Ah, finally some numbers that are more (but still not entirely) pleasing to work with! We will get to that in a moment, but first there are a couple of important things that last night’s win provided that go beyond just a prettier looking boxscore. First, Carolina clinched a winning record on the road in ACC games, which despite the ACC being down, is still an important accomplishment, as the Tournament Selection committee does place a premium on road wins. Second, the Heels clinched a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament, as they can now finish no lower than 3rd (own tie-breaker with VPI) in the ACC. And lastly, last night’s win all but guarantees that UNC will be included in the NCAA Tournament, even if they should do the unthinkable and lose the next 4 games, though I would certainly prefer that they did not test this theory. Now, on to the boxscore…
Four Factors
In the last edition of BTB I noted that UNC had been completely Jekyll and Hyde with respect to their offensive efficiency (OE) through its first 12 ACC games (6 games with an average OE of 118.5, and 6 games with an average OE of 89.8) and that somewhere in the middle would be a decent place to set up for the rest of the season. Last night, against a rival desperate for a win, the Heels produced a respectable OE of 111.9. More importantly, in the second half, UNC had a relative explosion, upping their OE to an excellent 129.4 en route to snapping a streak of 4 halves (and 7 of their last 8 halves) in which they had scored less than 40 points. Just as their recent struggles on offense started with a poor second-half against Duke, the stretch of beautiful basketball that the Heels played preceding that (@BC, FSU, and the 1st-half @Duke) all started with their nearly perfect second half performance (OE: 156.3) in the first NCSU game. Let’s hope that history is about to repeat itself.
As for the individual factors of this game, one really has to look no further than the job the Heels did on the offensive boards. While the team still struggled at times to knock shots down, the reason they were able to post a respectable OE was because the rebounded a terrific 47.5% of their misses, which was their best performance in the ACC this season, and the second best overall (Hofstra - OR%: 53.8). And in the second-half, the Heels were even more dominant, upping their OR% to a ridiculous 57.9, which included several highlight-reel put backs. In addition to their work on the glass, the Tar Heels also did a very good job of taking care of the ball, with a TO% of 16.4. Maximizing possessions by protecting the ball and rebounding a high percentage of one’s misses certainly go a long way towards ameliorating the deficiencies on offense that are caused by poor (or inconsistent) shooting.
Statistical Highlights
- Despite the team’s quality TO%, Kendall Marshall had 5 individual turnovers for the second straight game, after averaging only 2.5 TPG through his first 8 games as a starter. This is certainly something that cannot persist if the Heels are going to make noise in March.
- For the first time all season, the Tar Heels have now posted an OR% > 40.0 and a DR% > 70.0 in 3 straight games.
- UNC’s 3P% of 31.3, while by no means great, was a marked improvement over the 16.7% that they had shot over the previous 4 games.
- The Tar Heels cracked 60.0 in floor% (61.0) and 50.0 in true shooting% (50.3) both for the first time since the FSU game. The four game stretch under those thresholds had been their longest of the season.
- UNC is still struggling to get production from its bench, as all four bench players had a Roland Rating of -10 or worse, with Reggie Bullock the low man at -24. Roy obviously recognizes this, as 4 of the 5 starters had minute percentages of 75.0 or higher, and the only reason it was not 5 of 5, was because Tyler Zeller found himself in foul trouble. Despite that foul trouble, Zeller led the team with a Roland Rating of +18.
Beyond the Box Player of the Game
Before getting to the POG for the State game, let’s first take a look at the top five ORtgs for the Tar Heels (minimum possession percentage: 10% or minimum minutes percentage: 80.0):
| Player | ORtg | Pos | eFG% | TS% | Roland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Strickland | 192.9 | 6 | 68.7 | 72.6 | 6 |
| T. Zeller | 116.1 | 8 | 44.4 | 50.4 | 18 |
| H. Barnes | 111.7 | 12 | 41.1 | 44.5 | 16 |
| K. Marshall | 103.7 | 14 | 45.8 | 50.3 | 16 |
| R. Bullock | 100.8 | 4 | 20.0 | 31.3 | -10 |
While Dexter Strickland certainly had a (very welcomed) breakout game, scoring more points against the Pack (13) than he had in his previous 4 games combined (10), all while posting a team best ORtg of 192.9, the race for POG really came down to two players: Harrison Barnes and John Henson.
Barnes certainly had a solid overall game (16 points, OR%: 10.0, DR% 16.6, ORtg: 111.7), but his inclusion in this conversation is really the result of only two, 2.5 minute stretches of game time. Barnes scored 5 points over Carolina’s first four second-half possessions to capping a 13-minute stretch in which the Heels outscored the Wolfpack 31-14 to take “relative” control of the game. But the more important stretch came around the four-minute mark, when the “Barnesbot” activated (credit: @joeovies), scoring 7 straight points on two spectacular put-back dunks and an absolute dagger 3. There is nothing more that can really be said about Barnes’ play in the game’s final minutes, other than his ability to “flip the switch” and instantly become, head-and-shoulders, the best player on the court, regardless of the opponent, is a huge reason why UNC has been, and will continue to be, a very tough team to beat in a close game.
