Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 3, 1993 TAG: 9304030079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANK VEHORN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS LENGTH: Medium
HAWKS, HEELS NO STRANGERS
Go ahead. Trim the shrubs, mow the lawn, and get those tomato plants in the ground.Don't worry if those chores keep you from catching the start of today's NCAA semifinals game between North Carolina and Kansas.
Jayhawks guard Adonis Jordan believes the game between two teams who share so many similarities won't be decided until the final three minutes.
"It is going to be close," Jordan predicted Friday, "and the team that executes best the last three minutes, and the team that hits its free throws, is the team that is going to come out on top."
Whether in the final three minutes or the for the full 40, execution certainly will be the key for both teams, which are meeting in a Final Four opening round for the second time in three years.
As was the case two years ago, when Kansas defeated North Carolina in the semifinals in Indianapolis, the element of surprise is not expected to be a factor.
No two teams in the country know each other as well as Kansas and North Carolina.
Jayhawks coach Roy Williams learned his coaching philosophy from North Carolina coach Dean Smith while an assistant on the Tar Heels staff from 1978 to 1988.
"We were watching film of North Carolina the other night," Jordan said. "A lot of what they were doing were the same exact things we do."
But while both teams stress strong defenses and unselfish offenses, there are enough differences in personnel to make the matchup interesting.
Kansas' strength is on the perimeter, where Jordan and Rex Walters may be the NCAA's best backcourt combination.
Both guards, along with top reserve Steve Woodberry, are averaging better than 40 percent on 3-point shooting.
North Carolina's strength is inside with the boardwork of forward George Lynch and the dominance of 7-foot center Eric Montross, who is backed up by a pair of other giants, Kevin Salvadori and Matt Wenstrom.
"They are a big team, and their size does concern me," Williams said. "But most of the time they do not play their 7-footers together.
"If they do have two of them in there at same time, it will create great matchup problems for us. But, we could cause problems for them with our speed."
North Carolina's Smith said he thought the game may be won on the defensive ends of the court.
"We do like to go inside to score, but we can kick it back out and score from the perimeter," Smith said. "And they look inside first, too, before kicking the ball out.
"The outcome could be decided by who gets the good shots and knocks them down."
Lynch, a senior, said he felt more confident about North Carolina's chances in this Final Four than in 1991 when Kansas prevailed, 79-73.
"This team definitely has showed it is capable and consistent because of having more experienced players," Lynch said.
"Two years ago, most of the guys coming off the bench were freshmen who didn't have that much experience."
Montross, Brian Reese, and Derrick Phelps were among the '91 class of freshmen. They are starters this season, backed up by mostly juniors and seniors.
"We don't depend on freshmen coming off the bench like we did two years ago," Lynch said.
The winner of today's game will meet either Kentucky or Michigan for the championship on Monday night.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL