Note: I am not the bad guy, no more than a shark is the bad guy when he smells blood and attacks. I am simply doing what WE do.
As most of us know, UNC had a 30 year run where it produced 5 HOFs (Jordan, McAdoo, Worthy, Cunningham and Larry Brown as a coach I know, you thought there were waaaaay more, right? Thats that UNC mythology, dogg), many very good, all-star caliber players, from Daugherty to Vince to Stack to Sheed, some solid guys like Felton and Lawson and Hubert Davis, and lots of aight players and semi-scrubs on title squads, like Kenny Smith to Haywood to Scott Williams.
However, since the 1998 draft, they havent produced a single all-star. Meanwhile, Duke has produced four since (Brand, Boozer, Deng and presumably Kyrie) and many solid starters and role players like Maggs, Dunny, Dahntay and Gibles and an aight player (Batty) and semi-scrub (Ferry) on title teams.
Ive always maintained that Carolina didnt have a secret recipe to churning out good players. It was always about Dean Smiths access to the best talent. How can one simply not admit that Dean dominated recruiting for generations? Did he give all those perimeter players 40 inch verts and great hand-eye coordination and basketball instincts? I highly doubt it. I mean, if it was all about what Dean TAUGHT his players, why wasnt Lebo a beast? Why Chilcutt aint dominate? Jr Reid? Lynch? Montross? Bradley? On and On and On. Could it be because those guys were earthbound? Or because they had bad hands? Low B-Ball IQs? Why were the best players from Carolina always the GIFTED ones?
Now, in 2012, it looks as if UNC has produced another disappointingly aight NBA draft class, totally devoid of one potential superstar talent. When will the streak end? I honestly dont know. I see nothing in the pipeline of concern or significance. The best thing about UKs re-emergence as a force on the recruiting scene (actually they are a DOMINANT force) is that they keep guys away from UNC. I've quietly sat and partied about that, but I must admit it's good.
Obviously, I get blown when UK takes a recruit I wanted at Duke, but some of them guys would never go to Duke anyway. But, Duke has its niche with elite white kids (bigs, specifically), nerdy elite black ballers (wings and points) and DA URREA (some kinda weird nerd-goon hybrid whose parents left for the suburbs in the late80s/90s (Quinn Cook/Hairston/Dawk/Tyler are just odd to me but Boozer started the trend), so the hit from UK is not having the devastating impact on Duke that its having on UNC. UNC has been obliterated by Coach Cal in recent years. Again, it's good.
My point with all of this is just to say watching the crumbling of the UNC-NBA myth is one of the most satisfying things I've ever witnessed as a sports fan. It was utterly disgusting listening to UNC fans drone on and on about how they develop guys and produce superstars, stating it with such authority and condescension, as if it were some universal law that I'd damn well better submit to or be ridiculed as not knowing anything about basketball. Nah , I was right. And I'mma keep talking about this. Some might say Im pressed and I'm doing eight much, but you know deep down that I'm completely justified.
Just because the tide has shifted, it dont mean I'm being pressed. It just mean yall dont wanna play the game no more. You know how many years of bragging I had to listen to from UNC fans? A LOT! And now I'm the bad guy for bringing up what is happening right before our eyes? I'm the bad guy for bringing attention to this? I'm the problem now?
There could be an opportunity for actual DIALOGUE here about player development, recruiting, which programs are the best fits for certain kids who wanna make it to the NBA, but when I used to try to have that conversation I got partied on "NOPE...y'all just produce BUMS...no excuses."
Again...I'm the problem?
Please.
The game is the game.
As most of us know, UNC had a 30 year run where it produced 5 HOFs (Jordan, McAdoo, Worthy, Cunningham and Larry Brown as a coach I know, you thought there were waaaaay more, right? Thats that UNC mythology, dogg), many very good, all-star caliber players, from Daugherty to Vince to Stack to Sheed, some solid guys like Felton and Lawson and Hubert Davis, and lots of aight players and semi-scrubs on title squads, like Kenny Smith to Haywood to Scott Williams.
However, since the 1998 draft, they havent produced a single all-star. Meanwhile, Duke has produced four since (Brand, Boozer, Deng and presumably Kyrie) and many solid starters and role players like Maggs, Dunny, Dahntay and Gibles and an aight player (Batty) and semi-scrub (Ferry) on title teams.
Ive always maintained that Carolina didnt have a secret recipe to churning out good players. It was always about Dean Smiths access to the best talent. How can one simply not admit that Dean dominated recruiting for generations? Did he give all those perimeter players 40 inch verts and great hand-eye coordination and basketball instincts? I highly doubt it. I mean, if it was all about what Dean TAUGHT his players, why wasnt Lebo a beast? Why Chilcutt aint dominate? Jr Reid? Lynch? Montross? Bradley? On and On and On. Could it be because those guys were earthbound? Or because they had bad hands? Low B-Ball IQs? Why were the best players from Carolina always the GIFTED ones?
Now, in 2012, it looks as if UNC has produced another disappointingly aight NBA draft class, totally devoid of one potential superstar talent. When will the streak end? I honestly dont know. I see nothing in the pipeline of concern or significance. The best thing about UKs re-emergence as a force on the recruiting scene (actually they are a DOMINANT force) is that they keep guys away from UNC. I've quietly sat and partied about that, but I must admit it's good.
Obviously, I get blown when UK takes a recruit I wanted at Duke, but some of them guys would never go to Duke anyway. But, Duke has its niche with elite white kids (bigs, specifically), nerdy elite black ballers (wings and points) and DA URREA (some kinda weird nerd-goon hybrid whose parents left for the suburbs in the late80s/90s (Quinn Cook/Hairston/Dawk/Tyler are just odd to me but Boozer started the trend), so the hit from UK is not having the devastating impact on Duke that its having on UNC. UNC has been obliterated by Coach Cal in recent years. Again, it's good.
My point with all of this is just to say watching the crumbling of the UNC-NBA myth is one of the most satisfying things I've ever witnessed as a sports fan. It was utterly disgusting listening to UNC fans drone on and on about how they develop guys and produce superstars, stating it with such authority and condescension, as if it were some universal law that I'd damn well better submit to or be ridiculed as not knowing anything about basketball. Nah , I was right. And I'mma keep talking about this. Some might say Im pressed and I'm doing eight much, but you know deep down that I'm completely justified.
Just because the tide has shifted, it dont mean I'm being pressed. It just mean yall dont wanna play the game no more. You know how many years of bragging I had to listen to from UNC fans? A LOT! And now I'm the bad guy for bringing up what is happening right before our eyes? I'm the bad guy for bringing attention to this? I'm the problem now?
There could be an opportunity for actual DIALOGUE here about player development, recruiting, which programs are the best fits for certain kids who wanna make it to the NBA, but when I used to try to have that conversation I got partied on "NOPE...y'all just produce BUMS...no excuses."
Again...I'm the problem?
Please.
The game is the game.
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Let em know, breh
