Tyler Zeller's historic night (and why he gives UNC the best shot at a Final Four berth)

Not nearly enough will be written about Tyler Zeller's 20 point, 22 rebound performance about Ohio, not with the way North Carolina escaped the Edward Jones Dome with a win.

Zeller's 20-22 line (which also included four blocks) was the fourth 20-20 performance in the last 30 years of the NCAA tournament. Great, great post players have left their mark on the NCAA tournament over the years, but only three of them did what Zeller did Friday night.

Even Zeller was impressed.



What's more impressive, what makes the feat even more meaningful for Zeller was the other three names. Here's the company Zeller joined with his game last night:

• Tim Duncan -- Considered by some (including myself) to be the greatest power forward to play the game. In 1997, Duncan scored 22 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against St. Mary's. Even more impressive was that Duncan put those numbers up against 7-foot-3, 345-pound center Brad Millard of St. Mary's. 

• Joe Smith -- Smith never quite lived up to the hype of a No. 1 draft pick after he was taken by Golden State in 1995, but he played 16 years in the NBA. But during his senior year at Maryland, the year he was named the Naismith Player of the Year, Smith scored 31 points and brought down 21 rebounds in a tournament game against Texas. 

• Hakeem Olajuwon -- One of the best centers to ever play in the NBA. Olajuwon went for 21 points and 22 rebounds in a 1993 tournament game against Louisville, the same year UNC beat Michigan for the NCAA title. Olajuwon played for Houston, then went on to have a great career in the NBA with the Houston Rockets.

Zeller's name included on that list says more than enough. Usually very humble, Zeller's first reaction when told about it was simply, "Dang." 

To be fair, if there was a game for Zeller to post 20 rebounds in, it would be against Ohio. The Bobcats had one player taller than 6-foot-8, but he didn't start and he was still two inches shorter than Zeller. 

Zeller attributed a lot of his success to his height.

"On the boards, I think that was a huge advantage we had," he said. "Being able to have John (Henson) and me down there, I mean, you're always looking for him and then I can sneak in and get one every once in a while. It was a great advantage for us."

Without Kendall Marshall, North Carolina was a different team. Fewer fast break points and a lack of offensive creation were just some of the problems the Tar Heels ran into. And by the looks of things in St. Louis, Marshall appears still very questionable for UNC's game against Kansas. Though, it is hard to imagine the point guard won't give it a shot with a Final Four trip on the line.

If Marshall doesn't play, UNC will need Zeller. The Tar Heels obviously can't have another 3-for-16 performance from Harrison Barnes, and it's not really likely that Reggie Bullock will be as clutch as he was Friday, but if UNC wants to beat Kansas, Zeller must be big again. 

He has been North Carolina's most consistent player down the stretch and for much of this season. 

Marshall said he's simply UNC's leader.

"The steps that he's made as a player each year, I mean, he's a senior," Marshall said. "He knows that this is his team. He wants to lead us and we have no problem letting him. The effort he puts in every day is just a testament to show what kind of player he is. I'm extremely happy for him.We wouldn't be where we are without him."

Zeller doesn't need 20 and 22 against Kansas to be effective, he just needs to do the little things he's done all year. For example, when Stilman White stole the ball in the second half and was pushing for a fast-break layup, Zeller followed him and gathered it once Ohio blocked White's layup. He cleaned up other messes too, like a few 3-point attempts from Barnes. If nothing else, Zeller's minutes showed how big his presence was in the paint against Ohio. He played 90 percent of the available minutes (40 out of 45). Williams took him out of the game and stuck him back in front of the scorer's table often within the same minute.

He was a difference-maker. 

The center deserves plenty of love for his game against Ohio. Duncan, Smith, Olajuwon and now Zeller. It's incredibly impressive. 

It won't come as easily against the Jayhawks' talented frontcourt, but UNC will likely need its steady big man even more Sunday. Right now, he's about the only certain thing for Sunday's game on the UNC end.

