UNC at Duke - Keys to the Game
- Thread starter dukiejay
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Just got an update: no Isaiah Hicks tonight... that's a huge loss for UNC... hopefully we can take advantage
So they have their excuse in place should we win. No Hicks.....oh wait what was I thinking? The excuse is always the refs when they lose.
Tough news for unc about Hicks. We know the feeling. We still have to play at our best to win. OFC
I can only imagine his "Duke Hatred" is totally off the charts now. I wonder what he thinks of Coach K's punishment a few weeks back now? I am sure the Berrys will call the Allens today and congratulate them on the Duke win and G's performance.
OFC
OFC
Alright, it's morning. The sting of the loss has lessened somewhat.
There's no valid excuse. Hicks may have been out but we were still capable of winning. But in the end you outplayed us.
You shot lights out and kennard and Allen were unbelievable. Tatum had an excellent second half. You also kept us off the boards, one of our strengths. We missed about half our free throws and when we needed him most, Berry didn't deliver. Jackson also didn't play as well in the second half.
All in all, the result doesn't surprise me given other factors I cited yesterday, but it was pretty back and forth until right at the end. You guys did what you needed to do to win. We didn't. It's that simple.
There's no valid excuse. Hicks may have been out but we were still capable of winning. But in the end you outplayed us.
You shot lights out and kennard and Allen were unbelievable. Tatum had an excellent second half. You also kept us off the boards, one of our strengths. We missed about half our free throws and when we needed him most, Berry didn't deliver. Jackson also didn't play as well in the second half.
All in all, the result doesn't surprise me given other factors I cited yesterday, but it was pretty back and forth until right at the end. You guys did what you needed to do to win. We didn't. It's that simple.
Very classy CB I commend you....Only question I have is I noticed Berry sat for a fairly lengthy period toward the ladder part of the 1st half. Were you surprised by this?
OFC
I'm not sure what the hell was going on there. The only explanation I can think of is illness, but he seemed fine to me. Berrys play baffled me because he usually comes up big when we need him to. Not this time.
You know your team better than I do, but let me play arm chair QB from a distance. And maybe I'm completely off here.
1 - I don't think UNC's backcourt is elite. Kenny Williams isn't the answer. A nice kid, I'm sure, but he's not where UNC needs him to be right now.
2 - Jackson is a great player and probably my favorite for ACC POY right now. I still think last night was a bump in the road for Berry, too. But do UNC fans worry that if both of them aren't playing really well it's going to be hard to win games? Losing Hicks did hurt you guys, and I know Kennedy is capable, but I still think you're lacking a true, consistent third option.
3 - I'll just never understand UNC's defense of the three-point line. In a game that has shifted paradigms over the years so much UNC is still reluctant to do this. I saw a stat last night that since last season, UNC has now allowed five teams to make 13 three's or more in a game. That's not just coincidence, is it?
Anyway, the game had me on pins and needles all night. I still think UNC is a serious threat to go deep and a really good team, but I'm not sure they're as polished as some of their fans (not you) think. It's a team with some deficiencies. And for the record, we have our own too....so I'm not slightly your team at all, just making a couple observations.
Number 1 is fact. That kid isn't very good. May be a hell of a guy, but he can't play. I think having a hole there is a bigger issue for them than not having a 3rd option.
I think 2 is exactly how that team goes. If those 2 don't play well, they are in trouble. In fairness, we've had games this year where one of our studs doesn't play well and we've been beat.
It is incredible to me that 3 wasn't addressed. We are a good 3 pt shooting team, and everyone in the country knows that. How many touches did Amile, Giles, and Bolden actually get? A lot of people are saying that Amile didn't play well (he did miss some plays, but was fantastic on defense), but I think he just didn't have many touches. This is because UNC packs it in and gives up 3s.
The Holes are a very good team, and I hate admitting that. I would have to look at their stats in other losses but I know last night and loss to Miami, they were outrebounded And Berry was not as good as needed. I'm not stating it as a fact, but it's a big coincidence if nothing else
I think he has been not very good in most of their losses. Gary, correct me if I'm wrong.
Lets give the Blue Devils D some credit as Berry did in post-game for the "switching" they were doing which apparently gave him problems. Berry is a terrific player, but I think Duke was determined not to let Berry and Jackson beat them.
Jackson played well, and perhaps Williams role gets lost sometimes as the 3rd perimeter option, particularly w/Pinson on the floor(played well). Also, Williams had just come off a good performance against Notre Dame Sunday, so perhaps this helped the Devils in their focus on him...
The Carolina conceding of the 3pt shot goes back to the days of Glen Rice in a sweet 16 regional during the J.R. Reid days and they wouldnt come out on him.... He kept right on nailing em. I have talked to UNC fans about this and they readily acknowledge it.
Regardless, I was on "pins and needles" throughout and it was its usual INSTANT CLASSIC...
OFC
Jackson played well, and perhaps Williams role gets lost sometimes as the 3rd perimeter option, particularly w/Pinson on the floor(played well). Also, Williams had just come off a good performance against Notre Dame Sunday, so perhaps this helped the Devils in their focus on him...
The Carolina conceding of the 3pt shot goes back to the days of Glen Rice in a sweet 16 regional during the J.R. Reid days and they wouldnt come out on him.... He kept right on nailing em. I have talked to UNC fans about this and they readily acknowledge it.
Regardless, I was on "pins and needles" throughout and it was its usual INSTANT CLASSIC...
OFC
I believe your right on KW. Theo brings an energy and a drive that Williams does not. And though Roy was inclined to use Theo as a sixth man spark off the bench, now may be the time to make that switch.
Getting that third option is tough. When Jackson and Berry played poorly down the stretch (first time in a big game this year) we suffered and the last 4 minutes only scored 7 points. That's not going to get you a win. Hicks being out certainly hurt, but we were right in that game until Allen and Tatum hit those threes. Meeks was also rather quiet most of the game and that hurt as well.
You are absolutely right on the third point. One thing most of us on the OOTB agree on, and others as well is that Roy hasn't adapted to the nature of the game. Duke's specialty is threes. In our losses to you this decade, of which there are many, you guys have always killed us from the perimeter. That whole I practically yelled at the TV because we kept biting and the drive and dish EVERY TIME.
The game was a solid back and forth contest. I still think we are a top 10 team, and Duke is also getting hot at the right time. We got some holes to fix for sure. But this could be a valuable learning experience.
I look forward to seeing you guys at Chapel Hill. I'd rather not get swept for the fourth time this decade lol.
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