4 Th Dc'.ty Ttr M:tl Friday, Jtn. 0, 1976
Reserve squad :-doesn't suit varsity
by Kevin Oarris
Staff Writer
A rule instituted last summer by the
NCAA limiting teams to 10 players for
away games has put a strain on those
teams accustomed to using larger squads.
UNC Head Coach Dean Smith has
done his best to work around this rule by
making a varsity reserve team. This team,
composed of varsity players Woody
Colcy, Gcd Doughton, Eric Harry, Lorcn
Lut, Keith Valentine and Randy Wiel,
plays only road games, thus allowing the
players to make the trip with the rest of
the team.
The players agreed that the main
purpose of the team is so that all the
varsity players get to make the trips.
"Getting to make the trips and play in a
game keeps your spirits up," freshman
Doughton said. "It's hard to work real
hard in practice and know you're not
going to dress out at a game. This way at
least you get to play and make the trips."
For most of the players, the varsity
reserve team is just a substitute for what
they'd rather be doing plaving varsity
ball.
"It's probably better that we have that
(varsity reserve team) than nothing,"
Colcy. a junior, said, "although I'm sure
everybody would rather be playing
varsity. After working hard for two years,
it does sting a bit to not be able to dress
out for varsity games, or not make trips,
but with this we can still feel a part of the
team."
Smith said the varsity reserve team
does not supersede the junior varsity
team, pointing out that only the junior
varsity team plays games at home. "We
could have scheduled it such that the
varsity reserve team did play more, but
that would have been taking away from
the JV team. Smith said.
Also, we could have had these six
players playing on the JV team, but that
would have sent six players presently on
the JV team back to playing
intramurals."
"This way." freshman Valentine said,
"it gives us a chance to learn the system. It
gives us the experience of knowing what it
is to play for North Carolina."
The varsity reserve team has played
three games (Hillsborough College in
Florida, Steed College in Tennessee, and
St. John's J V in New York), but does not
play at every away varsity game. At
Clemson Wednesday, for example, Smith
was unable to schedule a game for the
varsity reserve team, so the players
watched the game on television in Chapel
Hill.
The players and Smith agree that it is
the rule which is at fault. "I'd like to be
there cheerine for my teammates,"' Wiel
said. "You work so hard and then they
come up with this rule. You just have to
live with it, I guess, but I know none of us
will quit."
Smith has been opposed to the rule
since its inception and he said he's sure it
w ill be changed. "Here you have a group
of young men who participate in practice
every day with the varsity, but under this
ruling they don't get any playing time.
"I think in college athletics you should
put the value on participation. The more
we can give the opportunity to
participate, the better we at the
University are doing our job."
The rule was voted on by the faculty
chairmen of the member institutions of
the NCAA, something Smith said was a
mistake.
"I don't question their (the faculty
chairmen) intelligence," Smith said. "I
just .question their knowledge of the
workings of collegiate athletics.
Defensive player label
no worry to Kuester
Susan Shackelford
Sports Editor
Unless a basketball player dramatically blocks a shot or steals the ball, he seldom gets the
attention from fans or even sports writers, two groups that will likely quote scoring totals in
conversation or print. . , . , . ,
A man silently battling this preoccupation with total points is Carolina s backcourt starter,
John Kuester. The 6-2 junior guard wants a total game and this means equal attention to his
defense His scoring is usually around the 10-point mark, but he and Head Coach Dean
Smith would like to see the charges, the weak shots and the bad passes he forces properly
written in his list of accomplishments. . ...
After not scoring in two successive games (East Tennessee State and South Honda),
Kuester said he was not down on himself, though most would expect it in viewing his 0-4 and
0-5 field goal columns for those nights on the pre-Christmas road trip.
"I felt I played really well those two games. I was still effectivedefensively and passing. It
we win the ACC and the national championship and I do not score, it'd be all right. I just want
another crack at the Eastern Regionals. God, you don't know how much we want it
Last March in the regionals, Carolina, which was favored to win the tournament, fell to
Syracuse University 78-76 in the first round. .
Offensively, Kuester said he has been concerned about his turnovers, which he thinks must
be reduced because of his role in relation to fellow guard, Phil Ford.
Ford is known for his quickness and slick twists as a penetrator of opponent zones. 1 m
trying to help complement Ph'il. If Phil penetratesand makes more passes, he'll have a higher
percentage of turnovers. . . , A i
"I'm trying not to turn the ball over; yet, I'm penetrating more, Kuester explained. 1 am
trying to make the easy pass" .
Kuester said he is striving not to pass oft when he has the good open shot.
"Coach Smith talked to me about it. If 1 have the shot, I'll take it. 1 was in a bad habit.
