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View Full Version : Roy Williams Needs the Waaaaambulance...



dougc33
08-13-2010, 08:04 AM
What were your impressions of the game tonight?
“It was unfortunate. Again, we spent the whole night watching them shoot free throws. I didn’t feel that things were going the way that I would like for them to at any point with that part of it. But the first quarter we came out and we weren’t intense at all. We weren’t aggressive at all. They were much more aggressive than we were. Then I think we started playing better. The whole part of the game, though – the middle of the second quarter we started making some shots and in the third quarter we came out and we made a bunch of shots and that’s when, all of a sudden, the lead expanded. We made several threes and then, all of a sudden, they started missing some shots and [had] long rebounds.

“And we went 2-3 zone. I honestly can’t remember any time in my life I’ve ever played a 2-3 zone – just a straight 2-3 zone. We’ve matched up at times, but we just did that because I didn’t know if we were going to have enough people to finish the game because of the foul situation. At one point tonight, they had shot 46 free throws and we had shot 22, so we just did that to have enough people to finish the game.”

Bluedevil114
08-13-2010, 08:14 AM
How is Carolina allowed by the NCAA to play a game this early? I thought there were rules that prohibited teams working out together in the summer?

nocilla
08-13-2010, 08:29 AM
How is Carolina allowed by the NCAA to play a game this early? I thought there were rules that prohibited teams working out together in the summer?

College teams are allowed one overseas exhibition trip every five years under NCAA rules.

kong123
08-13-2010, 08:35 AM
How is Carolina allowed by the NCAA to play a game this early? I thought there were rules that prohibited teams working out together in the summer?

I guess you don't remember that Duke did it a few years back and UNC also did it back in 2005.

I think the two teams that UNC faced combined to make 78 pts from the line while UNC took only 64 free throws combined for the two games. That seems like a huge disparity from the line, especially since UNC gets all the calls!

Player FG-FGA 3FG-FGA FT-FTA
Reb.
O-D-Total
PF TP A TO B S Min
Dexter Strickland* 3-7 0-0 4-5 0 1 1 4 10 5 2 0 0 28
Kendall Marshall* 3-6 0-1 0-0 3 1 4 3 6 8 2 0 2 30
John Henson* 6-10 1-1 3-9 5 10 15 3 16 2 2 2 0 27
Harrison Barnes* 9-13 4-5 1-2 3 2 5 5 23 2 3 0 1 28
Tyler Zeller* 5-9 0-0 4-4 3 3 6 5 14 2 0 1 0 15
Leslie McDonald 8-13 2-5 7-8 0 2 2 4 25 0 1 0 0 17
Will Graves 3-5 1-2 0-0 2 3 5 4 7 1 0 0 0 13
Justin Watts 2-7 0-2 1-2 1 3 4 2 5 2 2 1 1 15
Reggie Bullock 6-11 2-4 3-3 1 5 6 2 17 1 1 0 2 26
Team 0 1 0 0 3 0 0
Totals 45-81 10-20 23-33 18 30 48 32 123 23 16 4 6 199
FG% 1st Half: 20-39 51.3% 2nd Half: 25-42 59.5% Game: 45-81 55.6%
3FG% 1st Half: 3-9 33.3% 2nd Half: 7-11 63.6% Game: 10-20 50.0 %
FT% 1st Half: 10-16 62.5% 2nd Half: 13-17 76.5% Game: 22-33 69.7%
Deadball rebounds: 11


This is the UNC box score from last night. On Wednesday, Zeller had 25 pts and 14 reb. and Strickland had around 25 pts. HB had over 20 pts in both games. Seems like Strickland will start over Bullock, at least at this point.

nocilla
08-13-2010, 08:46 AM
This is the UNC box score from last night. On Wednesday, Zeller had 25 pts and 14 reb. and Strickland had around 25 pts. HB had over 20 pts in both games. Seems like Strickland will start over Bullock, at least at this point.

It looks like Zeller and Watts both played 15 minutes while Henson played 27. Was this consistent with the first game?

After reading further, Zeller finished with 14 pts and 6 reb but 5 fouls, so maybe that is why he only played 15 minutes.

kong123
08-13-2010, 08:49 AM
It looks like Zeller and Watts both played 15 minutes while Henson played 27. Was this consistent with the first game?

After reading further, Zeller finished with 14 pts and 6 reb but 5 fouls, so maybe that is why he only played 15 minutes.


It did appear to be a foul fest. LD2 didn't play either game because of a twisted ankle. Looks like he could have played but Roy didn't want to risk it.

moonpie23
08-13-2010, 08:51 AM
especially since UNC gets all the calls!


kong....that's OLD School.....everyone knows that Butler gets all the calls now.....http://ui32.gamespot.com/479/702headbanginstick_4.gif

devildeac
08-13-2010, 09:19 AM
What were your impressions of the game tonight?
“It was unfortunate. Again, we spent the whole night watching them shoot free throws. I didn’t feel that things were going the way that I would like for them to at any point with that part of it. But the first quarter we came out and we weren’t intense at all. We weren’t aggressive at all. They were much more aggressive than we were. Then I think we started playing better. The whole part of the game, though – the middle of the second quarter we started making some shots and in the third quarter we came out and we made a bunch of shots and that’s when, all of a sudden, the lead expanded. We made several threes and then, all of a sudden, they started missing some shots and [had] long rebounds.

“And we went 2-3 zone. I honestly can’t remember any time in my life I’ve ever played a 2-3 zone – just a straight 2-3 zone. We’ve matched up at times, but we just did that because I didn’t know if we were going to have enough people to finish the game because of the foul situation. At one point tonight, they had shot 46 free throws and we had shot 22, so we just did that to have enough people to finish the game.”

We need those refs to call ALL their ACC games this year.;)

ACCBBallFan
08-13-2010, 10:16 AM
I guess you don't remember that Duke did it a few years back and UNC also did it back in 2005.

I think the two teams that UNC faced combined to make 78 pts from the line while UNC took only 64 free throws combined for the two games. That seems like a huge disparity from the line, especially since UNC gets all the calls!

Player FG-FGA 3FG-FGA FT-FTA
Reb.
O-D-Total
PF TP A TO B S Min
Dexter Strickland* 3-7 0-0 4-5 0 1 1 4 10 5 2 0 0 28
Kendall Marshall* 3-6 0-1 0-0 3 1 4 3 6 8 2 0 2 30
John Henson* 6-10 1-1 3-9 5 10 15 3 16 2 2 2 0 27
Harrison Barnes* 9-13 4-5 1-2 3 2 5 5 23 2 3 0 1 28
Tyler Zeller* 5-9 0-0 4-4 3 3 6 5 14 2 0 1 0 15
Leslie McDonald 8-13 2-5 7-8 0 2 2 4 25 0 1 0 0 17
Will Graves 3-5 1-2 0-0 2 3 5 4 7 1 0 0 0 13
Justin Watts 2-7 0-2 1-2 1 3 4 2 5 2 2 1 1 15
Reggie Bullock 6-11 2-4 3-3 1 5 6 2 17 1 1 0 2 26
Team 0 1 0 0 3 0 0
Totals 45-81 10-20 23-33 18 30 48 32 123 23 16 4 6 199
FG% 1st Half: 20-39 51.3% 2nd Half: 25-42 59.5% Game: 45-81 55.6%
3FG% 1st Half: 3-9 33.3% 2nd Half: 7-11 63.6% Game: 10-20 50.0 %
FT% 1st Half: 10-16 62.5% 2nd Half: 13-17 76.5% Game: 22-33 69.7%
Deadball rebounds: 11


This is the UNC box score from last night. On Wednesday, Zeller had 25 pts and 14 reb. and Strickland had around 25 pts. HB had over 20 pts in both games. Seems like Strickland will start over Bullock, at least at this point.

Actually with Zeller and Barnes both fouled out, and Macdonald, Graves and Strickland all with 4 fouls, Roy had to go with a 2-3 zone just to have someone besides Henson-Watts-Bullock-Marshall to put on the floor.

Without Larry Drew II and Justin Knox, I would not read too much into minutes played to infer starters or actual PT come OOC.

You know Zeller is going to start but based on this game top minutes went to Henson-Barnes-Bullock- Strickland-Marshall, two sophs and three frosh.

Even without the fouls, Roy would want to give his frosh plenty of reps against the inferior competition.

Class of '94
08-13-2010, 11:44 AM
Actually with Zeller and Barnes both fouled out, and Macdonald, Graves and Strickland all with 4 fouls, Roy had to go with a 2-3 zone just to have someone besides Henson-Watts-Bullock-Marshall to put on the floor.

Without Larry Drew II and Justin Knox, I would not read too much into minutes played to infer starters or actual PT come OOC.

You know Zeller is going to start but based on this game top minutes went to Henson-Barnes-Bullock- Strickland-Marshall, two sophs and three frosh.

Even without the fouls, Roy would want to give his frosh plenty of reps against the inferior competition.

Am I reading the box correctly, and that Marshall had 8 assists to 2 turnovers?? Eventhough it was against inferior competition, I have to admit that it's still a pretty nice stat. It will be interesting to see if Roy goes with Strickland first as the back-up point ahead of Marshall during the regular season. The Raleigh News and Observer mentioned Strickland as the point guard for the team during their games in the Bahamas.

Class of '94
08-13-2010, 11:53 AM
I guess you don't remember that Duke did it a few years back and UNC also did it back in 2005.

I remember Duke doing that and so far we've only done it one time for the men's team. There is nothing illegal about these trips; but I really wonder how effective they are in preparing teams for the regular season when you are playing against such inferior opponents. I realize the benefit is the extra practice time and supposed bonding time; but once the trip is over, you still have to wait about 2 months before practiciing again. So whatever you gained during the trip, you have to rebuild (IMO) that back again once the official practice season begins.

A person could argue that these types of trips worked really well for UNC 5 years ago; and the jury is still out on how well it will make this UNC team become; but I still wonder if that time spend really does make a team better. Personally, I think having players hangout together and playing pick-up ball during the summer as well as doing the private scrimmages in the fall are much better for improving team chemistry and skills than these trips.

sagegrouse
08-13-2010, 12:18 PM
I guess you don't remember that Duke did it a few years back and UNC also did it back in 2005.

I remember Duke doing that and so far we've only done it one time for the men's team. There is nothing illegal about these trips; but I really wonder how effective they are in preparing teams for the regular season when you are playing against such inferior opponents. I realize the benefit is the extra practice time and supposed bonding time; but once the trip is over, you still have to wait about 2 months before practiciing again. So whatever you gained during the trip, you have to rebuild (IMO) that back again once the official practice season begins.



Actually Duke has had three overseas trips, two back in the 1980s and a 2002 trip to the Bahamas during the four-day fall break in early October. [See link (http://books.google.com/books?id=WW7EgBfQn_MC&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=duke+basketball+overseas+trips&source=bl&ots=nXIIBLjOA4&sig=f9rH8GRpxEVYU6vKS-zrG8ehIY8&hl=en&ei=SG5lTKTXGIT68Aa3rfXGCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=duke%20basketball%20overseas%20trips&f=false) from the Duke hoops book by John Roth.] This last, needless to say, raised some eyebrows, although legal under the rules at the time. Trips are allowed when schools are not in session. The 2002 trip -- advantageous for an inexperienced team after the loss of JWill, Dunleavy, and Boozer -- enabled Duke to essentially have Midnight Madness in late September. Yikes!!! What a stink that caused. The rules were thereafter changed.

sagegrouse

Tom B.
08-13-2010, 12:56 PM
Actually Duke has had three overseas trips, two back in the 1980s and a 2002 trip to the Bahamas during the four-day fall break in early October.



