Tar Heels Around The NFL

With NFL training camps beginning to open up throughout the league, North Carolina has 35 players currently on an NFL roster.  Here is a list of former Tar Heels to keep an eye on during training camps.

AFC:
Baltimore Ravens: (Owings Mills, MD- July 27)
Michael McAdoo (OLB)

Buffalo Bills: (Pittsford, NY- July 29)
Da'Norris Searcy (SS)
Johnny White (RB)

Cincinnati Bengals: (Georgetown, KY- July 28)
Brandon Tate (WR)

Cleveland Browns: (Berea, OH- July 29)
Greg Little (WR)

Houston Texans: (Houston, TX- July 31)
Dwight Jones (WR)
T.J. Yates (QB)

Indianapolis Colts: (Anderson, IN- July 29)
Matt Merletti (FS)

My Top 3 Tar Heel Basketball Moments

Number 3:  No Timeouts!

When the Tar Heels won the championship in 1982 I was not even three yet so I have NO memories of this game.  Everything I seen was on a program that ESPN had in the early 90s that showed the highlights of past Final Fours.  There I lived the glory of 1982 and the disappointment of 1977.  In 1993 the Tar Heels were in the National Title game for the first time since 1982 and it was the first time I had butterflies for a game that I could not  control the outcome.  I watched Donald Williams stamp his legacy in Carolina folk lure as the Sophomore was MOP of the Final Four.  That honor would not come easy as the Tar Heels faced the Fab Five of Michigan, who lost in the title game the year prior.  Carolina held a small lead as Chris Webber grabbed a rebound with under a minute to play.  I watched as the refs let a travel go uncalled but the Tar Heels were resilient in defense and trapped Webber, on the corner, as he crossed mid court.  He then called a timeout Michigan did not have that allowed Carolina to capture its second title under Dean Smith and the first I enjoyed live.

Number 2: Danny's Dunk

Even though this was only a regular season game this is my second favorite moment as a Tar Heel fan.  I was at Wild Wing Cafe in downtown Charleston, SC watching the game with friends, one of whom is a die hard dookie.  I had on my Tar Heels gear including a hat that I have had since high school that my dook friend has told me on numerous occasions he is tired of seeing. He was wearing his new "Carolina Sucks" shirt that I was quickly hating.  Danny Green grabbed a rebound and went down court and posterized the "hated" Greg Paulus.  The most memorable thing for me though was the look disappointment and disbelief on my friends face.

Number 1:  Redemption

2002 was the most disappointing year for me as a sports fan.  For the first time in my lifetime, my beloved North Carolina Tar Heels not only missed the NCAA tournament but finished a horrible 8-20 missing out on any post season tournament.  It was a year that was very tough to watch.  My Tar Heels had always finished in the top 3 of the ACC but that year, dead last!  Freshman Jawad Williams, Jackie Manual and Melvin Scott did not sign up for this.  They came to Carolina because of their winning tradition and legacy.  One bright spot was that Head Coach Matt Doherty was bringing in 3 of the top 10 high school recruits Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and Sean May.  Fast forward three years later Doherty had been fired and long time Kansas coach and Dean Smith pupil, Roy Williams was brought in to replace him.  Carolina did not go into the tournament as the favorite but would meet the favorite, Illinois Fighting Illini, in the finals.  Illinois went undefeated until the last game of the regular season against Ohio State.  Illinois had battled back from a 13 point first half deficit but the Tar Heels would not roll over.  On the back of Sean May's 26 points and 10 rebounds, Roy Williams got his first title as a head coach.  The 8-20 season was a distant memory and made this championship even sweeter.  I watched this game with no one, I paced back and forth yelling at the TV as if I was the head coach.  When Jim Nantz said "College basketball has a new Dean" I had chills and even let a tear of joy run down my cheek.

