We love college basketball here at ASD. In fact, it was one of the bonding tenants of Catfish and my's friendship in the rolling plains of North Carolina. We enjoy discussing and debating everything and anything college basketball. Growing up in ACC country less than 100 miles (as the crow flies) from Tobacco Road, college basketball dominated the local sports landscape. It's a passion we still follow to this day.
Yesterday, the ACC held its basketball media day in Charlotte. Their location was the the Renaissance Suites Hotel, which means literally nothing to a lot of people. he hotel, however, sits across from the former site of the Charlotte Coliseum which has a special place in Charlotte sports and college basketball lore. Yet I digress.
A vote was held for the preseason poll by the ACC media as is tradition. Duke, which figures to be the prohibitive favorite in the conference and a contender to repeat for the title, received just about all of the first place votes. Now we certianly know preseason polls are rearely worth the brainpower it takes to tabulate the votes, but it is always a good piece of fodder for discussion. Here are how the votes turned out:
1. Duke (61) 743; 2. Virginia Tech 632; 3. North Carolina (1) 622; 4. N.C. State 526; 5. Florida State 496; 6. Maryland 432; 7. Clemson 335; 8. Miami 305; 9. Georgia Tech 274; 10. Boston College 173; 11. Virginia 164; 12. Wake Forest 134.
Now who could be that lone person who had Carolina finishing first in the ACC? I'm sure if I really strain my noodle I might be able to come up with a few possibilities. By the way, does anyone know where Catfish was yesterday? Hmmmm, curious. Curious indeed.
It's Duke, then everyone else [Charlotte Observer]
Thursday, October 21
The Un-Unanimous #1
Wednesday, September 29
Lighting a Candle for Catfish
Catfish has been hard at work making morning drives less grueling and more insightful. He's also been hunkered down in his lair creating a MASS device which will make him the most powerful NBA GM in the galaxy (outside Rigel 7 of course). As football season enters the conclusion of its first month back, Catfish has been welcomed back with two colossally bad football teams. First, we have the Carolina Panthers. We knew the team was going to be bad, but in all honesty were we really expecting this only three weeks in?
It's hard to mark down a definite win for the Panthers, and they still play the Rams and Browns. Maybe San Francisco's dumpster fire will burn brighter in week 7 for the Panthros to steal a win. Perhaps that is a bit harsh, John Fox is a solid coach, if a bit resistant to change. One thing is certain: when Saints host Carolina this Sunday I expect Charles Godfrey and the rest of the Panther defense to get lit up like a Manora. I'm sure when they return home to face the Bears the next week it will be a joy seeing Julius Peppers give maximum effort all game as Carolina struggles again on offense.
On the college side, Catfish's beloved Tar Heels have not had any easier go of it. After almost taking the opener off the silver platter Les Miles held out for them, UNC fell to Georgia Tech. They bounced back last week against Rutgers thanks in large part of the return of Bruce Carter. Carter was one of the many defensive stars the Heels had sitting out. The defense will keep improving as the year goes on and they get players back but will the offense, especially the playcalling, get in gear? They face interstate rival East Carolina this Saturday which is by no means a gimme. [Update: Yahoo not making things easier]
It can't be easy to stomach but then again I guess it is not as bad as being a Cleveland sports fan. At least they didn't name a horrible social network movie after you Catfish....oh wait.
(Emu getting crushed via)
Tuesday, March 23
Dino Gaudio: Kentucky's the best (of this era?)
Following a 30-point drubbing at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats, Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio proclaimed, “I’ve been in the ACC 10 years, that’s as good a basketball team as we’ve played against in the 10 years I’ve been here." That span of ten years includes four national title teams, one each for Maryland and Duke and two for North Carolina. If my team had been in a late season death sprial, I'd just barely beaten Texas and Rick Barnes in a battle of whose coach sucks less, and people were starting to talk about me being on the hot seat, I too would probably be eager to proclaim Kentucky the best. It makes explaining a 30-point loss a little easier. Gaudio's comments are actually not that unrealistic from a talent standpoint, but an aspect he didn't consider, it's a new era in college basketball.
While John Wall has been the showstopper (or starter depending on your perspective), being well-rounded makes this Kentucky team truly special. They've got NBA talent at virtually every position, something not available to most teams for the last decade. The addition of the 'one-and-done' rule by the NBA has made it so that talented big men are now forced to make a pit stop in college. There is little doubt that John Wall would have chosen to go directly to the L as well, but no one attracts attention from NBA teams like the 6'10" and over fellas. DeMarcus Cousins would have been a lottery pick this year and Daniel Orton could easily have been drafted instead of playing thirteen minutes off the bench for the Wildcats on the basis of size and potential alone. When three of the four ACC National Championships were being won earlier in the aughts, almost all potential NBA lottery picks with size were going directly to the NBA. In 2001, three high school big men, Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, and Eddy Curry were selected ahead of the undisputed leader of the National Champion Duke Blue Devils, Shane Battier. In 2002, following the Terrapins tournament championship two college big men, Drew Gooden and Terp Chris Wilcox, were taken before the first high schooler, Amare Stoudamire, but it's easy to judge who has had the most success at the next level. Players that would have made a huge impact in college, such as Josh Smith, Andrew Bynum, Al Jefferson, and Kendrick Perkins all made the leap. Today, they wouldn't be allowed.
Perhaps no team better illustrates how much of an impact the one-and-done rule has had than Kentucky, but one need only look back to the 2005 championship team of North Carolina to see just how different history could have been. The Heels were led by Sean May, Raymond Felton, and Rashad McCants. They were joined in the starting lineup by Jawad Williams and Jackie Manuel, with Melvin Scott and future number two pick in the draft, Marvin Williams coming off the bench. Had the one-and-done rule been in place, J.R. Smith (taken 18th directly out of HS) would also have been on the roster as well as Dwight Howard. That would have given the Heels potentially five lottery picks and six first rounders. People may still be able to argue that Kentucky would be better from a talent stand point, there is no disputing that being led by a core of upperclassmen would be a huge advantage for Carolina over the current Wildcats (and the same goes for the 2009 championship team). It's why Kansas was the prohibitive favorite to win the title this season and not the team with some many future lottery picks... wait, that doesn't prove my point at all. Oh well, screw the Jayhawks.
At this point, this Kentucky team may be the most talented college team assembled in the last decade, but they're not worthy of being considered the best. If they fail to close during the final two weekends of the tournament, they're little more than the Fab 5, and they don't have a nickname to make them immortal like CWebb and crew. Dino may be right but to compare them to teams that won titles as recently as just five years ago is difficult, because it was a different era, not separated by time, but by one rule.
