Off the cuff: I got this weird premonition right before the game that North Carolina was going to beat Duke 80-70. I didn't let myself believe it would happen, even with a 51-39 halftime lead for Carolina. After all, we'd seen this story before with Duke coming from 16 down against the Tar Heels in Durham earlier this season. But after that game, I felt like Carolina was the better team and would win in Chapel Hill. Still, I felt that the assessment couldn't be right. I mean Duke is Duke. They are defending champs. They hit a slew of threes and you have to get a lot of twos to offset them. Plus, they have a lot more experience. Think about senior night at Duke with Singler and Smith playing their last home game against Clemson. And then think of Carolina's senior night against Duke with starters Knox, Bolick, Hatchell and Johnston - none of which had ever started a game at UNC. Carolina has only eight scholarship players on the roster right now. The normal starting five is entirely different than those who were starting for the Tar Heels last year at this time. To top it off, while Duke is at the top of the ACC in three-point shooting and free throw shooting, Carolina is at the bottom. So, just how did Carolina beat Duke 81-67? Emotion, intensity, hot shooting mainly. Duke missed open shots and Carolina pushed it down court aggressively and confidently. Marshall had a terrific game with 15 points and 11 assists but just as important was the poise Carolina showed when Duke scored the last two points of the first half and the first seven points of the second half. A key 9-2 Carolina run, highlighted by a Barnes steal and dunk along with a three, righted the ship. The Tar Heels may have two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior, who has never played a full season, as starters but neither this game nor the regular season title was a fluke. Regardless of what happens in the ACC tournament, UNC is the best team in the conference. Will that translate to an ACC tournament championship or a deep run into the NCAA tournament? And will all the starters stay for next year, which should be even better? Stay tuned. |
|