Evil wins this one as well
UNC vs Duke
Coming into the season finale against the arc rivals I didn’t think that the Heels would come back home to Chapel Hill with a W. However what North Carolina (16-15 & 5-11 in the ACC) got by Duke (26-5 & 13-3 in the ACC) was pay back for the last four years of UNC winning at Cameron Indoor Stadium, or a 82-50 shellacking. Head coach Roy Williams had told the media before the game that the biggest concern was being able to keep up with Duke’s scoring. Looking at the final score I would say that coach Williams knew what he was talking about. This game was well over by the end of the first half, when Duke led 53 to 26, meaning that if UNC had kept them scoreless in the second 20 minutes they still would have lost by three points. Now, unlike many fans, I am not going with the “no heart” bologna, but what I am going with is pretty simple, this team had no leader and it has no “go to guy”, making it vulnerable when it gets down.
One of the few threats from the outside this year has been Will Graves, and his thoughts about the game were:
“It hurts that we didn’t come prepared to play,” said Will Graves, who was scoreless in 23 minutes of play. “This whole year has been something different. We’ve got to keep learning.”
And while the quote might be interesting to read, the fact that he was held scoreless is much more meaningful in my mind. From what I read around the internet the crazies kept doing “N-I-T” chants as the game went on. Stay class Duke, stay classy! Everyone has a right to chant what they want, even more so when they can finally beat a team that has owned them at home four years in a row, but remember that pay backs are whatever they say they are. And while we are talking about classy, nice touch by ESPN to have Erin Andrews dress in a Duke blue shirt, first time I ever seen that happen, and of course Mr. Vitale and his man love for Coach K has become so extreme it gets annoying as soon as he says the first thing about it.
But none of this is what this game was all about. This squad needs a leader and it needs shooters that can hit the shot when needed to either cut a run or calm the crowd down. Right now, on this squad, neither are present, and with the ACC Tournament left (and maybe the NIT) I doubt that either of those things will suddenly emerge. So, for this year, as I have said so, so many times “it is what it is”. Next year I have a feeling a lot of things will change and that is how UNC will be back to the one we are used to seeing.
I will end with this: I read on a web board someone saying “that (head coach) Roy (Williams) can only win if he has better players”. I didn’t answer this person cause the frustrations right now need to be let out and getting into it with those types of posts makes no sense. However, on my site, I will answer it. Anyone ever thought that Bill Belichick was a great head coach before he got to New England? How about Billy Donovan, does anyone think that an NBA team is going to give him anything/everything like he got from the Magic after winning two NCAA titles in a row? You are not going to win without talent, ask anyone. And you are not going to win without matured players. This year, for this Heels squad neither was available.
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