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9. North Carolina
Team Page | 2000-2001 Schedule | Roster

Forte is again a strong point for the Heels, who also hope height means might

By Seth Davis

		THE TOP 20
	1	Arizona
	2	Duke
	3	Maryland
	4	Illinois
	5	Michigan State
	6	Kansas
	7	Seton Hall
	8	Tennessee
	9	North Carolina
	10	Florida
	11	Stanford
	12	Wisconsin
	13	USC
	14	Kentucky
	15	UCLA
	16	Arkansas
	17	Notre Dame
	18	DePaul
	19	Georgetown
	20	Connecticut
	REST OF THE BEST

Matt Doherty doesn't want to change the face of Carolina basketball, but he's not afraid to tweak it a bit. So when Jason Capel asked Doherty, the Tar Heels' new coach, to lift the four-decade-old ban on facial hair, Doherty acceded. If he extends his players a longer leash than did predecessors Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge, Doherty is also quicker to give that leash a sharp tug. That was apparent during a recent practice when he punctuated a profanity-laced philippic by kicking over a trash can. "We'd never seen that before," center Brendan Haywood says. "I'm not sure Coach Guthridge could get his leg high enough to kick a trash can."

Still, it won't be easy for Doherty to fill the shoes of a guy who guided Carolina to two Final Fours in three years. Doherty's top priority will be to get more consistency from Haywood, who was spotty during the 1999-2000 regular season but averaged 15.8 points and 9.6 rebounds during the NCAAs. With the 6'8" Capel, 6'10" junior Brian Bersticker and 6'11" junior Kris Lang joining the 7-foot Haywood up front, this will be one of the nation's biggest teams.

The Tar Heels will therefore be vulnerable against smaller, quicker foes. They'll rely heavily on Joseph Forte, who last year became the first freshman ever to lead Carolina in scoring. Forte worked hard on his ball handling this summer, and is a candidate -- along with freshmen Adam Boone and Brian Morrison and sophomores Ronald Curry and Jonathan Holmes -- to replace Ed Cota at point guard. Doherty hopes to select a permanent quarterback soon. "If I start jerking these guys around, it'd be like yanking a young pitcher before he gets his confidence," he says. "I'm going to have to live with some mistakes early."

Issue date: November 20, 2000

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