As I sit here at my desk, diligently tapping away at my keyboard, I am acutely aware of several things. One is fairly concrete, confirmed by a quick glance around my office at the twinkling lights that indicate various electronics charging. Power banks and flashlights, tethered to the wall via different-colored wires, blinking out of sync to demonstrate that they are dutifully storing away the power that we may desperately need in a few days.
Less apparent (but no less present) is the threat of what
is coming; a massive system of clouds and brutally cold air spinning somewhere off to the west, beginning it’s slow but inexorable march across the country to drop inconvenience or worse on our doorstep. The reports started out promising; record-setting snowfall, maybe, or at least a good amount of the fun stuff. Now, though, the tenor has shifted considerably. The more alarmist amongst us will gravitate towards the reporting referring to this storm as potentially catastrophic, but most sources seem to agree that it could get dicey this weekend. Some folks may have been in town for the ice storm of 2002; the fact that this particular specter is being invoked now, in relation to this weekend’s weather causes a chill to run up my spine that has nothing to do with the weather.
It can be hard to get warm once that chill sets in. Losing power is a dangerous prospect in an ice storm; the longer the power stays gone, the harder it becomes to get warm again, even in the most weather-tight and well-insulated home. A wood-burning fireplace is a godsend in a situation like this, but even then you need a spark to begin pushing back against that settling cold.
Maybe Wednesday night’s game aginst Notre Dame will prove to be that spark for the Tar Heels. They are headed to Virginia tomorrow afternon, tipping off slightly earlier than planned on account of the weather. Much like the winter storm bearing down on Chapel Hill, the Heels worked their way back across the country from the west coast in the midst of a deep freeze. In the two losses to Cal and Stanford, only one Tar Heel managed more than one made three-pointer in each game. Henri Veesaar was 2-2 from deep against the Cardinal, and Derek Dixon was a heroic 4-8 from downtown against the Bears. In neither instance was it enough, as the Heels were only good for 38% and 33% respectively as a team from three.
It’s hard to shake that kind of cold streak. They don’t make blankets that help with jumpers, and the colder you get, the more it gets into your head. Before long, it’s all you can think about, as the chill settles into your bones and you begin tossing up prayers looking for some modicum of warmth.
Against Notre Dame, however, the Tar Heel shooters seemed to thaw a bit. They were still only 38% from behind the arc, but the eye test says that figure may be skewed by garbage time heaves after the game was well in hand. Derek Dixon, firestarter, was 3-5, and Jarin Stevenson (2-2) and Kyan Evans (3-5) added some kindling from the bench.
Tomorrow, the Heels will face a tough UVA squad at noon in Charlottesville, shooting nearly into the teeth of an approaching ice storm. It would be a bad time to get cold.
To anyone else in the path of this weekend’s storm: here’s hoping we’re able to stay warm and dry all weekend, but even a day without power is still a great day to be a Tar Heel.
