ACC Tournament - Day 2

[pfrduke]

And Roy has already gone to the walk-ons.....

[kong123]

And Roy has already gone to the walk-ons.....

it will be interesting to see how the kids respond. this was my fear for this young team. how would they respond after a long lay off and coming off of a big win.

[-jk]

And Roy has already gone to the walk-ons.....

Well, the starters had 8 points and 9 turnovers.

-jk

[Duke: A Dynasty]

Keep it up Miami!!!! Woot-Woot

[pfrduke]

Miami's zone has been very effective. They're forcing Carolina to keep the ball on the perimeter and out of the paint.

[dukebluesincebirth]

AAARRRGGGGHHH!! My ESPN3 function won't work on my laptop won't work because I'm away from home... I can only track the score. Things are sounding good so far though!

[nocilla]

AAARRRGGGGHHH!! My ESPN3 function won't work on my laptop won't work because I'm away from home... I can only track the score. Things are sounding good so far though!

Be sure to click the 'remote access' button next time you are home. Or if someone is at home now they could do it for you.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Thanks for the advice nocilla. No one at home to do it now but will do it this evening. Can't believe I haven't already taken care of this! But it looks like I should keep doing what I'm doing for right now as the Canes are takin care of business!

[wilson]

...the Canes are takin care of business!Shhhh...the weauxfgods are always listening.

[Class of '94]

it will be interesting to see how the kids respond. this was my fear for this young team. how would they respond after a long lay off and coming off of a big win.

A long layoff? No offense; but it's been less than a week and UNC has had similar streches of time periods between games during this season. Saying that, I understand what you mean about how they will respond after coming off a big win. I was curious as well to see if they were going to come out flat (and possibly a little overconfident) after winning the ACC regular season. And after Miami came from behind to beat UVA in a thrilling fashion and considering how competitive they played UNC a few weeks ago, I thought they would come into this game very confident.

[OldPhiKap]

Somehow, I'm not comfortable at half.

Miami better go for the throat.

[wilson]

A long layoff? No offense; but it's been less than a week and UNC has had similar streches of time periods between games during this season. Saying that, I understand what you mean about how they will respond after coming off a big win. I was curious as well to see if they were going to come out flat (and possibly a little overconfident) after winning the ACC regular season. And after Miami came from behind to beat UVA in a thrilling fashion and considering how competitive they played UNC a few weeks ago, I thought they would come into this game very confident.I think the first four-minute segment of the second half will be very telling. Miami played very well throughout the first half, while unc played about as poorly as they have in a couple of months. I will be interested to see what kind of adjustments the heels make, and if Miami will be able to respond sufficiently to the inevitable counterpunch that is coming.
In a broader sense, this is what the ACC Tournament should be like. Worlds better than yesterday.

[dukebluesincebirth]

I can't watch the game but I see carolina has 14 turnovers with 18mins. left? WOW. What's going on? Sloppy offense or great d?

[kong123]

I think its over, UNC is off and Miami is shooting it well from 3. Hard to make up 16 pts when you cannot score effectively against a zone.

[pfrduke]

I can't watch the game but I see carolina has 14 turnovers with 18mins. left? WOW. What's going on? Sloppy offense or great d?

Both, but more of the former than the latter, I think. Carolina is not playing crisply at all.

[dukebluesincebirth]

I think its over, UNC is off and Miami is shooting it well from 3. Hard to make up 16 pts when you cannot score effectively against a zone.

Giving up already? There's still 16 minutes left! I guess you don't have much faith in your team, huh?

[kong123]

Giving up already? There's still 16 minutes left! I guess you don't have much faith in your team, huh?

i like to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. there will have to be a drastic change in quality of play and luck for UNC to overcome this deficit.

[OldPhiKap]

i like to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. there will have to be a drastic change in quality of play and luck for UNC to overcome this deficit.

Beware the reverse weaux!!!

[billyj]

I can't believe UNC is losing to Miami. What is going on here!?:D

[Vincetaylor]

Typical UNC, typical ACC. Play well against Duke and like crap against everyone else. Don't let any UNC fans try to make you think the regular season title is more important than the tournament either. That's always their convenient excuse.

[NashvilleDevil]

For those weauxfing about this game just remember it was the early season weauxfing that led to Kyrie injuring his toe and allowed UNC to win the ACC. No one can convince me otherwise.

[weezie]

Shhhh...the weauxfgods are always listening.


Yeah! Stop talking/typing about it! Look out the window and not directly at the tv screen!!!!

[lotusland]

Be sure to click the 'remote access' button next time you are home. Or if someone is at home now they could do it for you.

The Raycom site is completely inaccessable right now and of course the game is blacked out on ESPN3 in my area. Must be too many tarheel fans watching online for Raycom to handle. Hopefully if things keep going as they have some of the heel fans will drop off.

[Rich]

I think its over, UNC is off and Miami is shooting it well from 3. Hard to make up 16 pts when you cannot score effectively against a zone.

Interesting that you're hanging out on the Duke boards while your team is playing, and it's not even against Duke.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Could the U be providing a defensive blueprint for the heels' ncaat opponents????

[OldPhiKap]

I can't believe UNC is losing to Miami. What is going on here!?:D

I think that, often, the team that won yesterday comes out much hotter than the team that got the bye. Probably several reasons for that. (I'm kind of worried about that tonight as well, but that's for another thread).

[kong123]

Interesting that you're hanging out on the Duke boards while your team is playing, and it's not even against Duke.

on the IC, no one reads or responds to a post, there is simply too many people on the site and by the time you post, 10 other people have already posted. too much going on. hard to have a voice on that board.

[lotusland]

Could the U be providing a defensive blueprint for the heels' ncaat opponents????

Yes. Pack it in tight and make them shoot jumpers and shoot over our bigs. No hedging or reaching or even jumping unless you have established rebounding position. And push KM to his right!