Carrier Classic: what you missed on the other side of the lense

I hate it for you if you weren't there, because it was one of the more impressive things I've ever seen. Imagine, if you can, zig-zagging up a steep, metal  flight of stairs to the top level of an aircraft carrier. All you see are trailers and tents. There is no basketball court. In fact, the U.S.S. Carl Vinson was so big that I wandered around for about two minutes before I even found the court. But once I did it stunned me. It was early, about 6:30 a.m., because I was dropping off my computer and Jonathan Jones' computer for the Secret Service to screen.  Green chairs extended back from each edge of the court and two giant screens hung behind each end of it. The only normal thing was the court, but the rest of the set-up, I had never seen anything like it. Here was an athletic setting we're all used to surrounded by ocean, the small island-like city of Coronado and off in the other direction, the San Diego skyline. But all the surrounding stuff looked and felt beneath us, and it wasn't just because the carrier sits so high off the water. Nope, our surroundings were beneath us because for the next 16 hours, where we were was the center of the world...or at least it felt that way.

The court assembled on board the U.S.S. Carl Vinson at about 6:30 a.m.

I wasn't watching ESPN that day, so I don't know what the live look-ins looked like or how extensive the Carrier Classic coverage was prior to the game, but I guarantee you that you missed a lot. So that's what I want to do: fill you in on what you may have missed before, during and after the game, but also revisit a few of the Carrier Classic's best moments.

The Flip Flops

Let's start Friday morning. J.J. and I had to wake up very, very early to turn in every piece of electronic equipment we would use on the carrier except our cell phones. Because President Obama would be on the carrier, the Secret Service went to the lengths you'd expect it to in order to secure the ship for his arrival. This meant leaving my grandparents' house, where we stayed, and driving over to the Naval base on Coronado to pick up our credentials and drop off the electrical equipment. Once we had that, J.J. and I made our way over to the security checkpoint before getting on the ship. You know, metal detectors, dogs. It was similar to an airport, except one thing. A navy soldier yelled at us, "No flip flops." Wasn't me, it was J.J. Can't blame the dude for wanting to get his San Diego on...oh wait, yes we can, because we were told ahead of time not to wear them. Because of that J.J. missed out on helping me find the media tent and dropping off his equipment. He was crushed. 

The Security

We were allowed back on the boat once the Secret Service did whatever they did to our laptops, cameras, etc. We went through a car check where a dog sniffed every inch of my grandparents' interior. There was nothing in the car...thank goodness, Grandma. Then we followed a van to the media parking lot. We watched what we said in the car from then on, just in case it was bugged. Obviously we weren't actually going to say anything we wouldn't want heard, but for a couple of guys who couldn't slip out of a class early without grinning (and almost laughing) on the way out, it was just kind of a fun game. After we parked, we rode a van back to the metal detectors, and this time J.J. was wearing shoes. Success. We were in.

The Hours Before

There was almost too much going on before the game started, but nothing that great. We were all just ready for the game to start. There were huge lines for the merchandise tent, and other attractions on the boat. A group of navy soldiers were playing music on one side of the ship, and on the other end, members of the military were lined up to hang out on the SportsCenter set. Magic Johnson and James Worthy, the two honorary captains for the game, were signing autographs. 

Hail to the Chief

But as it got closer to 4 p.m., we all got more and more excited for President Obama to arrive at the game. At one point all 8,000 of us stood up and expected him to walk out onto the court. The Navy band was playing "Hail to the Chief." It was clearly time. Everyone there was standing, thinking the President was coming, that is until the announer said it was a rehearsal and we should all sit.Carolina Blue writer Evan Markfield captured it perfectly in this tweet. The second time was the charm. After waiting a while, President Obama finally arrived. SIDE NOTE: This was my first experience being that close to a President of the United States. It was awesome. You're standing there thinking to yourself, "this is the most powerful man in the world." I don't care if you're going to vote for him a year from now or not, that was awesome. My guess is that by now, ESPN was rolling. I can't imagine it wouldn't be. But once Obama arrived, we were treated to the first real train-wreck of day: the national anthem.

