what is UNC's worst nightmare?

[moonpie23]

what do you think UNC's worst nightmare is?

[COYS]

what do you think UNC's worst nightmare is?

Opening a national semi-final game by going down 44-12 . . . again.

[moonpie23]

dang...i totally forgot that ......

[yancem]

Opening a national semi-final game by going down 44-12 . . . again.

And wouldn't it be grand if Duke was the team to put them in that kind of hole!!!!

[brsett]

Memphis and Syracuse are problematic for UNC -- and Jim Boeheim is flat out a good coach. My brother is worried about Louisville, though I don't think that is as bad a match up as he does. Jay Wright has figured out how to cause UNC major headaches in the past, so Villanova may be a serious matchup problem again (great guard play vexes the heels).

UConn, Pitt, Okla. are all poorly configured to cause UNC problems. With Dyson, UConn was a better challenge, but as is, none of those teams can really expect to stop enough of UNC's parts to win, unless a bunch of Carolina players no-show.

[devildeac]

Hopefully, it will be the Zags;).

[A-Tex Devil]

Memphis and Syracuse are problematic for UNC -- and Jim Boeheim is flat out a good coach. My brother is worried about Louisville, though I don't think that is as bad a match up as he does. Jay Wright has figured out how to cause UNC major headaches in the past, so Villanova may be a serious matchup problem again (great guard play vexes the heels).

UConn, Pitt, Okla. are all poorly configured to cause UNC problems. With Dyson, UConn was a better challenge, but as is, none of those teams can really expect to stop enough of UNC's parts to win, unless a bunch of Carolina players no-show.

I disagree about OU. If that game ends up happening, and Willie Warren and Austin Johnson are hitting from outside, with Willie Warren driving the lane, that will free Blake Griffin and his brother up to do dirty, dirty things to Tyler Hansborough. That's the matchup I really, really want to see. I have no love for OU, but I love the way Capel gets them playing sometimes. And people have been killingBlake Griffin all year long and he still drops 30-12s on a regular basis.

When has Tyler Hansborough EVER had to deal with a player like Blake Griffin? I guess they can put him on Taylor Griffin instead, but the Thompson/Ed Davis combo is going to be ringning up fouls at a fast pace if that happens.

[BlueintheFace]

If OU and UNC meet, the gameplan should be to literally give Griffin the ball for the first ten possessions with the sole purpose of drawing fouls.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

I think Duke would be a nightmare matchup because it is extremly difficult to beat a team three times in one year. I know we beat FSU and Maryland three times this year point taken. But they aren't rivals like unc and DUKE are. I know maryland is technically a rival but only to the ACC scheduling commitee and the maryland fan base. So Duke is the nightmare matchup IMHO. But then again what do I know I only have like 47 post or something.

Airforcedukie

[InSpades]

I would love to see Oklahoma vs. UNC. Specifically I would love to see Blake Griffin poster-ize Tyler Hansbrough, sadly I don't think Tyler would come close to getting matched up against Blake (atleast not when Blake has the ball). I've been very impressed w/ Blake on the few chances I've gotten to see him play. No one that big and strong should be so athletic or so talented with the basketball.

[snowdenscold]

But then again what do I know I only have like 47 post or something.

Hahahaha, that made me laugh quite a bit.


The obvious answer to the OP is getting beaten (crushed, actually) by Duke in the FF. It'd be worse than getting beaten by the Zags, Griffin and OU or in the championship game.

And then we win it, obviously.

Realistic worst nightmare? Getting crushed by OU and no FF appearance.

[brsett]

I disagree about OU. If that game ends up happening, and Willie Warren and Austin Johnson are hitting from outside, with Willie Warren driving the lane, that will free Blake Griffin and his brother up to do dirty, dirty things to Tyler Hansborough. That's the matchup I really, really want to see. I have no love for OU, but I love the way Capel gets them playing sometimes. And people have been killingBlake Griffin all year long and he still drops 30-12s on a regular basis.

When has Tyler Hansborough EVER had to deal with a player like Blake Griffin? I guess they can put him on Taylor Griffin instead, but the Thompson/Ed Davis combo is going to be ringning up fouls at a fast pace if that happens.

