MBB: Boston College 71, UNC-CH 67

[RockLobster]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4928380

So it basically looks like Davis out, Zeller in for our game.

Zeller's a capable player but not in the same league as "Easy Ed."

I don't think his return will give UNC that much better of a chance at Cameron, but it might make things a bit more challenging for Z, Lance, and the Plumlees...

Thoughts?

[dukelifer]

Too early to know. We need to see how he plays. He could get reinjured. When the game gets closer we will know more.

[NovaScotian]

is it just me or does tyler zeller look like a young dean smith?

[Lord Ash]

It isn't just you, I've often thought the same thing!

I think Zeller will be a very good basketball player, and the fact that he is more of a skilled big man than a banging big man I think (with little to back it up) that it will be a little easier for him to get back into the flow of things.

[El_Diablo]

is it just me or does tyler zeller look like a young dean smith?

Zeller

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/unc/sports/m-baskbl/auto_action/2817699.jpeg

Toucan Sam

http://www.wetzelbrothers.com/albums/Standees/Toucan.sized.jpg

[OldPhiKap]

Always glad to see a kid recover from an injury, even a heel.

[PSurprise]

Every time I see his name, I just want to call him Fuzzy. Strange.

[oldnavy]

Zeller is a good player, but I don't think he is at the point where he will dramatically alter a game or drastically improve the woeful heels. He tends to be a little erratic, and is just as likely to throw up a 12 foot jump hook airball as he is to make a good play. I actually would rather face him than Easy Ed if given the choice of one or the other.

[gumbomoop]

Heads up re today's match: UNC v. BC for likely "9-seed" [!!] in ACCT. Here's a projection:

1. #1-7, we probably know: D, W, Md, VT, C, FSU, GT; order unimportant right now, except D=#1, very likely.

2. UVa very likley #8.

3. NCSt very likely #12 [but keep reading......]

4. #9-11 - fight between BC, UNC, M

Now, if UNC continues slide with loss today, that means in the unlikely event they wind up somehow tied with BC for 9-10 slot, tiebreaker goes to BC. Further, if UNC loss today makes slide ever more slippery, they could meet M late season needing a win to avoid..... a battle, records-wise, with NCSt for DFL [credit to davekay1971, post #104 on "Carolina Sucks" thread, for this deliciously naughty phrase, unless it's a commonplace that, in my innocence, I've missed].

Here's a tantalizing thought: why not cheer real hard for a BC headache administered to UNC today - with or without Zeller - in hopes that late in the evening of March 6, in the waning seconds of the regular season finale, you, like me, might just find yourself chanting to your tele [unless you're in CIS, where you could even more satisfyingly lead a Crazy Chant], "DFL, DFL, DFL....." Naughty for sure, but nice.

[weezie]

Watching zeller before his injury just seemed like a xerox of hans. Without the heft, of course, but The roy must have come up with that "magical" defense and decided to cast it in stone.

[HateCarolina]

I am down here in Atlanta and cannot find the Carolina/BC game...it appears we are stuck with Florida/Ole Miss...darn SEC state!!!

Does anyone know if its possible to find this game online anywhere? I just want to make sure that I root BC on to a hopeful win over the Holes!!!

[Cameron]

http://atdhe.net/index.html

[Kfanarmy]

http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-cbs-2.html


Heels were up 7 playing zone...Roy changes to MOM and is down 3 after about 4 minutes...odd coaching.

[alteran]

http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-cbs-2.html


Heels were up 7 playing zone...Roy changes to MOM and is down 3 after about 4 minutes...odd coaching.

Seriously. That's how it looked to me. I don't get it.

[gotham devil]

http://www.channelsurfing.net/watch-cbs-2.html


Heels were up 7 playing zone...Roy changes to MOM and is down 3 after about 4 minutes...odd coaching.

Program with zero McDonald's All-Americans is currently leading the program with seven McDonald's All-Americans at the half.

Al Skinner needs a new agent.