"I'm not worried about John scoring at all," said Smith. "You can't have all players score
20 points a night. I never want any player to feel he has to score 20. He was 0-4 and 0-5, but he
is likely to hit all of his next shots." ' '.. a
Has Kuester been an ample offensive replacement for Brad Hoffman, who often spurred
the Tar Heels with his outside shooting last year against zonedefenses? Smith said Ford and
Davis are taking the shots that were Hoffman's, though he considers Kuester "an excellent
shooter. , . and maybe one of the best on the team."
Last year Kuester played on the Blue Team, the second unit that is known for its ability to
preserve the team's well-being, while giving the starters a rest.
"I didn't think twice about it (the adjustment to starting). 1 had a lot of confidence. A
starter just gets to play more." -
Kuester pointed out that "Coach Smith's exact style" is the blue team. Kuester was talking
about Smith's emphasis on moving the ball, for which the blues are known.
As a freshman and sophomore, Kuester said he and Hoffman used to sit on the bench as
blue team players and note that more ball movement was needed. n
"1 know the starters had to move the ball quicker. Now I'm just trying to reiterate that.
To prepare for his starting role this past summer, Kuester said he paid specialattention to
his shooting game. Last season he finished with a three-point average.
"I worked hard on shooting. Phil and I talked about it. I would shoot every day.
"Coach Gutheridge (UNC assistant coach) gave me a shooting glove," Kuester said. The
glove is like bowling, it has a knot in the palm of the hand, so you control the ball with your
fingertips, he said. If the ball's in your palm, you lose control."
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UNC guard John Kuester
Kuester has also lost a few pounds since last year and explains, "You want to be as quick as.
you can. I also strengthened my stomach muscles with situps and did pushups. 1 played every
day. 1 used to play tennis a lot and racquetball.
"This summer all I touched was a basketball," he said, .
In high school Kuester led Benedictine in Richmond to'two state titles while on the varsity.
His emphasis on defense is an outgrowth of those years, when it was stressed by his coach,
Warren Rutledge.
Kuester said today primarily being regarded as a defensive player doesn t bother him. He
added spontaneously, "Anybody can be a great defensive player. You got to have it in your
heart. It takes a little more instinct."
Specifically, Kuester looks to limit his opponent to under 50 per cent field goal shooting.
But, he said, his biggest concern is "wanting to help the team. The key is to have individual
pride and yet see everything from the standpoint of team defense.
" For example, if Phil's man got 20 points and my man got five, it's like my man scoring 20
because we work so much together.
Now as the Tar Heels are playing eight straight conference games, starting with Clemson,
Kuester said he isn't worried about the ACC tests. "Tougher competition is the name of the
game. Going into a game and not knowing who's going to win, that's the fun of it."
Jayvees fall to Durham; record now 1-1
by Grant Vos burgh
Staff Writer
After pulling within, two points (69-67)
with 5:02 left, the UNC Junior Varsity
basketball team made some costly turnovers
and went cold offensively, losing 'a 90-80
decision to Durham College Monday night
at Carmichael Auditorium. The loss evened
the Jayvees' record at 1-1.
"We didn't protect the ball well," said
Mickey Bell, who, along with John
O'Donneil, coaches the Tar Babies. "And
making 34 turnovers didn't help any. We
couldn't call a time out during the last few
minutes because the game was running late
and the varsity game had to start. But that's
no excuse. We just didn't play well."
The Tar Babies fell behind early in the
game but fought back to salvage a 41-41 tie
at the half. Durham came out shooting in the
second half, hitting 60 ' per cent, and
stretched its lead to 12 points with two
minutes left.
"We took bad shots toward the end of the
game," Bell said. "Durham took bad shots
that went in."
The Tar Babies were led by center Archie
Shaw, who had 20 points and 20 rebounds.
"Archie has been our main rebounder and
scorer," said Bell. "But we have to have
somebody to help him out." In UNC's 69-63
win Dec. 6 over Louisburg College, Shaw
had 22 points and 18 rebounds.
Against Durham, Shaw was followed in
scoring by sophomore point guard Mike
Fox with 15 points and freshman
scholarship player Randy Wiel, who had 14.
For Wiel and guard Ged Doughton, it was
their first performance before Carolina fans.
Wiel got in foul trouble, finishing the game
with four fouls, while Doughton had a cold
shooting night, hitting only two of 10 field
goal attempts.
Bell said that he didn't know Wiel and
Doughton would be playing in the game
until about two hours before tip-off. "I
imagine they were pretty nervous since it was
their first time playing in Carmichael."
He complimented the consistent play of
Clay Richardson, who is averaging eight
points and four rebounds a game. He also
singled out the play of reserves Bill Tryon
and Randy Jpnes.
The Tar Babies' next game is Jan. 14 in
Carmichael Auditorium against Wingate
College. In preparation, Bell said the jayvees
will just "go over everything, especially
protecting the ball."