Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
As y’all know, Ashvegas is serious about our love of the Tar Heels. Coach Roy Williams. The Carolina Blue. It’s the best program in college basketball, and it appears that this edition of the team is poised yet again to make a run for it all.
Two seasons ago, the Tar Heels answered the team vs. talent debate with a complete victory over Illinois. And last year, after losing the top seven scorers from the national champ team to graduation or the NBA, Coach Williams led the team to a 23-8 finish. The Tar Heels were ranked 10th in the final poll of the year after starting totally unranked in the preseason poll.
This year, the Tar Heels are certain to be ranked. They’ve got senior leadership (Reyshawn Terry and Wes Miller), they’ve got mass in the middle (Wayne Ellington and a couple others we don’t even know yet), they’ve got quicksilver speed (the new guard we don’t even know yet, plus Quentin Thomas and Bobby Frasor.)
Last night in Chapel Thrill, Coach Roy and the team kicked things off with “Late Night with Roy,” a celebration to get things off on the right foot and pump up the faithful. Team members dressed in drag, poked fun at the coach and scrimmaged, all in good fun. And this morning, the team was up and at the gym, ready for a focused practice.
We’ll order our annual Tar Heel team poster and watch a few early games (they start next month) before delivering our opinion. As usual, the chemistry of the team is a concern. But Coach Roy assures us that the character of these boys is of the highest caliber, and just like the Deanster, Coach Roy seems to be a master of mixing personalities and playing styles to get just the right combination.
GO HEELS!
AB will be watching b’ball at your villa this winter!