[juise]

Program with zero McDonald's All-Americans is currently leading the program with seven McDonald's All-Americans at the half.

Al Skinner needs a new agent.

To be fair, Duke (6 McD AA's) was trailing by 10 to Miami (0 McD AA's) this week.

Maybe Al Skinner just needs a new recruiting strategy.

That said... go Eagles!

[YourLandlord]

Great win for BC. I know they both suck, but this is a good win for BC.

[Tommac]

BC wins by 4. (Just wanted to see the avatar again.:D)

[duke=legacy]

After this loss, UNC officially out of the NCAA tournament? Whatdya think?

[moonpie23]

and the hits just keep on coming !

[El_Diablo]

After this loss, UNC officially out of the NCAA tournament? Whatdya think?

Their at-large bid was lost a while ago, but they're not officially out until they are eliminated from the ACC tournament.

[AlaskanAssassin]

They are on the bubble for the NIT tourney. That's pretty much what they are playing for (unless they win the ACC tourney).

[prefan21]

Things are ugly for the heels, and the rest of their season only looks uglier. Here's their remaining schedule, with KenPom's likelihood of victory:

2/24 - Florida State (L, 41%)
2/27 - @ Wake Forest (L, 21%)
3/2 - Miami (W, 63%)
3/6 - @ Duke (L, 5% :D)

If the games panned out like that, they'd be 15-16, 4-12 in the ACC. And the Duke game would officially give them a losing season. :cool:

[gotham devil]

To be fair, Duke (6 McD AA's) was trailing by 10 to Miami (0 McD AA's) this week.

Maybe Al Skinner just needs a new recruiting strategy.

That said... go Eagles!

Al Skinner is no Frank Haith.

He's got a great reputation in the Northeast for finding diamonds (Craig Smith, Jared Dudley, Troy Bell, Sean Williams, Ty Rice, etc.) in the rough. Earlier in the decade, he won a pair of BE COY awards.

[WiJoe]

If the games panned out like that, they'd be 15-16, 4-12 in the ACC. And the Duke game would officially give them a losing season. :cool:

No, it would not. You're forgetting, incredibly, the ACC tournament.

:mad:

[msdukie]

No, it would not. You're forgetting, incredibly, the ACC tournament.

:mad:

Well, to be fair, Roy always forgets the ACC Championship (well, at least until yesterday's presss conference).

[hurleyfor3]

Well, to be fair, Roy always forgets the ACC Championship (well, at least until yesterday's presss conference).

It's too bad we mods can't assign positive points, because this is the POTD.

[Sgt. Dingleberry]

You know what? BC has a lot of talent, I don't know why their record isn't better...

Anyway, that dunk by Evan Ravenel in the last two minutes was awesome...I started hooting and hollering after that throwdown...It was Plumleesque!!!

LOLUNC!!!!

[Wander]

Anyway, that dunk by Evan Ravenel in the last two minutes was awesome...I started hooting and hollering after that throwdown...It was Plumleesque!!!


It was Plumleessque... especially because five seconds later he committed a stupid foul that gave UNC a three point play. :)

[Osiagledknarf]

UNC is done as dinner and they have been for some time now. What makes anyone think that they will be able to do anything in the ACC tourney. Unless they face NC State in the first round, I find it hard to believe that they would be able to beat a Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State or Maryland in the first round. Duke and Virginia Tech will probably have the byes at this point, and there would be very little chance they could take down Duke or Virginia Tech, even though they beat them at home earlier this season. Unless they make a surge at the end of the season, I don't see how this team finished .500 overall.

[slower]

UNC is done as dinner and they have been for some time now. What makes anyone think that they will be able to do anything in the ACC tourney.

It IS in Greensboro, so it's a home game for the Holes.

[sagegrouse]

Game was kind of a mystery to me. UNC looked good enough to win easily, but....


Instead of going out to a 15 point lead in the first H, which probably would have sealed the outcome, UNC lost focus and allowed BC back into the game.

