Heels & Steelers

And that's that. After a season that saw Roy Williams' put forth maybe the best coaching job of his career, the Tar Heels somehow beat Murray St. in the first round of the NCAA tournament and then lost to George Mason yesterday. And if we're all being honest, Carolina hasn't played particularly well since the Duke game a few weeks ago. They struggled to beat UVA in the first round of the ACC tournament, and then fell to BC a day later. UNC followed that up with a decidedly mediocre effort in the opening round of the NCAAs and outdid themselves with a monumental pants-crapping effort Sunday.

What makes the uneven performances in the last four games frustratingly peculiar is that none of it was the result of the freshmen playing like, well, freshmen. Instead, Reyshawn Terry struggled with many of the same things that have haunted Roy Williams at various points during the 2005-06 season: Terry disappearing for stretches during a game, occasionally showing up and making a big three or humongous defensive stop, and then inexplicably taking an ill-advised shot, making a dumb foul, making a dumber pass, or giving up easy baskets on defense. And while no one can dispute how far Terry has progressed in just a few months, he still has a long way to go.

And even though I know David Noel is a Roy Williams favorite, he sometimes gives me ulcers. The first five minutes of the second half (you know, when Carolina had six possessions that resulted in six turnovers) might have been the worst five minutes of basketball this season at any level. (And that includes all levels of college, high school -- girls JV too -- as well as that pick-up game from the Cable Guy where Jim Carrey runs "suicides" during warm-ups, while wearing nut-huggers, tube socks up to the knees, and matching head and wrist bands.) Noel single-handedly gave George Mason the lead by virtue of two horrific turnovers. But for as awful as that stretch was, Noel also kept UNC in the game by hitting big shot after big shot. And when he wasn't making big shots, he was coming up with big stops on defense.

I've been a Carolina fan since I was eight, and I don't think one player has been so frustratingly inconsistent as David Noel. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, and he won a handful of games this season all by himself, but when you see what he can do, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, he throws a ball out of bounds, or lets an easy pass go through his hands, it's enough to make you want to stick your head through the television.

All things considered, UNC had an unbelievable season. No one -- and I mean no one -- expected this. The fact that this team only lost eight games on their way to finishing 2nd in the ACC is amazing. Now that the 2005-06 season is officially over, I'm guessing all talk will turn to if one player in particular might call it a career and follow in the footsteps of Mr. Marvin Williams. Yep, that's right, will Quentin Thomas give up his eligibility to follow his dream to the NBA?

OK, raise your hand if you just read the previous sentence and had a, "WTF is he talking about?!?" moment (I raised my hand ... and then the other one). Seriously, Tyler Hansbrough will have to endure the, "Are you staying?" questions for the next two months. Without any knowledge on the situation, my feeling is that he'll stay. Sean May, Ray Felton and Rashad McCants all stayed three years (when Felton and McCants -- and probably May too -- could've left after their sophomore seasons) and I'm guessing if you ask Marvin Williams right now if he had it all to do over again, he might opt to stay in school. Not because he's struggling with the Hawks (he is; but who doesn't struggle with the Hawks?), but because the NBA is a complete 180 from life in Chapel Hill as a basketball player. So my uninformed gut feeling is that Hansbrough will stay. And Thomas is as good as gone. And probably Wes Miller too.

It'll be interesting to see if David Noel gets a shot in the NBA. He's kinda like George Lynch, but with a lot more range. At his size though, he'll have to guard the Vince Carter's, Kobe Bryant's and Tracy McGrady's of the league, and I'm not sure how that would work out. Of course, I don't know jack about the NBA, so I could be totally off on this.

Another option, of course, could be the Antonio Gates path to fame and fortune. Noel had a scholarship to UNC for football but instead chose to walk-on to the basketball team. I didn't know this until I looked it up, but Noel still has a year of football eligibility in Chapel Hill (at least according to the link) but he made it clear football's not in his immediate future:

Q: Have you ever thought about playing football next year if the NBA doesn’t work out?

NOEL: "Not next year," Noel said. "Everybody has asked me that, so I’m going to put an end to that now. I’m not playing football next year. I’m going to look in the camera and say that so everyone will know, I’m not playing football next year. But, yeah, if the NBA didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, I would consider coming back here and play football or tryout for an NFL team if time permits. It’s all up to me, and right now I feel like my basketball career is just getting started. Hopefully I can take it to the next level. But if not, then hopefully football will be there for me."

Q: Is it as simple as you like basketball better than football?

NOEL: "That’s exactly what it is. It’s as simple as that."

Interesting. Whatever Noel chooses, it's always good to have options. And whatever happens, I wish the guy all the luck. He was a big part of the success of this year's basketball team, and he played much better than most people could have ever imagined (and despite my mini-rant above -- mostly a consequence of writing this immediately following the GMU loss -- this is exactly how I feel too).

