By Matt Jones

CoachCal.com Contributor

For those of you who may have been living in a cave (and thus unable to hear the sultry sounds of Dick Vitale’s voice at any given moment), I will remind you that this is a big weekend.  Yes dear friends, it is time for the battle with North Carolina.

The Tar Heels come into Rupp Arena this Saturday, and like the great James Taylor (for our younger readers, he was a singer of your parents’ generation, who married Carly Simon, wrote a lot of songs that sound the same, now has no hair and usually wears a funny hair. . . your mom probably had/has a crush on him), for the past few days I have “been gone to Carolina in my mind.” Whether it is their tremendous front line, their baby blue jerseys or their coach now possessing a bionic arm, North Carolina is the game I have looked forward to all year and is in my view, a statement game for the season.

To understand why North Carolina is so important, you have to take a step back and look at all the similarities between the two schools.  Both are major public state institutions in which basketball is king.  They are, in my humble opinion, the two greatest college basketball programs throughout history and collectively have been involved in more major games than any teams in the nation.  They are 1-2 all time in wins, have the second and third most championships of any program and have, unlike any other programs in the sport, been good throughout every generation of basketball. 

Thus a game between Kentucky and North Carolina isn’t just some minor showdown…it is a clash of the two major holders of basketball royalty.  For most of the history of college basketball, the battle between Kentucky and North Carolina did not take place on a yearly basis.  Occasionally a special matchup would be scheduled between the two schools, but generally it had to be in the Tournament when the two teams met, and each occupied special realms.  But then in the late 90s, both teams made the great decision to play on an annual basis and make the historical battle regular event on the calendar. 

Unfortunately for both schools, since that point, they have rarely both been good in the same year.  Early on, UNC was struggling with its post-Dean Smith years and lately, UK hasn’t been up to the Tar heels caliber.  But that is changing.  With the arrival of John Calipari the Cats are heading back towards the top and UK-UNC has the potential to be the special rivalry it was intended when it began.  In fact, I expect this year’s game to be Part II of the Rivalry, and to usher in a series of great games for years to come.  When both teams take the floor, the level of potential NBA talent will be unmatched by any other regular season game in college basketball this year.  Re-read that sentence and digest it. . . when you watch UK-UNC this week, you will likely see more future NBA players on one court than in any other game this year.

So with that as a background, what do we expect from the Heels?  Well to understand that, you have to understand what UNC traditionally brings to the table.  For me, UNC has never been a team to hate.  Unlike its cross-Triangle rival Duke, UNC has not been a team that younger fans have general animosity for.  Most people like UNC, not least of all because of Michael Jordan, the best dunker not named Kenny Walker, of the 1980s.  But that doesn’t mean UNC hasn’t had their notorious “Villains” over the years.  Like every program, UNC has had guys to dislike. . . and while ESPN and the media will remind you of Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Tyler Hansbrough, I want to remind you of some other names that might (should) get your blood boiling:

Rasheed Wallace: You remember Rasheed don’t you?  Now I am not talking about the “good” Rasheed that played in Detroit with our man Tayshaun and carried the championship belt in games.  I am talking about “bad” ‘Sheed, the one that choked Andre Riddick in the 1995 Regional game and made you throw something at your television.  Rasheed “Both teams played hard” Wallace was a college griper, getting technicals by the boatload (a trait he carried into the NBA) and generally being intolerable during his college years. 

Kris Lang: If ever there were an award for “awkward big guy with a line beard that complains the most”, Kris Lang would have been its standard bearer and had the trophy named after him.  Lang played during the transition from Dean to Roy and most of his battles ended with either (a) him getting in a fight or (b) missing a layup.  He famously talked trash to Tayshaun while Prince was hitting his remarkable five 3- pointers to start a UK-UNC game in Rupp Arena, and finished that game with what was then a career high.  He is also possibly the only player on this list that UNC fans would agree to dislike.

Williamses: If you watched a lot of UNC basketball in the 1990s, then you will remember that they had an ever-changing group of players with the last name “Williams” who did nothing but hit every important three pointer in every important game.  Whether it was Donald, Shammond or Willie, there was always a Williams brother ready to hit a three in your eye.  The fact that they kept getting new ones made it seem as if only one played for ten consecutive years. . .kind of like Pat Bradley at Arkansas. When Roy Williams took over the Heels, it was the last straw. Who’s next? Ted? Billy Dee? Serena?

Vince Carter: In college he showboated, talked trash and generally was impossible to pull for.  Then he got to the NBA and added the traits of bad teammate, game tanker and franchise cancer to his repertoire.  He did have an amazing dunk contest, but otherwise his career is best known for going to his college graduation on the same date as a playoff game.  Plus my college girlfriend had a major crush on him and mentioned it often.  I have not forgiven him. Or her.

Dante Calabria: It’s odd why you decide to dislike people in life.  Sometimes it is the way they talk, the way they act, or the way they play.  For me with Dante, it was how much hair he had on his arms.  I know this shouldn’t be a factor in making personal judgments, but Calabria was so hairy that it would distract me during games.  I was mesmerized by the length and density of his arm hair and it made me completely ineffective at enjoying any games in which he was a part.  I can think of no better reason to name someone a villain.

I hope this list jogged your memory a bit and helped you remember Carolina players of the past you disliked (Jeff McGinnis, Rashad McCants and Eric Montross are also acceptable answers).  When we watch on Saturday, it will be a test for our Cats, but it will also be the opening for college basketball on CBS.  Much of the talk will be about Kentucky and the new Calipari era.  Some will however be about UNC and all that is good about Carolina Blue.  While we accept  Carolina as co-holders of the basketball royalty trophy, don’t forget the Kris Langs, Rasheed Wallaces and Dante Calabria’s arm hairs of the world.  They are the reason why even though we share a dislike of Duke, UNC is not our friend.

Matt Jones is the founder and genius behind Kentucky Sports Radio. He is a regular contributor to CoachCal.com

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