I thought the 2002 trip was to England, not the Bahamas.

devildeac
08-13-2010, 01:09 PM
I thought the 2002 trip was to England, not the Bahamas.

Wow, was it really that long ago? IIRC, I believe it was England also.

sagegrouse
08-13-2010, 01:23 PM
I thought the 2002 trip was to England, not the Bahamas.

You are absolutely correct! I didn't even read the whole piece I cited. :o Here's the skinny on overseas trips --

1983: France
1988: Spain and Greece, including some tournaments. IT was here that undersized center John Smith became a three-point shooter.
2002: London, for a couple of exhibitions

I still think I remember a Bahamas trip, but maybe it was the women's team.

sagegrouse

Deslok
08-13-2010, 01:56 PM
Having attended the games in London, yes, they were there. The women, back in 2004, played in the Junkanoo Jam down in the Bahamas, but that was a tournament that was part of the regular season a la the Maui Classic type event.

Class of '94
08-13-2010, 03:08 PM
Actually Duke has had three overseas trips, two back in the 1980s and a 2002 trip to the Bahamas during the four-day fall break in early October. [See link (http://books.google.com/books?id=WW7EgBfQn_MC&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=duke+basketball+overseas+trips&source=bl&ots=nXIIBLjOA4&sig=f9rH8GRpxEVYU6vKS-zrG8ehIY8&hl=en&ei=SG5lTKTXGIT68Aa3rfXGCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=duke%20basketball%20overseas%20trips&f=false) from the Duke hoops book by John Roth.] This last, needless to say, raised some eyebrows, although legal under the rules at the time. Trips are allowed when schools are not in session. The 2002 trip -- advantageous for an inexperienced team after the loss of JWill, Dunleavy, and Boozer -- enabled Duke to essentially have Midnight Madness in late September. Yikes!!! What a stink that caused. The rules were thereafter changed.

sagegrouse

I stand corrected......Thanks for the clarification. But my point is still the same in that I wonder how much the overseas trips really help and prepare a team for the regular season.

OldPhiKap
08-13-2010, 03:14 PM
I stand corrected......Thanks for the clarification. But my point is still the same in that I wonder how much the overseas trips really help and prepare a team for the regular season.

Can't hurt. And I remember when this rule first came in, and Duke was one of the first to use it, everyone crabbed that K was taking some unfair advantage.

With a young team, coming off a dysfunctional year, any time together with the coaches has to be a good thing I would think.

Olympic Fan
08-13-2010, 04:47 PM
Actually Duke has had three overseas trips, two back in the 1980s and a 2002 trip to the Bahamas during the four-day fall break in early October. [See link (http://books.google.com/books?id=WW7EgBfQn_MC&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=duke+basketball+overseas+trips&source=bl&ots=nXIIBLjOA4&sig=f9rH8GRpxEVYU6vKS-zrG8ehIY8&hl=en&ei=SG5lTKTXGIT68Aa3rfXGCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=duke%20basketball%20overseas%20trips&f=false) from the Duke hoops book by John Roth.] This last, needless to say, raised some eyebrows, although legal under the rules at the time. Trips are allowed when schools are not in session. The 2002 trip -- advantageous for an inexperienced team after the loss of JWill, Dunleavy, and Boozer -- enabled Duke to essentially have Midnight Madness in late September. Yikes!!! What a stink that caused. The rules were thereafter changed.

sagegrouse

The reason the 2002 trip to London caused such a stink was two-fold. The main one was that by going in October, instead of the summer, K was able to take along his freshmen.

Under the rules at the time, only upperclassmen could make the overseas trip in the summer. When Duke went to Spain in the summer of '83, it really helped Dawkins, Alarie, Henderson and company -- but incoming point guard Tommy Amaker couldn't join them.

