Tar Heel Basketball Notebook

Buy this Vince Photo and Many More Tar Heels


Four walk-ons have been practicing with the team during the opening weeks of practice. But the Tar Heels also added a couple more experienced players for some sessions, as King Rice and Hubert Davis have attended almost every practice and filled in during drills when needed. "It's been a great help," Reyshawn Terry says. "They have given us a big hand. Having the old guys back and show us the ropes and all the things we need to do throughout the practice has been a big help. Having King scream at you all day in practice and telling you not to give up is great. At the time you don't want to hear it but it is a big benefit to have someone like that in your corner." Terry was just seven years old when Rice piloted the Heels to the 1991 Final Four, but isn't surprised the Binghamton native still has some game. "We know they came from this program and they'll always have that fight in them," Terry said...Both Jackie Manuel and Melvin Scott have also been around the basketball office recently. Manuel will play with the Fayetteville Patriots this season, while Scott recently returned from a short trip to Greece, where he received his first exposure to international pro basketball...

David Noel has gotten most of the attention when talk turns to players "left behind" by this spring's NBA departures. But don't forget that Quentin Thomas was extremely close to Marvin Williams, and the duo leaned heavily on each other last year as they worked their way through their freshman seasons. Williams is now with the Atlanta Hawks, but they're still talking regularly. "I talk to Marvin just about every day," Thomas says. "He's doing really well. He says he's really tired. I can only imagine how tired you would be with a long season like the one he's getting ready to have."...This year's new freshmen, of course, will get their first real game exposure on Friday night against Fayetteville State. "They haven't really had a game-type atmosphere yet," Terry says. "It's going to be an adjustment." If you want to see that adjustment in person, don't forget about the special deal available for online ticket buyers...

Thomas, meanwhile, is feeling much less tired than he did last year at this time. He spent the summer hitting the weight room in an effort to bulk up, but he's also made strides with his conditioning. "My stamina is a lot better than last year," he says. "I think that will help as far as not being as erratic as I was at times last season."...The Oakland native is one of several interchangeable parts in the Tar Heel backcourt. Don't be surprised to see several players running the point for Carolina on Friday night, including Bobby Frasor (early-season pronunciation tip: his last name rhymes with "razor"). Wes Miller, meanwhile, will likely see some time at two-guard in an effort to take advantage of his long range shooting skills...Speaking of Frasor, he arrived at the Smith Center last week on the day after the White Sox swept the Astros in the World Series brandishing a broom with a white sock taped to the top. Frasor, who is from the Chicago area, is a lifelong White Sox fan...Freshman injury update: Michael Copeland is working his way back into game shape and has been able to participate in many drills this week. The Winston-Salem native still faces an uphill climb as he essentially goes through a Carolina basketball crash course that his fellow freshmen received in summer school. Marcus Ginyard still has a soft cast on his hand but has been involved in all practices...
How do you like the new 2005 national championship banner that was unveiled at Late Night? Well, don't get attached to it. It's coming down in the near future and will be replaced by a much larger version. The "old" new banners will be hung in the practice gym, where their scale will be much more appropriate...The fashion faux pas of the preseason: Carolina's new practice jerseys. This year's shipment included jerseys that were navy on one side and Carolina blue on the other. The Tar Heels wore them for about a week but discovered it was constantly confusing to essentially have two "blue" teams--Roy Williams had to refer to one squad as "blue" and the other as "ugly blue." Williams put out an APB for new practice shirts with the traditional white/blue configuration and they arrived shortly thereafter...Exhibition games will not be available on the Tar Heel Sports Network. If you're not attending the games, the only way to see or hear them is through the power of Carolina All-Access...Going Home Again, the story of Roy Williams's return to Carolina basketball, is now available in paperback from your favorite bookseller or online. The new edition includes a new epilogue covering the 2005 championship season and a full-color photo insert.

Source-TarHeelBlue.com

Catch the Tar Heels and buy your Tar Heel Tickets