***
Speaking of college basketball players trying their hand at the NFL, Eric leaves this comment:

"John O'Connor, of the Times-Dispatch, reports the Pittsburgh Steelers have invited NCAA basketball C Jai Lewis, of George Mason, to visit with them after the NCAA basketball tournament is over. There may also be other NFL teams that want to take a first-hand look at the 6-7 275-pounder. Lewis last played football as a tight end and defensive end at Aberdeen (Md.) High School. But his size and athleticism intrigues NFL scouts, who see some TE Antonio Gates (Chargers) in Lewis. A Steelers scout watched Lewis play in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament earlier this month at the Richmond Coliseum and left impressed by Lewis' dimensions, coordination and mobility. "I'd love to play football, and the NFL is always trying to find athletes," said Lewis."

I saw this right before the GMU-UNC tip-off, so just in case I needed another reason to watch the game, Jai Lewis was it. (As if watching Tony "I'll punch you in the fore" Skinn wasn't reason enough.) Anyway, Lewis is a beast. George Mason started the game tentative, and during that time Lewis looked slow and out of sorts. But after he -- and his team -- got their composure, he looked pretty damn good. Somewhat like BC's Craig Smith but bigger and quicker. It would be kinda cool if the Steelers could make this guy into a football player, but if we're all being realistic, the chances are more likely that he'll end up in the NDBL than even NFL Europe. But hey, it doesn't cost anything to bring the guy in and see what he's got.

***
And now that I've mentioned the Steelers and the draft, here are some other things I came across this weekend:

... Perennial practice squadder, WR Walter Young, had one catch for four yards in the Frankfurt Galaxy - Rhein Fire NFL Europe game this Saturday. How do I know this? Why I watched the game, of course. (Actually, I only watched the first quarter, but yes, I still automatically qualify as the biggest loser on the planet for watching an NFLE game instead of the NCAAs. In my defense, I had no interest in watching GW try and beat Duke. That's kinda like hoping Tanya Roberts wins an Oscar over Meryl Streep. I'll take Walter Young and NFLE on that one.)

It was hard to tell if Young looked slow because the field was in such bad condition it made the early days of Heinz Field in December look like Field Turf, or if he's just really slow. That and he had some dude named Otis throwing the ball in his general vicinity (and here, "general vicinity" means "same side of the field ... two out of three times, anyway") probably didn't help either.

... With Jeff Hartings and Chukky Okobi restructuring their deals, I pretty much figured that Ohio State center Nick Mangold was out of the picture as a Steelers first round selection. Randy Steele makes the following observation in the comments:

"Sports Illustrated.com reports that because of the way his contract was restructured, this might be the last year for Jeff Hartings as a Steeler.

Unless the Steelers' staff is really sold on Okobi, a draft of Mangold shouldn't be dismissed as out-of-hand."

And that's a good point. Still, given that the depth chart is two-deep at the center position, I don't think Mangold is a real possibility with the 32nd pick, but that doesn't mean they won't address the position at all during the draft. I pimped Chris Chester last week, and here's a Q & A he did with Scout.com. Chester could be a Day 2 guy, and he can play both center and guard.

... In case you hadn't picked up on it, one of my 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Themes can be described in one word: versatility. As in, "Ernie Sims is one versatile mofo who can can play linebacker and safety at a pretty high level." Or Donte Whitner (and Jason Allen) are free safeties athletic enough to also play cornerback. And although Pittsburgh doesn't usually take OLBs in the first round, Bobby Carpenter, even at 6'3" 250 lbs., is quick enough to drop into coverage, and strong enough to put his hand down as a rush end.

Well, let's add another name to the list: Stanford OLB Jon Alston. He's 6'1" 220 lbs. and ran a 4.4-forty at the Combine. I remember watching him in Indy and thinking that this guy was a freak, but I just checked his numbers and here's what we know about his little exhibition at the Combine: he was the fastest LB and finished in the top-5 in the shuttle and three cone drills. And since I'm on my little versatility kick, guess what that means? That's right, teams -- the Steelers in particular -- like this guy as a safety.

Like most things Steelers-related, I have no idea where Alston projects, but in most draft guides, he's listed as the 8th-best OLB, but who knows as a safety. If things unfolded such that Pittsburgh took Carpenter in the first and Alston in the second or third rounds, I think I'd be pretty happy with that -- at least given what I know now.

... Well, the Michael Robinson Train is losing steam. On Friday Mike Mayock reported that Penn State's Pro Day was a monumental bust for several players expecting to go pretty high in next month's draft. And given the opening sentence of this paragraph, you can probably guess who one of those players was. In addition to Michael Robinson, who still insists on playing QB at the next level -- and given how inconsistent he was at the position in the Senior Bowl and his Pro Day, that could mean in the AFL or CFL -- cornerbacks Alan Zemaitis and Anwar Phillips failed to impress, as well as DE Tamba Hali.

According to Mayock, the PSU players ran indoors on an extremely fast surface and times were still slow. Zemaitis, who's 6'1" 190 lbs., ran a 4.60 and 4.61-forty and only registered a vertical of 30 inches, which apparently is pretty craptacular, and had a poor short shuttle time. Consequently, Zemaitis, who was once considered a 2nd round pick, might end up falling to the fourth round. Ouch.