Sure, Griffin will get 30 and 10. But first, OU plays worse defense than UNC, as hard as that is to believe. And secondly, where do they get the other 55 points they'll need. UNC's pace crushes big men oriented teams. OU will score some points, but no one can play 40 minutes against UNC, especially not an active big man. The second half would get ugly in this matchup.

Kansas is a trickier matchup than OU for Carolina. We know Cole Aldrich frustrates Hansbrough. No one on OU plays defense anywhere near KU level though.

[gumbomoop]

Their principal nightmare is straightforward: not winning the NC. Their exits the last 2 years have been embarrassing, inexplicable, unnerving. If they fail to win the NC this year, it's an embarrassing, unnerving nightmare.

But the intended question here, I understand, is more specific: what set of nightmarish circumstances would produce defeat? I assume Roy worries most about what his own team does, not what any other team can do. Because I think he thinks, deep down - and correctly, imo - that he's got the best team...... when they play defense. And imo, they definitely [I]can play D, strikingly well, given Ginyard's absence. Green is a fine defender, Hans steps out well at the key and takes charges well [flops, if you prefer, but it works pretty well], Ellington is impressive but takes some time off on D [not good], D not Lawson's strength, but it is Frasor's, and Ed Davis is a shot-blocking and rebounding machine, and they can sure overplay the passing lanes when he's back there. [To hell with Monroe and Patterson; gimme Davis.]

I don't know how much energy they expend on O, for it looks nearly effortless, it's so smooth. But if their O is so good because it takes amazing energy, then they can't be consistently superior - or perhaps merely consistent - on D, because they definitely are on O

UNC's got the most talent on O, by far, imo. Generally, teams' talent-level is judged on their O, i.e., if they have several impressive scorers. Thus, by garden-variety, if insufficient, criteria, UNC is the most talented this year. Sometimes the team with the most talent wins. UNC's nightmare, straightforwardly, is the word "sometimes."

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Hahahaha, that made me laugh quite a bit.


The obvious answer to the OP is getting beaten (crushed, actually) by Duke in the FF. It'd be worse than getting beaten by the Zags, Griffin and OU or in the championship game.

And then we win it, obviously.

Realistic worst nightmare? Getting crushed by OU and no FF appearance.

And then I gave myself too much credit and added two posts to my resume. LOL

[Hurley2Hill]

Final exams?

[dukeballer2294]

I would love to see Oklahoma vs. UNC. Specifically I would love to see Blake Griffin poster-ize Tyler Hansbrough, sadly I don't think Tyler would come close to getting matched up against Blake (atleast not when Blake has the ball). I've been very impressed w/ Blake on the few chances I've gotten to see him play. No one that big and strong should be so athletic or so talented with the basketball.

Ur right other then the fact that the NBA has a guy named Dwight Howard

[brevity]

Fun topic! I have some ideas:

1. They lose to the Zags, badly, and the talking heads start to wonder if Gonzaga has the best starting five in the nation. While reviewing photos of the UNC postgame conference, DBR user moonpie23 finds a new avatar.

2. The Zags lose in the regional final, badly, and Mark Few later says, "I knew we had it in us to beat those punks at UNC, but Syracuse/Oklahoma plays on a whole other level. An opponent with a talented big man can cause us problems."

3. Kansas and Duke make the Final Four. Ol' Roy comes to Detroit and roots hard for his former team, again. They lose Saturday night, but every Duke fan in Ford Field wears a black turtleneck and a Jayhawks sticker Monday night, just because.

4. Duke wins the national championship without going to the free throw line once. The talking heads start to wonder if they were paying attention to the wrong Tobacco Road team all season. Stuart Scott retires.

5. Ed Davis joins the mass exodus of UNC players to the 2009 NBA Draft. He and Ty Lawson are the only first-rounders. Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and Deon Thompson go in the second round. Tyler Hansbrough buys a few foreign language kits from Rosetta Stone.

6. Disillusioned UNC recruits opt out of their letters of intent and go to Gonzaga or Kansas. Ol' Roy says privately, "I guess no one gives a **** about Carolina."

7. President Obama signs an executive order stating that no future President will ever pick the Heels to win their personal bracket again. For the event, he gives exclusive access to Bloomberg TV's Judy Woodruff, a Duke graduate.

8. Coach K and the team go to the White House. Wojo fixes the economy.

[BD80]

Carolina’s nightmare? The first play of the National Semi-final game against Duke, Lawson passes to Hansbrough on the wing, who takes one dribble and then begins his 8 step approach to the basket. On the fourth or fifth stride, Hansbrough steps on Lawson’s foot, reinjuring Lawson’s toe and sending Hansbrough crashing into the sideline. Hansbrough is examined by the medical staff, who suspects a concussion. The doctors ask a series of questions each more simple than the previous, but Hansbrough is unable to correctly answer. The bench and coaching staff are beside themselves. Finally one Doctor asks Hansbrough, what is 2 + 2? When he responds “Four,” the bench explodes: “Give him another chance!”

Meanwhile, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington are competing for the honor of putting the team on his back and impress the scouts, and shoot a combine 5 for 24 in the first half. Roy is kneeling beside the bench, his face buried in a towel, unable to bear the pain he sees in his injured players’ faces, or the insubordinate attitude Green and Ellington display when he begs them to at least pass the ball once before shooting.

Duke puts on an offensive and defensive clinic, taking an 86 – 12 lead at half time and the beating continues through the second half. Each player scores in double digits and the bench clearing starts early. Some of the tar heels begin to cry as they are repeatedly posterized by Blue Devils who are attacking the basket like they are in a lay-up line. Olek Czyz is called for a technical when he catches his bicep on the top of the rim.

Unable to determine if Hansbrough ever sufficient mental capacity to be diminished, the doctors clear Hansbrough to start the second half. He promptly dunks into the wrong goal and flexes as he runs by the bench. It takes the refs five minutes to explain the problem to Roy. The doctors again bench Hansbrough, and attempt to check Roy for a concussion, but his eyes are too full of tears to examine. Green and Ellington continue their ballistic barrage upon the rim and backboard, combining for 6 more baskets in 35 more shots. Three spectators are injured by wild caroms into the stands. Play is stopped to separate Green and Ellington who are fighting over an inbound pass. The final score: Duke 152, unc 34.

Roy is so distraught over a future without Hansbrough, that he announces he will be taking a year sabbatical to be Tyler’s personal assistant and chef during Tyler’s first year as a pro. Roy announces that Matt Dougherty has agreed to return as the interim coach. The majority of the roster then immediately announces that it will forego any remaining eligibility and seek professional employment playing anywhere but Chapel Hill. Ed Davis requests a release to transfer to Duke. All recruits ask for a release from their letters of intent. Danny Green is granted an extra year of eligibility and announces he will come back to Chapel Hill and average 50+ points per game while he trains for the chance to appear on “Dancing With the Stars.”

The unc AD decides the uniforms are too “butch,” and decides to add an accent color, declaring that “Carolina blue cries out for pink.”

Dean Smith announces his “tell-all” book will describe the academic fraud systematically perpetrated throughout his tenure as head coach, the monies paid to recruits and referees, and the illegal and experimental substances used to genetically engineer Michael Jordan.

John Edwards announces he will challenge Obama in 2012 and reminds the nation he went to unc.

Michael Jordan announces he intends to enroll at Duke to get a “real degree.” The admissions office finds his academic background insufficient to admit Mr. Jordan.

Duke wins the first of nine straight national titles.

[JStuart]

POTY!

[elvis14]

If OU and UNC meet, the gameplan should be to literally give Griffin the ball for the first ten possessions with the sole purpose of drawing fouls.

The refs called just 3 fouls on UNC in the last 30 minutes of their game vs LSU. One of UNC's real nightmares has to be just playing a game straight up instead of 8 on 5! And they say Duke gets all the calls. Kyle was called for more fouls in the second half Saturday night than UNC was for a full 3/4 of their game. Reminded me of the VaTech embarrassment in the ACCT.

[FerryFor50]

Fun topic! I have some ideas:

1. They lose to the Zags, badly, and the talking heads start to wonder if Gonzaga has the best starting five in the nation. While reviewing photos of the UNC postgame conference, DBR user moonpie23 finds a new avatar.