[camion]

The Raycom site is completely inaccessable right now and of course the game is blacked out on ESPN3 in my area. Must be too many tarheel fans watching online for Raycom to handle. Hopefully if things keep going as they have some of the heel fans will drop off.

I'm watching it at acc.com Here's the link.

http://www.theacc.com/live/

It's still working for me.

[OldPhiKap]

on the IC, no one reads or responds to a post, there is simply too many people on the site and by the time you post, 10 other people have already posted. too much going on. hard to have a voice on that board.

True. I'm guessing the "who should replace Roy?" thread has probably shuffled down a few pages since it was so hot two months ago . . . .

[lotusland]

I'm watching it at acc.com Here's the link.

http://www.theacc.com/live/

It's still working for me.

Sweet, that works - Thanks!

[HorvathsGhost]

I'm watching it at acc.com Here's the link.

http://www.theacc.com/live/

It's still working for me.


Thanks much for the link!! Works perfect. Go Canes

[JayBean]

Down by 14 with 8:28 to go.

Let us see if the U can hold on.

[DukieInBrasil]

Yes. Pack it in tight and make them shoot jumpers and shoot over our bigs. No hedging or reaching or even jumping unless you have established rebounding position. And push KM to his right!
These were all things i was yelling at the tv screen when we lost to UNC. I know we have an HOF coach and I am just a lowly observer, but it seems like these concepts would have been drilled deeply in their heads in practice before the game.
Miami was up 19 at one pt and is up 14 with 7+ minutes remaining. Will the Canes prevent a potential Duke UNC showdown before Duke even takes the court?

[Class of '94]

Typical UNC, typical ACC. Play well against Duke and like crap against everyone else. Don't let any UNC fans try to make you think the regular season title is more important than the tournament either. That's always their convenient excuse.

If you go with that line of thinking that the regular season is more important than the tournament, then why have an NCAAT? Just crown the number 1 ranked team in the country at the time of the end of the NCAA regular season as the national champions. Btw,that would be completely stupid...;)

[UrinalCake]

Man, Reggie Johnson is a load. If he could just stay on the court he'd put up huge numbers.

[Class of '94]

These were all things i was yelling at the tv screen when we lost to UNC. I know we have an HOF coach and I am just a lowly observer, but it seems like these concepts would have been drilled deeply in their heads in practice before the game.
Miami was up 19 at one pt and is up 14 with 7+ minutes remaining. Will the Canes prevent a potential Duke UNC showdown before Duke even takes the court?

I'm pretty sure that it was in the gameplan but I think the team went away from those priniciples. As Nolan and Mason noted earlier this week, the team went back to the basics this week to work on those principles.

[CameronBlue]

on the IC, no one reads or responds to a post, there is simply too many people on the site and by the time you post, 10 other people have already posted. too much going on. hard to have a voice on that board.

I'm curious to know whether you think Roy makes a half-hearted effort to prepare or implicitly conveys a feeling of indifference toward the ACCT that affects the team's performance?

[kong123]

woooooooooooo

[UrinalCake]

Good grief, a 16 point lead down to 4 in a span of about three minutes

[Philadukie]

If I may provide the anti-weuxf. UNC will win by 5-10.

[Class of '94]

woooooooooooo

Wow, it looks like Carolina is going a Duke-like run.:)

[kong123]

I'm curious to know whether you think Roy makes a half-hearted effort to prepare or implicitly conveys a feeling of indifference toward the ACCT that affects the team's performance?

no, Roy wanted to win this tournament. He has conveyed this to the players. He mentioned the "Cocktail Party" after the Duke game, but make no mistake, he doesn't want to lose any game.

[lotusland]

Poise Canes don't panic!

[dcdrumsinc]

I am watching the miami unc game. why the heck did we try to put so much pressure on carolina defensively?!!!! unc clearly had an inside advantage. why would we put so much pressure on their guards and allow unc to get into the paint and allow their bigs to finish. miami has been packing in the paint all day, which is what you should do against unc. I guess coach k is just stubborn to zone?

[wilson]

Good grief, a 16 point lead down to 4 in a span of about three minutesTwo and a half, actually. Yeesh.

[kong123]

can UNC maintain their composure and still apply pressure?

[juise]

Come on, Miami. You've come too far! You've gotta keep your composure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT2ae1WkuC0)! Don't freak out!

[Philadukie]

Shows how good UNC can be when the effort equals the talent. They could easily make it to the Final Four if they had Duke's consistent effort (and coaching, ha.)

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

If UM could learn to shoot mid range jumpers, they'd be in business. They;re being guarded well on the perimeter and so driving all the way to the basket where the trees are waiting. A simple pull up jumper in the lane would do it. But their guards would rather the spectacular dipsy-do layup attempts. Sad.

[4decadedukie]

Miami by 3 , with 3:30 left (no ESPN at work, so the information delays are killing me).

[dukegirl]

Just turned it on a few minutes ago...who is co-broadcasting with Gminski? Everytime the Heels score, he shouts "Yes"! Is that appropriate?

[kong123]

no moral victories here, gotta win the game or its a wasted effort.

[elvis14]

Just turned it on a few minutes ago...who is co-broadcasting with Gminski? Everytime the Heels score, he shouts "Yes"! Is that appropriate?

Both announcers are openly rooting for UNC@CH.

[kong123]

Just turned it on a few minutes ago...who is co-broadcasting with Gminski? Everytime the Heels score, he shouts "Yes"! Is that appropriate?

he has been doing it for both teams.

[DukieInBrasil]

are the basketball gods giving back to Miami the collapse that they benefited from yesterday? 18 pts has disappeared in a little over 7 minutes.
all of their 19 pt lead has disappeared. Can they hang on?

[devildeac]

And folks thought the uva collapse yesterday was epic...

[elvis14]

he has been doing it for both teams.

Take off the light blue ear muffs!

[kong123]

i thought they were a bit too excited for Miami in the first half, take off you blackout blue ones buddy!!! :D

[RockyMtDevil]

What an absolute idiot...woofin and almost getting T'd up then missing the ft.

MIami, this is why you suck.

[UrinalCake]

Roy breaking out the power dump stance. Look out!

Miami missing some good opportunities - missed free throws, missed wide open 3

[JayBean]

Or does UNC take it in regulation? Miami just fell apart.

[devildeac]

Miami doing their replay of the 1st 18+ minutes of yesterday's game.

[DMV2434]

Nobody wanted to take that shot for Miami

[RockyMtDevil]

Seriously, how about passing the ball to the other team, or maybe calling a timeout when you don't have one, because this game is on that type of epic fail.

[DukieInBrasil]

Nobody wanted to take that shot for Miami

This game shows why Miami sucks, they have no composure despite having some really nice talent. Let's see if they can get a stop now that UNC has the ball, something they have done virtually none of in the the last few minutes.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

This game shows why Miami sucks, they have no composure despite having some really nice talent. They just don't know how to win, starting with the coach.

That pass was Miami's season in a nutshell.

[kong123]

next play

[4decadedukie]

UNC squeaks by, 61-59.

[devildeac]

6 points in 9+ minutes for the canes. or is that the cants

[DukieInBrasil]

This game shows why Miami sucks, they have no composure despite having some really nice talent. Let's see if they can get a stop now that UNC has the ball, something they have done virtually none of in the the last few minutes.

Nope. What an absolutely pathetic performance from Miami. Glad I'm not a Miami fan.

[jipops]

Utterly disgusting, no matter how predictable. And this result was very predictable, at every point in the game.

[chadlee989]

next play

Thats a Duke saying

[UrinalCake]

Amazing comeback by the Heels. If they can hit threes (as they did during their run), they're pretty much unstoppable.

[epoulsen]

wow.... just.... wow. That would have made my day, lets hope this game and tomorrows will wear (no pun intended) down the all ready thin Tarheels

[devildeac]

Great execution and great coaching canes.

Can we trade them for Syracuse?

[weezie]

Awww, phooey. :mad:

[dukelifer]

Nope. What an absolutely pathetic performance from Miami. Glad I'm not a Miami fan.

Miami collapsed but Carolina found a way- like they have all year. I am more and more convinced this team is going to the FF.

[Class of '94]

Amazing comeback by the Heels. If they can hit threes (as they did during their run), they're pretty much unstoppable.

If the heels make 3s and the other team makes stupid plays as well as fails to score, then they're pretty much unstoppable...

[ns7]

UNC is now 7-1 in one possession games. A normal team would be 4-3 or 3-4. I expect UNC's luck to run out in the NCAAs and potentially get knocked out early in a close loss.

[Matches]

Ugh. That was disgusting.

[Trinity'10]

A team with a tough overtime win yesterday ran out of gas, and the heels hit their shots at the end. Not impressed by the coaching in the second half... basically a 3 point shooting contest.

[lotusland]

Miami had the right game plan but couldn't stand success. That's also why K stresses stall ball to close out a win. Work the clock but get off a decent shot, rebound and make free throws and this game is in the bag.

I think UNC wins Saturda now so it's up to Duke to earn another shot on Sunday.

[jv001]

Shows how good UNC can be when the effort equals the talent. They could easily make it to the Final Four if they had Duke's consistent effort (and coaching, ha.)

unc will not meet a team that will choke like Miami in the NCAAT. And I hate to say it, the ACC is as bad as I've seen it. And that's from top to bottom. Well without Kyrie that is. Go Duke!

[_Gary]

next play

Yep, it's all about PG play. You guys actually have a true point guard (who's pretty good to boot). Unfortunately we do NOT have a true PG (I'm talking about a legit starting PG - Tyler is good but he's not ready to be a starting PG at Duke). I'm sure the Tar Heels would be toast right now without Kendal. Point Guard play is always critical and I've never hedged off my position on that and it's why I have serious doubts about Duke winning the ACC title or returning to the Final Four. We were able to get away with it last year because Jon took care of the ball, but that was an unusual and incredible run Duke made last year. It's not the norm for a team without a solid, true PG to win championships and unless Duke can make an identical run this year I'm not feeling good about our chances this weekend or in the coming weeks. :(

[jdj4duke]

Miami was staggeringly inept.

UNC has dodged about 5 of these huge deficit bullets this year. One would think at some point they would get burned. Credit to them, but can we throw Miami out of the conference now?

I really have a hard time figuring out whether UNC is actually any good (they were against us at CH) but these multiple instances of overcoming double digit obstacles against what are supposed to be inferior teams seems to be a perilous existence.

They have dodged just about every last second outcome.

I guess Miami didn't get all the calls.

[#1Duke]

Objectively looking at the game, UNC has learned how to close out a ballgame and not fade away or give up. They are playing with confidence and made a huge come back after playing so poorly for 75% of the game.
They looked awful the first half with poor shooting and many turnovers but stayed in the game.

We had better be ready and playing our best ball.... I KNOW we will!!

[DukeWarhead]

And Carolina's charmed life continues on.... Yeesh.

[ChicagoHeel]

Definitely a lot of help from Miami for that win. It's pretty common- start trying to milk the clock and you lose the initiative and become tentative. Some of Miami's last few possessions were just horrible. That being said, Miami doesn't collapse if UNC's defense, three point shooting, and Ty Zeller's inside game didn't turn up the pressure in the first place. An ugly win, but I'll take it.

[Duke79UNLV77]

And that doesn't count games against Clemson and UVa were that close until very late. The conference has let the sleeping giant up off the mat.

[ncexnyc]

Not sure what to say after that game. Several players had an opportunity to take the shot during Miami's last possession and passed. That's what I call choking. No one wanted to step-up.

As for their closing strategy, I really can't fault it. Sound in principle, but horrible execution. The first foul came way to soon as KM was pinned near the sidelines, another second of so could have come off before fouling. The second foul also was a bit premature, but then that's easy for me to say watching at home.

