CAROLINA STILL WELL-HEELED DEFENDING CHAMP STILL FORMIDABLE FOE.

Byline: Matthew Kredell Staff Writer

Defending national champion might be a misnomer when it comes to North Carolina basketball.

The players from that team are scattered across the world. Four are playing in the NBA, one in the NBA Development League and two are trying to make a living in Europe.

The returning players totaled a single point in the Tar Heels' NCAA championship-game victory over Illinois. The team that faces USC at the Sports Arena tonight doesn't resemble the one that routed the Trojans 97-65 in Chapel Hill last year.

Coaches and sportswriters saw it, not ranking the Tar Heels in the preseason polls. It was the first time since 1988-89 that the previous year's champion entered the season unranked.

Everyone seemed to forget one thing: This is still North Carolina.

The reserves at North Carolina would start at most colleges. The freshmen the Tar Heels bring in - such as leading scorer Tyler Hansbrough - are NBA prospects.

Hansbrough led what many publications considered the top recruiting class in the nation. The Tar Heels have another such class coming in next year that will include area standout Alex Stepheson from Harvard-Westlake of Studio City. Stepheson - whose mother, Diane, is a USC graduate - is expected to be in attendance tonight with his family to see his future teammates in action.

North Carolina wasn't given any respect as a carryover from last year's team. The Tar Heels, 6-1 with a marquee victory at Kentucky, are earning a reputation on their own. They are back in the polls, ranked No. 17 by the Associated Press.

``With any young team, you never know what's going to happen when you get out there,'' coach Roy Williams said. ``They have been a pleasant surprise. We have some gifted kids, and they've adapted to the defensive end better than some teams I've had.''

Williams never had a team lose this many players, not at Kansas and not even as an assistant to Dean Smith at North Carolina.

Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May all left early for the NBA, and were taken in the first round. Jawad Williams, Jackie Manuel and Melvin Scott completed their eligibility.

David Noel and Quentin Thomas were the only returning players in the regular rotation last year. Noel, who made a free throw in the championship game, was the highest-scoring returner, with an average of 3.9 points per game.

Noel, the only senior starter, is surrounded in the starting lineup by junior Reyshawn Terry and three freshmen - Hansbrough, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard.

Make no mistake about it, the Tar Heels aren't winning games by sheer intimidation anymore. They have to work hard for each victory.

``With the talent we had last year, guys could afford to take some days off,'' Noel said. ``We can't do that this year.''

Noel likes what he sees in this team - players who put in their all to live up to the North Carolina tradition.

``There's a different feeling when you have guys who are going to sacrifice things every day and give their all every day,'' he said. ``We have guys on the team who take a backseat every day, who dive on the floor every day, who bring it every day. I'm that type of player, so when we have a team like that, it's just different.''

North Carolina's only loss was by four points to No. 6 Illinois. Hansbrough, a blue-chip forward, leads the team in scoring with a 16-point average.

Williams said Hansbrough has an appetite to go after the ball more than just about any freshmen he's ever coached.

Terry and Noel are adding veteran leadership, with averages of 14.1 and 14 points. On defense, the Tar Heels still play Williams' aggressive style and average 10 steals per game.

The Tar Heels made a believer out of Santa Clara coach Dick Davey, who pulled a major upset of last year's championship team, in North Carolina's 76-58 victory Saturday.

``I think people have a lot of misconceptions about this year's Carolina team,'' Davey said after North Carolina was picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. ``This team will win a lot of games and maybe even contend in the conference. I know everybody is talking about Duke, and surely they are awfully good. But, these guys play hard. They're going to create a problem for other teams in the conference, even as a young team.''

Williams has the chance to tie his mentor, Smith, for the NCAA record of 17 consecutive seasons winning at least one NCAA Tournament game. That streak seemed in jeopardy entering the season. It's looking safer now.

Winning a championship is the pinnacle of the sport, but Williams is enjoying this year just as much.

``I actually get to coach, which is what I want to do,'' he said. ``This is fun to me. Going out there and trying to decide which guys to put with which guys, and teaching them the fundamentals, and teaching those guys our foundation of pressure man-to-man defense, the running game, our freelance offense, the fundamentals of how we want to play the game - that's what I love doing.''

Matthew Kredell, [phone]

matthew.kredell(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) UNC coach Roy Williams (left) celebrates with his players after winning the NCAA Championship last season.

(2) David Noel is the only senior in the starting lineup for defending champion North Carolina.

Getty Images

Box:

TARHEEL TURNOVER