2. The Zags lose in the regional final, badly, and Mark Few later says, "I knew we had it in us to beat those punks at UNC, but Syracuse/Oklahoma plays on a whole other level. An opponent with a talented big man can cause us problems."

3. Kansas and Duke make the Final Four. Ol' Roy comes to Detroit and roots hard for his former team, again. They lose Saturday night, but every Duke fan in Ford Field wears a black turtleneck and a Jayhawks sticker Monday night, just because.

4. Duke wins the national championship without going to the free throw line once. The talking heads start to wonder if they were paying attention to the wrong Tobacco Road team all season. Stuart Scott retires.

5. Ed Davis joins the mass exodus of UNC players to the 2009 NBA Draft. He and Ty Lawson are the only first-rounders. Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and Deon Thompson go in the second round. Tyler Hansbrough buys a few foreign language kits from Rosetta Stone.

6. Disillusioned UNC recruits opt out of their letters of intent and go to Gonzaga or Kansas. Ol' Roy says privately, "I guess no one gives a **** about Carolina."

7. President Obama signs an executive order stating that no future President will ever pick the Heels to win their personal bracket again. For the event, he gives exclusive access to Bloomberg TV's Judy Woodruff, a Duke graduate.

8. Coach K and the team go to the White House. Wojo fixes the economy.

Wow.

Good stuff. I am jealous I didn't come up with some of these!

[slower]

Ed Davis is a shot-blocking and rebounding machine, and they can sure overplay the passing lanes when he's back there. [To hell with Monroe and Patterson; gimme Davis.].

That's the truth! Davis will be a monster. I shudder to think of him and Henson patrolling the inside next year. Hopefully, they'll both be gone soon.

[SupaDave]

That's the truth! Davis will be a monster. I shudder to think of him and Henson patrolling the inside next year. Hopefully, they'll both be gone soon.

Shudder? Glad you aren't on the line b/c you haven't even mentioned Zeller who will be our newest three year tormentor...

To be honest - I think their nightmare starts after this year. They are in trouble at the guard position and will be one of the least experienced in the ACC next year...

Believe it or not - next year they begin what we just went through the last two years. Losing Davis would be the equivalent of losing Deng too soon...

[slower]

Shudder? Glad you aren't on the line b/c you haven't even mentioned Zeller who will be our newest three year tormentor...

To be honest - I think their nightmare starts after this year. They are in trouble at the guard position and will be one of the least experienced in the ACC next year...

Believe it or not - next year they begin what we just went through the last two years. Losing Davis would be the equivalent of losing Deng too soon...

I guess I haven't seen enough of Zeller to be worried about him. Good point about the guards, though. Once Lawson leaves, life will be a lot easier for the rest of the ACC. And, of course, no more HansLove from the refs.

[GoingFor#5]

Couldn't pick one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1zMvAGDBjg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gBWpwC1CP4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXonWAhReU4

Probably Harold Arceneaux!

[DukiesPA]

Shudder? Glad you aren't on the line b/c you haven't even mentioned Zeller who will be our newest three year tormentor...

To be honest - I think their nightmare starts after this year. They are in trouble at the guard position and will be one of the least experienced in the ACC next year...

Believe it or not - next year they begin what we just went through the last two years. Losing Davis would be the equivalent of losing Deng too soon...

Unfortunately, after the last few games w/o Lawson, I'm going to have to say they'll be fine next year.

Drew II played pretty poorly all year and I think a legit case can be made that he was a disappointment, however when Lawson went down and he wasn't looking over his shoulder waiting to be pulled he played pretty well (looking solely at A/T: VT -- 4/2, FSU -- 3/0, RAD -- 5/1). As a positive he'll be nothing near what Lawson is because he'll never be able to score like Lawson, but he might be more of a true PG. Plus they'll have Ginyard back next year and he backed up at the point last year (backing up Quentin Thomas) when Lawson was hurt. Again not another scorer, but he'll be able to handle the ball and bring it up court.