Friday, March 5
Around the ASD Universe: UNC/Duke, Jake is No Longer Our Del-homey, and Chanticleer Fevor
After going without power last weekend and digging myself out from the snow, which still covers the ground and my walkway, we are looking forward to a weekend full of sports. I will be huddling inside this weekend to save a little no the budget. I basically had to spend a bit much on gas driving to my brothers to enjoy any form of modern technology and then on replacing the contents of my fridge. I thought I might salvage some of the food by putting it outside in my shed, but after further inspection I chucked it. Like my Dad always said "When in doubt, throw it out" but if there is one thing I loathe it is wasting food. Whenever I eat out, I always clear my plate, nothing wasted. When I cook (which is rare) I always eat it all or save what I can't finish (which is rare if ever). It is not from any form of self-righteousness, but just the fact that I love eating so much it irks me to see perfectly edible food tossed away.
That said, the weekend provides plenty in the sports world that should keep my time with Call of Duty to a minimum. We have to begin with Catfish's embattled North Carolina Tar Heels. The Heels are sitting at 16-14, 4-10 in the ACC so unless they string together a perfect ACC tournament the Dean Dome will be a raucus host to an NIT game in a few weeks. Many people (including me sometimes) tell Catfish that he should just be quiet and enjoy the title his team won a year ago. Any true fan of a successful team knows that is impossible; you always want your team to win every year, every season no matter what. Catfish will be the first to tell you the light blue fan base is quite unforgiving. Win is the only way to keep them satiated. Win now, win often, win all the time. The setback of this year's team has brought a lot of heat on Roy Williams, perhaps more than I have ever seen for a coach who cut the nets down the previous year.
A lot of ills can be cured if UNC wins their 5th straight at Cameron on Saturday night. Duke is favored to win, should win, will most likely win. However, it is not like Carolina will not be pumped up and does not contain the talent to spark the upset. I do think Duke wins this game in a crazy scene reminiscent of the '98 senior day Wojo game.
In NFL news, the Carolina Panthers cut Jake Delhomme last night. Jake came a long way from his World Bowl Dance(see below) to leading the Panthers to Super Bowl 38. He leaves the Panthers with virtually all their passing records but after his 18 INT performance last year (and that's with missing 5 games!) it was clear the magic had left the Cajun's right arm. Delhomme was a great leader for the team and ambassador for the franchise while he was productive. It is a shame the horrible decision by the front office to give him an extension to try and clear cap space last spring. The Matt Moore era will continue in Charlotte next year. Don't expect the Panthers to go after Vick, GM Marty Hurney and coach John Fox are on the chopping block for their jobs and they are not going to risk next year on the flappy arm and shotty legs Vick displayed last year. Don't feel too bad for Jake, the Panthers still owe him about $13 million.
Championship week is upon is in college basketball. The mid-major conferences are first into the fray in determining who gets their league's invite to the tourney. One of the first tickets will be punched tomorrow when Coastal Carolina hosts Winthrop in the Big South Championship. Never hiding our love for the Big South, Coastal Carolina is a team that could spark an upset come tourney time if they win tomorrow's championship game at 4 on ESPN2. The Chanticleers (a nickname everyone will be talking about if they make it) are the 1 seed and hosting on their tiny on-campus gym which I believe is smaller than my high school gym. Still, the Chants are led by coach Cliff Ellis who has lead teams to the tourney before, including sweet 16 trips with Clemson and Auburn (yes the Auburn with Chris Porter). Their opponent is Palmetto in-state rival Winthrop. The Eagles are the most recognized Big South team in basketball due to their upset of Notre Dame in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. They are coached by Randy Peele who was an assistant under Greg Marshall who led those Winthrop teams. This is what (the current) Tournament is all about, mid-majors playing one game, with one shot at the ultimate prize of playing on a national stage in the dance.
Sadly, there will be no tale of the country's leading rebounder and Drago alter ego Artsiom Parakhouski of Radford. The Highlanders fell to Winthrop in the semifinals. Dreams are not true this year.
Friday, May 22
Tar Heels Meet Obama: An Inside Look
When the Tar Heels went to the White House, Bobby Frasor videotaped in the White House recording some candid moments with his teammates for ESPN. Bobby may not have an NBA career in his future, but he can go into broadcasting if he desires. Poking fun of Ty Lawson's pants and lack of a belt and Mike Copeland's humor make this video a must see for any Carolina fans. This is Catfish O'Hoolihan... ESPN.
Thursday, April 23
To Do (To Go?) List
11:30 EST - Steph Curry announces intent [Update: HE GONE]
2:30 EST - Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington do the same. [Update: THEY GONE]
2:35 EST - Coach K takes a moment to compose himself before another stop on the book tour. [Update: Still Whoring]
Wednesday, April 22
Clifton Brothers: The Dark Side of the (John) Wall
In between listening to Jaydiohead and lamenting that other people are picking up on one my draft sleepers, Darrius Heyward-Bey, I began to ask a question that all Carolina hoops fans should consider as we drift down from Cloud "5". If one of the best players in the country was in Roy's backyard, why did it take so long for him to start recruiting John Wall? The answer is simple, but the implications could be a stain that lasts long after Wall has revived hoops in Sacramento (I prefer to project two drafts in advance... more after the break...)
Read almost any story about John Wall and you'll see Brian Clifton's (pictured, right) name subtly mentioned. You've probably scanned past the name looking for words like "commitment" "announcement date" and "faster and stronger than Derrick Rose." Clifton is a former agent and AAU coach that serves as John Wall's mentor. Less than a year ago, it was the Clifton brothers, but then Dwon Clifton took a job as Baylor's Director of Player Development. Dwon coached Wall's AAU team and explains Baylor as the one outlier on Wall's list of prospective teams. Not surprisingly, Baylor's not been interested in declaring how much Clifton is being paid, but it's not a coincidence that a man whose coaching experience was based primarily in the Carolinas found himself with potentially two Big XII "coaching" opportunities (Oklahoma State was also interested) so similar to the Dalonte Hill's salary capless role at K-State. Brian Clifton has been openly stating Baylor's the best choice for Wall, but Wall's savvy to the game. When asked if Dwon got the job because of him, Wall responded, "Oh, I think it was," Wall said. "You know, whichever AAU coach gets a job in college is hoping that he gets the point guard or the best player from that organization with him."
Other accusations include routing all coaches through the Clifton brothers instead of directly approaching Wall or his mother and a direct connection with other agents. Gary Parrish at CBS has done a tremendous job of identifying the smoke near the recruiting firestorm that has been John Wall since Roy called to check in. John Wall would likely be the difference between a very good young team and a title contending team the likes we haven't seen in sixteen years, but when Roy works so hard to recruit from Bremerton to North Babylon how would he have missed John Wall in Raleigh? Clifton and Williams don't get along, possibly because Roy's got enough cache to approach Wall directly, but as long as Clifton is around Wall could end up being the recruit Roy regrets. His first instinct must have been to stay away, but now his competitiveness may be getting the best of him. Wall's best chance to win is at Carolina and Carolina's tempo is the best chance for him to shine (with respects to the used car salesman in Lexington), but is a chance for number six worth it? As much as I'd like to see Wall in the baby blue, Roy must tread carefully.