In the second half, BC seemed to come up with every loose ball. That is a credit to thier determination, or is it also possible that the Heels are not in game shape, even this late in the season?

The Heels failed to finish on at least 6-8 close in lay-ups, which would have been enough to win the game. Some of that is Zeller, who was rushing things a bit in his first game back.

sagegrouse

[Duvall]

It IS in Greensboro, so it's a home game for the Holes.

They haven't had much luck at winning those, either.

[BD80]

It IS in Greensboro, so it's a home game for the Holes.

Oh Golly it is going to be easy, and cheap, to buy tickets from scalpers this year.

[Duke4life92]

Their at-large bid was lost a while ago, but they're not officially out until they are eliminated from the ACC tournament.

1st off I always love to see a unc loss as much as the next guy but before today's loss i think they still had a shot at 19-12overall and 8-8 in the conf if they had won out so no the at-large bid was'nt out of the question a while ago,that record certainly would have gotten them in,but i think so now with the loss today:D:D. Unless they win the acc tourney:rolleyes:

[BD80]

Could this victory have LOWERED BC's RPI?

Not as much as a loss would have, but still.

unc is in freefall and its RPI is still catching up. By losing to BC, unc's RPI might continue to drop significantly, to the point that just by playing unc, BC's RPI drops. It hurts Duke because we have them on the schedule twice.

I can see it now, tarheels will be taunting us for playing cupcakes like the tarheels.

[Olympic Fan]

1st off I always love to see a unc loss as much as the next guy but before today's loss i think they still had a shot at 19-12overall and 8-8 in the conf if they had won out so no the at-large bid was'nt out of the question a while ago,that record certainly would have gotten them in,but i think so now with the loss today:D:D. Unless they win the acc tourney:rolleyes:

There's a difference between mathematically possible and realistically possible. Yeah, at 14-12 (3-8) Carolina could have turned itself into an at large team by winning its final five ACC games. That was Roy's happy-talk message at his press conference yesterday.

But anybody who has seen that team over the last two months knows there is no way they are going to win at Wake and at Duke, much less beat BC, Miami AND Florida State. As the BC game proves, UNC is -- at this moment -- a very mediocre basketball team. There's little prospect for them suddenly getting on a roll.

No matter what happens over the last two weeks of the regular season, UNC will arrive in Greensboro with a chance to win the national championship again -- all they will need is 10 straight wins.

So yeah they have a chance ... about the same chance Mike Nifong has of filling the next U.S. Supreme Court vacancy.

[airowe]

UNC is done as dinner and they have been for some time now. What makes anyone think that they will be able to do anything in the ACC tourney. Unless they face NC State in the first round, I find it hard to believe that they would be able to beat a Clemson, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Florida State or Maryland in the first round. Duke and Virginia Tech will probably have the byes at this point, and there would be very little chance they could take down Duke or Virginia Tech, even though they beat them at home earlier this season. Unless they make a surge at the end of the season, I don't see how this team finished .500 overall.


Frank,

What does this mean in your sig?


Do the BEST fans in the world and one of the best teams in all Sports!!!!!!

Oh, and GTHC

[BD80]

Well THAT made a big difference for ol' roy and the heels!

[miramar]

Al Skinner is no Frank Haith.



Based on some of the newspaper reports in Miami following the second-half collapse against Duke, even Frank Haith is not Frank Haith, or at least the one UM was expecting.

UM was hoping that they had gotten a younger version of Leonard Hamilton to rebuild the program, but after five years UM basketball seems dead in the water. I think he will be officially on the hot seat next year (at the latest).

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/columnists/greg-cote/story/1486158.html

[slower]

Frank,

What does this mean in your sig?



Oh, and GTHC

let's hope he means "To" instead of "Do", otherwise...umm ;)

[Osiagledknarf]

Frank,

What does this mean in your sig?



Oh, and GTHC

My name isn't Frank.

[YourLandlord]

hi there.

[YourLandlord]

ol roy is delusional:

"I thought we were going to win today and get on a great run and we be in the NCAA Tournament," Williams said. "Now I gotta readjust and see if we can get it done by starting on Wednesday night."

[GODUKEGO]

After this loss, UNC officially out of the NCAA tournament? Whatdya think?

Most definitely!!!

[GODUKEGO]

Oh Golly it is going to be easy, and cheap, to buy tickets from scalpers this year.

You are right!! When they lose in the first round in Greensboro, We should be able to buy some cheap tickets and fill the place with Devil fans. I am in Cary and plan on going over to Greenboro by the end of their game. They will probably being throwing them away!!!

[prefan21]

No, it would not. You're forgetting, incredibly, the ACC tournament.

:mad:

I didn't. I just don't believe they're going to win a game as a #11 or #12 seed, so when Duke puts them below below .500, they stay there.

[DukeFencer]

I didn't. I just don't believe they're going to win a game as a #11 or #12 seed, so when Duke puts them below below .500, they stay there.

Even if they do win a game in the ACC tourney - if the Duke game puts them below .500, the ACC win would put them AT .500, and the next game loss would put them back below. IF the Duke game does put them below .500, they will have to win 2 games in the tourney to finish above.

I'm not convinced the Heels can even beat Miami. I'd guess they win 1 more game, but not convinced it will come against UM.

[BD80]

Even if they do win a game in the ACC tourney - if the Duke game puts them below .500, the ACC win would put them AT .500, and the next game loss would put them back below. ...

I know it can't happen, but wouldn't it be fun to beat them two more times and EACH time put them under .500?

[dukegirlinsc]

lol all day! :) :) :)

you still have to be .500 to get a bid in the nit...correct?

[Duvall]

lol all day! :) :) :)

you still have to be .500 to get a bid in the nit...correct?

You can now, but the NIT hasn't invited a team below .500 since the rule was changed.

[dukegirlinsc]

You can now, but the NIT hasn't invited a team below .500 since the rule was changed.

set those goals high, tarheels!

[Newton_14]

My goal for them is to finish DFL in the conference standings to take them out of next year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge. That would be awesome! The ACC has a rule that the last place team from the previous season has to sit out.

How embarrassing would that be to unc-ch??

[Olympic Fan]

While the NIT technically can take a team with a losing or a .500 record, it's actually become much HARDER for an ACC team to qualify for the NIT since that tournament was taken over by the NCAA (as part of a settlement of the NIT's antitrust lawsuit of the NCAA).

The selection is now managed by a committee of eight former coaches, who seem to be actually trying to pick the best qualified teams, rather than (as used to be the case) the ones that would generate the best ticket sales or TV ratings. There was a time when all an ACC team needed was to finish .500 or better to get an NIT bid, but those days are gone.

Plus, the NCAA has guaranteed NIT bids to regular season conference champions that don't qualify for the NCAA Tournament. That always fills 5-8 spots in the NIT field with teams from leagues like the Big South and MEAC.

If UNC doesn't qualify for the NIT, there's always the CBI (the College Basketball Invitational). Not sure of all the rules for that event, but essentially teams buy their way into the field by guaranteeing ticket sales (they don't have to actually sell the tickets, but their athletic department has to pay for the ones they don't sell).

If UNC really wants to play in postseason, that's an option.

[Morris614]

Am I the only one confused that ESPN constantly refers to Zeller as a future first rounder? And I dont mean from this game...but I have never seen anything to indicate a future first rounder....especially since there are great college players not taken in the first round.

[moonpie23]

there's always the CBI (the College Basketball Invitational). Not sure of all the rules for that event, but essentially teams buy their way into the field by guaranteeing ticket sales (they don't have to actually sell the tickets, but their athletic department has to pay for the ones they don't sell).

If UNC really wants to play in postseason, that's an option.

am i the only one to think this might be a disaster for the holes?