IMO they might have to adjust their game a bit, especially if Ellington leaves. If they play their current style they'll be asking non-scorers like Ginyard and Drew II to take Lawson and Ellington's place, and I don't see them combining for half of Lawson/Ellington's current PPG. But, like the other poster said, their big men should be plenty deep (Davis, Thompsen, Zeller, Henson, and Wear x2) to provide more of a half-court set.

Also, while it's clear Davis is UNC's best NBA talent, I don't think he leaves. As other posters have mentioned regarding G, his dad played in the NBA, knows what it takes, and, presumably, their family doesn't need the money, so if he takes one more year where he can be the focal point of their offense and defense, add 20lbs, he's only going to improve his draft stock.

All IMHO, of course.

[dukelifer]

Getting a late technical foul for calling a time out with none remaining, leading to two free throws to tie the game and then on the ensuing inbound play, Lawson passing the ball to an opponent who streaks down the court for a last second dunk to win the game. Now that would be poetic justice!

[slower]

Unfortunately, after the last few games w/o Lawson, I'm going to have to say they'll be fine next year.

Drew II played pretty poorly all year and I think a legit case can be made that he was a disappointment, however when Lawson went down and he wasn't looking over his shoulder waiting to be pulled he played pretty well (looking solely at A/T: VT -- 4/2, FSU -- 3/0, RAD -- 5/1). As a positive he'll be nothing near what Lawson is because he'll never be able to score like Lawson, but he might be more of a true PG. Plus they'll have Ginyard back next year and he backed up at the point last year (backing up Quentin Thomas) when Lawson was hurt. Again not another scorer, but he'll be able to handle the ball and bring it up court.

IMO they might have to adjust their game a bit, especially if Ellington leaves. If they play their current style they'll be asking non-scorers like Ginyard and Drew II to take Lawson and Ellington's place, and I don't see them combining for half of Lawson/Ellington's current PPG. But, like the other poster said, their big men should be plenty deep (Davis, Thompsen, Zeller, Henson, and Wear x2) to provide more of a half-court set.

Also, while it's clear Davis is UNC's best NBA talent, I don't think he leaves. As other posters have mentioned regarding G, his dad played in the NBA, knows what it takes, and, presumably, their family doesn't need the money, so if he takes one more year where he can be the focal point of their offense and defense, add 20lbs, he's only going to improve his draft stock.

All IMHO, of course.

Is it a foregone conclusion that Lawson is gone after this year (title or no title)?

I'd guess that Ellington's status is more up in the air (dependent on projected draft status/position?).

And I'd LOVE it if Davis bolted!

[gumbomoop]

Unfortunately, after the last few games w/o Lawson, I'm going to have to say they'll be fine next year.

Drew II played pretty poorly all year and I think a legit case can be made that he was a disappointment, however when Lawson went down and he wasn't looking over his shoulder waiting to be pulled he played pretty well (looking solely at A/T: VT -- 4/2, FSU -- 3/0, RAD -- 5/1). As a positive he'll be nothing near what Lawson is because he'll never be able to score like Lawson, but he might be more of a true PG. Plus they'll have Ginyard back next year and he backed up at the point last year (backing up Quentin Thomas) when Lawson was hurt. Again not another scorer, but he'll be able to handle the ball and bring it up court.

IMO they might have to adjust their game a bit, especially if Ellington leaves.

Clearly UNC will not be as powerful next year, but you're right, "they'll be fine." Their strength will undoubtedly be on the interior, where they'll be very strong, very. So Drew's inadequacies compared to Lawson will not be so obvious, as long as he's good at half-court sets.

And I'd say they'll have to adjust, even if Ellington stays, which I think is still possible, especially if their '09 nightmare [thread topic] comes true and they fail to win NC now. If Ellington continues on fire, I guess he's gone; otherwise, 50-50.

[slower]

Getting a late technical foul for calling a time out with none remaining, leading to two free throws to tie the game and then on the ensuing inbound play, Lawson passing the ball to an opponent who streaks down the court for a last second dunk to win the game. Now that would be poetic justice!

Yes, let's pile on all the karma at once! Maybe we'll also discover that Thabeet (or one of the other big guys) is really Wilt's grandson and the Helms foundation will rescind their non-title.

[DownEastDevil]

I would say the biggest nightmare would be having to watch ESPN the day after they lose and listen to Hubert Davis explain why he was wrong and what happened.

