I know everyone is getting ready for the big game with the Heels, and the Wake game is history, but I missed out on discussing it, and I want to share my thoughts on the end of the game.
I've got the last 7.4 seconds of video (below), plus several replays, and slow motion replays that allow you to see all the little things that happened during these crucial seconds.
First when Childress got the ball and turned the corner it looked like he might could drive the ball to the basket (and maybe should have tried), but Cam made a great recovery and then forced Childress into an incredibly difficult shot that missed everything, but was one of those type of misses that gets rebounded and put back in many times, but Jack, unable to pull down the rebound, made a good play by knocking it back away from the basket. Unfortunately, Brown secured the ball and was in good position to make a shot, but Tre was alert and came over and harassed him into not being able to shoot the ball immediately, and he had to 'reload' while Tre attempted to block the shot. In the meantime that defense allowed Jack to locate Brown and get in excellent defensive position and force him into an extremely tough shot over his outstretched hand.
Yes, the shot was close, but not like Grayson's rim runner. More importantly, the shot was still on his fingers when the clock expired (shouldn't have counted anyway), and that was due to the great defense that Tre provided that made Brown use precious tenths of seconds, and Jack coming over that forced him into a difficult leaning away from the basket shot. Jack may have even touched it with his fingertip.
After that bonehead inbound play, it would have been very easy for our guys to have been shell-shocked and not focused on playing good defense. But they didn't hang their heads and from the start Cam played great defense, Jack knocked the ball out away from the rim, Tre played great D on Brown, and then Jack finished it off with more great defense.
Anyway, the point I wanted to make was that Duke wasn't lucky at the end of the game (as many have said). If the shot had went in it would have been Wake that was lucky, because Duke did almost everything perfect defending that shot at the end.
Now, if you want to argue that Duke shouldn't have been in that position, you don't have one from me or anyone else. Duke should have won handily, but for whatever reason they didn't seem to play with any intensity until they got down 10 points and then exploded with some passion long enough to tie up the game.
Still, our guys showed some real grit to win that game at the end. I'll admit I'm not as optimistic as I once was about getting a W at Chapel Hill (without Zion), but I won't discount our guys ability to fight adversity and pull out the win. They are a tough bunch.
Sorry, for the DSouth type of post. It's probably just a cathartic type post for me.
OFC
I've got the last 7.4 seconds of video (below), plus several replays, and slow motion replays that allow you to see all the little things that happened during these crucial seconds.
First when Childress got the ball and turned the corner it looked like he might could drive the ball to the basket (and maybe should have tried), but Cam made a great recovery and then forced Childress into an incredibly difficult shot that missed everything, but was one of those type of misses that gets rebounded and put back in many times, but Jack, unable to pull down the rebound, made a good play by knocking it back away from the basket. Unfortunately, Brown secured the ball and was in good position to make a shot, but Tre was alert and came over and harassed him into not being able to shoot the ball immediately, and he had to 'reload' while Tre attempted to block the shot. In the meantime that defense allowed Jack to locate Brown and get in excellent defensive position and force him into an extremely tough shot over his outstretched hand.
Yes, the shot was close, but not like Grayson's rim runner. More importantly, the shot was still on his fingers when the clock expired (shouldn't have counted anyway), and that was due to the great defense that Tre provided that made Brown use precious tenths of seconds, and Jack coming over that forced him into a difficult leaning away from the basket shot. Jack may have even touched it with his fingertip.
After that bonehead inbound play, it would have been very easy for our guys to have been shell-shocked and not focused on playing good defense. But they didn't hang their heads and from the start Cam played great defense, Jack knocked the ball out away from the rim, Tre played great D on Brown, and then Jack finished it off with more great defense.
Anyway, the point I wanted to make was that Duke wasn't lucky at the end of the game (as many have said). If the shot had went in it would have been Wake that was lucky, because Duke did almost everything perfect defending that shot at the end.
Now, if you want to argue that Duke shouldn't have been in that position, you don't have one from me or anyone else. Duke should have won handily, but for whatever reason they didn't seem to play with any intensity until they got down 10 points and then exploded with some passion long enough to tie up the game.
Still, our guys showed some real grit to win that game at the end. I'll admit I'm not as optimistic as I once was about getting a W at Chapel Hill (without Zion), but I won't discount our guys ability to fight adversity and pull out the win. They are a tough bunch.
Sorry, for the DSouth type of post. It's probably just a cathartic type post for me.
OFC
