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View Full Version : Jon Scheyer's 3-pointer in the ACC tournament



CampbellBlueDevil
11-25-2010, 10:25 PM
I just recently thought about how important that shot was during the ACC final against Georgia Tech. If we had lost that game, there is no way we would have received a number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. I believe that being a number 1 seed was pivotal in last year's championship run.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/14/389141/scheyers-shot-gives-duke-acc-title.html

GT was within 1 and on a 9-0 scoring run. Scheyer was having a poor shooting performance and was 3 for 12. Yet with 18 seconds left and the game in jeopardy, he came off a screen (a Zoubek screen, how fitting) and buried the three to ensure the ACC tournament championship. There is no telling how differently things may have gone in the NCAA tournament if we had been given a lower seed, but thanks to Jon Scheyer we will never have to know.

Last year's championship was beyond special because very few believed Duke had a shot at the title. I know one person that never had any doubt... Jon said after the GT game "This was a big goal of ours, but there’s a lot more we want to do". He also was asked at the dinner for the seniors what his favorite moment at Duke was and he replied "It hasn't happened yet". It's that kind of determination and heart that brought a fourth title to Duke. I know I may have taken LT, Zoubs, and Jon for granted... but I'm thankful that as Duke fans we had the privilege of watching them over the past four years.

moonpie23
11-25-2010, 10:31 PM
as a builder of houses of cards myself, i will agree 10000% that the removal of one card can make a significant difference in the outcome.....

how bout zoub's pressure on hayward on the miss under the basket?

Newton_14
11-25-2010, 10:39 PM
I will add to both of those great posts that Andre's play in both the ACC Championship game and the Regional Championship game was critical to last season's title run.

Chances are we lose the ACC game without his play as Nolan was on the bench in foul trouble in the first half and Andre's play not only helped the team keep the lead, it allowed Nolan to sit safe and sound without danger of picking up another foul.

Even though he played precious few minutes in the Baylor game and not at all in the 2nd half, those two 3's were critical to our success as well. They kept Baylor from running off to a big lead in the first half which could have led to disaster. One of those three's came from downtown Houston and he never hesitated and drained it.

calvindog
11-25-2010, 10:46 PM
Lance Thomas's rebound off the missed Nolan foul shot when the Baylor game was tied at 61 with 3:30 left. It was kicked out to Nolan who hit the 3. Without that play I doubt we even get to the Final Four.

OldPhiKap
11-25-2010, 11:15 PM
Last year, more than others, was one in which the "MOTM" vote was inappropriate. The whole ride was the ultimate team effort. Jon, Nolan, and Kyle deserve a lot of respect for that -- any of them could have gotten a chip on their shoulder and tried to "pull rank."

Hope we can do the same this year. It is remarkable what you can accomplish, when you don't care who gets the credit.

Starter
11-26-2010, 01:15 AM
Speaking of Lance, how about his putback for a three-point play against Baylor? I remember that being an incredible dagger.

juise
11-26-2010, 01:28 AM
I thought Kyle's elbow jumper with just under 5 minutes left in the championship game was huge. Butler was on a 4-0 run and it was the last field goal that Duke made in the game. I'm not claiming that it was the key play of the game, but I thought it really kept Butler from taking every last ounce of momentum away from Duke.

Cockabeau
11-26-2010, 08:57 AM
There where so many bang bang plays that were equally as important so its hard to rank them all but the Zoubek D up on Heyword after the missed free throw and the Lance Thomas putback against Baylor always springs up in my mind when I think about that run.

flyingdutchdevil
11-26-2010, 09:02 AM
20 years from now, I'll always remember Hayward's missed shot. Second fondest memory - Nolan hitting a 3 against Baylor and than giving Coach K a high-five. During the game.

But you're right about Scheyer - so clutch. Amazing player. Glad he played for Duke and gave us his all.

KenTankerous
11-26-2010, 12:09 PM
I think OldPhiKap said it best. Last year was an end product being much greater than the sum of it's parts.

Jon Scheyer, however, will probably always be my favorite Duke BB player. You see, I was bred, born and raised a Kentucky fan. I curse Christian Laettner not for any stomp or attitude but because he made a great shot under pressure that took me from elation to devastation in 3.4 seconds But we exorcised that ghost in the 98 regional finals.

As Tubby was run out of the bluegrass and Gillespie drank the program into irrelevancy, I began to lose faith. In fact, I quit. Quit watching, quit bracketing. Quit loving basketball.

But as love would have it, I found my soulmate in a Duke girl. Our first Christmas together, I scored two tickets to a winter break game and took her to Cameron. After the Blue Devils devoured Cornell, as we waited for a cab to take us to dinner (we had barbecue, or at least what passes for said dish in the Carolinas) in front of the Washington Duke, Jon and his family pulled up to the valet stand.

Well, my ladylove was officially in hogheaven. She congratulated Jon on a great game, told his momma she was even prettier in person than she looks on TV (which she is believe it or not). I told Jon I was a UK fan but was having a great time despite myself and he thanked me for coming to see him play, and it wasn't BS, he was very sincere and seemed genuinely thankful to be playing a game that brought people joy. We invited them to dinner but they said they couldn't let us buy them dinner because that might be improper support for Jon from boosters.

A student athlete getting a meaningful degree while contending for a national championship turning down a dinner because it might maybe not be within the spirit or letter of the rules.

And then UK hires Calipari. Vacated. He's gonna be the death of my Cats.

Thanks to Jon Scheyer, I once again believe in basketball for basketball's sake.

Poincaré
11-26-2010, 12:59 PM
I was reading this thread today and thought to myself: 2010 was the most rewarding championship season in Duke history. All thanks to Jon, Lance, and Zoubs coming through when it mattered.

We were expected to be good, but not a contender. The experts picked us to lose in the Sweet 16, then the Elite 8, then the Final 4.

There may have been more dramatic "they could-they might-they are-theyHAVEdoneIT!!" moments last season to fill a lifetime.

Then I remembered that 2001 had incredible drama, too. Starting out looking unbeatable, then losing Boozer before the ACC tourney. Having the Holes ruin Shane's senior day by winning when Shane got called for a block at half-court against Brendan Haywood of all people (if you don't think Carolina owns the ACC refs...well, how do you explain that call?). The locker room full of paper that said "attack". The incredible three-headed Sanders-Christiansen-Love monster at center filling in for Boozer. Shane's epic chase down of Forte in the Dean Dome ("WHERE DID HE COME FROM!!?") Nate's tip-in in the ACC tournament. The biggest comeback in Final Four history against an ACC opponent... A final that matched the preseason #1 and #2... A memorable back-handed tip-in.

Just remembering made me feel all warm inside. 2001 was extra special for me for personal reasons, but it was a season in which we would have been disappointed at the bad luck of losing Boozer had we not won out. Actually, both 2001 and 2010 championships came during what were difficult times for me. Each time, the championship was followed by my personal crises being resolved. Duke championships feel like good luck in more ways than one at this point.

In 2010, we really were treated to the Duke version of a cinderella season (as close as we could get to one, since Duke is Duke) since many experts ruled out Duke as a contender until we reached the title game. I am rambling now, but I guess what I really want to say is, if I ever meet the seniors from that team in a bar, I hope that I can buy them drinks. It's not against the rules once they're out of school, right?