Note: If both Lawson and Ellington don't go pro, the Heels likely won't have a scholarship for Wall.
Friday, April 17
Could Carolina's Backcourt be Back?
Before the college basketball season even began it was assumed that both Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington were in their final year of college basketball. Months later, the Heels have a national championship, Lawson was the ACC Player of the Year and Wayne Ellington was the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player, so why have they not yet declared, unlike 40 other underclassmen? Because both tested their draft stock last season, they would be locked into the draft if they decided to declare this season. Last night, the team had the post-season awards banquet and many were expecting the announcements to come soon after, but so far both have remained silent.
While both will probably opt for the draft, if only one did Ty Lawson would seem to be the most logical choice. Depending on the ranking, Lawson is between the third and fifth best point guard available. If Ricky Rubio were to pull out of the draft because of buyout issues with his current team, Lawson may trail only Brandon Jennings on team's PG lists. The impending decision of Steph Curry could also influence whether Lawson is a late lottery pick or stumbling to the bottom of the first round. Other PGs of note: Jrue Holliday, Darren Collison, Eric Maynor, and Jeff Teague.
Ellington's stock remains somewhat of an enigma with him drifting between the lower half of the first round and the top of the second round. ASU's James Harden and Memphis's Tyreke Evans are both likely lottery picks, but Chase Budinger and Terrence Williams are similar players that could push Ellington lower. Ellington's former high school teammate and current rival Gerald Henderson is also more athletic and his decision could also have a negative impact.
Regardless of where they are drafted, can they accomplish more in their senior seasons? Lawson's shot and defense improved dramatically this season and Ellington's shot was aided by his increased willingness to attack the basket. With a bountiful stock of underclassmen (Cole Aldrich, Ed Davis, Greg Monroe, Evan Turner, and Willie Warren and others) as well as at least five one and done candidates their stock may not have much growth potential.
Tuesday, April 14
Things That Caught My Eye: Links
I would've forgiven Benny Santiago for doing roids if he had a beard like that. (PopularVulture via BB)
A 'Four out play' helps Dodgers win. If this had been in the ole rec league, rest assured at least one coach would've been kicked out and one screeching mother would've had all the neighborhood dogs howling. (Big League Stew)
Panthers making big moves son, big moves! "[T]raded a conditional seventh-round draft choice in 2011 to the Green Bay Packers for long snapper J.J. Jansen, an undrafted rookie last year who spent the season on injured reserve." Suck it Peppers, you've been replaced. (Observer)
This description of John Wall's performance at the Nike Hoop Summit sums up the feelings of every Facbook-using basketball fan in North Carolina. Additional John Wall YouTube goodness endorsed by yours truly. I tried to play it cool with the recent revelation that Wall coming to UNC was a possibility, but having watched this, I'm developing a crush.
At least Dale Jr. won something. The new ad campaign for the All-Star race is well conceived and has Dale "Wahoo" Junior wearing a title belt. Junior apparently only wanted to participate if he could be in full Wahoo headdress. No link to the image, but you can watch Ric Flair's promo (and 39 woos) with the poster in the background. Highlight: "20 other drivers that wanna take your women, wanna take your money, and wanna take your trophy."
"...at the end of the day, the three [underclassman] big boys - Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, and Tyler Zeller - may be better as pros than Lawson, Hansbrough, and Ellington. With Hansbrough, energy and effort only get you so far in our league. You can count on one hand how many guys get by on that..." Davis... check, Zeller... check, Thompson... whoa, dood your credibility just flew out the window, better go get it. As for the Hansbrough line, if a small number of guys get by on effort, why would a the hard worker not be a possibility? Does he realize Brian Cardinal is still in the league? (Globe via Observer)
Thursday, April 9
Title = Time for Reflection
Here's a short piece I produced for the local sports radio station. It's hard to reflect back in such a quick turn-around on how far this team had come over the course of the past few years. Every starter had dramatically improved in at least one area from when they first arrived on campus and together they evolved into the best team in college basketball this season. There have been countless game recaps written, but let's take a look at some of the other questions that have arisen from the Heels winning.
Tyler Hansbrough has never been my favorite Tar Heel, but I've never wanted a player to get a championship as much as I wanted him to win. Much of the post-championship talk has centered around number 50, so I'll start there.
Is Tyler Hansbrough the best Tar Heel ever?: He's the most decorated without question, but best is a different question. He's the best four year player since Phil Ford without question, but to use his numbers to prove his worthiness is a red herring. Hansbrough's numbers have an artificial inflation that many in UNC's history do not. In 2005, First Team All-American Sean May and ACC Rookie of the Year Marvin Williams left for the NBA. The result was a starting spot for Hansbrough. Starting shouldn't be counted against Tyler, but should be acknowledged when considering many Carolina greats did not have that opportunity. If people argue that it must be someone that brought the school a championship, are Tyler's 17.5 pts/game and just under 8 rebounds/game in the tournament worthy of a place at the top of the mountain, when his tournament performance was dwarfed by Sean May's incredible run in 2005? On the flip side, May wouldn't even be considered by most for the best Tar Heel of all-time. Blending both numbers, tournament performance and a championship ring, it's hard to best James Worthy. Worhty was the leading scorer of the '82 championship team, co-National Player of the Year, and the NCAA tournament MOP. If we hop in the way back machine the other obvious candidate, Lennie Rosenbluth led the 1957 Tar Heels to an undefeated season and a championship. He averaged 28 points/game, almost 9 rebounds/game and defeated Wilt Chamberlain for the National Player of the Year (although there may have been some other forces in play in 1957 *cough*).
Would Tyler start on the All-Time Carolina Team?
A continuation of the previous question, but my answer remains the same, no. When I first started thinking about this question, my initial thought was to include only guys that played at least three years, but considering that the university saw fit to honor both Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace after only two years of service, who am I to leave them out of the discussion. I do think one and done guys should not be eligible (i.e. Kevin Durant at Texas), with the exception of Carmello Anthony, because he delivered a title in his one year. While Marvin Williams helped win the '05 title, he did not start and therefore would be considered ineligible. When I pick my All-Time team, I pick not based on numbers, but as if I was a captain of a pick-up team trying to assemble the best pieces. First Team: Phil Ford, Michael Jordan, Billy Cunningham, James Worthy and Rasheed Wallace. Second Team: Ty Lawson, Walter Davis, Antawn Jamison, Tyler Hansbrough, and Sam Perkins. Round out the roster with Charlie Scott and Sean May. Bob McAdoo could certainly make the team, but given the one year rule, I'm forced to leave him off.
Has Tyler cost himself money at the next level?
Initially, yes, but not necessarily in the long term. By staying an extra year at Carolina, Hansbrough may have cost himself between three and four million dollars on his rookie contract, but also improved his midrange shooting. Being drafted later will have no bearing on his ability to earn a substantial second contract, but his improved shot may. Carlos Boozer was drafted in the second round, but signed a $70 million dollar contract. Moving down in the draft could be beneficial in the long run as well. Rajon Rondo playing with a better team has undoubtedly helped him develop faster and if Tyler ends up on a winning team, he could be just the type of contributor to help push them over the top. The only way this move costs Hansbrough is if he's injured or a bust. With his work ethic and ability, Tyler should be able to stick in the league long enough to get a second contract and if he does that, the amount of money he "lost" to win a national championship will be relatively small.
Is Roy under-appreciated as a coach?
Yes. He's often referred to as a recruiter first, which is tremendously important, but also a subtle jab, like calling a quarterback a game manager. Roy's players improve and come together as a team, which is the direct result of his coaching. He's in elite company, becoming the 13th coach to win multiple championships, but only nine have won with different rosters.
If Roy wins another, is he a better coach than Dean?
Personally, I think this is a question asked only by ABCers in an attempt to erode Coach Smith's legacy. Roy's a tremendous coach, all of his players improve, he's one of, if not the, hardest working recruiter in the country, and despite the incessant claims by those outside the program, his teams can play defense. Much of the same could be said about Coach Smith, but what separates the two, and why I don't think Roy is merely being humble when he says he's nowhere close to Dean, is innovation. Some of Coach Smith's were more subtle, players could raise their fist to indicate they needed a break or when a player scored he was expected to acknowledge the passer, but his four corners offense was one of the greatest or worst innovations in basketball history. Coach Smith was also never afraid to stand up for causes away from the court, either. It's not to suggest that Coach Williams is, but from the moment he's been on campus, he's been a star, but Coach Smith was not when he was a civil rights activist in the 60's. With any healthy father-son relationship, the son doesn't set out to be better than his father, he tries to make him proud. More importantly, coaching should not be judged, as both these men will tell you, by championships, but rather by the young men the program produces.
Was the game on too late?
Yes, and the ratings showed it. Screwing the eastern time zone while two teams from the time zone play, is a bad idea. Can we compromise and have the tip time based on the higher seed in the game? 8:00, 8:30, or 9:00 EST (or EDT, whatever) based on the higher seed would seem logical, perhaps too logical. Continue reading...
Wednesday, April 8
Mahktar and Peppers = Magic
I was so wondering what ever happened to everyone's favorite Tar Heel, Mahktar Ndiaye. Old friends Vincanity, Julius Peppers, Mahktar, and Antawn Jamison gathered together in Detroit to watch their alma mater win it all. My first thought is excluding Antawn (pronounced Antwan), the other three are probably a psychiatrists’ wet dream...or nightmare. Luckily Vince did not have to jet off to any playoff games after UNC took care of business (the Nets are officially eliminated from the playoffs). Peppers is sporting a lovely light blue blazer and I'm sure has his mind on lining up for the Panthers this year. It seems only fitting that Mahktar chose a piece of cardboard as his medium for mocking the Blue Devils. Antawn certainly is not bothered by the Wizards .231 winning percentage.
All kidding aside this is a great shot of alumni coming back and cheering on their team while at the same time mocking their rival. Although, there was no word on whether Mahktar accused Goran Suton of dropping an racial epithet at any point in time.
Even in victory, the UNC hatred still abounds for Duke [statesman.com via TBL]
Monday, April 6
Monday Night In Detroit
The championship game is set and it should be an entertaining game, but just because it is a big time game does not mean it cannot be a clunker. Carolina is the team that was the favorite to win this thing from the beginning but a few lapses in the ACC and a couple of injuries took them down from the ranks of untouchables. Now, it appears no team can touch them but with the crowd behind them, the Spartans should give them their best shot.
Getting back quickly to Saturday's games:
"If they want to be the upset story again this year, the only chance they have is shoot over 60%."
Nova shot 32.9%, including 5-27 from 3.
"The key for the Spartans is rebounding, they usually outrebound their opponents by the widest margin in the country but they face a terrific rebounding team in UConn. Their defense will frustrate the Huskies but can they keep them off the offensive boards?"
The rebounding was pretty even, Sparty totaled one more on the offensive side, but making that a wash they exploited the Huskies' weaknesses; bench production, point guard play (Kemba Walker struggled big time), free-throw shooting, and lack of a 3 point shooter. Michigan State deserves the credit, they attacked and knew where to attack to take the victory.
As for tonight, Michigan State shot 6-19 from behind the line Saturday while Carolina shot 11-22. Sparty needs to improve that clip and they need Suton to have a big game. Nova outrebounded UNC so there is no reason to think Michigan State cannot since they are one of the best rebounding teams. MSU needs to have the same transition mentality they had with UConn, get out on the break when they have the advantage and prevent transition on them. Of course, with Ty Lawson that may be impossible. The only chance Sparty will have in my mind is to hope the Heels miss some of those open looks and rebound them when they do.
Prediction is Carolina gets up early, Sparty puts up a valiant effort and hangs around by a 7-10 clip, and then the Heels stick the dagger in late and Catfish dances a jig and gets a Hansbrough tatoo.
Saturday, April 4
Final Four Frenzy
That's right, I'm working on a Saturday. No, do not fear I will be able to watch the games and luckily it will be coinciding with K-man's bachelor party festivities. At least I am getting paid for my weekend work, right? Wait, what? Noooooo. Anyway it affords me a few moments to put together the crap(s) we have heard all week about the game tonight.
Villanova
You may have heard, but the Wildcats won the 1985 national championship as underdog 8 seeds over Georgetown. In that title game they shot 78.6% from the field. So far this tournament the 3 seed underdog Wildcats have shot a total 45.1% in all their games. If they want to be the upset story again this year, the only chance they have is shoot over 60%. Turnovers and rebounding will be important but Carolina has too much in too many areas in this match-up. You cannot stop the Heels from scoring, so if Nova wants a shot, they will have to be ripping the nets and that means early, right from the tip. You fall behind early, UNC smells blood and it is over. The Wildcats need look no further than the tape from the Oklahoma game against Carolina; miss a ton of shots, early fall behind even while playing at a slow pace. Those shots have to fall for Nova and that requires a way above average performance in shooting.
North Carolina
Trying to stop any one facet of the Heel's offense is literally a roll of the dice. Even if one of their offensive weapons comes up snake eyes, you will likely get a strong performance from another area. Gambling jokes aside, Ty Lawson is getting undeserved heat for his casino trip, but the press was dying for a story outside of Nate Miles and good coaching. Carolina is going to come out swinging in this game and put the pressure on Nova, if Nova cannot keep up, it will be over quickly. I think Carolina's point of attack needs to be Lawson and Hansbrough. There is probably no guard in the country that can contain Lawson and he is the conduit for getting the Heels open shots, particularly in transition. Getting the ball to Hansbrough will lead to him powering his way to the bucket or better yet, drawing fouls on Dante Cunningham, which cripples Nova's inside game.
Prediction: UNC takes this one in a snoozer.
Michigan State
Everyone wants to give Tom Izzo credit and who can blame them. The man runs a clean program (apparently), he gives hope to his crumbling state, he has reached 5 Final Fours and cut the nets down once. He is one of the best tournament coaches in the country right now and a lot of people talk about the one day turnaround from 1st to 2nd round and Sweet 16 to Elite 8. One glaring stat that is not so pretty is his 1-4 record in national semifinals. Granted you are playing the toughest competition at that point but the other teams have a whole week to prepare for you instead of one day in the Elite 8. The key for the Spartans is rebounding, they usually outrebound their opponents by the widest margin in the country but they face a terrific rebounding team in UConn. Their defense will frustrate the Huskies but can they keep them off the offensive boards? Suton will probably not be covered by Thabeet who will hang back in the paint, but if Goran hits the threes like he did against Lousiville, the Spartans will have the edge. They do have to be careful about getting too hyped by playing in front of the home crowd, the energy you get from that will wear off quickly. 
Connecticut
A.J. Price has been through a lot, and he struggled at times against Mizzou in the Elite 8, but he hit the big shots when he needed to and finished with 18. He needs to go 20+ in this game in my opinion for the Huskies to win. Thabeet does not need to score, only rebound, play defense, and have the occasional dunk or tip in down low. Stanley Robinson will hopefully continue his great play and Jeff Adrien has to hit his 15 foot jumper. If Adrien does that it creates about the same effect as Suton and will make it easier to rebound. The guard duo of Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker are also important, they cannot turn the ball over and need to drive and create as the UConn offense does get stagnant at certain times. Jim Calhoun is 4-0 in the final four and it is 10 and 5 years since his last trip, if they had a healthy Jerome Dyson I would be banging the drum for them, but instead it is left up to the collective effort of their players. They have to get the contributions from all areas to win as opposed to the pick your poison action of Carolina.
Prediction: UConn takes it in a squeaker.
Monday, March 23
Bigotry is a Far Cry from Immaturity
No line can better sum up an article written on Thursday for The New Republic. A Duke graduate, Seyward Darby, asserts that "there is a nasty strain of bigotry emanating" from anti-Duke fans because of the repeated references to their players being gay. Ms. Darby adds a few concessions, but with all the conviction of someone who begins a sentence with, "No offense, but..."
To help make Ms. Darby's case, the famous picture of a sign reading, "JJ is Redickulous" next to a Maryland fan holding a smaller sign that read, "-ly gay" is used, but she brackets her arguments with passages from Will Blythe's book about the Carolina-Duke rivalry, which suggests that she's aiming full on at Tar Heel fans for gay bashing.
To strengthen her case she points to Wikipedia entries being tweaked to suggest homosexuality and YouTube comments. Carolina fans are routinely criticized for being the "old, wine and cheese" crowd, and yet now we're launching a massive online movement to promote the homosexuality of Duke players? As for using YouTube comments as a barometer of a fan base, that's no different than judging everyone on Wall Street by the actions of Bernie Madoff, or judging young African-American entertainers on the actions of Chris Brown. It's not accurate and borderline irresponsible.
Ms. Darby identifies several usernames that have ties to Carolina, but neglects to do so when pointing out that there's a YouTube video called "Tyler Hansbrough is Faggy". Nor does she point out that Roy Williams, Dean Smith's, and Tyler Hansbrough's Wikipedia entries are also the focus of frequent vandalism. Recently, Coach Williams's entry was asserting, "He is a gay man who has sexual relations with his players."
Much of what is going on is juvenile, crude and unfortunate, but that's a far cry from bigotry. Duke fans themselves are not immune to throwing the gay barb. When referee Dick Paparo would officiate games in Cameron Indoor, if he made a call the fans didn't agree with, he would be hit with chants of "You Suck, Dick!" Is this just clever word play or homophobic? I would argue it's immature, clever wordplay. When former NBA player John Amaechi announced he was gay, it was a Duke player, Shavlik Randolph, who had this to say, "As long as you don't bring your gayness on me I'm fine. As far as business-wise, I'm sure I could play with him. But I think it would create a little awkwardness in the locker room." Which is more damning, YouTube comments or your student body and a player making these remarks?
The Cameron Crazies are not above treading on the line of decency. When a former Maryland player was alleged to have sexually abused a fellow student, fans threw panties and jeered him. Is making a mockery of sexual assault acceptable and observing that Greg Paulus has been dunked on repeatedly in his career, resulting in several crotches in his face, so far removed?
When fellow TNR writer, Jason Zengerle, responded to Ms. Darby's article he points to the bigger issue:
The homophobic Duke haters aren't necessarily taunting Duke players as whiny wimps; they're just taunting them just as they would their friends. Let me explain: the presence of so many white players on Duke's team creates the somewhat unusual dynamic of white fans taunting white athletes. As a result, this white-on-white shit-talking frequently takes the form of the shit-talking that goes on between the white taunters and their white friends--which, if you've recently spent much time with a certain class of white guys between the ages of 15 and 40, you know is a pretty homophobic form of shit-talking.
While it may seem that Duke is the target, it has nothing to do with the name on the chest, it's the color of the skin. These insults were not hurled at Grant Hill or Gerald Henderson, just as Kyle Singler would never be forced to endure monkey noises as some African-American high school players recently did in California. Christian Laettner never had bananas hurled at him like Patrick Ewing. Greg Paulus's intelligence has never been questioned, unlike JR Reid, who was the focus of "JR can't read" chants, by the Cameron Crazies. These are examples of true bigotry amongst basketball fans, a category which the majority of the remarks Ms. Darby references do not.
I'm not defending these "homophobic" remarks, but rather suggesting they're a cultural problem, not a problem in a rival fan base. In the vernaculars of many young men, "gay" is used as a synonym for lame for example, "Man, he's so gay when he flops." and "fag" often gets used in place of other crude words such as bitch or pussy. Their usage is immature and may not be socially acceptable in most circles, but rarely are tied to hatred or dislike of homosexuals. As it relates to Ms. Darby's point, Duke players and fans are just as guilty and to refuse to acknowledge that while using such a powerful word as bigotry (particularly in the South)is inexcusable by both Ms. Darby and The New Republic. Continue reading...
