UNC women rely on youth

After North Carolina’s 72-65 Sweet 16 loss to Stanford last March, the women’s basketball team was left with more than one gaping hole.

Forward Jessica Breland and guards Italee Lucas and Cetera DeGraffenreid all graduated after an impressive senior campaign, and Breland and Lucas were chosen in the 2011 WNBA Draft.

Lucas led UNC in scoring last season with almost 600 points, and Breland was a close second.

The senior trio combined for 1,310 points last year, and replacing them won’t be easy for coach Sylvia Hatchell. But she has confidence in the abilities of her five brand new players.

“The good thing is that all five of those players ended their seasons last year with a win, so they all won state championships,” Hatchell said. “That mentality is big.

“It’s major… When you’ve won state championships, you have the work ethic and you just expect to win.”

A key playmaker for the 2011 squad will be 5-foot-10 freshman guard Danielle Butts. With state championships in both basketball and the long jump under her belt, Butts has the ability to be a multifacetted talent for UNC.

“Danielle Butts is probably the best all-around athlete that we’ve had since Marion Jones,” Hatchell said. “We may play four guards a lot of times because Danielle Butts is really good, and we’re going to play her some at four. She’s not that big, but she’s extremely athletic. She can jump out of the gym.”

Playing power forward isn’t in Butts’ inventory just yet, but that hasn’t stopped veteran teammates from noticing her versatility, defensive ability and willingness to learn.

“She’s undersized at the four, of course, but she can jump,” senior She’la White said. “And we love that. I think her major role will become rebounding and being a defensive player this year for us.”

And while Hatchell hasn’t officially decided if Butts will also compete on the North Carolina track team like Jones did, she’s positive that Butts, along with her fellow freshmen, will make statements on the basketball court.

Other new faces for the Tar Heels are forward Megan Buckland and guards Brittany Rountree, Whitney Adams and redshirt freshman Shannon Smith.

Buckland boasts six state championships and six all-conference picks. Rountree, ranked the No. 11 point guard and the No. 53 overall player in the country by ESPN, adds to the team’s depth at the one. She’s also on the ACC’s newcomer watch list.

“Brittany has really impressed me,” White said. “She’s coming along great, (freshmen) have been coming along great this offseason.”

The team might have been picked for the middle of the ACC pack in the preseason polls, but the Tar Heels don’t seem to be investing too much in rankings just yet.

“We’ve got a really good group of young kids,” Hatchell said. “Right now, we’re a team with sort of uncertanties, but as those kids all get more experience … the face and dynamics of our team can change a lot.”

Despite the less-than-desirable ranking, Hatchell knows the team isn’t in uncharted territory.

“We can probably be like our men were a couple of years ago, where you have a lot of young kids and all that stuff,” she said. “You think, two years ago they didn’t even make the NCAA tournament, and now this year everybody’s got them No. 1 in the country.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.