The National Anthem We All Wish We Never Heard

I don't like bashing a singing of the National Anthem because it's like bashing a prayer, but this was pretty bad. I'm not sure I could put it in words better than Michelle Obama's face does at 0:40 and from about 1:05 to 1:14 in the video. The guy who sang it is the recording artist B. Taylor, who has apparently been called the "new sound of classic motown." I'm not sure who said that about him, but J.J. and I could have done a better job singing that song. No, seriously, we wrote a song in the car on the way to the game. There's a 50 percent chance we'll record it, so stay tuned. I guess the only good thing about B. Taylor's National Anthem is that it so boring that we got this out of it.

 

Mario Lopez Feels Normal Three Times

After the National Anthem, the President spent some time, a lot more time than I expected, speaking before the game. At one point I thought he was going to start campaigning, but he quickly got back on track and worked his way toward the end of the speech. Once President Obama finished talking, he took his seat courtside while the teams warmed up on the court. Other than Obama, nothing was more fascinating before the game than what happened next.  A.C. Slater. Yes, Mario Lopez, in all his EXTRA! EXTRA! glory, was at the carrier game with a mission. The man was going to interview President Obama, or at least he thought so.

Mario Lopez plotting out his strategy for getting that exclusive Obama interview. 

After Obama took his seat, Lopez, as you can see, was locked in on Obama. Before long he walked over to Obama around midcourt but was stopped by a group of Jack Bauers. Can't blame Lopez for trying once, and I can't blame the Secret Service for turning him down. But it didn't stop. Think about it, if your'e Mario Lopez, what do you do next? You find a female and use her, which was what Lopez did a little after his failed first attempt. He found a female naval officer, talked to her, then she decided to lead him over to where the President was. But the Jack Bauers stopped him again. Still, Lopez wasn't about to give up. I mean this is A.C. freakin Slater, the guy doesn't stop. So he devised a plan at halftime to swoop in and go for that interview one more time. At halftime, Lopez and his camera men walked over to halfcourt, and they stayed there. And stayed there. You could say they occupied halfcourt, and occupied it to a level that Alec Baldwin would be proud of. But once again, it didn't work. Lopez and his cameraman were still on the sideline at halfcourt while the referee was trying to start the in-bounds pass at the beginning of the second half. You could hear a few people yell, "Get off the court!" Whether one of them was President Obama, we'll never know. But it wasn't all bad news for Lopez. He got an interview from Brooklyn Decker at halftime, which is always a plus. If you want to watch some of the footage he and Extra put together, you can watch it here.

Lopez may not have gotten his interview with Obama, but he came out all right.

Halftime Note

The halftime shooting contest wasn't incredibly impressive, but the most impressive thing about it was Tyler Hansbrough's shot. He started to develop it toward the end of his collegiate career, but at the Carrier Classic, it looked pretty good. Apparently he's kicked some old habits.

The Postgame Concert We Didn't Understand

When the game ended and we were trying to write, all of us were treated to a concert featuring Five For Fighting and country music artist Billy Currington. I've got to believe there was a good reason for choosing both bands, but I still haven't found it. The only part of Five For Fighting I truly listened to was part of its song, "Freedom Never Cries." Unfortunately, all I heard as we headed to UNC's trailer to interview the team after the game was lead man John Ondrasik singing, "There's a baby on the doorstep" over and over and over. I remember looking at J.J., and him looking back at me, as Ondrasik continued to sing that line. I can't describe that moment, but it was just odd and we both knew it. That was all we heard as we walked along the court to the trailers on the other side of the carrier. "There's a baby on the doorstep...There's a baby on the doorstep." We didn't get it, but we enjoyed repeating that line over and over ourselves on the way to those trailers. The Navy wanted all media members off the carrier by 9 p.m., and I'm starting to think that concert was just incentive for us to write fast.

Maybe Draymond Green Was Right

It's well known that the U.S.S. Carl Vinson was the carrier that took Osama bin Laden's body out to be buried at sea. Michigan State forward Draymond Green was quoted in the week leading up to the Carrier Classic saying, "I hope there is a little red 'X' where they threw him off so i can see it." Well, Draymond, you may be right. Take a look what hidden paint fragment imaging found in that picture of the navy band playing before the game. 

Will the 'Jordan effect' diminish with time?

Michael Jordan could be one of the most effective closers of all time. Not baseball, of course. We all know how that turned out. I'm talking about recruiting. 

