'Heels look to shake history after 33 point loss

Before Saturday, the largest margin of defeat for an eventual NCAA Tournament champion in college basketballs modern era occurred in 1993 when North Carolina was drubbed by Wake Forest 88-62. Randolph Childress was scorching hot from the perimeter that afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the college basketball world labeled the Tar Heels too slow to seriously contend for a national championship. Carolinas heart was questioned. Its on-court leadership and grit were also questioned. Even legendary coach Dean Smith couldnt avoid the torpedoes. It didnt get much better when the Tar Heels fell at Duke 81-67 four days later. Almost 19 years from that double-whammy, the Tar Heels are in a familiar spot following Saturdays historic 90-57 demolition at the hands of Deividas Dulkys and Florida State in Tallahassees frenzied Tucker Center. And with that defeat, the media is pouncing on the Heels again. The following was columnist Caulton Tudors opening sentence in Sundays Raleigh News and Observer. Since good teams dont lose by 33 points under any circumstance, theres no way to classify North Carolina a good basketball team these days. Tudor has been covering the ACC since 1970, so hes seen it all, from David Thompson and Phil Ford through Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Shane Battier and Tyler Hansbrough. So theres a prevailing question following Carolinas shocking effort in the Sunshine State. Is UNC is still a national title contender? The short answer is, not if Saturdays mind-set ever makes even the slightest comeback. The long answer is, yes, Carolina is still a national championship contender, and if Roy Williams uses this ridiculously embarrassing performance to his advantage, it could fuel a fire that has been more flickering than ablaze within the Heels. We had no answers for them on the court, I had no answers for them on the sideline, Williams said after the humiliation. I did the worst job of coaching a team that Ive ever done and the worst job of preparing a team to play than Ive ever done. Ive got to do a heck of a lot better job than that. While the players deserved to have run until they puked their guts out upon returning from Tallahassee, Williams is correct in accepting significant blame. But thats a good thing if baby blue tickles your fancy. Because Ol Roy isnt going to forget how he felt during that game or the flight home or even right now. And he shouldnt. Williams has a really nice team, and thats part of its problem. These are articulate, well-mannered young men with interests outside of basketball who are a joy being around. They are pleasant in nature and are probably well liked by their peers. But maybe thats part of the problem. In covering athletes, sometimes when you get to know them some, the way they play on the field or court suddenly begins to make sense. This isnt always the case, but with respect to these Heels, its spot on. Carolina needs a jerk on the floor. Maybe not a Dennis Rodman-type, but it wouldnt hurt to have some of the tolerable quirks that Rashad McCants brought to the floor in 2005. Nobody got so ticked off Saturday that they decided to take over. McCants got into opponents heads, and Ty Lawson in 2009 took over when his team was fledgling. The LSU game in the NCAA Tournament that season is one example. The Tar Heels also need an on-court leader. George Lynch corralled the 1993 club under his grip and became perhaps the greatest fanny-slapper in UNC history. How did Carolina overcome that ugly stretch 19 years ago? Among the answers is that Lynch grew a fire in his belly that was infectious. By March the Heels were obsessed with winning it all. And like those other champions, maybe now the Tar Heels have the sting of embarrassment to fuel them, too. The 93 club had those two blowouts and that Duke had just captured consecutive national titles driving them. The 2005 group had their Matt Doherty experiences, and for the seniors, that 8-20 mess as freshmen, fueling them. And the 2009 squad had the humiliating 2008 Final Four loss to Kansas, a game in which the Jayhawks opened with a 40-12 lead before the nations eyes, serving as their fury-laden petroleum. Now these nice guys have something that should tick them off. Williams probably wants to distance his team from Saturdays game as much as he can. But at the same time, if its used wisely, this could have finally poked UNCs hornets nest, provided some Heels are hornet-like deep down within. On paper, the Tar Heels might still be the favorites to win it all. But paper doesnt measure focus, heart, intensity, leadership, and an undying drive that usually accompanies champions. And if Saturday didnt spark that in UNC, nothing will.