Greivis Vasquez is a jerk!

[Devilsfan]

State fans got what they asked for. Don't offend opposing players that are that good and that competitive and they won't put an extra nail in your NCAA tourney coffin. When Md fans came out from under the rocks where they probably live and chanted FU JJ. I wish he would have scored fifty.

[jgehtland]

Gosh, it sure seems that the fans in Carolina have subjective memories because I can distinctly remember a thunderous, unguarded throw-down jam to end a Maryland-Carollina game in Cole Field House by none other than Michael Jordan when that game was over, as well.

I guess MJ was a classless jerk as well.

I don't think you'll get much argument from this group; this is a Duke board, remember? Michael Jordan WAS a classless jerk. ;-)

[InSpades]

All I will say is I'm glad our guys don't pull that crap. To me it shows a ton of disrespect to the opposing team.

[JG Nothing]

All I will say is I'm glad our guys don't pull that crap. To me it shows a ton of disrespect to the opposing team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIGAz...eature=related

[Lord Ash]

Eh, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being utter jerkness, I would say shooting a 3 at the end like that is only around a 5. Basketball players like to shoot, and especially for a guy like G.V., you know he wants to shoot that and stick it to the State fans. I would rather see guys play hard every second of the game than expect them to just hold it for the last ten seconds, but we know that won't happen. Eh, not such a big deal.

And Kyle poking the ball away while a Clemson player woofs it up ain't so bad either. People need thicker skins I think.

[InSpades]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIGAz...eature=related

Your point? Do you think those things are the same? Even remotely the same?

[Cavlaw]

Your point? Do you think those things are the same? Even remotely the same?

You're right. I'm far less bothered by a casual shot at the end of a game.

[dubayuw]

I think what Singler did was wrong, I'll admit that, but what vasquez did was worse. Singler's thing was done out of frustration after losing a BAD game while Vasquez's team won and the extra three was unecessary. He could have easily waited until after the buzzer and then shot if he wanted to shot so bad. But whatever, both were unclassy, Vasquez's was worse, but in the end I don't really care because it doesn't really matter.

[InSpades]

Poke'ing the ball away from a guy who is basically trying to dribble and woof at the same time? I don't see anything wrong with that at all.

I'd much rather have guys who are bad losers than bad winners. Ideally you'd show sportsmanship in both situations but that's not entirely realistic.

[cf-62]

I guess State fans have been offended a lot over the last 20 years. The heckling was extreme, maybe he shouldn't have done, but respect the player and the effort and the 3 probably isn't shot.

If you're not being guarded, and the game is over, putting up a shot is poor sportsmanship. Maybe GV had a bet on the game, and needed the spread to be bigger (I'm ONLY KIDDING).

In all seriousness, not ALL coaches believe in the dribble out the game thing. Interesting that twice this year, State has had an opponent pull a punk move on them in the last minute of the game, and that the Williams boys were the coaches of the opposing team.

[brevity]

I thought Vasquez's unnecessary shot might have a "Great Moments in Gambling" element to it, but it had no impact here in Vegas either. Maryland was a 4-5 point favorite, and they won by 11. (Mind you, I'm NOT saying that anyone was doing anything illegal. It's just that many fans in my locality care out the game outcome even after the winner is pretty much decided.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIGAzEZpJeI

Watch the video again; I wish it were of better quality. Singler's pop (0:14) was bad enough, but the thuggish display in the backcourt afterward (0:20) was worse. Sugarcoat it all you want, but it's bad sportsmanship dressed in a Duke uniform. I don't know if any ACC team is exempt from fault at this point.

Edit: Actually, the "watch in high quality" feature on YouTube (below the time bar) works for this video.

[InSpades]

What exactly is "thuggish" about that? You are reading way too much into very little action.

[brevity]

And now the high quality feature doesn't work. I don't understand YouTube.

What exactly is "thuggish" about that? You are reading way too much into very little action.

That "very little action" is exactly the physical posturing and gesture one would use when he desires the other person to flinch. There's no place for that at the college basketball level. If an opposing ACC player did that to us, we'd be calling for his head or, at the very least, we would mock him incessantly for reducing himself to that.

As I said back in the Clemson game thread, I hope it was dealt with internally, and I'm sort of glad for Duke's sake that the pop gets most of the attention for that game's ending.

[allenmurray]

Dumb play by Vasquez at the end of the game but it doesn't overshadow a terrific game by him and a tough win on the road by the Terps. Sidney is a local guy but I am not impressed by his coaching in this game. At the beginning of the year, I figured the Terps would probably win 7 games but that assumed that Dupree would develop and be a solid presence at center not a 6-6 Dave Neal. If they win one of their remaining two games to finish at 8-8, Williams ought to get some consideration as COY in ACC.

gw67

I am a University of Maryland graduate who refuses to root for the team because of the boorish behavior of the fans and GW's complete lack of concern. He could stop it, or at least reduce it, if he chose to - the fact that he makes no effort shows his character. I was rooting hard for NCSU. Despite that I have no problem fully admitting it was a tremendous game by Vasquez. But look at what is being talked about. He did that to himself - he is allowing his play to be overshadowed by his attitude. We all know he can make an unguarded shot - what exactly did he prove?

