Didn’t have time to spend a lot of time expounding on this last week, but it’s clear that Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall is a bit annoyed with what he perceives as negativity and criticism directed toward North Carolina. The Tar Heels have been a top-10 team all season, yet the way Marshall sees it, people just want to focus on the negative.
After UNC’s 73-64 victory at Miami last week, I asked Marshall about the team’s shooting woes.
He said: “I mean, it happens. I don’t want to focus on the negatives all the time. I feel like when we win it’s why didn’t we win by more. And when we lose, it’s everything that we did wrong to lose. So I’m just happy that we were able to come into a hostile environment [and win]. … We were able to come in here and play well in the second half and win the game.”
I used part of his quote in the story I wrote and Marshall was asked about his comments on Saturday, after North Carolina's victory against Clemson.
“I’m not here to point fingers,” he said. “It’s just questions all the time. We win a game, and they want to know why we didn’t win by more. You want to look at the positive things that you’re doing well and keep going along in a season and try to progress. It seems like they’re pulling you back on all the negativity. We’re just focused on the players in the locker room and the coaching staff and on each other and trying to get better.”
Asked if the expectations were too high or too much for this team, Marshall said: “I didn’t say it’s too much. I just made a statement. I feel like I can speak openly about those things and speak my mind about it. But it is. We were given high expectations and we want to meet those expectations as well as everyone else does. At the end of the day, it’s not going to be perfect, yellow brick road to get there. There are going to be bumps in the road, things we’re going to have to get better at. And that only comes with time.”
-- Andrew Carter
Monday, February 20, 2012
Kendall Marshall: Stop focusing on Tar Heels' negatives
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9 comments:
The team is good, not great. End of story. Preseason pundits get it wrong all the time (OU preseason #1 in football last year?).
Don't buy the hype.
Quit crying
Marshall should learn how to actually shoot the basketball.
The 'Heels have lost 4 games, all to teams who are ranked or have been ranked in the top 20. Both the KY and Duke losses were by 1 point, and the KY loss was in KY. I personally think this team is much better than Duke, and they get a chance to prove it when they play them again. I don't think they were overrated in the preseason, but I think expecting them to win every game was asking a bit much. This team can still win it all, and when they play perimeter defense, I think they are the best team in the country. The good news is, we play it out in this sport, so let's see what happens.
I agree 100% with the above post. Could have beat UK in Kentucky. Should have beat Duke, and will next Saturday in Durham. Since the beatdown at FSU, this team has pounded everyone they have played except for the loss to Duke. This team is built to win a National Championship and come April we will know the answer.
hard to win a national champ with a weak pt guard and weak interior.
the reason everyone keeps bringing up negative things about the heels is because they have quite a few. case closed.
if anyone but KY wins it all, I will be shocked, they look like pros.
Championship teams don't choke away 14 point leads at home to their archrival.
Championship teams don't sulk and leave an arena early because they're getting blown out by 33.
Agree with the 1st poster...team is good, not great. Get over it, the "Dream Season" wasn't meant to be.
Really? The defending championship team was in a 3-way tie for 9th in their own conference last year. Dream season not meant to be? Isn't the dream to win it all? How can that be over when they're top 10 and its not even March yet?
As someone else mentioned the team is good but not great. Then again what team is great? If UK is so great then shouldn't UNC's 1 point loss in their arena show how close to great they are?
Bottomline, its wide open right now. They have some flaws that need to be corrected but they've got the talent. Just a matter of getting hot at the right time just like the championship team from last year did.
Love how Heel Nation has gone from, "undefeated 2012 National Champs baby!!" to "it's wide open, guys...anything's possible". Lol
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