|
|
The classic matchup between Wake Forest and North Carolina last weekend is worthy of a little bit of further analysis.
The Demon Deacons held on for a 119-114 triple-overtime over the Tar Heels that spoiled Roy Williams' conference debut in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener that will remain in the memory of college basketball fans for a long time.
"They have to have a phenomenal feeling right now to go through that experience
and end up winning," Williams said after the game. "It's one of the
great things about college athletics is you do get to have those kinds of feelings.
There's another side though because our feelings are not that good."
The incredible game was the highest scoring contest in North Carolina basketball history and the first time the Tar Heels lost a game in which they scored 100 points. It was the second-highest game in ACC history, matching the 118-115 loss by Wake Forest at Clemson on February 13, 2002 - both involved Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser. "If this game is a precursor of ACC basketball for the next 50 years, wow!" Prosser said.
It was a game that appeared to be won or lost by both teams on numerous occasions. Wake freshman guard Chris Paul missed a desperation 3-pointer at the end of regulation.
But Paul turned in the play of the game with his team trailing by two points late in the first extra session. He raced upcourt and had his shot blocked out of bounds, but set up a terrific inbounds play by passing in to Eric Williams, who returned it to Paul. Tar Heels guard Melvin Scott inexplicably fouled Paul on a 3-pointer and Paul made 2-of-3 to keep the game going.
The Tar Heels were done when Sean May fouled out in the second overtime, allowing Eric Williams to assert himself inside. Kyle Visser was another unsung hero for Wake by coming off the bench to make 6-of-8 shots for 13 points.
Lost in the shuffle was the season debut of the Tar Heels' David Noel, who finished with seven points and four fouls in 18 minutes. Noel missed the first six games due to a thumb injury.
"It was devastating to lose," Noel said. "Anytime you go into a game, you want to win it. Especially a game like this that can probably be an instant classic, you want to be the team on top. So, it is definitely a devastating loss."
Wake Forest-North Carolina was a fitting appetizer for an ACC season that should be one of the best in recent memory. There are at least five teams that look like they are capable for a run to the Sweet 16 or farther. There are also unknown quantities such as Florida State, North Carolina State and Virginia that can serve as spoilers.
In case anyone's wondering, North Carolina travels to Wake Forest on February 7, two days after the Tar Heels' first matchup with Duke. ...
EYES OF TEXAS: Texas is easily the biggest flop of the early season. The Longhorns have proven one thing - that T.J. Ford truly deserved to be the national Player of the Year last season.
The Longhorns shouldn't be struggling to this extent, although losing a player like Ford is difficult. But the biggest problem is that Texas is still playing as if Ford is running the show.
The team's strength lies in its frontcourt, where bruising big men like James Thomas, Brad Buckman and Jason Klotz can overwhelm opponents and complement terrific standstill shooters like Sydmill Harris and Brandon Mouton. Too often instead, Texas pushes the ball for quick shots and ends up getting buried in transition.
Amazingly, coach Rick Barnes believes that his roster is suited for a run-and-gun game.
"There's not a guy on our team that we didn't think could take them off the dribble when we wanted to," he said after last Saturday's thrashing at the hands of Duke.
Come again?
Texas is not an up-tempo team anymore and Royal Ivey and Edgar Moreno are not the kind of players who can regularly break down defenders. And they are at least somewhat capable of penetrating - Mouton and Harris are completely ill-suited to play that way, making Barnes' comment very strange.
Barnes has decided to heap abuse on his post players, putting Thomas in the doghouse - the power forward logged only four minutes on Saturday. It is something that he needs to reconsider since Thomas is the heart and soul of this year's team.
"We need James," Mouton said. "He's a huge factor in what we're trying to do."
The Longhorns' modus operandi this season should be as a walk-it-up, half-court team that wins with defense. It is something Barnes has been known for in the past - perhaps the luxury of Ford for two seasons caused him to overrate his transition offense.
"I'm not letting people talk about T.J.," Barnes said. "That's over and done with."
Barnes needs to listen to himself and coach the team as if Ford was not there. ...
BEST IN WEST: Stanford continues to impress and stamp itself as the favorite to capture the Pac-10 Conference crown. Keep in mind that the Cardinal have won on their last three visits to Arizona's McKale Center.
