December 13 Greensboro :j :$ Virginia December 16 Charlottesville :$ ;: Tulane December 20 New Orleans jij: Rice December 22 Houston :$ Harvard (Carolina :$ Classic) December 29 Greensboro iiji g: Rice January 3 Charlotte South Carolina January 5 Columbia K; N.C. State January 7 Raleigh gDuke January 10 CHAPEL HILL g Clemson January 15 Clemson ji.; Wake Forest January 17 CHAPEL HILL 8 g: Athletes In Action January 28 CHAPEL HILL g Maryland January 31 College Park Si I? Virginia February 3 CHAPEL HILL i:f: jS Wake Forest February 5 Winston-Salem : iv N.C. State February 9 CHAPEL HILL ji;: Clemson February 13 Charlotte Georgia Tech February 14 Charlotte S Maryland February 18 CHAPEL HILL S w South Carolina February 21 CHAPEL HILL :g: Virginia Tech February 25 CHAPEL HILL g i&Duke February 28 Durham '" ACC Tournament March 5-7 Charlotte S Carolina basketball in recent years has come to be a savior. To rescue us while our heads were still above water. To bring winter's happiness as a substitute for fall's disappointment. But times are changing. Suddenly, fall's disappointments are not so low and winter's expectations not so high. Suddenly, we are not the ones everybody is looking at. All of a sudden, we are just one of many. What will this mean to Carolina basketball? Will the drum roll sputter, the rhythm drag and the roar die? Will fans muse over memories of years gone by? Only the tradition will tell. Carolina has been 4 "4 -"4 4 J4 .-, J i ( 1 2 "I in- .- j i 4 A - Schedule S V: -I H fA tA -4 -4 i All-Am Mas Travelled A Lou By ART CHANSKY DTH Sports Editor Though five championships, an All-American rating and a myriad of publicity have bridged the gap of a three year college basketball career, Charles Scott stands relatively unaffected as an athlete. As a person, though, he has come a long way. Not often does an athlete blossom that has been so touched by the poles of his environment. Athletically, socially, politically and racially, Scott has been exposed. No less of a man could have come through it all as he did. "I have changed, 01 course, and things have changed," Scott generalized last week. "It's natural. A lot of things have happened since my freshman year." Aside from basket ballwhich has undoubtedly created the biggest happening for Scott and Carolina he has lived the campus life, gotten married, gotten involved and then withdrawn. For Scott, it's a natural course of life. . "Basically, I'm still the same person," he said, winking at a teammate to illustrate his very point. "But in a more serious manner. The Olympics helped and, oh yes, the ACC Writers helped." He laughed at his own joke. A perfect example of the maturation of Charles Scott. Hailed, snubbed, hailed gain and then smeared, Scott has had a perfect right to do what a thousand other college athletes would have done. But Charles Scott is one in a thousand college athletes. He may be one in a million. "Many of my interests have changed," he continued, "Circumstances have changed some of them. Basketball is still my main interest, winning the national championship and all that." The new interests for Scott present a perfectly logical paradox. He terms it as "responsible awareness." "I have cast away the privileged characteristics that I inherited when I came here," he said. "I have taken my place as an average American black man in society. In doing so, i i .1 5 I 1 ' synonomous with winning. Part of that winning is the great challenge the victor constantly faces. 1969 posses another great challenge-probably the most demanding to date. The seasonal basketball talk is clearly by-passing Chapel Hill for Columbia. But when the ultimate challenge looms close at hand, the tradition will re-awaken the senses and return that personal tingle to the spine. When that happens, the drum roll will have again commenced, the irresistable rhythm will have befallen us once more and, alas, the deafening roar will have found its way back to Carmichael Audttorim. And, traditionally, so will have victory . encan v J V ' Vi 7 ! Charlie Scott I've become much more aware, but I've gained far more responsibility." Scott pondered his position since being a highly sought higli school player at Laurinburg Institute. "Most young black athletes hear about racial problems," he related. "But few ever get involved." As he stands out on the court, Scott also chose to stand out from the average black athlete he described. He agreed to act as an intermediary for the Black Student Movement last year. Dissension seekers twisted Scott's position and caused him unwarranted criticism. When he was snubbed as ACC Player of the Year and on some all-conference ballots, people cried race. When he took the blame for Carolina's dismal showing in Louisville, others cried race again. To Scott, what people said made little difference. It's what people do that counts with him. And Scott would do it again if he felt he could help without hurting himself. "My first responsibility is to my wife," he said. "And then to my people. While I'm here, I have a responsibility to basketball. It was my choice to come to North Carolina, and I will never let any of those things conflict." Charles Scott was merely reflecting the position millions of Americans told. He is aware of what goes on around him, but he is equally aware of his responsibilities. "I've never had any real 77. r i biiaries qcoilil g W ay problems in high school or at the University," he confessed. I never looked upon my people's problems as my problems. But now I do, because theirs are mine, too." But because many of them are personal problems, Scott feels they have to be solved individually. "Being an athlete, you must learn to tolerate all kinds of people," he said, citing an example. "But that comes with the glory of being a basketball player. It's part of that responsibility." What happens when his responsibilities cause a conflict of interests? Tf I could make it easier for either group, whichever two they may be, I will certainly help," he explained. "But for the time being, it must not interfer with my personal responsibilities of my wife and basketball." And that is the mature and average philosophy of above average Charles Scott. He loves his wife, he loves his people and he loves his job. To his wife, he is a provider that will someday support a family. To his people, he is an uninhibited black man who could be invaluable in closing the gap of racial differences. And to his job, he is an integral element, one that is counted on heavily for proposed achievement. To Carolina, Charles Scott is first and foremost a basketball player. One of the best that this or any school can boast. He is closing out a college career that has taken him to Los Angeles, Europe and Mexico City. A career that has taken him into fraternity and out of fraternity, into unrest and out of unrest and into a personal happiness we all strive for. When Charles Scott leaves Carolina at the end of this year, he may even have more to take with him. Maybe another championship, maybe not. Maybe more criticim, maybe not. But above it all Charles Scott will stand. He will have accepted the bad with the good and make no bones about it. As a person, he has corns a long way. res: v t i J t 4 Eddie Fogier Jim Delany Lee Dedmon Bill Chamberlain Dennb Wuycik Stevs Previs
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Nov. 25, 1969, edition 1
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