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Tar Heel's Summer League Updates

The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is well under way and the Tar Heels are well represented.  The NBA's mini season will run until July 22nd and showcases 13 of the top 14 picks (Anthony Davis is with team USA).  While former Carolina players have returned to Chapel Hill to play in pickup games, there are six former players that are playing in Las Vegas:

(Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images)

Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors):  Barnes has helped the Warriors go a perfect 3-0 so far in summer league.  His outside shooting has been key as he is 7-10 from beyond the arc.  Barnes is averaging 17 points 5 rebounds and 2 steals a game.  Barnes however is shooting below 40% from the field as he struggles to finish when he drives to the basket.  I still feel like Barnes is going to be a steal at number seven and a Golden State starting lineup consisting of: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Barnes, David Lee and Andrew Bogut has a lot of potential.

Ed Davis (Toronto Raptors):  Davis is nearly averaging a double-double with 16.5 points and 9 rebounds in four games. Davis is another NBA player that was drafted on "potential".  Davis will be entering his third season as he showed promise last season but still needs work on his offensive game.

John Henson (Milwaukee Bucks):  Some NBA draft experts said Henson would be the best pro of the four Tar Heels drafted this year.  Henson missed the Bucks first game due to the flu but had a nice debut Wednesday night.  Henson had 20 points, 9 rebounds, a block and was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.

Kendall Marshall (Phoenix Suns):  Like Henson, Marshall missed a game in the summer league but that was due to not being under contract when the summer league started.  Marshall has played in two games and has played the role of a facilitator as he has five assist in each game.  Marshall said via twitter that the trainer has him wearing an elbow pad precautionary reasons.  Hopefully this was the reason for his 1-10 shooting night Wednesday.

Deon Thompson (Memphis Grizzlies):  Last I reported Thompson had just won MVP in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague tournament. He has started both games for Memphis and is averaging 24.5 minutes a game.  This is a great opportunity for Thompson to show off his skills for NBA scouts and coaches.

Tyler Zeller (Cleveland Cavaliers):  Zeller was the last Tar Heel picked in this years draft but is having the best Summer League of the four.  Zeller has started all three games averaging 14 points, 8 rebounds and almost 2 blocks a game.  He is shooting over 50% from the field and 88% from the free throw line.  Cleveland has emerged as a possible destination for center Andrew Bynum to help the Lakers land Dwight Howard.  If Bynum does end up in Cleveland, the Cavs will have a seven footer that runs the floor coming of the bench.

**Justin Knox played in the Orlando Summer League for the Utah Jazz but was let go before Las Vegas Leagues started.

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Will Kendall Marshall Become Phoenix's Favorite Sun?

(Bob Donnan/ US Presswire)

The NBA Draft green room was filled with Tar Heels Thursday night.  Coach Roy Williams was there to support Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson, as all were expected to go early in the 2012 NBA Draft.  The lone Tar Heel that did not receive an invite to the green room was Kendall Marshall.  The NBA could have been worried about a Jameer Nelson, Aaron Rodgers or Brady Quinn situation where ESPN cameras are there to capture a heart break slide on draft day.  The NBA would not have had to worry about that because Marshall was selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns, and the second Tar Heel selected.  The Suns starting point guard and former MVP, Steve Nash, is expected to sign elsewhere as a free agent.  Unless the Suns are very active in the free agency market they appear to be in a rebuilding phase and could have just landed their floor general of the future.  Marshall and Sebastian Telfair are the only point guards that are currently on the Suns' roster, as Aaron Brooks is a restricted free agent. Marshall is an unselfish player that makes his teammates better.  Suns General Manager Lance Blanks said Marshall "was the guy we were targeting all along." Marshall was actually number eight on the Suns draft board.

Marshall will be able to talk about Tar Heel basketball with Suns TV analyst Scott Williams who played in Chapel Hill in the late 80's and was an undrafted free agent who had a  15 year career in the NBA.

