Tar Heels hope to bounce back after awful season

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina put up its usual 20 last year -- just on the wrong side of the ledger.

One of college basketball's most storied programs posted 20 or more wins in 31 straight seasons until 2001-02, when the streak ended with an 8-20 record.

Thud!

The Tar Heels hope to rebound from their worst record ever, but they'll have to do it with a difficult schedule and a roster that includes two journeymen seniors and no juniors.

The first glimpse of the new North Carolina will come tonight against Penn State in the Preseason NIT.

"This is kind of like a clean-slate year," senior forward Will Johnson said. "It's a blank page."

The Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll is displayed prominently on a bulletin board outside the entrance of North Carolina's locker room. The media picked the Tar Heels seventh in the nine-team league.

"It's just a reminder of what people think about us," Johnson said. "We have that in the back of our minds: We can prove some people wrong this year."

All of North Carolina's streaks ended in its second season under Matt Doherty, who followed coaches Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge.

The Tar Heels made a record 27 straight trips to the NCAA tournament and finished in the ACC's top three 37 consecutive times before going 3-15 down the stretch last season.

It ended with the Tar Heels trying to use stalling tactics against rival Duke in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. That didn't work, either. Boos cascaded from the stands, and Duke won 60-48.

"Last year will stick with me forever," said Doherty, whose team lost nine home games. "I don't like to lose. There will be less pressure because the streaks are broken. So let's just go out and play and build and hopefully start some new streaks."

Doherty has six freshmen and would like to try to bring his young team along slowly. But in addition to the Preseason NIT, the Tar Heels have games against Illinois, Kentucky, Miami and Connecticut before the meat of the ACC season.

"I wish we had an easier start to our schedule, but some of those things you can't control," Doherty said. "Yet if we do well, it could be a real boost to our confidence. You have to find small victories, whether they be in practice or in games, and really praise them."