Chapel Hill's Tobacco Rogues

It is not impossible, but for now the more realistic aim is merely to win the conference title. Carolina has already beaten defending champion Duke in Durham, but the Blue Devils are coming back strong after a rocky start. Besides, the ACC still believes in double jeopardy; the real champion and NCAA representative is the team that wins the postseason tournament.

Certainly, even with the loss to Georgia Tech, even as they stagger to conference victories, the Tar Heels should be favored. But to win, the Carolina sophomores must continue to improve, Miller must keep driving hard, dominating, and Lewis, bless his well-meaning heart, must be just a teensy-weensy bit selfish.

In the Tar Heel locker room, there is just one little aphorism posted. It says: "The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team." Lewis and Miller are two stars who obviously believe that, but they still must utilize their vast skills to the utmost. Coach Smith might show them another thought from that Tar Heel alumnus, Thomas Wolfe, who wrote: "If a man has a talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has a talent and uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men will ever know."

If both Lewis and Miller achieve that satisfaction, all of the Tar Heels will find the triumph in their wake.