It's no secret that North Carolina benefits greatly from the "Jordan effect" with recruiting. I can imagine what it's like when those recruits get a letter from Air Jordan, even though I've never witnessed it or seen the letter, I still have an imagination. And if you don't get a letter from Jordan, you're could still play basketball where he did, and for some guys, that carries a lot of weight. 

But it's been a while since Jordan has played and it can be easy for some to forget just how good he was. With each passing year and each incoming recruiting class, we grow further from a generation that grew up watching Michael Jordan. What's going to happen when recruits only know Michael is the best, but never witnessed it?

Will the "Jordan effect" mean less? I think it's unavoidable. 

A letter from Jordan will always mean something; I mean, come on, it's Jordan we're talking about here. But his luster won't last forever. I think UNC may find that part of its recruitng slightly less compelling within five to ten years from now. The Tar Heels can always boast about its professional products, but by then, the program may need to sell itself a little more. 

I guess that's when UNC should be happy that it's, well, UNC.

NBA Mock Draft Version 1.0

With the NBA Draft a little over a month away, now is a good time for me to put out my Mock Draft of the entire first round. I'm not posting all 30 picks right now, but I'll add the remainder day-by-day. So let's just get right to it shall we?

Round 1, Pick 1 - New Jersey Nets
John Wall - 6'4" PG
NBA Comparison: Derrick Rose
Analysis: Very agile, very athletic point guard with great size. Wall will be an elite point guard within his rookie season. My favorite for Rookie of the Year. His comparison is with fellow Kentucky guard Derrick Rose, but Wall could be even better. He has elite court vision and play-making ability. Sorry Devin Harris, but the Nets aren't going to pass on this prospect.

Round 1, Pick 2 - Minnesota Timberwolves
Evan Turner - 6'7" SG
NBA Comparison: Joe Johnson
Analysis: It's hard to ignore the numbers Turner put up last season at Ohio State. He isn't a great athlete but he's long and can shoot. I don't see Turner being a star or even a team's number-one option, but he could be a great second option in Minnesota or anywhere else.

Round 1, Pick 3 - Sacramento Kings
Derrick Favors - 6'9" PF
NBA Comparison: Al Horford
Analysis: Favors has a ton of upside. He's has good size and great athleticism. Favors has a  good mix of post moves but he needs to work more on his face-up game. Favors has a tendency to take plays off, but when he's on, he's tough to defend. Good rebounder, good defender. Favors should add some much-needed depth to Sacramento's frontcourt.

Round 1, Pick 4 - Golden State Warriors
DeMarcus Cousins - 6'11" PF/C
NBA Comparison:  Andrew Bynum
Analysis: Cousins has potential to be a 18-10 guy. He's tall and strong. He's a little shorter than Andrew Bynum, but like Bynum, Cousins hasn't shown he can be consistently dominant. But I don't see the Warriors passing on him. Cousins is an upgrade at either the PF or C position and he has the athleticism to run in that offense.

Round 1, Pick 5 - Washington Wizards
Wesley Johnson - 6'7" SF
NBA Comparison: Danny Granger
Analysis: I really like Granger as a prospect. He's got excellent athleticism, a good shooting touch, good ball handling skills and is a good passer too. It's possible Johnson could become the second best player from this draft. He's going to be a good NBA player, the question for him is "how good?" But Lord knows the Wizards need something.

Round 1, Pick 6 - Philadelphia 76ers
Greg Monroe - 6'10" PF
NBA Comparison: Poor man's Pau Gasol
Analysis: There's a lot to like about Monroe. He's tall, has a decent mid-range shot, and a good post game. Monroe is an excellent passer for a power forward which is what draws the Gasol comparison. I wouldn't expect Monroe to dominate a game, but he can be a great teammate. He's one of my favorites in this year's class.

Round 1, Pick 7 - Detroit Pistons
Al-Farouq Aminu - 6'8" SF
NBA Comparison:  Marvin Williams
Analysis: Aminu is a good all-around small forward. From watching him at Wake Forest, I don't see him becoming a dominant player but he has the skills to score from the outside in. The Pistons could use a good jolt of young talent, but I'm not willing to bet on Aminu just yet.