Anwar Phillips, the other corner (5'11", 193 lbs.), ran a 4.58-forty on the same "fast track," and he too might be a second day pick as a result. (By the way, Mayock thinks, given the favorable track conditions, that these two guys should be running in the low 4.40's.)

I know DE isn't really a top priority for the Steelers -- at least early in the draft -- but I'll include Tamba Hali here for completeness. He's 6'3", 262 lbs., and during the Indy Combine a lot of people talked about him as a first round pick. He ran a 4.88-forty at Penn St.'s Pro Day which means he's probably not a 3-4 OLB. Even worse than that, was the fact that he benched 225 lbs., 17 times. As a point of reference, consider this: RB DeAngelo Williams put up 225 lbs., 25 times at the Combine, Devin Hester - 16, Michael Huff - 21, Donte Whitner - 18 and Jason Allen - 17. Bottom line: 17 for a DE ain't good.

There is a bright spot, however, and it's strong safety Calvin Lowery. He's 5'11", 200 lbs., and considered an overachiever, but Mayock compares him to Darren Perry (yep, that one). He ran a 4.5-forty and may even be a first day pick after his Pro Day.

We've talked at length about Robinson here, and I think we're all in agreement that he's not a RB or safety, but might be able to do some things in a slash-type role. But that would be contigent on him actually accepting his role as a slash-type player. Mayock reiterated Robinson's desire to play QB, and also said that he ran in the 4.6s, had only a 32-inch vertical, a horrible short shuttle time of 4.41 (Lee Mays had a 4.17 ... ouch again) and probably played himself into the second day.

I understand (and even appreciate) that the guy thinks he can play QB, but when almost every scout, coach and GM is telling you otherwise, you'd be stupid not to at least consider the idea. So given his crappy Pro Day coupled with his stubbornness to make a change, it looks like it's back-to-the-drawing-board time for the wideout position for the Steelers. There's still QBs Brad Smith and Reggie McNeal -- again, two guys not eager to make a position switch -- and there's also another dark horse candidate (among decidedly dark horse candidates): UVA's Marques Hagans. He too was a college QB, but he's smaller than Robinson/Smith/McNeal, and he only ran a 4.6-forty at the Combine. But that doesn't mean he should be dismissed out-of-hand, especially since he worked out with the WRs in Indy and shows a willingness to change positions at the next level.

***
CPW ("Why Do People Keep Reporting This?" Edition)
OK, what the hell is going on? Last week I made fun of Joe Bendel for intimating the 'Skins could be potential suitors for restricted free agent Ike Taylor. As I pointed out at the time (and Glenn W later explained further), Washington doesn't have a 2006 first round pick, so I'm not sure how they're even in the running. (Of course, they did overpay -- by roughly 4,000 percent -- for restricted free agent Brandon Lloyd by agreeing to give up a 3rd and 4th round pick in 2007, but that had to be worked out with his current club, the 49ers. Plus, there's no way Pittsburgh would make a similar deal for Ike. For starters, Ike's easily worth a first round pick. Second, even if the Steelers were only interested in a 3rd and 4th in next year's draft, the 'Skins couldn't do it since, uh, they don't have a 3rd and 4th.)

Anyway, here's what Mike Bires' wrote in this weekend's Beaver County Times:

"While it appears right now that Townsend will compete with the 25-year-old McFadden for the starting job at right corner, maybe the Steelers re-signed Townsend because they fear they might lose left cornerback Ike Taylor.

A restricted free agent, Taylor has already been tendered a $1.55 million offer from the Steelers. But it's been reported that the Washington Redskins, who have already signed away ex-Steelers' wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, are interested in luring away Taylor as well.

If the Redskins do out-bid the Steelers for Taylor, they would have to forfeit a draft choice - ranging from a first-to-fourth round pick - pending the final offer."

So I'll say it again: why the hell to people keep reporting this? How are the 'Skins going to "out-bid the Steelers for Taylor" when Pittsburgh tendered Ike $1.55 million for 2006, which entitles them to a first round pick if another team matches the offer? And furthermore, where did, "they would have to forfeit a draft choice - ranging from a first-to-fourth round pick - pending the final offer" come from? A fourth? Really? For the highest tender? Unless the rules governing restricted free agents were drastically altered with the new CBA, this is just wrong. And if it is in fact true, I'll reiterate my initial reaction to Joe Bendel's half-assed piece last week: how about a little, you know, reporting as to why the Steelers would somehow get a fourth round pick after tendering Ike Taylor a contract that guarantees them a first round pick if said contract is matched by another team? Jeebus. Please, stop the madness. Or at the very least, explain it since, uh, it's your job.

... And one more thing, for our readers unable to scroll to the bottom of the comments (because of debilitating illness or some other malady), I'll look into ways to make your viewing experience more enjoyable, but like most things, it'll probably take a while (that's partly due to me not knowing what the hell I'm doing and partly due to acute laziness).