[Matches]

This thread makes me smile. Great work all around!

[SupaDave]

Clearly UNC will not be as powerful next year, but you're right, "they'll be fine." Their strength will undoubtedly be on the interior, where they'll be very strong, very. So Drew's inadequacies compared to Lawson will not be so obvious, as long as he's good at half-court sets.

Don't forget that he will see NUMEROUS full court sets next year - which he has shown is not one of his strong points. Someone has got to get the ball to half-court.

Oh and by the way, don't know if you've noticed but the Tarheels are a running team - they dont deal with half-court sets that much. They often have possessions where only one or two folks touch the ball.

With Ginyard in they could become a mighty defensive presence - but they would still have to score.

[Reddevil]

Roy sitting in the stands of the NC game with a Blue Devil sticker on his royal blue sweater vest.

[rsvman]

This is what I envision.

They meet up with Duke in the Final Four. It is a typical Duke-UNC game, with 8 ties and 15 lead changes. They move out to their largest lead of the game, 7 points, with about 3 minutes remaining in the game. Scheyer buries a three from the top of the key to cut it to four. Lawson drives the lane to push it back to 6. Singler makes a 3 from the corner to cut it to 3. Hansbrough is "fouled" and uncharacteristically makes only one of two, so the lead is 4. Henderson makes a 3 from the wing to cut it to one point. Ellington misses from the wing, the tap from Hansbrough comes off the front rim, and Singler gets the rebound. Carolina is still up by one, with 15 seconds left in the game.

Scheyer brings the ball over the timeline, passes to Henderson on the wing. Henderson passes back to Scheyer, then the ball comes back to Henderson for a clear-out. There are 5 seconds left. Henderson drives the lane for his patented game-winning finger-roll, but the ball hits the front of the rim and falls short. Hansbrough, ecstatic, grabs the ball and slams it into the ground in triumph. He then runs out to halfcourt, lifting his knees up like he did when they beat VaTech in last year's ACC title game. The other Tarheels are popping their jerseys.

HOWEVER, after Hansbrough slammed the ball down, it hopped up off the backboard, rolled around the rim, and went through the hoop. On review, it is found that the slammed ball left Hansbrough's hand before the final buzzer sounded; therefore, it is a basket for Duke, and UNC loses by one point. :)

[4decadedukie]

BD80: GREAT post, thank you.

[davekay1971]

The refs called just 3 fouls on UNC in the last 30 minutes of their game vs LSU. One of UNC's real nightmares has to be just playing a game straight up instead of 8 on 5! And they say Duke gets all the calls. Kyle was called for more fouls in the second half Saturday night than UNC was for a full 3/4 of their game. Reminded me of the VaTech embarrassment in the ACCT.

To be fair, UNC had to play 5 on 5 once they left North Carolina in last year's tournament. Oh wait, they got waxed by Kansas in their first game outside of the state...

You're right, their worst nightmare IS playing 5 on 5.

[Aziggazoomba]

We already experienced it.

2000-2003. The Doherty era.

[Stray Gator]

Here's one I shared with Julio yesterday:

Duke v. UNC in the National Semifinal.

Score is tied with 17 seconds left, UNC in possession, 4 seconds left on the shot clock.

Lawson drives and is fouled by Smith--his 5th foul, and he joins Williams on the bench. Paulus comes in to replace Smith.

Lawson makes both free throws. UNC leads by 2 with 14 seconds left.

Scheyer inbounds to Paulus, who tosses it back to Scheyer and they bring the ball across midcourt with 11 seconds left.

Scheyer dribbles above the top of the key as the clock winds down and Singler and Henderson move into position. Paulus drifts to the corner.

Singler moves out to the elbow on the same side as Paulus and Dancin' Danny Green follows. Scheyer gives to Singler. 7 seconds left.

Singler starts a drive, and Green forces him towards the baseline, where Ellington switches off a loosely guarded Paulus to pick up Singler as Green lays back and shades towards Paulus.

Singler sees his path is cut off. With 4 seconds on the clock, Singler spins in mid-drive and tosses a pass back to Paulus in the corner.

Green moves over to front Paulus. 3 seconds left.

