DATE: Monday, March 24, 1997                TAG: 9703240170

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: SYRACUSE, N.Y.                    LENGTH:   56 lines

HEELS' 0-3 ACC START MAY HAVE BEEN ALL-TIME CON ONCE FOLKS WERE COUNTING UNC OUT, BUT NOW THEY'RE SAYING THEY COULD WIN IT ALL.

A North Carolina team that got off to the worst conference start in school history arrived Sunday at the same destination as so many other Tar Heel teams over the years.

North Carolina completed an improbable run from 0-3 in the ACC to the Final Four with a 97-74 win over Louisville at the Carrier Dome.

Improbable, that is, if the word can ever be used to describe a North Carolina team reaching the Final Four.

The Tar Heels have showed over the last six weeks that they may have pulled off the con of the century with that 0-3 start.

On Sunday, they said the rocky start makes the trip to Indianapolis that much sweeter. They also said they never doubted they could get there.

``Definitely not,'' center Serge Zwikker said. ``We might have been 0-3 in the conference but the thing was, we were practicing very well, we were always doing the right thing.''

It just wasn't showing up on the court. After a 24-point loss to Wake Forest, the Tar Heels blew a 22-point second-half lead and lost to Maryland.

North Carolina then let Virginia handle them easily before squeaking out a win over N.C. State.

``People were counting us out,'' forward Vince Carter said. ``They said that we wouldn't make the tournament.''

Now, people are saying the Tar Heels could win it.

``North Carolina is the toughest team we've played all year, by far,'' Louisville guard B.J. Flynn said. ``They may only go six deep but those six are quality players. They're big and quick, they can shoot, go inside. I'd like to see them go all the way.''

With Zwikker and Antawn Jamison inside, with Williams and Carter on the wings, with freshman point guard Ed Cota blending it all together, the Tar Heels seem capable of doing just that.

``Nobody could really have seen this happening,'' forward Charlie McNairy said.

Not even coach Dean Smith.

Smith said that with some teams he's found himself thinking: ``Gosh we're good.''

Not with this one.

``They're a confident group,'' he said. ``I think sometimes without reason.

``But as a coach I tend to see all the weaknesses we have.''

After winning 16 straight, the Tar Heels don't seem to have many. Jamison, Carter and Zwikker are probably future NBA players. Williams has shown a willingness to take - and make - the big shot. Cota, after a shaky start, is playing with poise beyond his years.

``Yeah, they don't have a lot of depth, but their lack of depth doesn't mean much now,'' Louisville coach Denny Crum said. ``Heck, we're only talking about a couple more games.''

0-3 in the ACC?

``It seems like forever,'' Zwikker said.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu