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Sporting News, The, March 24, 1997 by Alan Schmadtke

Arizona undressed North Carolina's attempt at full-court pressure in the season-opening Tipoff Classic. Then, Wake Forest Maryland and Virginia beat the Tar Heels. North Carolina fans wondered if their veteran leader had coached too long and was ready for retirement.

"I spent the whole summer talking about how we were going to get back to playing more pressure defense, how we would use our quickness more, but that game (against Arizona) showed me we weren't quick enough to do that," Smith says. "We're very quick in some spots, but as a team we're not as quick as I may have thought we were."

Carolina, which has a section in its media guide for miracle comebacks, experienced a reversal of fortune following what may have been the nadir of the season, when Maryland slashed a 22-point deficit to rally for a victory January 8 at Dean Smith Center.

"We weren't working," Jamison says. "We thought we were working, but we weren't really working."

So the Tar Heels pulled back into their halfcourt, man-to-man defense, mixed it with a point-zone they'd used effectively in 1995 and 96 and got back to basics. The result: No team has shot 50 percent or better against the Heels since Florida State beat them January 22 in Tallahassee.

"We've still got work to do in that area," Cota says. "And I think we can get it done. We're still improving a little each day, I think. This team has done a lot, but it can do more."

There's a case to be made that Carolina can become one of the few ACC teams to improve not because of defense but because of changes on the other end of the floor.

"Their defense is very, very good, but their offense is better," says Wake Forest coach Dave Odom, whose team fell to Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals. I don't know that Dean Smith would agree with me on that, but I think I'm right. I do. Right now, their offense is at an all-time high."

"Carolina's teams play with a great deal of effort, but early in the year they weren't shooting the ball that well," Florida State coach Pat Kennedy says. "That takes away from their runs. When they make shots, they're a very dangerous team."

Lately, the Tar Heels have made shots. In fact, they've turned from the worst-shooting team in the ACC to the best. Their 14-game winning streak includes 12 games in which they shot 50 percent or better. Part of the reason is Williams, who has grown into the sort of consistent outside shooting threat the Tar Heels need to complement an immobile center and strong power forward. Some opponents have gambled and turned defenses on Jamison and Carter. Williams has lit them up.

Much of Carolina's rebound -- and continued improvement -- rests with Cota, a 20-year-old freshman. He doesn't start; he does finish. Cota, a confident ballhandler and penetrator, is finding Zwikker and Jamison free for shots underneath.

"Ed's made all the difference in the world. He improved our offense from top to bottom," Williams says.

"He's the savior of this team," Jamison says. "He's why we've been so successful. He's a lot more comfortable. He's running the show. I have confidence he can get (Williams) the ball. He has the confidence in me that I can finish."