Paulus turns to pass the ball back out to Sheyer and Green lunges to his left. 2 seconds left.

Paulus actually pulls a Mike-Dunleavy-vs.-Arizona ball fake, and Green tumbles to the floor.

Paulus channels Randolph Childress, looks down at Dancin' Danny sprawled helplessly on the floor, cracks a wry smile, then launches a three-point shot that swishes through and hangs the net as the buzzer sounds.

Paulus turns to Green with that wry, impish grin that has endeared him to fans everywhere, and says: "Teabag that, Danny." :D

[slower]

On the opening tap of the national championship game against Duke, there's a mad scramble for the ball. Lawson and Hans both dive for it. Lawson kicks Hans in the nose, breaking his toe and HansBlows' nose, killing two birds with one stone. At the ensuing injury timeout, Danny Green starts dancing like a clown and Roy coldcocks him with a bottle of Coke. It's all cake after that! :D

[bsktballpunk2253]

Here's one I shared with Julio yesterday:

Duke v. UNC in the National Semifinal.

Score is tied with 17 seconds left, UNC in possession, 4 seconds left on the shot clock.

Lawson drives and is fouled by Smith--his 5th foul, and he joins Williams on the bench. Paulus comes in to replace Smith.

Lawson makes both free throws. UNC leads by 2 with 14 seconds left.

Scheyer inbounds to Paulus, who tosses it back to Scheyer and they bring the ball across midcourt with 11 seconds left.

Scheyer dribbles above the top of the key as the clock winds down and Singler and Henderson move into position. Paulus drifts to the corner.

Singler moves out to the elbow on the same side as Paulus and Dancin' Danny Green follows. Scheyer gives to Singler. 7 seconds left.

Singler starts a drive, and Green forces him towards the baseline, where Ellington switches off a loosely guarded Paulus to pick up Singler as Green lays back and shades towards Paulus.

Singler sees his path is cut off. With 4 seconds on the clock, Singler spins in mid-drive and tosses a pass back to Paulus in the corner.

Green moves over to front Paulus. 3 seconds left.

Paulus turns to pass the ball back out to Sheyer and Green lunges to his left. 2 seconds left.

Paulus actually pulls a Mike-Dunleavy-vs.-Arizona ball fake, and Green tumbles to the floor.

Paulus channels Randolph Childress, looks down at Dancin' Danny sprawled helplessly on the floor, cracks a wry smile, then launches a three-point shot that swishes through and hangs the net as the buzzer sounds.

Paulus turns to Green with that wry, impish grin that has endeared him to fans everywhere, and says: "Teabag that, Danny." :D



LMAO! That would be absolutely brilliant... now if only life were a movie, and you were the director... :D

[moonpie23]

man.........i am loving this thread.... :)

if they don't get ousted, and they do make it to the finals and win the title, it will be because they ARE the best team in the nation just like the 05 squad.


can't run the gauntlet of talent in this year's tourny and NOT be....

[brevity]

if they don't get ousted, and they do make it to the finals and win the title, it will be because they ARE the best team in the nation just like the 05 squad.

I'm not sure Villanova's 2005 squad would agree with that. The NCAA records don't show it, but there's an assist in that game that should be credited to the officials. Really, Nova should hate UNC more than Duke does.

I felt that last year's UNC team was the least accomplished of the top seeds (yes, even Memphis), but they sort of earned their way into the Final Four by beating a series of opponents with varying and difficult styles. I don't know if they'll get there this year, but if they do, they'll have earned it similarly.

P.S. Wish I'd thought of the prospect of rescinding the Helms Foundation title when I composed my list a few pages ago. Well played, slower.

[gumbomoop]

Don't forget that he will see NUMEROUS full court sets next year - which he has shown is not one of his strong points. Someone has got to get the ball to half-court.

Oh and by the way, don't know if you've noticed but the Tarheels are a running team - they dont deal with half-court sets that much. They often have possessions where only one or two folks touch the ball.

With Ginyard in they could become a mighty defensive presence - but they would still have to score.

