The Owens Situation
By: Andrew Jones, Inside Carolina
Date: 03/11/2000
Inside Carolina's Andrew Jones interviewed Max Owens after North Carolina's loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament Friday. Among other topics, Owens talked about playing time, his confidence and his role on the team.
He is confused as to why his playing time has decreased to the point where head coach Bill Guthridge simply doesn't play him other than spot minutes. And in Friday's 58-52 loss to Wake Forest in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, not at all in the second half, despite a tiring Joseph Forte, whose
call was to guard Demon Deacons' sharpshooter Robert O'Kelley.
To recap, Owens was the Tar Heels' second leading scorer at the end of December at 14.1 ppg. He had started every game up to that point and was a spark the Heels often looked to when in need, which was frequently during a mediocre December that saw Carolina lose four times.
But when Guthridge rightfully inserted Kris Lang into the starting lineup when he was healthy enough to play 25-plus minutes, Owens became the sixth man. However, he has since become the seventh man, eighth man, and, in last week's overtime victory over Georgia Tech, he was the 13th man. That means, Owens was the 13th player Guthridge put in the game.
To make matters even more perplexing, Guthridge has opted not to use Owens when the coach decided to use the Blue Team in February. Instead, the Macon, Ga. native sat helplessly on the bench watching a
Morehead Scholar, a walk-on, and three other players whom he once reigned over in terms of playing time and status within the program. Also, in a basketball sense, his absence from that unit left the Blue team
vulnerable and too often they had trouble scoring, something a of Owens' ability would have made easier.
Asked if there is an explanation why he has been relegated to warm up duty, Owens replied, "I don't think so. I don't know what it is."
What is Guthridge's reasoning for not using this former high school superstar and first team all-ACC Tournament last season?
More importantly, has he given one to Owens himself? "To be honest with you, not really." In other words, it's one thing that the fans and the media not know what has gone on inside the tight walls of the UNC basketball program. But for one of their own, the one in question to not know, well, that strikes as outrageous.
As one would expect, Owens' game has dropped off since the demotion. Too often he rushes shots, maybe trying to impress Guthridge and the staff. But in dealing with human nature and considering his circumstances, who can blame him?
"To be honest with you man, my confidence went nowhere. It's just my playing time. But I think it's hard to adjust to the game itself coming off the bench. Being warmed up and stuff like that. That's why I have to work even harder in warm-ups just to get warm so I can be prepared to get in when I get in not knowing when I will get in. When I get in I just try to do whatever I can for the team. If it's three to five minutes cool. I just try to go in there, knock down some shots and try to play hard defense."
What is most mesmerizing about that statement is that it appears he doesn't even know if and when he will play, clearly making it more difficult to prepare for any game or situation.
Posed the question as to whether Guthridge ever pulled him aside to discuss with Owens his new role and why his minutes had diminished so much, Owens said, "To be honest with you he didn't come to me like that. He just told me to keep working hard."
So, is there a lack of communication going on here?
"I don't think so. No, I am not (left guessing). He's the coach and I have to abide by his rules. And if it's me coming off the bench for five minutes than cool, I gotta live with it."
So, in taking a famous line from a well-known movie from the 60's, Cool Hand Luke, what we have here is a failure to communicate!
Owens can't badmouth his coach, but his candor was enough to supply the kind of information many observers have speculated for some time, well since the Makhtar Ndiaye fiasco.
Guthridge, an assistant for 30 years, has a difficulty handling his players like a true leader of a program. Regardless of what the loyal Owens said, his demeanor and the obvious question marks that loom over this ongoing saga are enough for anyone to surmise that he has, in a sense, been left out in the cold. As a scholarship player of substance, he is at least owed an explanation, but has not been given one. Some might say that this is a perfect example of what is currently wrong at UNC. Others may say that it is life in the big time.
But this isn't the big time, regardless of the international reputation of the program. He is a college player, one who is not paid. He deserves more.
There has also been quite a bit of speculation that Owens will transfer after the season. He put that rumor to rest. "Yes (he will return). Where else..." then he stopped.
Years down the road Owens may well be a better man for sticking it out. But at this time, today, in the now, he deserves better. And so does the program.
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