The first loss was no fluke. The second loss was no fluke. When the third loss comes, it will be no fluke, either. Get used to it, because the North Carolina basketball team, the North Carolina basketball dynasty, is not what it used to be.

It may get there again. Judging from the awesome recruiting class second-year coach Matt Doherty has coming to Chapel Hill next year, it probably will get there, maybe even sooner than later.

	Freshman Melvin Scott's emotions during Wednesday night's loss to Davidson says all you need to know about the Tar Heels' start.

But this season? This North Carolina team? That 0-2 record is no fluke.

"I had a feeling this was going to be a challenging season," Doherty said Tuesday night after the Tar Heels' 58-54 loss to Davidson. "I can't tell you what the stock market's going to do next month, but I had a feeling this would be a challenging season."

He probably didn't foresee this kind of challenge, though. Four days before losing to Davidson, the Tar Heels had dropped their opener 77-69 to Hampton. Never before in the program's 92-year history had the team lost its first two home games. And this wasn't Florida and Michigan State beating the Tar Heels, either.

"It's tough right now for Matt," said Davidson coach Bob McKillop, who once coached Doherty in high school and hired him as a Davidson assistant. "It's not just one blow he's received, but two. And it's not like he's getting it from a couple of Goliaths. These were a couple of Davids."

The Tar Heels' problems may be many, but at this point, who knows? For sure, UNC's freshmen aren't as ready for prime time as the Tar Heels had hoped after suffering heavy roster turnover from last season. For sure, the point guard situation is in limbo. And for sure, North Carolina struggles against the zone.

Hampton and Davidson played exclusively zone defense, leaving unknown whether North Carolina is adept against the man-to-man. As it is, against Hampton the Tar Heels shot 38.8 percent overall, and 17.6 percent on 3-pointers (6-for-34). Against Davidson they shot 30 percent overall and 30 percent on 3s (6 for 20).

"We have to start hitting shots, it's as simple as that," said UNC senior Jason Capel. "Until we start doing that, it's going to be pretty rough."

The schedule only gets rougher.

The Tar Heels' next three games are against Indiana, Georgia Tech and at Kentucky. After a respite -- or is it? -- against Binghamton, North Carolina plays College of Charleston and possibly Saint Joseph's, and then two weeks later enters the meat of its ACC schedule.

"We're going to get better," Doherty said. "But we're going to take some lumps along the way."

The Tar Heels' uncertain future is made murkier by football players Julius Peppers and Ronald Curry, who have sent mixed signals about playing basketball again this season. Capel has said Peppers will play, and last month Peppers sent Doherty a note that read, "Maybe our paths will cross later on." Last week Peppers told an Atlanta radio station he wouldn't play basketball, but a few days later refused to confirm that after a UNC football game, saying, "I said that (to the radio station) ... but anything could happen. It's not in stone right now."

Curry, meanwhile, said last month he would practice a few days with the basketball team, after football season, before making a decision. Then on Saturday, Curry said he hadn't decided whether to practice with the basketball team or not.

At one point, it seemed likely that Peppers and Curry would play one more season of basketball if the team genuinely needed them. At this point, maybe the team needs them too much. This season is no Final Four joyride awaiting Peppers and Curry.

Game of the Week

Penn State at Boston College Saturday Thanks to the graduation or transfer of four starters, the Nittany Lions aren't the same team that beat North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament last season. But the Eagles aren't the same, either, even with Troy Bell back in time to beat Boston U. last week. Georgetown vs. Towson Saturday John Thompson Classic at Washington D.C. Tamir Goodman takes on his local Division I power -- just not Maryland, which backed off its scholarship offer to Goodman after discovering the maybe the kid unfairly nicknamed "Jewish Jordan" wasn't as good as originally thought. Goodman, a 6-3 sophomore, averaged six points and four assists last season. He ought to get a big following in Washington D.C.

Saint Joseph's unseemly stumble
The underdog role seems to suit Saint Joseph's a whole lot better than the alternative, as the Hawks demonstrated in their season opener by losing 68-67 to Eastern Washington, of all teams, at Berkeley, Calif., of all places.

This wasn't an in-state ambush, like Western Kentucky's upset of Kentucky. This wasn't the exposure of a weakened dynasty, like Hampton's upset of North Carolina. It wasn't even an example of the power of the home-court advantage in college basketball. This was simply an awful game for the Hawks, who played as if they didn't think Eastern Washington could beat them.

On that last count, the Hawks should have been right. Eastern Washington was a decent 16-10 last season, but lost its top three scorers to graduation.

But Saint Joseph's gave the Eagles an opening by getting outrebounded 39-28, committing 22 turnovers and missing half its 18 free throws. The most critical miss came with three seconds left, when freshman Delonte West couldn't finish off the second of two free throws, allowing Eastern Washington to win by a point. West was playing for senior Marvin O'Connor, who fouled out with 19 points (3-for-11 on 3-pointers). The other half of the Hawks' sterling backcourt, sophomore Jameer Nelson, had nine assists but added six turnovers and was 1-for-8 from the floor.

"Hopefully we'll just take this as a lesson learned," said Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli. "No matter who you play if you shoot free throws like that, don't box out and commit 22 turnovers you're going to get beat."

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