Round 1, Pick 8 - Los Angeles Clippers
Cole Aldrich - 6'11" C
NBA Comparison: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Analysis: I'm not sold on Aldrich. He had a decent year in a decent basketball conference. I also hate to compare him to big Z but I just can't watch the guy run without thinking about Ilgauskas. Size is appealing and Aldrich has it, but don't expect great things from him.

Round 1, Pick 9 - Utah Jazz
Ed Davis - 6'9" PF
NBA Comparison: Brandon Wright
Analysis: OK, the comparison is too easy to make. Two lanky athletic guys with good up-side but without much of a mid-range game. Davis is going to have a hard time in the NBA without a face-up game. He isn't going to tower over guys like in college. Still, a pretty good pick at nine for the Jazz.

Round 1, Pick 10 - Indiana Pacers
Ekpe Udoh - 6'10" PF
NBA Comparison: Lamar Odom of late
Analysis: Udoh has a lot of potential. He can score inside or create off the dribble. He's most likely going to be an average Odom, not an explosive one. The Pacers take Udoh, hoping he develops into something special but it's a gamble at best.

Round 1, Pick 11 - New Orleans Hornets
Patrick Patterson - 6'8" PF
NBA Comparison: J.J. Hickson
Analysis: Patterson would fit in well in New Orleans. He can shoot , he's smart, and he can carry his own in the paint. Emeka Okafor has been playing as an undersized center his whole career so there's no reason he couldn't continue to do it. Patterson could add some depth to the frontcourt.

Round 1, Pick 12 - Memphis Grizzlies
Xavier Henry - 6'7" SG
NBA Comparison: John Salmons
Analysis: Henry has an NBA ready body. He's a good all-around player that put up good numbers on a really talented team. Henry has the size to play small forward as well. I see Memphis going small here and taking a guard. It may take a few years but Henry could be effective in the NBA.

Round 1, Pick 13 - Toronto Raptors
Hassan Whiteside - 7'0" C
NBA Comparison: JaVale McGee
Analysis: Raw, raw, raw. Whiteside has as much potential as anyone in the draft but he is only 20 years old and he is as raw as they come.  But let's be serious, Chris Bosh isn't staying in Toronto and the Raptors are going to look for someone to fill the whole. Whiteside could benefit in his development from playing with Andrea Bargnani. If Whiteside plays well enough to start, Bargnani could move to the four and Toronto would start two seven-footers.

Round 1, Pick 14 - Houston Rockets
Donatas Motiejunas - 7'0" C
NBA Comparison: Andrea Bargnani
Analysis: Motiejunas is an interesting prospect out of Lithuania. He's a true seven-footer with a soft touch. He's prefers to play a finesse game instead of banging on the inside. His European-style game would allow him to play alongside Yow Ming or behind him, but that's assuming he pans out. Motiejunas, like Whiteside, is still very raw.

Round 1, Pick 15 - Milwaukee Bucks
Avery Bradley - 6'3" SG
NBA Comparison: Monta Ellis
Analysis: Bradley is undersized and not a great passer. At times he tends to force things offensively and doesn't have great court vision. That said, Bradley is an offensive lightning bolt. He can score quickly and shows a lot of potential to continue doing that in the NBA. The Bucks are pretty old at shooting guard and Bradley could be a good addition, assuming he isn't snagged before pick 15.

Round 1, Pick 16 - Minnesota Timberwolves
Daniel Orton - 6'10" PF/C
NBA Comparison: LaMarcus Aldridge
Analysis: At Kentucky last season, Orton averaged 13.2 minutes, 3.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. The only decent stat there is his blocks-per-game. So why do people think he could be a lottery pick? Two words: athleticism and potential. The NBA Draft is such a gamble already that taking a leap of faith on this guy really isn't that big a leap. He could be very good. He can run the floor and would be a decent addition to the Timberwolves.