[bjornolf]

That "very little action" is exactly the physical posturing and gesture one would use when he desires the other person to flinch. There's no place for that at the college basketball level. If an opposing ACC player did that to us, we'd be calling for his head or, at the very least, we would mock him incessantly for reducing himself to that.

I watched that four times just now, and it looks to me like he just gets into defensive position in front of the guy. It doesn't look like he's moving aggressively TOWARDS him at all. He's moving COMPLETELY laterally to and WELL in front of the player, and drops into guarding position.

I talked to my dad about this and had him watch it again, and I trust his opinion of this more than anyone. My dad pulls for duke because of me, but to him, sportsmanship is FAR more important than anything else. Just for some background, his words regarding athletic competition have ALWAYS been "it's more important HOW you play a game than whether you win or lose". He plays hard and he plays to win, but he always plays clean and he NEVER complains. When I was 14, we played in a neighborhood doubles tournament for fathers and sons. In the semi-finals, it was a close match (third set, best of three sets, we were up 3-2 in the final set). When our opponents did a few questionable things like calling out balls that I thought were clearly in, I started complaining. He warned me. I calmed down. But then they did it again on game point to win the game and tie up the match, and I made an a** out of myself complaining. Dad packed up his gear and left and we forfeited the match. That's how important sportsmanship is to him, and I have PLENTY of other stories about that. He's the first to smile and shake hands and congratulate someone that beats him. He's also a very good winner. He expected the same of me, win or lose. Many times that I've complained about reffing in a game, he'll just laugh at me. The only time he EVER agreed with me about the reffing was the UConn championship game. He's complained about lack of sportsmanship by Duke players several times to me. He thought Laettner was a total punk for that stomp in the famous Kentucky game.

Anyway, background established. My dad watched this, and he had FAR more problem with a player turning his back on his opponent with time on the clock to wave up the crowd. As a military man, his words were "You NEVER turn your back on the enemy. That was very disrespectful. Kyle played through the whistle. The Clemson guy didn't. That's unforgivable, and he deserved it. Good for Kyle."

I agree with him. It's one thing for the players without the ball to wave up the crowd. That's fine. But the guy with the ball needs to play through the horn. Yes, it was a little chippy, but if my dad doesn't have a problem with it, then I don't.

[4decadedukie]

This is the time in every season when pundits frequently allude to "the totality of the record,” or “the complete body of work,” and so forth. I believe that type of analysis should legitimately apply to individuals, as well as to teams. Vasquez’s boorish behavior isn’t limited to Sunday night’s “pour it on” unopposed three at the last second, nor to his “slitting the throat” gesture to the NCSU fans; after all, this is the same “gentlemen” who repeatedly “dropped the f-bomb” on his own fans in College Park. When he is “on game,” he is good; however, his comportment is – by any reasonable standards – unsatisfactory. Would any of us be proud of a child or a Duke student athlete who conducted himself in these ways – and others that are equally egregious? I certainly hope not!

[cruxer]

I was always coached to play to the whistle. It's my firm belief that it's not my job to stop me; it's your job to stop me. That doesn't mean that it wouldn't have been more sporting to dribble out the clock, but I'm hesitant to call a guy a jerk for just playing ball. I have no proof of this, but I tend to believe that teams start the next game the way they finished the last.

Apparently Sidney Lowe agrees with me. From the N&O blog:

"That wasn't the 3, one of four for Vasquez, that irked Lowe. Vasquez drained an uncontested 3 as the clock wound down. State's players began to head for the handshake line, but Vasquez was still playing.

Lowe wasn't so much concerned about Vasquez's questionable sportsmanship but his own team's effort.

'You play to the buzzer rings,' Lowe said. 'What bothers me more is that we weren't with him.'"

-c

[Wheat/"/"/"]

The heckling was extreme, maybe he shouldn't have done, but respect the player and the effort and the 3 probably isn't shot.

With all due respect, for those who have never competed in a sport at it's most competitive level, it's hard to understand a shot like that, and easy to 'dis.

The competitive juices are a powerful thing. Being that competitive is what makes them good.

If it was me, it's likely I'm thinking "guard me or I'm shooting it to make a point to you *&^%$ fans" ...assuming the fans were that nasty.

Then I stroke it and give them the JJ "smirk".

[Wander]

Singler's swipe at the ball was awesome. So was Vasquez's shot. I love that attitude.

[blueprofessor]

I am a University of Maryland graduate who refuses to root for the team because of the boorish behavior of the fans and GW's complete lack of concern. He could stop it, or at least reduce it, if he chose to - the fact that he makes no effort shows his character. I was rooting hard for NCSU. Despite that I have no problem fully admitting it was a tremendous game by Vasquez. But look at what is being talked about. He did that to himself - he is allowing his play to be overshadowed by his attitude. We all know he can make an unguarded shot - what exactly did he prove?

and I have yet to fathom Coach Gary Williams'.
GV does enjoy the limelight and is not circumspect about how he obtains that attention.
Perhaps as he gets older and more mature...
With all the yapping Gary does with his players (seated ,standing,or playing), there might be some mention of end-of-game conduct.
Look for closer guarding of GV at ends of games!
Does anyone know when the phenomenon of letting up at the end of games began ? I remember playing hard to the horn.

Best regards---Blueprofessor