Stanford owns wins over Kansas and Gonzaga after Matt Lottich's career-high 34-point performance in Saturday's triumph over the Bulldogs. But the key to the win was the play of frontcourt stalwarts Justin Davis and Rob Little, who combined for 20 first-half points. Davis' 16 points and eight rebounds were expected - Little's 14 and seven were almost the icing on the cake as the duo are emerging as one of the best post tandems in the nation.
"I think we get some confidence that if we come to play we can compete," Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. "It doesn't mean you're going to win every game."
The Cardinal's biggest challenge will be to mesh injured swingman Josh Childress once conference plays begins. Right now, Stanford clearly is the best team on the West Coast. ...
CHARLESTON: The College of Charleston is off to another strong start and has won seven straight since a four-point loss at Auburn to open the season. The Cougars lost their starting backcourt of Troy Wheless and A.J. Harris, but Thomas Mobley, who scored a career-high 22 points in Monday's win over North Carolina-Wilmington, is back.
Remember, Tom Herrion's team captured the Great Alaska Shootout last season and has been unable to schedule any high-profile games because major-conference schools do not want to be challenged. The Auburn game was only on the docket since it was an exempt event. ...
TINSLEY, PART II: A New York City native running the point guard position at Iowa State - sound familiar? The Cyclones are surviving after the Larry Eustachy scandal thanks to freshman Curtis Stinson.
Stinson is averaging 13.1 points and 5.1 assists in putting his stamp on the Cyclones, who won their biggest game of the season on Tuesday with a 68-61 triumph over Xavier. Stinson had 19 points and 10 rebounds, helping Iowa State withstand the loss of Tim Barnes, who has been declared ineligible.
Of course, Stinson is drawing favorable comparisons to former Cyclone Jamaal Tinsley. Stinson should be in Ames for four seasons - Tinsley only played for two years.
BUFFS LOSE: Colorado had its 15-game home winning streak stopped with a surprising 74-54 setback to Utah on Tuesday. The Buffaloes were exposed on the perimeter, shooting 2-of-16 from the arc on a night when star guard Blair Wilson struggled.
"It should serve as an eye opener, it should be a wake-up call and it should put things in perspective," coach Ricardo Patton said. "We won 15 straight because we played solid defense. We did not do that tonight."
MICHIGAN: Michigan has struggled mightily in winning its last two games and coach Tommy Amaker is not happy, despite the Wolverines' 7-1 record. They nearly blew a 31-5 lead in a victory over Central Michigan and a 32-14 halftime lead was cut to one point in Monday's 55-50 triumph over Delaware State.
"To be honest with you I am worried about our team," Amaker said. "We are not a very good basketball team right now. I told that to our kids. The season is a long season and you always have to be honest where your team is at that point and time."
Point guard Daniel Horton has had an extremely poor campaign, shooting 35 percent from the floor and recording more turnovers than assists. His 3.8 turnovers per game and poor shot selection have been major trouble spots. ...
ODDS & ENDS: A local columnist suggested that Indiana coach Mike Davis should stay away from coaching against Kentucky and it may be the right move. Davis developed an intense hatred for the Wildcats from his playing days with Alabama and associate coach John Treloar was forced to address the media after Davis fell to 0-4 against UK with Saturday's 80-41 drubbing. ... We are aware that Bob Knight coached against Steve Alford on Monday. But it wasn't the first time the two have met and neither Iowa nor Texas Tech is a team that is really a major story. ... Rhode Island improved to 7-2 with Tuesday's 96-90 overtime victory over Charlotte, which plays some of the country's most exciting games. Dawan Robinson scored 31 points for the Rams, who have to be taken seriously in a watered-down Atlantic 10. ... Notre Dame guard Chris Quinn drilled six 3-pointers in Tuesday's win over Quinnipiac. The Fighting Irish need Quinn to become a factor to alleviate their perimeter woes. ... The Big West Conference notched a pair of huge wins this week. On Monday, Cal Poly knocked off a second Pac-10 opponent by pulling away for a 93-78 victory over Southern California behind a career-high 32 points from 170-pound guard Kameron Gray. A day later, Utah State let a 26-point lead slip away before posting a 76-74 victory over Rafael Araujo and Brigham Young. The Aggies are 6-1. ... A big-time sleeper recruit is Dayton big man Chris Alvarez, who is playing his final season at Blair Academy in New Jersey, the same school that produced Duke's Luol Deng and Connecticut's Charlie Villanueva. Alvarez attacks the glass ferociously, is an outstanding shot blocker and is the kind of player who should fit nicely in Dayton's recent history of having solid post players.