This is a huge weekend for the University of North Carolina's biggest two marquee sports: the men's basketball team kicks off its 100th anniversary season with an alumni game on Friday and the football team plays its first game of the season on Saturday at Kenan Stadium against The Citadel at 6 p.m.

"I want it to be a year-long celebration," basketball coach Roy Williams said. "I don't want to just have a reunion and say, 'Hey, this is 100 years of Carolina basketball.' That is why we're going to have a pro-alumni game. We're going to have a full reunion during the season."

The basketball team staged the perfect lead-in to its 100th year by winning the school's fifth NCAA title in March.

Now, some of the most famous players who have worn Carolina blue and gone on to be multimillionaires will return to celebrate the school, and the arthletics program, that all of them seem to truly cherish. Later, some of the guys no longer playing will return during the basketball season and be recognized. The school is producing a book to mark the occasion and will have some other activities as well, Williams said.

"We've had a lot of discussions," Williams said. "I was involved in 100-year anniversary of Kansas basketball. Some of the things we are going to do we did then and they were successful. A couple of things we did that were not successful, we're not going to do.

"This is a unique place. There are not many schools on that level that can have the tradition and history that we have. and have the family atmosphere and have people that care desperately about what happens."

Doors open for Friday's (sold out) game at 6:30 p.m. at the Smith Center. The game begins at 8 p.m.

Saturday, somewhere in the neighborhood of 60,000 people will fill Kenan Stadium in the evening to watch the third edition of Butch Davis' Carolina football team.

One of the fascinating parts of this first game is that Tar Heel players and coaches will be looking to get many answers to the same questions held by the fans.

"The receiver position," Davis said, "it's big area that we're still pushing the envelope. By game time, we would really like to be able to play five wide receivers in that particular game. Johnny White and Greg Little are some guys that have some experience. Dwight Jones has got some talent. But clearly, we'll need maybe even three of the younger kids, so we're trying to put them in the role that they might be able to go into the game.

"Certainly in the offensive line, what we've been doing is taking the three or four really solid back-ups and using their versatility: playing them on the right side or the left side, inside and outside. And at the linebacker position with Zach Brown and Kevin Reddick, that's still an issue where those two kids are having a great camp. ... Both of the guys are going to get an opportunity to play."

Davis has never been as keen as some coaches about trying to sit every freshman and have him redshirt. If someone can produce, get better and help the team win, Davis is willing to play him right away. If the kid will be better off by sitting, then barring injuries to starters or some other emergency that compels participation, Davis will sit that player.

This year is going to be no different,

A.J. Blue, who attended Hargrave Military Academy as a postgraduate student last season is going to play on special teams and at running back. Reddick be on special teams and at linebacker. There are others fresh out of high school, too.

"I can't say with 100 percent certainty," Davis said, "but I can't see any way that (defensive end) Donte Paige-Moss won't get an opportunity to play this year. I think that (defensive backs) Gene Robinson, Terry Shankle, those guys are going to have an opportunity, along with Mywan Jackson in the secondary. A lot of it depends, offensively and defensively on how much they carve out a role for themselves. If they're in the two-deep on the special teams and they're going to provide a lot of relief for the front-line players to be able to cover punts and cover kick-offs then they will probably get a greater opportunity to play.

"There's clearly the possibility of Travis Bond and Brennan Williams on the offensive line. They may be travelling redshirts: we may travel them, and if something happens and they have to go into the game, then they would lose that redshirt. If they didn't have to play in the game, maybe they won't. A lot of that will be dictated by injuries and what happens on the field."

And all of it begins this weekend, along with the 100th birthday celebration for Carolina basketball.

It's quite a way to kick off the school year for UNC's two premier sports.

- chn -