The Tar Heels took home the crystal basketball this year, but there are many reasons why they won't see a second ring any time soon. Here's a sneak peek at the incoming freshmen for 2005 NCAA champ North Carolina and its longtime rival, Duke.
North Carolina
Tyler Hansbrough had offers from six schools, including Duke, but chose UNC. He's six feet, nine inches tall, weighs 225 pounds and averages 27 points per game. From Poplar Bluff, Mo., Hansbrough was projected as headed for the big time early on in his high school career. The power forward strained his Achilles in the beginning of his junior year but that didn't seem to stop him. After healing from his injury, he gained 25 pounds and became Poplar Bluff High School's all-time leading scorer, leading his team to a state title. As a senior, Hansbrough went to the Nike All-American camp and was invited to the Nike Elite Camp. His strengths include his speed, intensity and the fact that he's already been compared to Christian Laettner.
The Tar Heels' new major threat from the field will probably be Danny Green, who can play as a shooting guard or small forward. He'll graduate as a New York Panther who was named the co-MVP of the Reebok ABCD Camp. Described as confident and ready for college play, Green attracted offers from several schools including Patrick Ewing's alma mater, Georgetown, as well as Connecticut, North Carolina State, and St. John's University.
Although only six feet, three inches tall, Bobby Frasor (Illinois) is a well-rounded player who was good enough to receive offers from schools like Stanford, Notre Dame, DePaul, Georgia Tech, Illinois and NC State.
Marcus Ginyard (Virginia) is a shooting guard that has versatility and reports say he's in the midst of developing point guard skills. Ginyard already committed to the Tar Heels in 2003, but keep in mind that UNC was his only offer.
Duke
Flash back to March 2005, when Duke fans had to witness Shannon Brown and Paul Davis on a good night. Unfortunately, that night happened to be fall during the tournament. The Spartans knocked out the No. 1-seeded Blue Devils from their chances at a 4th NCAA Title during the Sweet 16 in the Austin region. But watch out.
"Stacked" is the word that describes Duke's startling lineup for next season, barring any surprises.
First, we have none other than Naismith Trophy finalist, J.J. Redick. He's already announced that he will suit up in a No. 4 Duke jersey again for his senior year. Provided that he improves on his driving skills and speed, he'll undoubtedly be one of the NCAA's best, with his amazing shooting ability from the field and his deadly accuracy at the line.
Standing at six feet, six inches tall, Lee Melchionni is a reserve forward from Lancaster, Penn. He has great shooting talent and will also return to finish out his senior year.
North Carolina native Shavlik Randolph will return as a forward and should see a superior senior season. His ball handling, shooting and rebounding have been key ingredients in Duke victories.
DeMarcus Nelson will join David McClure to come back as sophomores and hopefully bring their better decisionmaking halves in the fall.
A healthy Sean Dockery makes for a healthy team. After missing several key games with his a knee injury against Georgia Tech last season, he came back to steal and assist with a vengeance.
National Association of Basketball Coaches Defensive Player of the Year Shelden Williams will not be entering the 2005 draft. He could be the best big man in the NCAA. "The Landlord" has 18 career double-doubles, which is the most by any returning player in the Atlantic Coast Conference entering last season. He also led the conference in blocks. He was second in offensive rebounds.
Then we have a group to which I like to affectionately refer as "The Incredibles":
1. Power forward Josh McRoberts from Carmel, Ind. As a sophomore, he attended the Nike Hoop Jamboree. He gained 30 pounds during his junior year after missing the first 10 games due to a partial stress fracture in his lower back. He refined his rebounding skills as a senior. McRoberts has already signed his letter of intent, which means this boy is ready to play. He had offers from Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, UNC and Notre Dame.
2. Another letter-of-intent signer, Eric Boateng. An English-born center from Middletown, Del., he also attended the Hoop Jamboree, only in 2003. Boateng received offers from Boston College, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Michigan, UCLA, Villanova and Virginia.
3. Point guard Greg Paulus from Syracuse. A dual athlete, Paulus tears it up in the gridiron as well. This commitmment painted himself blue and white before his football season even began. Paulus had offers from Georgetown, UNC, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Xavier.
4. Jamal Boykin from Los Angeles. He has flexibility due to the fact that he can play small or power forward. He's six feet, seven inches tall and weighs 225 lbs. He averaged 23.7 points per game.
5. Martynas Pocius, of Plymouth Holderness in Plymouth, N.H., should serve as J.J.'s wingman.
6. (maybe) Cowboy Martellus Bennett, at six feet, seven inches tall and 250 pounds. He can also play small or power forward. Hailing from Houston, Texas, he's expressed interest in Miami and Texas. His second-choice schools include Duke, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. He's gotten offers from all listed except the Yellow Jackets and the Jayhawks. He's already visited Miami, Texas and Oklahoma last fall. Bennett plays football, too.
So come fall, UNC will be stuck in place with its heels in tar, especially without its star players: The Tar Heels will lose Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and their big man, (who said he was coming back for his senior year) Sean May.
Even freshman Marvin Williams is leaving. Ouch.
But for Blue Devil fans, the NCAA future is looking very bright. As I mentioned before, "The Incredibles" will soon join forces with Duke veteran players and with their powers combined, I give you the 2006 NCAA Champions. In your face, North Carolina! The ticket lottery is still open for next year's Final Four games at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis so send in your application for the chance to watch the Blue reign tie titles with UNC, 4-4.
Side notes: Up-in-the-air prospects
Power forward Andray Blatche from Connecticut wanted to enter the draft but will most likely go to either Syracuse or West Virginia. He's strong, talented and very good on the inside. Blatche's offers include Penn State and Georgetown.
Brandon Rush can play small forward or shooting guard. Noted to have wide-ranging abilities, he's also known for having trouble with consistency. He transferred to Mt. Zion Christian Academy his junior year in Durham and dominated at the Hoops Festival his senior year. He has an offer from Oklahoma and is mutually interested in becoming a Sooner.
Keith Brumbaugh is six feet, eight inches tall. He is a 190-pound weapon for whoever gets him. Averaging 25 points per game, he'll play as either a small or power forward. He's been recognized by scouts as one of the best from Florida. He has received offers from USC and three Florida schools but has only visited Florida State thus far.
However, keep in mind that both Brumbaugh and Rush are flagged as undecided for the draft. The deadline is May 14, but neither has an agent yet.
Kalea Yoshida is an associate editor of the Web Devil. Reach her at kalea.yoshida@asu.edu.
