With FSU in a position to turn the corner, that pretty much leaves Clemson as
the dog in the conference. Some things never change. No offense,
Tiger fans, but c'mon - you don't have much of a tradition in basketball. Now
you can soon say, with full conviction: thank God for Virginia Tech.
Oliver Purnell, though, is hard at work changing things, and the best way to
change things is
to get better talent.
Also of note in this article: UNC either
has or is about to offer JR Smith, a 6-5 wing from New Jersey. That will
leave them with one scholarship, which really has to go to a big man if at all
possible. Think about this: other than Sean May, whose freshman year was a bust due to injuries, the last significant big man they signed was...Brendan Haywood.
What happens, then, to Greg Paulus? Or anyone else? (A reader reminds us that Paulus will likely get a football scholarship, which wouldn't count against basketball).
Simple. The dead weight is cut: Damion Grant, Byron Sanders, or
possibly Jackie Manuel are encouraged to transfer.
If UNC offers 15 or 16 players scholarships for next season, you can rest assured that there is a plan in play, and that either they know that a couple of players have decided to leave, or they have told a couple that they won't be welcomed back. No one, let alone someone at Roy Williams' level, would be so foolish as to forge ahead without a plan.