[jv001]

Yep, it's all about PG play. You guys actually have a true point guard (who's pretty good to boot). Unfortunately we do NOT have a true PG (I'm talking about a legit starting PG - Tyler is good but he's not ready to be a starting PG at Duke). I'm sure the Tar Heels would be toast right now without Kendal. Point Guard play is always critical and I've never hedged off my position on that and it's why I have serious doubts about Duke winning the ACC title or returning to the Final Four. We were able to get away with it last year because Jon took care of the ball, but that was an unusual and incredible run Duke made last year. It's not the norm for a team without a solid, true PG to win championships and unless Duke can make an identical run this year I'm not feeling good about our chances this weekend or in the coming weeks. :(

And don't forget unc gets all the calls. Go Duke!

[kong123]

A team with a tough overtime win yesterday ran out of gas, and the heels hit their shots at the end. Not impressed by the coaching in the second half... basically a 3 point shooting contest.


Poor coaching? Roy sat Zeller on the bench and ran McDonald so UNC could have their best shooters on the floor. Down 19 with under 8 to play, what else do you do? Punch it inside and try to comeback with 2 pointers? And if you are not impressed by a 3 point shooting contest, you root for the wrong team.

[Jeff Frosh]

Miami collapsed but Carolina found a way- like they have all year. I am more and more convinced this team is going to the FF.

I respectfully disagree. Blueprint for beating UNC: Pack it in, hope they don't have an atypical good performance from 3-point land and then don't choke at the end. There are plenty of teams out there that can do this, and the Tar Heels are bound to run out of luck at some point during the tourney. But, first things first. I really want another shot at them on Sunday.

[dukelifer]

I respectfully disagree. Blueprint for beating UNC: Pack it in, hope they don't have an atypical good performance from 3-point land and then don't choke at the end. There are plenty of teams out there that can do this, and the Tar Heels are bound to run out of luck at some point during the tourney. But, first things first. I really want another shot at them on Sunday.

It is clear how to beat them- but no one seems to be able to do it. Some teams are charmed.

[kong123]

DaveTelep Dave Telep
Kendall Marshall drives, finds Tyler Zeller for game-winner. Larry Drew must be crushed; his Hurricanes were so close.
45 seconds ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[jv001]

Poor coaching? Roy sat Zeller on the bench and ran McDonald so UNC could have their best shooters on the floor. Down 19 with under 8 to play, what else do you do? Punch it inside and try to comeback with 2 pointers? You are a troll. And if you are not impressed by a 3 point shooting contest, you root for the wrong team.

I thought he was talking about Haith not old roy. I thought roy did a good job of coaching. In this game and in the Duke game as well. Go Duke!

[jipops]

Living in the state of North Carolina can really suck this time of year. The bandwagon is in full effect.

[jv001]

It is clear how to beat them- but no one seems to be able to do it. Some teams are charmed.

Yeh, but you know what they say, you get real lucky right before you die. Well that's what my buddy told me one time after I had chipped in twice for birdies. Go Duke!

[UrinalCake]

About the only positive we can take from this game as Duke fans is that Harrison Barnes did NOT hit the game-winning shot.

[dukebluesincebirth]

I think the positive to take from this game is the blueprint that miami just laid out for the nation on how to best attack unc defensively: Pack it in, taking away dominant post play and marshall's ability to penetrate effectively. Make them shoot well consistently from outside. Miami simply didn't execute the final minutes of a good game plan. Someone else will.

[kong123]

Yeh, but you know what they say, you get real lucky right before you die. Well that's what my buddy told me one time after I had chipped in twice for birdies. Go Duke!

but you are still alive.......

[jv001]

but you are still alive.......

Praise The Lord.

[kong123]

I think the positive to take from this game is the blueprint that miami just laid out for the nation on how to best attack unc defensively: Pack it in, taking away dominant post play and marshall's ability to penetrate effectively. Make them shoot well consistently from outside. Miami simply didn't execute the final minutes of a good game plan. Someone else will.

i do not think that Miami figured anything out that wasn't already out there. UNC helped them with so many turnovers throughout the game. Also, UNC shot the ball poorly throughout the game. On top of those things, Miami shot the ball well until UNC started their run. While there maybe a blueprint to slow UNC down, you have to execute 40 minutes to win and UNC may not give someone the opportunity again. This team is young and seems to know how to win. With a bit of experience, that is a deadly combination.

[dukebluesincebirth]

i do not think that Miami figured anything out that wasn't already out there. UNC helped them with so many turnovers throughout the game. Also, UNC shot the ball poorly throughout the game. On top of those things, Miami shot the ball well until UNC started their run. While there maybe a blueprint to slow UNC down, you have to execute 40 minutes to win and UNC may not give someone the opportunity again. This team is young and seems to know how to win. With a bit of experience, that is a deadly combination.

Is that why you gave up on them with 16 minutes left in the game?

[SMO]

i do not think that Miami figured anything out that wasn't already out there. UNC helped them with so many turnovers throughout the game. Also, UNC shot the ball poorly throughout the game.

10 of 21 from 3 is a bit above UNC's average, no?

[Reddevil]

I think the positive to take from this game is the blueprint that miami just laid out for the nation on how to best attack unc defensively: Pack it in, taking away dominant post play and marshall's ability to penetrate effectively. Make them shoot well consistently from outside. Miami simply didn't execute the final minutes of a good game plan. Someone else will.

Duke will not follow this gameplan if they meet Sunday. Most teams just do what they do. There are not many gameplan type coaches like V anymore. A school with nothing to lose from a lesser conference might try it early, but after that everyone will dance to their own tune.

[elvis14]

. On top of those things, Miami shot the ball well until UNC started their run.

Miami was playing really well until they took their foot off the gas and tried to kill the clock. From that point on they missed pretty much everything including most of their FT's. UNC started their run when Miami started killing the clock and missing shots.

[jv001]

i do not think that Miami figured anything out that wasn't already out there. UNC helped them with so many turnovers throughout the game. Also, UNC shot the ball poorly throughout the game. On top of those things, Miami shot the ball well until UNC started their run. While there maybe a blueprint to slow UNC down, you have to execute 40 minutes to win and UNC may not give someone the opportunity again. This team is young and seems to know how to win. With a bit of experience, that is a deadly combination.

I actually thought unc played over their heads the last 10 minutes of the game and Miami just plain choked the game away. Grant showed his cool at the end. Lucky he didn't get a technical. Like I said, Miami choked worse than Virginia yesterday. Go Duke!

[BlueDevilBaby]

10 of 21 from 3 is a bit above UNC's average, no?

And they still only scored 61 points. 22 baskets, nearly half of which were 3-pointers. Not a great showing. But a win is a win, unfortunately in this case.

[kong123]

Is that why you gave up on them with 16 minutes left in the game?

didn't give up, playing mind games with myself. I usually have a sense of calm and confidence that UNC will comeback. I usually feel the same way when Duke is down big. We both have made many great comebacks over the years. Having said that, this was the only game that they have come back to win that I actually didn't think they were going to. Down 19 with under 10 minutes to go, and then down 16 with under 8, any fan would doubt their teams chances to comeback from that.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Another positive to take is that harrison barnes continues to play well and put up big numbers, which makes it more and more likely that he'll go into the NBA draft.

Best case scenario is that harrison has a great postseason and unc doesn't make the final four... but harrison's NBA stock skyrockets and he leaves, taking Zeller and Henson with him bc they no they won't win a championship without barnes.

[dukebluesincebirth]

didn't give up, playing mind games with myself. I usually have a sense of calm and confidence that UNC will comeback. I usually feel the same way when Duke is down big. We both have made many great comebacks over the years. Having said that, this was the only game that they have come back to win that I actually didn't think they were going to. Down 19 with under 10 minutes to go, and then down 16 with under 8, any fan would doubt their teams chances to comeback from that.

You posted "it's over" with 16 minutes left in the game, not at the 8 minute mark.

[kong123]

You posted "it's over" with 16 minutes left in the game, not at the 8 minute mark.

hey, no doubt that I posted that. Its a bad habit. I get carried away and begin to prepare myself for a loss. However, at that point, I still believed we were going to win the game. With 8 minutes to go, not so much.

I remember in the first UNC game, many on this board were getting squashed to death by pieces of falling sky. It happens to the best of us. Next play.

[jv001]

hey, no doubt that I posted that. Its a bad habit. I get carried away and begin to prepare myself for a loss. However, at that point, I still believed we were going to win the game. With 8 minutes to go, not so much.

I remember in the first UNC game, many on this board were getting squashed to death by pieces of falling sky. It happens to the best of us. Next play.

kong, I'm glad to see you've learned something on this board. Well really two things.
Go Duke!

[dukebluesincebirth]

hey, no doubt that I posted that. Its a bad habit. I get carried away and begin to prepare myself for a loss. However, at that point, I still believed we were going to win the game. With 8 minutes to go, not so much.

I remember in the first UNC game, many on this board were getting squashed to death by pieces of falling sky. It happens to the best of us. Next play.

So now you're trying to disguise giving up on your team as a "bad habit?" Okay. Whatever you say Kong. I'm done discussing it. Your posts say it all.

[#1Duke]

I respectfully disagree. Blueprint for beating UNC: Pack it in, hope they don't have an atypical good performance from 3-point land and then don't choke at the end. There are plenty of teams out there that can do this, and the Tar Heels are bound to run out of luck at some point during the tourney. But, first things first. I really want another shot at them on Sunday.

That is exactly what a UNC fan ( friend of mine ) said about Duke when they play us.
Go inside, hope they shoot 3s poorly, keep the turnovers down and we (UNC) win.:mad:

[lotusland]

i do not think that Miami figured anything out that wasn't already out there. UNC helped them with so many turnovers throughout the game. Also, UNC shot the ball poorly throughout the game. On top of those things, Miami shot the ball well until UNC started their run. While there maybe a blueprint to slow UNC down, you have to execute 40 minutes to win and UNC may not give someone the opportunity again. This team is young and seems to know how to win. With a bit of experience, that is a deadly combination.

I think the Heels have gaping holes that a good team will exploit. I don't see them advancing far in the big dance. The same is true of Duke unfortunately. I think UNC is peaking right now and it's still not enough to win it all. Duke, on the otherhand is slumping a little. The good news for Duke is that if - and this is a BIG if- Duke's shooters especially Kyle start hitting shots, our ceiling is higher than UNC's. If not though we could easily lose Sunday or before and exit even earlier than UNC from the tournament.

At this point I just hope Duke is still playing on Sunday so we can take another shot at y'all.

[lotusland]

Duke will not follow this gameplan if they meet Sunday. Most teams just do what they do. There are not many gameplan type coaches like V anymore. A school with nothing to lose from a lesser conference might try it early, but after that everyone will dance to their own tune.

You may be right. Duke almost certainly won't play much zone. I'd like to see a soft man to man that forces perimeter shots with no over-playing/hedging. It's understandable for coaches to "dance with the one who brung you" so Coach K may just try to play Duke D more effectively than we played in CH. Our defense seemed totally ineffective in that game to me. If we get another shot at the heels I hope whatever we do works but most of all I don't want to watch us go down in another barrage of dunks.

[hurleyfor3]

That game annoyed me. I was almost on a plane to Greensboro ready to scoop up virtually-free Saturday ACC Tournament tickets.

[Matches]

That game annoyed me. I was almost on a plane to Greensboro ready to scoop up virtually-free Saturday ACC Tournament tickets.

Had UNC lost they probably would've dropped to a 3-seed and thus gotten booted out of the Charlotte pod, too. A loss would have been akin to kicking them out of the state of NC.

Ugh. And again I say: ugh.

[dukelifer]

I think the Heels have gaping holes that a good team will exploit.

Gaping? They have two high quality bigs, a long forward who plays pretty solid D, a PG who can pass with the best of them, a couple of decent shooters and a Hall of Fame coach who has two NC in the last 5 years. They are a bit thin- and not very experienced- but gaping holes I think not. Each one of these close wins is like a 1/4 of a year in maturity. That is why I see them in the FF. They find a way to win. I will be the happiest guy to be proven dead wrong.

[pfrduke]

Had UNC lost they probably would've dropped to a 3-seed and thus gotten booted out of the Charlotte pod, too. A loss would have been akin to kicking them out of the state of NC.

Ugh. And again I say: ugh.

They had Charlotte already locked up - there's not another team that makes more geographic sense that will be higher on the line.

[lotusland]

Gaping? They have two high quality bigs, a long forward who plays pretty solid D, a PG who can pass with the best of them, a couple of decent shooters and a Hall of Fame coach who has two NC in the last 5 years. They are a bit thin- and not very experienced- but gaping holes I think not. Each one of these close wins is like a 1/4 of a year in maturity. That is why I see them in the FF. They find a way to win. I will be the happiest guy to be proven dead wrong.

We'll have to agree to disagree. This is not a FF team. They are solid and they may go futher than Duke but Miami drove a truck through gaping holes for about 32 minutes today. And we are talking about Miami not a Big East school.

[SMO]

We'll have to agree to disagree. This is not a FF team. They are solid and they may go futher than Duke but Miami drove a truck through gaping holes for about 32 minutes today. And we are talking about Miami not a Big East school.

UNC has been playing non-NCAA and borderline NCAA teams too close all year. They have won many of those games, but methinks you're more right than wrong here. They seem to have more heart than last year's team, but they are still not playing completely as a unit.

[pfrduke]

This should knock BC out of the NCAA picture. It's not that they lost, it's that Clemson blew them out from the opening tip.

Clemson, on the other hand, looks pretty good. They should be able to give the Heels a test tomorrow (like they did in the first two games).

[ns7]

They had Charlotte already locked up - there's not another team that makes more geographic sense that will be higher on the line.

Any chance Duke gets DC instead of Charlotte? I remember in 2006 UNC was shipped out to Ohio to protect Duke as a #1 seed in Greensboro(?). DC would certainly be a more favorable site than Charlotte along with UNC.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Any chance Duke gets DC instead of Charlotte? I remember in 2006 UNC was shipped out to Ohio to protect Duke as a #1 seed in Greensboro(?). DC would certainly be a more favorable site than Charlotte along with UNC.

Not with all the MD and Gtown fans and just plain old Duke haters here. I was at the first round games a few years ago. LOT of hate goin' on.

[Greg_Newton]

This should knock BC out of the NCAA picture. It's not that they lost, it's that Clemson blew them out from the opening tip.

Clemson, on the other hand, looks pretty good. They should be able to give the Heels a test tomorrow (like they did in the first two games).

Too bad, I found this BC team pretty hard not to like. Donahue seems like a good coach and genuine guy, and I've always liked Trapani - he's reminds me of a poor man's Matt Harpring, and he always left it all on the floor (plus he looks like Laettner).

You get the feeling that UNC could either blow out Clemson by 30 or lose by 20 tomorrow, I honestly wouldn't be that surprised either way.

[ns7]

Not with all the MD and Gtown fans and just plain old Duke haters here. I was at the first round games a few years ago. LOT of hate goin' on.

Do you remember the 2005 second round game against Mississippi State in Charlotte? I don't think anything can be worse than that.

[Rich]

kong, I'm glad to see you've learned something on this board. Well really two things.
Go Duke!

But doesn't Coach K usually use "Next Play" to refer to either a mistake on the court or a loss? It's meant to signify, "Don't compound one mistake with another and make it worse. Get past it and move on." I don't think "Next Play" is really appropriate after a win and, frankly, while I can't stop it, I'd rather not have Carolina fans apply it to their team either. Next thing you know they'll claim that Patrick Davidson was really a Heal.

[ChicagoHeel]

Miami lost because of two separate lapses in the game. They choked down the stretch- that one is pretty obvious. But as I posted before, to no small degree that was a function of the pressure that UNC put on them by making threes and playing good D. Miami also lost the game in the first 7-8 minutes. We had around 10 turnovers in the first ten minutes; more TOs than FGs. But Miami was up only 3-5 points. A better team would have established a much bigger margin. Obviously, UNC won't be able to play like that against better competition. Luckily, we seem to rise to the level of our competition.

[Olympic Fan]

Any chance Duke gets DC instead of Charlotte? I remember in 2006 UNC was shipped out to Ohio to protect Duke as a #1 seed in Greensboro(?). DC would certainly be a more favorable site than Charlotte along with UNC.

This is absolutely untrue -- and part of the mythology that K somehow arranged for UNC to be shipped to Dayton to "protect" Duke in Greensboro.

That's not what happened. Duke was No. 1 seed and that was enough to clinch one pod in Greensboro. UNC was a No. 3 seed and while they wanted Greensboro, they lost out to Tennessee, which was a No. 2 seed. Greensboro was the closest site for the Vols and as the higher seeded team, they took precedence.

That's the way it works -- the No. 1 seeds get sent to the best sites for them (even if it means two No. 1 seeds at the same first/second round sites). Then the No. 2 seeds get the sites that best suit them. Then the No. 3 seeds ... then the No. 4 seeds take what's left.

If the NCAA follows its guidelines, Duke and UNC are almost certainly locked into Charlotte. There's no other potential 2 or 3 seed that could bounce them out. Georgetown was in the mix (since they can't play in Washington), but their collapse has knocked them out of contention.

And quit worrying about a repeat of 2005 ... that was a freak occurance (and we've talked about many times) and won't happen again!

[oldnavy]

Look, everyone knows how to beat UNC, pack it in and make them shoot... GOT IT!

OK fine BUT when you have a large lead with about 10 minutes to go in the game, you have to take away the three point shots.... Miami stayed packed in and gave UNC WIDE OPEN looks. They should have gone out on the perimeter and forced UNC inside. It is a lot harder to chip away a 12-16 point lead 2 points at a time than it is to drop 3's. At one point I think UNC hit like 3, 3 pointers for 9 quick points. That should have been at least 4 possession by UNC. It also would have run some time off the clock on the offensive end by them trying to work the ball in with good ball pressure on Marshall.

Miami played the end game stupidly and UNC to their credit took full advantage. A better coached Miami team would have realized the only way for UNC to get back in the game would be with 3's and would have pressured them on the perimeter ESPECIALLY after they made a couple....

I am VERY impressed with Kendall Marshall. It is a crime that he wasn't the ACC Freshman of the Year... that kid makes UNC a FF threat, whereas without him they probably are a bubble team or at least no higher than a 5 seed.... he is that good, and he is the leader that they have needed. He took command of that team during their run. Very, Very impressive. The "Black Crow" will get all the accolades and hype, but anyone watching closely knows that Marshall is the most important and valuable player on that team.

UNC is on a roll, I hope we get another shot at them...

[Philadukie]

I couldn't put my finger on it for a while, but there's one aspect of the Tarhole offense that I find really annoying (other than the fact that it's Carolina).

It's their constant running/pushing the ball to cherry pickers after made baskets from the opposing team that I really can't stand.

A lot teams of course run and push the ball. No problem there. But it's HOW Carolina does it that I don't like.

It's pretty much the equivalent of "cherry picking," which, where I grew up, was a cowardly and unrespectable way to play on the court. It's almost like a few of their guys are giving up on the defensive play (and any attempt at a defensive rebound) after the ball is past them on the perimeter and are instead sprinting down the floor for a long pass and lay-in -- basically, a cherry pick.

Outlet passes and run-outs are totally fine with me after defensive rebounds, it's a great part of the game. But I don't really like cherry-pickers, who basically sneak behind the other team's offense for, in my opinion, a cheap basket.

I probably won't find much agreement here -- hey, it is a legitimate part of the game. But that doesn't mean I have to like it!

[ns7]

This is absolutely untrue -- and part of the mythology that K somehow arranged for UNC to be shipped to Dayton to "protect" Duke in Greensboro.

That's not what happened. Duke was No. 1 seed and that was enough to clinch one pod in Greensboro. UNC was a No. 3 seed and while they wanted Greensboro, they lost out to Tennessee, which was a No. 2 seed. Greensboro was the closest site for the Vols and as the higher seeded team, they took precedence.

That's the way it works -- the No. 1 seeds get sent to the best sites for them (even if it means two No. 1 seeds at the same first/second round sites). Then the No. 2 seeds get the sites that best suit them. Then the No. 3 seeds ... then the No. 4 seeds take what's left.

If the NCAA follows its guidelines, Duke and UNC are almost certainly locked into Charlotte. There's no other potential 2 or 3 seed that could bounce them out. Georgetown was in the mix (since they can't play in Washington), but their collapse has knocked them out of contention.

And quit worrying about a repeat of 2005 ... that was a freak occurance (and we've talked about many times) and won't happen again!

Thanks for clearing this up. I remember Tennessee as a #2 now in 2006. I think they almost lost to woefully underseeded Winthrop in the first round. Interesting to note that Dayton is only 30 miles farther from Knoxville than Greensboro.

I never implied that K cut a deal. The committee is supposed to protect #1 seeds from hostile crowds and I thought for once they actually did so. I remember we also had to play in front of a Kentucky crowd in Rupp in 1998 when Kentucky was the #2 seed in our bracket.

Also, for what it's worth, Greensboro just seems to be a lot more balanced than Charlotte. Charlotte is just Chapel Hill south.

[kong123]

Look, everyone knows how to beat UNC, pack it in and make them shoot... GOT IT!

OK fine BUT when you have a large lead with about 10 minutes to go in the game, you have to take away the three point shots.... Miami stayed packed in and gave UNC WIDE OPEN looks. They should have gone out on the perimeter and forced UNC inside. It is a lot harder to chip away a 12-16 point lead 2 points at a time than it is to drop 3's. At one point I think UNC hit like 3, 3 pointers for 9 quick points. That should have been at least 4 possession by UNC. It also would have run some time off the clock on the offensive end by them trying to work the ball in with good ball pressure on Marshall.

Miami played the end game stupidly and UNC to their credit took full advantage. A better coached Miami team would have realized the only way for UNC to get back in the game would be with 3's and would have pressured them on the perimeter ESPECIALLY after they made a couple....

I am VERY impressed with Kendall Marshall. It is a crime that he wasn't the ACC Freshman of the Year... that kid makes UNC a FF threat, whereas without him they probably are a bubble team or at least no higher than a 5 seed.... he is that good, and he is the leader that they have needed. He took command of that team during their run. Very, Very impressive. The "Black Crow" will get all the accolades and hype, but anyone watching closely knows that Marshall is the most important and valuable player on that team.

UNC is on a roll, I hope we get another shot at them...

I said this a few months ago and I still believe it, if Duke has Marshall, Duke wins the NC. If UNC has Nolan Smith, UNC wins the NC.

You don't just need Kyrie back, you need a real PG. Today, Dexter Strickland had ZERO points. If we had a consistent threat at that position, UNC would have 2009 balance.

[77devil]

I remember we also had to play in front of a Kentucky crowd in Rupp in 1998 when Kentucky was the #2 seed in our bracket.

Not quite as bad as having to play Kentucky in Rupp in the sweet 16 in 1980. Duke so dominated the first half that you could hear a pin drop, but Rupp came to a full roar in the second as Kentucky's comeback fell just short.

[ns7]

I said this a few months ago and I still believe it, if Duke has Marshall, Duke wins the NC. If UNC has Nolan Smith, UNC wins the NC.

You don't just need Kyrie back, you need a real PG. Today, Dexter Strickland had ZERO points. If we had a consistent threat at that position, UNC would have 2009 balance.

I disagree. This team can win with Nolan at point. Right now the team needs a third reliable scorer, i.e., Singler needs to get his shot back. He's historically played well against Maryland. Since around January, the team has really only had Nolan + 1 of Singler/Seth Curry as reliable scorers. Even in the 2nd UNC game we had the two highest scorers but couldn't find a third option.

I'm hoping a breakout game for Singler against Maryland will jump start another run to the FF, just like how Zoubek got started against Maryland last year!

I actually think that UNC could really use Seth Curry or even Andre Dawkins. You need McDonald to be more reliable from long range (like he was today). Of course adding Nolan to most top 10 teams would make them a title contender ;)

[#1Duke]

I couldn't put my finger on it for a while, but there's one aspect of the Tarhole offense that I find really annoying (other than the fact that it's Carolina).

It's their constant running/pushing the ball to cherry pickers after made baskets from the opposing team that I really can't stand.

A lot teams of course run and push the ball. No problem there. But it's HOW Carolina does it that I don't like.

It's pretty much the equivalent of "cherry picking," which, where I grew up, was a cowardly and unrespectable way to play on the court. It's almost like a few of their guys are giving up on the defensive play (and any attempt at a defensive rebound) after the ball is past them on the perimeter and are instead sprinting down the floor for a long pass and lay-in -- basically, a cherry pick.

Outlet passes and run-outs are totally fine with me after defensive rebounds, it's a great part of the game. But I don't really like cherry-pickers, who basically sneak behind the other team's offense for, in my opinion, a cheap basket.

I probably won't find much agreement here -- hey, it is a legitimate part of the game. But that doesn't mean I have to like it!

LOL!! Is this a serious post?? LOL!!

[oldnavy]

I said this a few months ago and I still believe it, if Duke has Marshall, Duke wins the NC. If UNC has Nolan Smith, UNC wins the NC.

You don't just need Kyrie back, you need a real PG. Today, Dexter Strickland had ZERO points. If we had a consistent threat at that position, UNC would have 2009 balance.

Kong, I think I am misunderstanding you, are you implying that Kyrie IS NOT a real PG, because that is how I read your post.

Just in case you are saying that, I am going to send the Paramedics over to your house because you have obviously overdosed on something... ;)

[gus]

Miami had the right game plan but couldn't stand success. That's also why K stresses stall ball to close out a win. Work the clock but get off a decent shot, rebound and make free throws and this game is in the bag.

I think UNC wins Saturda now so it's up to Duke to earn another shot on Sunday.

I'm glad someone brought this up. I didn't see the game, but have to assume they didn't go to a stall when they were 19 up with 9:56 minutes to go.

At that point, the stall K uses would have effectively clinched the game. Just quickly looking at the play by play, Miami was shooting about 15 seconds into the shot clock, and gave Carolina ~17 possessions. Had they taken 25-30 seconds instead, Carolina would have been limited to 14 or 15. One possession won the game.

[kong123]

Kong, I think I am misunderstanding you, are you implying that Kyrie IS NOT a real PG, because that is how I read your post.

Just in case you are saying that, I am going to send the Paramedics over to your house because you have obviously overdosed on something... ;)

I am saying that a real PG is what Duke needs. Not only one of KI's ability. Just someone who is as good at setting others up as they are at setting themselves up. KM does not have KI's ability to score or his quickness, but KM's skillset would put Duke at another level. Your bigs would benefit the most.

[ajgoodfella7]

I am saying that a real PG is what Duke needs. Not only one of KI's ability. Just someone who is as good at setting others up as they are at setting themselves up. KM does not have KI's ability to score or his quickness, but KM's skillset would put Duke at another level. Your bigs would benefit the most.

Another level than Duke would be with KI, or another level than Duke is at now? It you are talking about the latter, I agree with you. If you are talking about the former, I do not.

[Chris Randolph]

Chris Singleton ready to go for FSU. If he can get back into the swing of things, I like FSU's chances to win this tourney.... Not as good as our's, just saying they are legit cause he can shutdown Singler and with Nolan banged up, that is trouble for us

[1 24 90]

Who does everyone want to face in the semis? I think I would prefer Va Tech, maybe because that loss is a little fresher in my mind and I think they will be more tired playing their 3rd game in 3 days.

[Chris Randolph]

Chris Singleton ready to go for FSU. If he can get back into the swing of things, I like FSU's chances to win this tourney.... Not as good as our's, just saying they are legit cause he can shutdown Singler and with Nolan banged up, that is trouble for us

Nevermind, haha

[pfrduke]

This is really ugly basketball so far. Neither team looks sharp.

[jipops]

Nice finish to this one.

I'm not so sure he got that off

[sporthenry]

Lets give him a point for that one and get some more bball. But boy does Va. tech enjoy the bubble.

I'm a bit bummed b/c I wanted to see Va. Tech on CBS sweating it out again.

[DMV2434]

Wow that was close

[Vincetaylor]

Wow was that close. Incredible.

[DukeBlueDevils47]

soo ready for another shot at VT. LETS GO DUKE!

[pfrduke]

No good by the very tips of his fingers.

[epoulsen]

that was an awesome finish, I like Hamilton but I'd rather face V Tech again. Who knows with the Nolan issue

[devildeac]

I was rooting for about a 6 OT game:rolleyes:.

[jipops]

VaTech has a golden opportunity to get into the tournament tomorrow with our starting backcourt out. This could finally be their year to be off the bubble.

[DukeBlueDevils47]

Greenberg tears!