Round 1, Pick 17 - Chicago Bulls
Gordon Hayward - 6'8" SF
NBA Comparison: Hedo Turkoglu
Analysis: So its no secret the Bulls will be lobbying for LeBron James, and Hayward is a guy that could do well with LeBron or even Dwayne Wade. Hayward can shoot the ball well, has a high release and a quick one. Hayward is an adequate ball-handler but not explosive. He's going to excel when the defense is rushing to meet him, making him a great kick-out option for a Wade or James type player.

Round 1, Pick 18 - Miami Heat
James Anderson - 6'6" SG
NBA Comparison: Steven Jackson but a worse ball-handler
Analysis: James Anderson may not slip this far but I don't see Miami passing on him. He's got good athleticism and can shoot well but his biggest weakness is handling the ball. Anderson will need to work on that but I don't know how much it will improve. He reminds me of Gerald Henderson last year but with more of a traditional shooting guard game.

Round 1, Pick 19 - Boston Celtics
Damion James - 6'8" SF
NBA Comparison: James Posey
Analysis: James has a NBA-ready body and good athleticism. In college, he excelled at everything a gifted athlete would, but he still has work to do with his ball handling and passing. He's only average in those categories. He's an above average shooter but hasn't shown a nice enough touch to make me confident in his shooting. James is a Boston player though, he just seems to fit in well there.

Round 1, Pick 20 - San Antonio Spurs
Eric Bledsoe - 6'1" PG
NBA Comparison: A lesser Aaron Brooks
Analysis: Bledsoe is another one of those guys with a lot of potential. He's quick, athletic and very aggressive. Bledsoe doesn't have great court vision and he isn't a great shooter. He really hasn't even shown he can be a true point guard, he's more of a scorer. But it's hard to ignore the great quickness and athleticism he has shown.

The State of women's basketball

I was flipping channels tonight and came across an interview with Connecticut forward Maya Moore. It was a post game interview so I continued to watch. Shortly after, I realized something: UConn just won the national championship.

NCAA women's basketball has a serious problem. Well, more than one. Here's a few off the top of my head.

1) There are over 300 irrelevant teams, maybe 10-15 good teams, and only really good team. UConn is good for the sport, but nobody else can hang with the Huskies. Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma calls himself "the bad guy" but he's doing good things for women's basketball. Like it or not, UConn is pushing the limits and that's a good start. Everyone else needs to follow.

2) After Duke won the men's national title, I shut off the college basketball section of my brain. I've never understood why the women finish the NCAA Tournament after the men. Why not take a page from the NFL, who recently moved its irrelevant Pro Bowl to the week before the super bowl, and have the women play first? If that had been the case, I would have at least known they were playing. 

3) Marketing. It has to be difficult, I mean lets face it, we aren't talking about men's basketball here. There is a difference. So how do you market this product? Two ways: improve the product and improve the hype. Right now, the problem is the product. More games are being broadcast, and most teams have a loyal following (even if it is small). But, programs need to improve. Better basketball means more fans. People love a winner.

Williams' rotation honed, Tar Heels winning

It took an entire season, but North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams finally has a grasp on his team.

Five freshman and four sophomores dominated the team's earlier 12-man rotation that started the year. It was a young, inexperienced team and Williams had no idea who to play. Even in a dogfight against the then No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats, Williams played the nine underclassmen in addition to his two seniors, Deon Thompson and Marcus Ginyard, and junior Will Graves, searching for someone to step up and take over.

Now, 111 days later and his team preparing for the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden, Williams seems to have finally figured out his rotation. Injuries have helped him narrow it down some, but predominantly it has been the play of those individuals that has placed them in the new rotation. Most notable is freshman John Henson. In the middle of the season he could barely scrap 10 minutes a game, but in UNC's three NIT wins, he has averaged 24.7 minutes a game as well as solid contributions in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. 

The new rotation features the three upperclassmen and six youngsters. But aside from individual growth, the advantage for the Tar Heels has been chemistry. Players are working together, generating more offense and fulfilling a role. Williams doesn't need Ginyard to shoot 12 times a game, and the team is better when he doesn't. On top of that, the biggest contributors are now playing more minutes. It's all about role playing within the system. And, with only two games left on UNC's schedule, Williams will almost undoubtedly stick to his nine-man rotation. 

It's like they're on a heater, and when you're on a heater, you don't quit.