Tuesday, March 17
For Radford, "Dreams Are True"; Seeding Not So Much
Radford University is a school in southwest Virginia, boasting an enrollment of 9,122, located 18 miles from the Virginia Tech campus, and according to TBL, they have one of the highest STD rates in the country. This is only their second tournament appearance ever (1998) and how fortunate they are to draw number 1 seed North Carolina in Greensboro where the Tarheels have never lost in the tournament. It is a short bus trip of about 57 miles for UNC and a slightly longer 135 miles trek for the Highlanders. The arena will no doubt be an explosion of baby blue on Thursdaty at 2:50pm EST for Radford's chance at what would be the biggest upset in the history of the tournament.
There was a great article in USA Today over the weekend about Radford. It talked about head coach Brad Greenberg, brother of Virginia Tech coach Seth. The two will never intentionally face off together according to their mom. The big star for Radford is their 6'11" center from Belarus Artsiom Parakhouski who is a junior college transfer from that cradle of basketball, Southern Idaho. Parakhouski has only been in the U.S. for 2 and half years and his English in progress can be seen in some of his quotes in the article, like this gem:
"I watched like crazy all the games," he says. "I would say, 'Once, I am going to be on this TV. And I am going to play against some special team.' And now, dreams are true."
Indeed Art, dreams are true but that special team is North Carolina. Parakhouski has been training hard since Radford earned their bid over a week ago, here is some of the footage.
I actually did research on all the 16 and 15 seeds in the tournament because I thought at first Radford was getting a raw deal having to play Carolina after winning their conference outright and winning the conference tournament but their 131 RPI and 215 SOS does not lie. Their best out of conference game was a 2 point loss to Virginia, whose coach just "resigned". But they were an impressive 15-3 in conference and Parakhouski was the conference player of the year and tournament MVP. If Radford is going to have a snowball's chance they will need their frontcourt to play huge. The Highlanders have decent size for a small school; besides the the big center, there is 6'8" senior Joey Lynch-Flohr and off the bench 6'8" Eric Hall. They also have Pittsburgh native point guard Amir Johnson who is a little tank with a 1.59 A/TO ratio this year. Swingman Kenny Thomas has great athleticism as well on the wing.
Adding in the advice Seth will share with his older brother, the senior leadership, and the size for rebounding, Radford could give Carolina a fight. Ty Lawson's status will be a big factor of course because it affects the pace of the game but Radford faced VMI, the nation's highest scoring team three times so they should be used to transition. They need to channel their inner Western Carolina, Fairfield, Albany, ETSU, Murray State, and Princeton.
All this being said, we all have Carolina winning this game by double-digits and sadly making one of the first exits from this year's tournament, but like XM always says...
Season of wonder at Radford: Coach, center spark NCAA run [USAToday.com]
Friday, March 6
Freeman, Griffin & Hansbrough: Occam's Razor
Hey look, a magazine with Blake Griffin on the cover! CBS's Mike Freeman has again taken aim at Tyler Hansbrough (although this time, he's letting commenters do the work of playing the race card, but Freeman does highlight the comment). Freeman bemoans that Griffin doesn't get credit for being hardworking and gritty unlike Hansbrough.
"Why aren't we seeing constant replays on television of Griffin diving onto the floor or scrambling for loose balls..."
SportsCenter, the night of the Texas Tech game where Griffin flew over the scorer's table to save the ball, showed the dive no less than 11 times (not an exaggeration) and had analysis of Griffin's effort from at least six analysts (not an exaggeration), including some of their non-basketball analysts Steve Phillips and Mark Schlereth. Everyone was gushing about how hard he plays and rightfully so, but to acknowledge that would take away from the article, so pretend like it never happened, right Mike? When you're hurling accusations, you should probably watch.
As for the issue of the magazine covers, here's the simple explanation: Carolina basketball sells magazines, Oklahoma does not. It's the same reason Notre Dame always has high-rated recruiting classes in football, it's all about capitalism. Has there not been someone that played as hard as Griffin and Hansbrough at a lower level? Why did they not get the coverage? If Griffin was at Duke, he would be on the cover of every magazine Hansbrough was on, and when Hansbrough was on the cover of SI's basketball preview this season, Griffin was on the Big 12 regional coverage. Hansbrough has been on four SI covers and Blake Griffin has been on two. One of Tyler's was when he was selected POY, a cover Griffin will get this season and another was when Carolina went to the Final Four. If Griffin leads the Sooners to the Final Four, there's a good chance he'll get on a cover, thus tying Tyler. Mike, since you deemed this an adult conversation, can we please use facts?
Monday, February 16
Swagger Jack
Behind the gutty play of point guard Ty Lawson, the North Carolina Tar Heels overcame their lowest score output of the season to defeat the Miami Hurricanes 69-65 last night. Miami got everything they wanted defensively out of the game: they held UNC to 38.8% shooting, Tyler Hansbrough only notched 8 points, and the Tar Heels only shot 8 free-throws. The problem for the Canes was on the offensive side of the ball, for everyone other than Jack McClinton. He had 35 last night, and over the last three games for Miami facing Wake Forest, Duke, and UNC has 101 points. McClinton had 53.8% of the points for Miami. Brian Asbury added 12 but no other player had more than 6. McClinton's play has been outstanding and if he was able to get some help, the Hurricanes would not be on a 6 of 8 skid with their tournament hopes dwindling each week. "I'd rather score two and have us win," McClinton said after the game putting the correct attitude forward but his numbers of late have been impressive. With unlimited range and a sweet, quick stroke it is hard to imagine Jack only scoring 2 and his latest run of games against top-ranked competition has him at the forefront of ACC player of the year consideration.
It would be quite a long shot if McClinton won ACC POY but then again that is his speciality. Jack has made 79 three-pointers this year which is more than any other player in the ACC and his 47.9% from behind the line is second only to Ty Lawson and Jeff Teague, both of whom have less than half the 165 attempts McClinton does. McClinton is one of four ACC players averaging over 20 points per game; Hansbrough leads the conference at 21.1, McClinton and Douglas are next at 20.3 and Jeff Teague is at 20.2. These four have to be at the top of the list although others like Tyrese Rice from BC, Sylven Landesberg from UVA, Kyle Singler of Duke and Ty Lawson deserve mention as well.
McClinton simply is the Miami team, without him they would probably be below .500 overall. He has been in double digits all but one game this season and that includes the game where he was ejected in the first half for his love tap against Ohio State. He also is an outstanding free-throw shooter, a career 87.5% shooter in college and second only in the ACC history to J.J. Redick. Perhaps his most impressive stat over the last 3 game stretch was brought up by Catfish. McClinton's points per shot was 1.63 over this stretch, and that is with him hoisting 62 shots in the 3 games combined. His total PPS over the season is 1.45 and that is with him having the fourth most shot attempts in the ACC.
As far as an NBA career goes McClinton has the quick release, the fiery attitude and the pure shooting ability off the dribble or off the catch to be an NBA player, the problem is going to be his size. Jack is thicker than his contemporary Stephen Curry, but McClinton only stands 6'1". The size issue may hinder his draft status but I have to believe he will at least get a shot somewhere in the league. McClinton's ball handling is average but he does not distribute the ball well enough to be an NBA point guard, even though he averages 3 assists per game and has a 1.2 AST/TO ratio. Of course his assists might be higher if his teammates could make some shots now and then.
McClinton has won the respect of his competition and has proven to be one of the best shooting guards in the ACC if not the best. He will likely fall short in ACC player of the year and with Tony Douglas, Jeff Teague, and Ty Lawson at the same position, he might not even make first team but his value to the Hurricanes has been irreplaceable to the slim NCAA Tournament hopes they now cling to.
Article here from Kevin Armstrong last Friday on McClinton's background and his personal journey. [SI.com]
Wednesday, February 11
Top Ten: Individual Tarheel Performances Against Duke
No game inspires more cliches than the Carolina Duke rivalry. Tonight, when Soulja Roy leads his troops into battle, you're guaranteed to hear how far apart the two shools are, see the Jason Capel shot (isn't it funnt how so many Duke fans love this moment, and it was a loss and Coach K wasn't a part of it), and about how Larry Brown and Art Heyman took the rivalry to a new level. Many Duke fans... correction, some older Duke fans that realize that the program existed before Coach K and the '91 season will tell you that fight cost Duke the championship. I'm not above saying anything nice about Duke, but it generally involves their women and birthing hips, which in certain company isn't considered complimentary. With any further ado, here's the top ten individual performances by Carolina players in the rivalry.
10. Al Wood - Carolina's first win over a Duke team ranked #1 in the country (they 
weren't ranked that high very often back in the day). The Heels were previously 0-2 when Duke was ranked in the top spot, Al Wood led all scorers with 20 points en route to ruining Mike Gminski's final game in Cameron against the Tarheels. Wood also scored 14 in a 25 drubbing of the Devils in the final game of the regular season. Wood's best performance, however, came in the ACC tournament game in which Duke prevailed. Wood had 32 points, the only Tarheel with more than seven in the game, but Duke prevailed behind the G-man's 24 points and 19 rebounds.
9. George Karl - In the only time the two teams have met in postseason play (beyong 
the ACC tournament), George Karl led the Heels with 21 points in the semifinal round of the NIT. Carolina would go on to win the NIT, and Duke would lose the third place game to St. Bonaventure. More known for his defense, Karl's offensive outburst was key following a knee injury to leading scorer Dennis Wuycik. Forward Bill Chamberlain would win the MVP for the tournament, but it wouldn't have been possible with out Karl's performance against the Blue Devils.
8. Steve Hale - In January of 1986, the Dean Dome opened its doors for the 
first time, and rather than playing a patsy to insure an easy first victory, the Heels invited Duke to be their first victim opponent. A tightly contested game, saw the Heels emerge victorious 95-92, behind excellent performances by two Heels: Brad Daugherty and Steve Hale. Daugherty posted a double-double (23-11), but Hale had 28 points on 10 of 12 from the field and 8 of 9 from the charity stripe. Hale would later suffer a collapsed lung against Maryland, and while on the bench at Cameron, was chided with chants of "In-Hale, Ex-Hale," a chant that is credited with the start of the national recognition of the Crazies as Dickie V's favorites.
7. J.R. Reid - The most controversial period of the Dean Smith/Coach K rivalry 
centered around J.R., in 1989 Duke fans had signs that stated, "J.R. can't Reid." For Duke fans, it was little more than (semi)clever word play, but for Dean Smith, a man that had been a part of the civil rights movement, the sign crossed a line. Reid always played well against the Devils, putting the team on his back in a 1988 game, where the team fell short, leading the team to a 20-point beatdown of a top ranked and undefeated Duke team in the first meeting in 1989, but his best performance was in the '89 ACC tournament championship game. Reid led the team in scoring, but with only 14 points it was his defense that contributed most to the victory. Danny Ferry was the National Player of the Year, but struggled mightily against Reid, matching Reid's fourteen points, but on 20 shots and was held to only three rebounds.
6. Raymond Felton - With Duke riding a six game series winning streak, and having won 
eleven of the last twelve, an unranked Carolina needed a spectacular effort to knock off tenth ranked Duke in March of 2003. Duke was led by JJ Redick, Shelden Williams, Chris Duhon, and Dahntay Jones and had been ranked in the single digits all season, until a one point loss to St. John's (led by Marcus Hatten's 29). One week later, the strode into the Dean Dome to face a Carolina team searching for it's identity with young coach Matt Doherty at the helm. Spurned on by two of their freshmen, Rashad McCants and Raymond Felton Carolina would snap the losing streak. McCants was the top scorer in the game with 26, but Raymond Felton had 18 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds (nearly a crappy triple double) to lead the Tarheels.
5. Bob Lewis - Fresh off the Art Heyman era, Duke had captured seven straight against 
the Heels (their longest streak in the rivalry, Carolina has twice won eight straight). In January of 1965, Duke was ranked in the top ten and Dean Smith was being hung in effigy. Billy Cunningham famously tore down that effigy and was a big player against Duke in Durham, but it was Bob Lewis who shone through. Lewis's 21 points trailed Cunningham by only one, but his 12 rebounds were instrumental in securing a 65-62 victory over the favored Devils. This was only Dean's second win against Duke in his fifth season at Chapel Hill. Smith would recover to go 59-35 against Duke, and 24-14 against Coach K.
4. Joseph Forte - Perhaps the most forgotten Tarheel of the last twenty years (mostly 
because fans of other teams won't let us forget Makhtar), Forte was a one man wrecking crew against the Devils. In 2000, he forced overtime with a dramatic three, but his best show came in Cameron in February of 2001. The game was the first against Duke for rookie head coach Matt Doherty and his team faced an uphill climb against the number 2 ranked Devils led by Jason (now Jay) Williams, Mike Dunleavy, and Carlos Boozer. Forte stole the show, scoring 24 and grabbing 16 rebounds. At 6' 3" he outrebounded everyone, including his teammate, 7-footer Brendan Haywood. Forte won ACC rookie of the year in 2000, and this game helped earn him 2001 ACC POY honors, and also insured that every Duke team that has won a national championship, has also lost that same year to UNC.
3. Jerry Stackhouse and Danny Green - Need you ask why?
2. Tyler Hansbrough - Few games have been as satisfying in for Tarheel 
fans, than senior night in Cameron 2006. In both JJ Redick's and Shelden Williams's final games in the building, it was a freshman that stole the show, outplaying both of them. Hansbrough had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and even a three pointer to clinch the 83-76 final. Tonight Hansbrough (and Danny Green) will attempt to go 4 for 4 in games at Cameron, something no player has ever done at Carolina (The Heels did win five straight from '73 to '77).
1. Walter Davis - Eight points in seventeen seconds. Along with senior Bobby Jones, 
who scored 24, it was again a freshman, Walter Davis, whose 31 points paced the team to a 96-92 overtime win against the Devils. Coach Smith famously predicted, "We can win this game. Bobby is going to make these free throws, we're going to put a trap on them and get a steal and score quickly." Jones did, the tem did get the steal, and then a long pass after a missed free throw by Mitch Kupchak to Davis set up a 30-foot bank shot at the buzzer to tie the game in arguably the greatest comeback in college basketball history.
The ASD Universe Explodes Tonight
The slate is extremely busy for ASD and friends this evening.
First off, we have our weekly trivia contest a the local pub. After winning 4 weeks in a row we hit a 3 week losing streak but got back on track last week. Luckily, I will not be alone this week as Catfish and Xtra Medium will run the Triangle Offense of useless knowledge. A win means 25 bucks off our tab, a loss means humiliation and degredation in the form of free pizza or a bucket.
The Buffalo Sabres are 8 games over .500 and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference but just 3 points out of 4th. They square off against the Senators at the HSBC tonight.
In the NBA, Catfish is riding high after the Bobcats snapped their 5 game losing streak Monday. Their last game before the all-star break is tonight at home against Washington. The days off will certainly help get everyone healthy, especially Gerald Wallace. The Wizards have lost 8 of their last 10 and the Cats can not afford to drop this one going into the break because with the Bucks most likely out of the playoff picture now with their injuries, Charlotte is very much in the playoff race.
Before the main course of UNC-Duke, my favorite (tied with the CANES) team UCONN hosts Syracuse (ESPN 7 PM) which is the alma mater of our friend the Concierge. Going back to our high school days games between these two have been heated and wagers were made and hillarity ensued. The Orange need to get back on track but will have a tough test tonight in Gampel.
Then of course we have the game of the night and I'm willing to bet Catfish will be lacing the air with some profanities. I cannot see Carolina losing this game but if Duke is going to stay in this they have to shoot more than 34 percent from three and get one or more of the key Tar Heel players in foul trouble. Oh my the officiating should be fun in this one.
The countdown on the clock at the office has already begun...almost gametime.
North Carolina and Duke: A Time to Hate
Tonight North Carolina travels 8 miles down the streets of Tobacco Road to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face their arch rivals on the hardwood. The Tarheels are the favored team and overall the more talented, but that is only a slight advantage when it comes to these two teams. I am not a proponent of trying to determine what is the "best rivalry" in sports. It is an argument that cannot be settled by any statistical figure and what one rivalry means to one fan could mean the opposite to any other. Having grown up in North Carolina however, I can say that this game is always a special event in the state and like most intense athletic contests that are special, the key component is hatred. Both teams and their fans hate each other, some people watching the game hate both teams, some people hate Dick Vitale who is calling the game, some hate the coaches, some hate the officiating but the bottom line is there is so much hate and so much to hate that the game is a release for that emotion.
As once joked on the Chapelle Show, "You got hate in your heart let it out." Sometimes there is a time to throw away the constrictive social morays of self-control and tactful objectivity. It is natural to have hate built up inside you from time to time. Mostly it is not directed personally at others, but rather a discontent with our own selves that breeds the wrath thrown on others. The UNC-Duke game is a perfect chance to project our own feelings of insecurity, anger at things out of our control, and the injustices of the world and manifest them into a 40 minute basketball game. This is easier for the fans of the teams, but it is not hard for people who have no dog in this fight to generate their own because like I stated, the hate comes from within.
For Carolina fans the hate is one that is shared with most of the nation. Duke is seen as a snobby private school for smart unattractive pricks who mostly hale from New Jersey. The school has a sense of entitlement about itself and it has become an easy target for dislike around the nation. Just ask the lacrosse team. On the court, the team is led by Coach K whom supporters believe is a bastion of leading young men to live better lives. The dissenters argue the Rat King has become a bully to officials and do not see the humble nature his admires talk about when he is pocketing huge checks from endorsement deals and speaking appearances. The Duke players receive similar venom from detractors. "Hustlers" like Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Trajan Langdon, Shane Battier, Wojo, and now Greg Paulus are easy targets for hate. Players like this are easily polarizing and it is no surprise why a Duke fan why you love these guys and why as a anti-Duke fan you cannot stand them.
North Carolina may be nationally the more popular team of these two, but there is plenty of room for haters. Similarly to Duke, UNC fans are sometimes seen as haughty self-righteous douches. Sam Cassell once labled them as "a wine and cheese" crowd which is a moniker that has followed them ever since. The perception is that Carolina fans think they are the best, without question and that is a trait that is an easy target for hatred. Roy Williams would seem to be a guy who is hard to hate, but the beauty of hating is that you can always find something you do not like about someone. In Roy's case the weak argument about the 2005 national championship being won with Matt Doherty's players is a popular one. There are also shots taken against Roy for his "aww shucks" persona which has led to comparisons to Huckleberry Hound. Tar Heel players usually are the top prospects coming in so they are usually hated for how good they are, but that cannot stop the hate parade for players like Eric Montross, Rasheed, Stackhouse, and most notably Tyler Hansbrough. Like some of the most infamous Duke hate targets, Tyler draws the ire of ABCers (Anybody But Carolina for the lay people) for the admiration of his hustle and grit. The notion that Hansbrough gets special treatment from the officials adds fuel to the fire as well.
I cannot wait for tonight's contest even though I root for neither team and never have and certainly never will. I could reel off a bunch of numbers, statistics and facts about the history of the games between these two but HBO has a special coming out later this month on it and if it was anything like their show on Michigan-Ohio State they can say it better than I. The hate is what makes it compelling, think about any rivalry in sports; Yankees-Sox, Cubs-Cardinals, Lakers-Celtics, Steelers-Ravens, etc. When something happens between the teams to spark more hatred, the more compelling it is to watch. The characters on both sides that are either adored or hated increases the desire to see that which you hate destroyed. So if you have some anger welling inside you, find something about tonight's game, anything and let that hate out.
Gratuitous videos from the rivlary:
Defense anyone?
Catfish would like to point out Duke still lost this game:
Joe Forte sighting!
Tyler goes boom (Still think Pyscho T is a lame nickname):
Chris Collins and Matt Doherty not playing nice-nice:
Marvin Williams puts the biscuit in the basket:
