University of Virginia Library

UNC Slated To Clutch
League Hoop Laurels

North Carolina has the task of
defending its Atlantic Coast Conference
basketball title, and both
the press and opposing coaches say
that the Tarheels will. In fact,
it was just about unanimous from
the standpoint of the forty members
of the Atlantic Coast Sports
Writers Association on hand for
Operation Basketball ACC.

Thirty-nine voted for the Tarheels
to repeat. Here is a rundown
of the ACC teams in the order
in which they were picked to
finish by both the writers and the
coaches:

North Carolina (12-2 ACC, 266
overall) misses its captain, Bob
Lewis, an All-American guard/
forward. Coach Dean Smith makes
no bones about the fact that he
has some promising newcomers,
but feels that his team will need
the same inspired play from all
hands, plus the fortunes that allowed
them to win six one-basket
ACC decisions.

Back is the ACC's Player of
the Year, 6-4 Larry Miller (21.9).
Also back are 6-10 Rusty Clark,
6-8 Bill Bunting, 6-4 Dick Grubar,
all starters. 6-5 Joe Brown earned
a letter and so did 5-11 Gerald
Tuttle.

Wake Forest (5-9 ACC, 9-18
overall) misses its high scoring
all-ACC guard Paul Long (22.3)
and forward Jim Boshart (10.5).
Coach Jack McCloskey is hopeful
that his impressive sophomores
will grow up in a hurry to go
along with three returning starters.
There are six lettermen returning.

Captain Dave Stroupe (6-6) averaged
only 8.9 last year: Newton
Scott (6-5) and Jerry Montgomery
(6-0) are the other returnees. Montgomery
is a solid ACC player

Duke (9-3 ACC, 18-9 overall)
no longer has the ACC's leading
scorer Bob Verga (26.1) and their
top forward Bob Reidy (12.8).
Coach Vic Bubas says that there
are no two players on the scene
to make up for those 40 points,
but hastens to add that the Duke
team could feature balance and
strong rebounding.

Three starters return: center
Mike Lewis (15.5), the ACC's
second leading rebounder, forward
Tim Kolodziej (9.0), and guard
Ron Wendelin (3.9). Most of the
new starting faces will come from
the crowd of returning lettermen.

North Carolina State (2-12
ACC, 7-19 overall) loses Jerry
Moore 10.7) and very little else.
But Coach Norm Sloan adds that
the 1967 record was the worst
ever, and it can be a long way
back.

He looks for considerable improvement
and has hopes for a first
division finish, based a lot on the
1967 finish.

But the real basis for hope is
Eddie Biedenbach, all-ACC guard
in 1966, who had a back operation
and missed last season.

South Carolina (8-4 ACC, 167
overall) loses 6-9 Al Salvidori
and 6-8 Lynn Burkholder, who
shared the center spot last year.

Coach Frank McGuire is concerned
about having the real good
big man, but feels his team has a
shot at a repeat 16-7 year. And
this the last season in University
Field House.

Back are the ACC's top pair of
guards, Skip Harlicka (16.7) and
Jack Thompson (11.7). Thompson
also holds all the USC assist records.

Maryland (5-9 ACC, 11-14 overall)
loses high scorer Jay McMillen
(16.3). Coach Frank Fellows
is the ACC's lone rookie, but he
has been on the scene for five
years as assistant. Most of the
better boys return and there is
the matter of a fine frosh group
moving up.

Pete Johnson (13.0) is a 6-0
forward, but he can jump almost
out of sight. Billy Jones (11.6)
is one of the ACC's premier defensive
players.

But most of the hoped-for improvement
will come from the
sophs. Will Hetzel, 6-6 brother of
Davidson's All-American,
19.2 average and 13.2 in rebounds.
Tom Milroy (17.5), Bill Sullivan
(17.0) and John Prebula (10.6)
are others who will help a great
deal. But it's a young team without
great height.

Virginia (4-10 ACC, 9-17 overall)
misses Jim Connelly, the
ACC's number four scorer (20.0)
and, more recently, Buddy Reams,
the Cavaliers' best rebounder.
Coach Bill Gibson hopes to get
some mileage from his sophs and
some depth.

Most notable returnee is Chip
Case (16.4) who has moved up
to forward and Mike Katos (14.8)
who will run with him. Norm
Carmichael is tall enough, 6-9,
but needs more strength on the
boards. Gary Laws (2.8) is the floor
leader and most of the rest are
youngsters, Tn Kinn averaged
27.9 with the frosh and along with
Tom Joyce, 17.7, and 6-5 Mike
Wilkes, 15.4, will see considerable
action.

Clemson (9-5 ACC, 17-8 overall)
feels the loss of six of their
top seven players, including all-conference
Randy Mahaffey (16.3)
and Jim Sutherland (18.8). Coach
Bobby Roberts has every reason
to be pessimistic about the 1968
season.