Good, but not entirely convincing [to me], analysis. Absolutely true that they much prefer to run, and Lawson/Felton run/ran it beautifully. We probably disagree somewhat on Drew. I think he'll do ok, not brilliantly; other posters think he's pretty bad, inadequate, and relish watching the Heels suffer next year as he, Strickland, and Ginyard simply can't get the running machine into high gear.

So, yes, you're right, and here entirely convincing, that no way can next year's Heels run like this year's. I infer, however, that unlike you, I'm struck by how smooth they are in their frequent half-court sets. Not devastating, as when Lawson whips down the court with 2 or 3 others. But smooth, well-oiled, no panic whatsoever, "we're gonna score this way, too." Ellington comes off screens that are set, as in "sets." Thompson has developed a nice turn-around, in a set play for him. Even Ed Davis has lately been effective in a down-low lefty jump-hook, as a set [I think]. Unlike many teams, they actually got guys who can throw a simple, efficient entry pass to the post, and Hans scores a lot, as we've all noticed. Finally, almost as efficiently as Duke [now there's a compliment], they make the extra pass for the open 3, often by a very dependable Danny Green, for goodness sake!

Overall, your general point is still true, that they won't be nearly as good next year. I assume Lawson is gone. I think Ellington is 50-50. Ed Davis may be tempted by a weak draft. If these 3 all leave, their frosh class will struggle. If Ellington and Davis return, different story.

Their '09 nightmare, I repeat [from earlier post], is: they fail to win NC now.

Madness beckons.

[calltheobvious]

This is what I envision.

They meet up with Duke in the Final Four. It is a typical Duke-UNC game, with 8 ties and 15 lead changes. They move out to their largest lead of the game, 7 points, with about 3 minutes remaining in the game. Scheyer buries a three from the top of the key to cut it to four. Lawson drives the lane to push it back to 6. Singler makes a 3 from the corner to cut it to 3. Hansbrough is "fouled" and uncharacteristically makes only one of two, so the lead is 4. Henderson makes a 3 from the wing to cut it to one point. Ellington misses from the wing, the tap from Hansbrough comes off the front rim, and Singler gets the rebound. Carolina is still up by one, with 15 seconds left in the game.

Scheyer brings the ball over the timeline, passes to Henderson on the wing. Henderson passes back to Scheyer, then the ball comes back to Henderson for a clear-out. There are 5 seconds left. Henderson drives the lane for his patented game-winning finger-roll, but the ball hits the front of the rim and falls short. Hansbrough, ecstatic, grabs the ball and slams it into the ground in triumph. He then runs out to halfcourt, lifting his knees up like he did when they beat VaTech in last year's ACC title game. The other Tarheels are popping their jerseys.

HOWEVER, after Hansbrough slammed the ball down, it hopped up off the backboard, rolled around the rim, and went through the hoop. On review, it is found that the slammed ball left Hansbrough's hand before the final buzzer sounded; therefore, it is a basket for Duke, and UNC loses by one point. :)

Nice one. For believability's sake, let's have the ball fall through the net just before the horn sounds (otherwise it wouldn't count, since it would not be considered a 'try').

[devildeac]

On the opening tap of the national championship game against Duke, there's a mad scramble for the ball. Lawson and Hans both dive for it. Lawson kicks Hans in the nose, breaking his toe and HansBlows' nose, killing two birds with one stone. At the ensuing injury timeout, Danny Green starts dancing like a clown and Roy coldcocks him with a bottle of Coke. It's all cake after that! :D

You know this one would NEVER happen because:

a) they would call G for a flagrant foul and eject him

OR

b) they would call Ewing for a T and eject him

Both scenarios would give unc 2 shots and the ball.

Neither would be able to shoot the FT and Roy would put in a 90% FT shooter from the bench and he'd rattle 2 around the rim, making both.:eek::(

[slower]

You know this one would NEVER happen because:

a) they would call G for a flagrant foul and eject him

OR

b) they would call Ewing for a T and eject him

Both scenarios would give unc 2 shots and the ball.

Neither would be able to shoot the FT and Roy would put in a 90% FT shooter from the bench and he'd rattle 2 around the rim, making both.:eek::(

I think I'd trade an early 2-5 point defecit and a Ewing ejection for a game without Lawson, Hans and Green! ;)