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Tar Heels fall short of expectations

Several minutes remained at Comcast Center on Sunday night when the always-boisterous Maryland crowd began chanting "N-I-T! N-I-T!" at the defeated North Carolina players.

From the outset of the season, Tar Heels coach Roy Williams cautioned that expectations - and a top-six ranking in the preseason Associated Press poll - were way too high for the reigning national champions. But he never could have expected this.

Halfway through the ACC season, the Tar Heels are 2-6 in the conference (13-10 overall) - and on the brink of failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. It was never realistic to think this team had the talent or experience to repeat as national basketball champs, not with Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green playing in the NBA.

Late Night with Roy

CHAPEL HILL UNC's Late Night With Roy is underway. Check back for updates...

Blue beats White 36-32 to end the evening.

9:30: New season, new set of walk-ons. They are: Thomas Thornton, James Gallagher and Terrence Petree. All played ont he junior varsity team last season.

ACC's big men build versatility

About 10 days into North Carolina's basketball practices, coach Roy Williams said that freshman John Henson, a 6-foot-9 small forward, had attempted more 3-pointers than 6-2 point guard Larry Drew II.

Sure, there's a changing of the guard in the ACC this season, with backcourt stars such as Ty Lawson, Gerald Henderson, Toney Douglas and Tyrese Rice playing professionally now. But the shot selection in Chapel Hill also is an example of the changing role of the forwards in the league.

In a previous era, the "big man" role went to back-to-the basket bullies such as UNC's Eric Montross, Duke's Elton Brand or Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, players who specialized in banging bodies, scoring on the block, grabbing rebounds and swatting shots. Today's forwards and centers do everything from run the floor to hit 3-pointers to feed the post, when they're not down there themselves.

Williams concerned with backcourt

Formerly-suspended North Carolina wing Will Graves is doing well in both summer school and the weight room -- and is expected to be on the court when the team opens practice in October. Formerly-injured guard Marcus Ginyard is playing and organizing pick-up games -- and eager to return to his on-court leadership role this fall.

Both are good signs for the Tar Heels, who have already been picked in the top 5 of some preseason polls -- much to the surprise of coach Roy Williams, who isn't quite sure who is going to fill the backcourt rotation.

"This is the least experience and the least depth I've ever had on the perimeter," Williams said during Tuesday's press conference. "... Last year, all of you guys were telling me, 'You've got too many players, isn't that a concern?' And I said, 'no,' and I think it was the correct answer. This year, if you ask me if I'm concerned about our lack of experience and lack of depth on the perimeter, I'll say, 'darn right I am.' "

Big Four face hoop questions

At Duke, fans are Counting Down to the Craziness. At N.C. State, they will Rally in Red. And at North Carolina, it's time, once again, to spend Late Night with Roy Williams.

College basketball practice officially begins this evening, meaning many schools across the country are holding their versions of Midnight Madness (albeit before midnight) events.

For the Big Four, the 2009-10 season is chock full of questions that won't be answered for at least five months: Can UNC repeat as national champion without Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green? Does Duke have enough firepower on the perimeter to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2004? Does N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe have enough talent to keep himself off the chopping block? Can Wake Forest, which will hold an intrasquad scrimmage on Oct. 24 (no practice tonight) re-emerge after its March meltdown?