A summer trip in 2002 wouldn't have helped a lot for a team that was going to be heavily dependent on freshmen (three started the 2002-03 opener -- Redick, Williams and Randolph with Dockery, Melchionni and Thompson off the bench). By going in October, the freshmen were enrolled and eligible for the 10 days of pretrip practice and the tour ... and the timing worked out that when they returned just in time for the official Oct. 15 start of practice -- giving that team a huge head start.

You are daggum right that outsiders -- especially the UNC crowd -- screamed bloody murder.

But there was another element to the trip -- that fall, Duke's top recruiting target was Luol Deng, the nation's No. 2 rated prospect (behind a guy named LeBron James). Deng just happened to be from London ... although he was in prep school in Connecticut at the time, his parents were still in London and the trip gave K and his staff a chance to court them.

Oh the horror! Oh the outrage!

Of course, everything K did was perfectly legal -- he was just the first to realize the benefits of taking the NCAA-allowed foreign tour in October instead of July or August. Within a year, other coaches were doing it too ... all over the country (in fact, I think -- not sure -- that UNC's 2005 trip to the Bahamas was in the fall).

The NCAA recently changed its rules to allow freshmen who were (1) enrolled in summer school and (2) cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse to join their team on foreign trips. That's why its perfectly legal for UNC to take Prince Harry and Reggie Blowhard along with them.

PS Duke basketball history was impacted by another foreign trip --one they didn't take. K had scheduled a tour of Australia for the summer of 1994, but when he saw the spring semester grades of his team, he was so disappointed with their performance that he cancelled the trip and suggested they needed to spend the offseason in summer school. Well, the Aussie promotors protested to the new Duke president, Nan Keohane, about K's decision, and her response was to suggest that K didn't have the authority to make that decision without administrative approval. The whole thing precipitated a showdown as K publically flirted with a job offer from the Portland Trail Blazers over a long weekend until Nan got the message that K runs the basketball program. He never had any interference from her after that.

devildeac
08-13-2010, 05:37 PM
The reason the 2002 trip to London caused such a stink was two-fold. The main one was that by going in October, instead of the summer, K was able to take along his freshmen.

Under the rules at the time, only upperclassmen could make the overseas trip in the summer. When Duke went to Spain in the summer of '83, it really helped Dawkins, Alarie, Henderson and company -- but incoming point guard Tommy Amaker couldn't join them.

A summer trip in 2002 wouldn't have helped a lot for a team that was going to be heavily dependent on freshmen (three started the 2002-03 opener -- Redick, Williams and Randolph with Dockery, Melchionni and Thompson off the bench). By going in October, the freshmen were enrolled and eligible for the 10 days of pretrip practice and the tour ... and the timing worked out that when they returned just in time for the official Oct. 15 start of practice -- giving that team a huge head start.

You are daggum right that outsiders -- especially the UNC crowd -- screamed bloody murder.

But there was another element to the trip -- that fall, Duke's top recruiting target was Luol Deng, the nation's No. 2 rated prospect (behind a guy named LeBron James). Deng just happened to be from London ... although he was in prep school in Connecticut at the time, his parents were still in London and the trip gave K and his staff a chance to court them.

Oh the horror! Oh the outrage!

Of course, everything K did was perfectly legal -- he was just the first to realize the benefits of taking the NCAA-allowed foreign tour in October instead of July or August. Within a year, other coaches were doing it too ... all over the country (in fact, I think -- not sure -- that UNC's 2005 trip to the Bahamas was in the fall).

The NCAA recently changed its rules to allow freshmen who were (1) enrolled in summer school and (2) cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse to join their team on foreign trips. That's why its perfectly legal for UNC to take Prince Harry and Reggie Blowhard along with them.

PS Duke basketball history was impacted by another foreign trip --one they didn't take. K had scheduled a tour of Australia for the summer of 1994, but when he saw the spring semester grades of his team, he was so disappointed with their performance that he cancelled the trip and suggested they needed to spend the offseason in summer school. Well, the Aussie promotors protested to the new Duke president, Nan Keohane, about K's decision, and her response was to suggest that K didn't have the authority to make that decision without administrative approval. The whole thing precipitated a showdown as K publically flirted with a job offer from the Portland Trail Blazers over a long weekend until Nan got the message that K runs the basketball program. He never had any interference from her after that.

Another great in-depth history lesson. Thank you.

Reggie Blowhard (heh-heh)-we have a winner

http://crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif

dukeballboy88
08-13-2010, 10:08 PM
For the second straight year, UNC finished first in Fewest Fouls Against, Fouls Differential and Free Throw Differential. What this means is that UNC had the fewest fouls called against them of all ACC teams. They also took 86 more free throws and had 58 less fouls called against them than their opponents during the year. And they finished next to last in the ACC.
Somebody please explain to us how a team that finishes next to last repeats as the referees' most favorite team?

http://www.packsmack.com/InfamousACCIndexCard/

Orange&BlackSheep
08-14-2010, 12:16 AM
Another great in-depth history lesson. Thank you.

If I might correct one part of the history lesson ....

Luol Deng was at Blair Academy in NJ not a school in CT.

calltheobvious
08-14-2010, 01:16 AM
For the second straight year, UNC finished first in Fewest Fouls Against, Fouls Differential and Free Throw Differential. What this means is that UNC had the fewest fouls called against them of all ACC teams. They also took 86 more free throws and had 58 less fouls called against them than their opponents during the year. And they finished next to last in the ACC.
Somebody please explain to us how a team that finishes next to last repeats as the referees' most favorite team?

http://www.packsmack.com/InfamousACCIndexCard/

This one's very simple, and involves no officiating bias. When you don't come anywhere near your opponents as you "defend," you're unlikely to be called for fouls. Ultimately, UNC was awful because of the numbers you site, not despite them.

devildeac
08-14-2010, 07:19 AM
This one's very simple, and involves no officiating bias. When you don't come anywhere near your opponents as you "defend," you're unlikely to be called for fouls. Ultimately, UNC was awful because of the numbers you site, not despite them.

I thought about using this as the most plausible explanation, but then figured someone would argue that even though they did not move their feet/box out/hustle/block shots properly, they STILL got all the calls.

I like the above explanation better.

http://crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif

devildeac
08-14-2010, 07:40 AM
If I might correct one part of the history lesson ....

Luol Deng was at Blair Academy in NJ not a school in CT.

Oops, I did not catch that from OF's post. Thanks.

uh_no
08-14-2010, 12:03 PM
I thought about using this as the most plausible explanation, but then figured someone would argue that even though they did not move their feet/box out/hustle/block shots properly, they STILL got all the calls.

I like the above explanation better.

http://crazietalk.net/ourhouse/images/smilies/24.gif

hold on a second.....i thought duke got all the calls....

devildeac
08-14-2010, 03:44 PM
hold on a second.....i thought duke got all the calls....

Nope. Contrary to popular belief, Duke does NOT get all the calls. Now, convincing "popular belief" of that may be nigh on impossible.:rolleyes:

topps coach
08-14-2010, 08:43 PM
The games are not really very important due tothe level of competition but the extra practice time can be invaluable

BD80
08-15-2010, 07:49 AM
The games are not really very important due tothe level of competition but the extra practice time can be invaluable

Absolutely. Wasn't it 50 some practices bfore the heels started to "get it" last year?

Oh wait, after 50 some practices they STILL didn't "get it."

I think the games are the most valuable, because it gives Prince Harry a chance to work on his post moves and his post defense, which he will need come the ACC season ;)

oldnavy
08-15-2010, 12:32 PM
Someone mentioned ealier that more time together will help BUILD chemistry. I would say that this could be true, but it also may work against chemistry. The chemistry depends on how well the players bond. If they bond then more time equals better chemisty, if they do not bond, more time equals less chemistry and more problems. So just by being together more does not alone quarantee better chemistry. Sometimes less is more! Time will tell.

Newton_14
08-15-2010, 10:18 PM
This one's very simple, and involves no officiating bias. When you don't come anywhere near your opponents as you "defend," you're unlikely to be called for fouls. Ultimately, UNC was awful because of the numbers you site, not despite them.

Totally agree on the phantom defense. I recently watched the entire 82-50 game again. The defense the heel's played in that game was putrid. It was like watching Duke play one of the Div II teams in the pre-season exhibition games where they could get any shot they wanted, anytime they wanted.

Time and time again in that game, Singler and Nolan got into the middle of the lane right in front of the rim for easy shots. Watching that game relaxed and from different viewpoints than watching live is very revealing. The heel's just flatout made little to no attempt to play defense in that game.

A team is certainly not going to foul a lot giving that type of effort on defense. Still it is hard to lose at the rate they lost last year with the foul and free throw differential being that strongly in their favor. Just an odd season all the way around.

CEF1959
08-16-2010, 03:25 PM
He beat up on some local amateurs with no basketball tradition and no defense, won by 40, and still managed to whine about the officiating. What a tool.

oldnavy
08-17-2010, 05:24 AM
He beat up on some local amateurs with no basketball tradition and no defense, won by 40, and still managed to whine about the officiating. What a tool.

And you know that it is just going to get better and better as the year goes on!

OldPhiKap
08-17-2010, 09:44 AM
He beat up on some local amateurs with no basketball tradition and no defense, won by 40, and still managed to whine about the officiating. What a tool.

That about says it all.

The Gordog
08-17-2010, 12:44 PM
Totally agree on the phantom defense. I recently watched the entire 82-50 game again. The defense the heel's played in that game was putrid. It was like watching Duke play one of the Div II teams in the pre-season exhibition games where they could get any shot they wanted, anytime they wanted.

Time and time again in that game, Singler and Nolan got into the middle of the lane right in front of the rim for easy shots. Watching that game relaxed and from different viewpoints than watching live is very revealing. The heel's just flatout made little to no attempt to play defense in that game.

A team is certainly not going to foul a lot giving that type of effort on defense. Still it is hard to lose at the rate they lost last year with the foul and free throw differential being that strongly in their favor. Just an odd season all the way around.

Hopefully, it will become the norm going forward. ;)

left_hook_lacey
08-17-2010, 02:42 PM
For the second straight year, UNC finished first in Fewest Fouls Against, Fouls Differential and Free Throw Differential. What this means is that UNC had the fewest fouls called against them of all ACC teams. They also took 86 more free throws and had 58 less fouls called against them than their opponents during the year. And they finished next to last in the ACC.
Somebody please explain to us how a team that finishes next to last repeats as the referees' most favorite team?

Claiming the referees have a "favorite" team year in and year out is silly. Claiming the referees base their choice for this team on where a team finishes in the conference is shallow at best and opens the door for "Duke bias" cries which turn my stomach.

UNC has stats similar to those mentioned for two main reasons.....

1.) UNC usually doesn't employ a pressure, lock-down type defense whether it has the personal to do so or not. UNC seems to like to play the "rotate the best you can, get a hand in his face and hope he misses" defense. That defense works well if you have players that are good at feeling where they need to be on defense, but more importantly, can score on the fast break off the missed basket. Last year, UNC had neither.

Bottom line, it's hard to get called for fouls when you're 2 feet from an offense player for 80% of the shot clock.

2.) UNC almost always shoots as many or more free throws than its opponents over the course of a season. UNC is traditionally big in the front court and loves to pound the ball inside on the half-court set which will lead to foul calls if you go inside enough.

As some have posted on this board, it was a strange year indeed for UNC. A perfect storm of variables to give it the season it had. I only hope the forecast for this season is calling for those same elements. (happy emoticon of your choice here)

Left_Hook