I've had a couple of requests for a post about the new edition of the Tar Heel basketball team, so here goes. Obviously, Byron Sanders is no Sean May, and we aren't going to be the first choice of the experts to contend for the national championship again. But I've been hearing more and more blue-tented optimism, especially after we had the good showing at Kentucky. I think it is time for a reality check. BYRON SANDERS IS NO SEAN MAY--AND NEITHER IS TYLER HANSBROUGH (at least not yet). I think we will finish in the top 25. And I think we will finish in the top 3 of the ACC. But I think Carolina fans need to be ready for some bad losses along the way, maybe even tonight, or before January.

With that said, I DO like this team ALOT. I think this team is going to be fun to watch because they will compete hard in every game. There's no key player for defenses to focus on (sorry Tyler), so there will be fewer painful streches when it seems like the offence is standing around not doing anything (see Wake and Illinois 1 last year). The defence seems solid. And maybe this will be the first team in recent memory to suffer from zero attitude trauma. My prediction for the season... 19-8 + ACC 1-1 + NCAA 3-1.