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Former Tar Heel, Adam Warren, Makes His Debut In New York

Adam Warren is scheduled to make his first Major League start for the New York Yankees on Friday against the Chicago White Sox.  Warren will fill in for Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia, who was placed on the 15 day disabled list earlier this week.  Warren becomes the 16th Tar Heel to make a start in the MLB since Mike Fox has took over as manager in Chapel Hill.  Warren was a fourth round draft pick of the Yankees in 2009 and he has a record of 5-5 with an ERA of 3.86 and 59 strikeouts with the Triple A team Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.  If Warren performs well this could turn into more than a temporary call up as the Yankees also lost Andy Pettitte this week for six weeks due to an ankle injury.  Warren's first game will not be easy as the White Sox rank in the top 8 in runs scored and home runs.  The game will be shown on the Yes Network Friday at 7:05 EST.

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NBA Scouts Weigh In On Four Tar Heels

Seth Davis, of CNNSI, spoke with six NBA scouts, coaches and executives over the last two weeks leading up to the NBA draft.  This is what they had to say about the four Tar Heels that will be drafted in the first round Thursday night:

Harrison Barnes, 6-8 forward, North Carolina: "I can't figure him out. I want him to be better than he is, yet what he is is pretty good. His biggest problem is he doesn't have enough toughness. This is a man's league and I don't know for sure if he's the type of guy who will step on you when you're down."

John Henson, 6-10 forward, North Carolina: "His body has gotten better, although he still needs to work on it. He's a solid rotation player. His shot is greatly improved from his freshman year. He's not Ray Allen or anything, but he's not Reggie Evans anymore, either. I worry about kids who have high centers of gravity, because that usually means they have poor balance."

Kendall Marshall, 6-4 guard, North Carolina: "I don't think he's going to make a poor team a lot better, but if you put him on a team like Oklahoma City or Philadelphia, where he's surrounded by a bunch of athletes, then he can really make them better. He's not a bad shooter. If someone leaves him open, he can knock down a few jumpers. My concern about him is the other side of the ball. Will he be capable of defending quick point guards? He doesn't have great speed, but he knows how to play fast."

Tyler Zeller, 7-foot center, North Carolina: "Beast. I personally have him in the top seven. He's a 13- to 14-year NBA center. He can shoot, he's strong, he runs. Everybody complains they can never find a center. Well, here he is. There's absolutely no scenario where he's not going to succeed."

There are really no surprises with the scout's evaluations of the four players. There is not a census opinion any of the Tar Heel players.  Roy Williams said on the Dan Patrick Show that he thought Marshall could be the best pro.  Jay Bilas has said he thinks Zeller will be the best pro.  Marc James, sports radio personality in Charlotte, believes John Henson is best former Tar Heel to pick in this draft.


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Harrison Barnes Impressive In Workout With Bobcats

Harrison Barnes returned to North Carolina on Thursday as he was in Charlotte to work out for the Bobcats.  The Bobcats have the second pick of the NBA draft and are in the early stages of a rebuilding process.  Many in Charlotte believe Barnes is the best pick for the Bobcats.  He is a good shooter and extremely athletic and would instantly be the best scorer on the team.  Barnes worked out in front of Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, General Manager Richard Cho and new head coach Mike Dunlap.  It seems that Barnes made a good impression as Dunlap said, "He played to his strengths. He shoots the ball well. He is a very good athlete and he has a good attitude."  Former NC State player CJ Williams also worked out for the Bobcats and had nothing but positive things to say about Barnes.  He said, "Barnes just isn't a jump shooter but an overall scorer."

The Bobcats were the fourth team to work out Barnes, along with Cleveland, Toronto and Washington.  According to an NBA source Barnes cancelled his workout Friday with Sacramento.  So that makes me think that Barnes will not make it past the Cleveland Cavaliers, who pick 4th.  The Bobcats work out Kansas' junior standout Thomas Robinson on Friday but it seems Barnes is the front runner to be the second pick right now.

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