Tuesday, December 07, 1999
Cota given freedom to run offense
N. Carolina has new look this year
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
North Carolina's Ed Cota is among the best point guards in the nation.
(AP photo)
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On the front of Ed Cota's uniform jersey, there is his No.5 and a funky-looking logo in which an “N” and a “C” are twisted almost indecipherably together. The words “North Carolina” are missing.
The colors are the same. Carolina blue is still Carolina blue, and white is white on any outfit. Having the logo stamped on every players' sternum is about the only difference in the redesign of the Tar Heels' uniform.
This nonetheless has caused a considerable commotion among UNC fans. There wasn't much they could do about changing the coach back in 1997. That was Dean Smith's choice. About the uniforms, though, they figure a whole lot of griping might accomplish something.
It already has, in a sense. All that bickering helped to disguise that something far more elemental changed regarding North Carolina basketball. The System is missing. The mechanical, paint-by-numbers approach the Heels employed regardless of what player passed through — whether it was Charlie Scott, James Worthy, Michael Jordan or Vince Carter — is only faintly apparent when the Heels play now.
What you see in its place is whatever Cota can create from the point guard position. Bill Guthridge, who took over for Smith when he retired, is allowing his players to generate scoring opportunities by penetrating the defense.
A decade ago, high school All-American Kenny Anderson rejected Smith's recruitment because he feared being constrained by Smith's system. Cota operates with the sort of freedom for which Anderson hungered.
“One of the keys to our success through the years is when the point guard and the coach think pretty much the same,” Guthridge said. “I think Ed was on the same wavelength with Dean the first year, and he's been on the same wavelength with me. Like, I'll want to run
something and he'll already have called it.”
Cota may not be the best point guard in America, but he'll look close enough to the No. 1-ranked UC Bearcats when they face the No.7 Tar Heels Wednesday at Chicago's United Center.
Keeping Cota under control is not the only defensive challenge when matched against North Carolina. Freshman Joseph Forte is a complete package of shooting guard skills: Deep shooting, speed, energy, ballhandling ability, balance. Center Brendan Haywood stands 7-foot, has excellent hands and quick feet.
Reserve Kris Lang, when healthy, has the strength to punish opponents down low. Bothered as he is by shin splints, Lang still has a devastating weapon in his jump-hook.
All of that works best, though, when Cota is getting past his defender and into the key and immediately seizing whatever opportunity presents itself.
“I think Cota's biggest asset is his ability to penetrate, set other people up,” said Georgetown coach Craig Esherick. “And he can finish. If he penetrates and you drop off him, he can make some shots.”
“He just takes control,” said Hoyas point guard Kevin Braswell. “It's kind of hard to keep him out of the lane. He penetrates a lot, and he just doesn't stop.”
When Michigan State defeated the Tar Heels last week, the Spartans often used zone defense to limit Cota's effectiveness. Instead of trying to get past one man, he had to squeeze between two.
Handling Cota's speed will be a chore for UC's defense. Freshman Kenny Satterfield and sophomore Steve Logan will be primarily responsible for limiting his penetration. Unlike in previous seasons, Cota can't be ignored as a shooter. He's hitting .583 from 3-point range, which complements his 9.8 assists per game and 3-to-1 ratio of assists to turnovers.
The last point guard UC faced with comparable physical talents was Duke's William Avery, who scored 30 against the Bearcats. Logan was not UC's primary point guard in that game, and Satterfield still was playing in high school.
“I think coach gives me the freedom to make some decisions out there, and I try to make some great calls,” Cota said. “It's not really that much of a difference this year. I've got to go out there as a point guard, do my job, keep everybody together and run the team. I've been doing that since my freshman year.”
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