While Barnes was making his mark on the offensive end, John Henson was completely dominating the Wolfpack on the defensive end of the court, which was critical against a team (NCSU) that was trying to make a living off of 2-point field goals (78.5% of their FGA and 79.4% of their points where from inside the arc). Henson, by a large margin, led the Heels in rebounding (DR%: 33.3), blocked shots (block %: 14.2), and talking smack. (Okay, I admit that I have no numbers to prove that last one, but I think the observation is still valid.) I was actually somewhat surprised that Henson did not get T’d up, but I think part of the reason he gets away with it is because, like everything else he does on the court, he talks smack with a giant smile on his face, which not only helps deflect attention from it, but also makes it more effective, in my opinion.
After going back-and-forth, it becomes evident that both Barnes and Henson provided UNC with something unique and absolutely crucial to their win, and it is for that reason that they are both being named co-Players of the Game.
Beyond the Box Player of the Year
The BTB POY is based on a points system in which a player gets 10 points for being named the POG and 3 points for having a top five ORtg, with a 2 point bonus for having the top ORtg. What follows are the updated standings through the team’s first 27 games.
| Player | POGs | Top-5 ORtgs (Top ORtg) | POY Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeller | 7 | 20 (5) | 140 |
| Henson | 7 | 12 (1) | 108 |
| Barnes | 5 | 16 | 98 |
| Marshall | 3 | 17 (7) | 95 |
| McDonald | 2 | 15 (5) | 75 |
| Strickland | 2 | 13 (2) | 63 |
| Bullock | 14 (2) | 46 | |
| Knox | 12 (2) | 40 | |
| Watts | 5 (2) | 19 |
Note: For reference, a full stats glossary can be found at StatSheet.com.
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well that’s more like it. i’m glad to see the guys driving to the hoop since the 3′s aren’t falling.
i also like to say barnes had a heck of a defensive outing. he lost track of wood once early but was on him like a leach all game afterwards, rendering him useless.
great job TBF!
Maryland (18-10) is coming to the Dean Dome with a lot at stake this Saturday. This is a huge game for Gary William’s team. The Maryland players will be pumped. Let’s hope the Heels are ready.
I know you guys don’t like Seth Davis, but he said a year ago that Harrison Barnes was a player that most resembled Shane Battier and I think that has been pretty much dead on. I think he is a winner in a way that you don’t always notice based on traditional statistics. He may not be able to carry a team offensively, but he may very well be the guy who plugs all the holes and puts you over the top. Nobody ever thinks Derrick Jeter is the best either, but he has won five titles….
Let me put it this way.
We were hoping and expecting for another Vince Carter (even we aren’t greedy enough to expect MJ again) but instead we got George Lynch+. You can win a lot of titles with guys who play like George Lynch but who are just a little bit better than that, all around. I think that is what Harrison Barnes is.
No, he probably won’t torch the opponent for 40 points in a great comeback, but then again, it probably will seldom be necessary because you are already winning 95 percent of the time.
Good points, william.
Maybe there should be a new “eggshells” stat, like the Roland Ratings, but for attitude. Notice Scott Wood just barely touched someone with his left hand (Knox? I can’t even remember) and got an intentional foul, but Henson blocked with authority and talked smack and did not get a T. In the ACC lately, I’ve noticed refs don’t call physical play if it’s all out, body-to-body as much as they call touch fouls and so on for people playing on eggshells. Guards can lower a shoulder and plough into someone as long as they’re doing an authoritative drive to the basket or making a play happen. But if some tentative big man sets a wimpy pick, he’ll get called for an illegal screen. So a stat might take into account the way in which players play. Someone who gets a lot of hand-check fouls might have an eggshell rating of 100, but Henson might have an eggshell rating of -100 for his blocks and non-T smack-talk.
^^^It really is an interesting question as to what type of player is better for a program. Guys like Kevin Durant and John Wall had terrific seasons, but the careers of guys like Tyler Hansbrough and Shane Battier had a much longer (and bigger, IMO) impact.
And despite the impact that super-freshman have had over the last number of years, that still doesn’t change the fact that since the “one-and-done” rule went into place, every champion has been dominated by juniors and seniors. This is why recruiting is so much more difficult today, than it was even 10 years ago; you not only have to be able to get elite talent, but you also have to be able to keep that talent long enough to develop a real contender, and that often boils down to nothing more than luck.
Agree with the George Lynch/Shane Battier comparisons to Barnes.
Nice work CM.
I would like to mention that I thought at least 2 of the TO’s credited to Marshall were actually the “fault” of the player he was trying to hit with passes. In one case Zeller either was held or made a poor effort to catch a bounce pass. In the other instance I thought Marshall was making a skip pass to Strickland and Strickland broke for the basket and the ball went out of bounds. Certainly Marshall needs to hold TO’s down to 1 or 2 per game, but I’ll tell you, I breath easier when that guy has the ball in his hands.
I have no arguments with making both Barnes and Henson the co-players of the game, but I would like to point out that while Strickland didn’t score as many points as Barnes did he did stop a couple of NC State runs with the shots he made (first with a 3 pointer in the first half and then with back to back drives to the basket in the 2nd half). That’s exactly what need Strickland to be capable of doing.
When comparing Barnes to previous Heels, William mentioned George Lynch (my favorite Tar Heel through the nineties) and C. Michael mentioned Tyler Hansbrough (my favorite Tar Heel through the 2000s). I could live with Barnes having a career at Chapel Hill like those guys did. As far as I’m concerned, Calipari can have the John Walls - you can’t build a program on guys like that. Lynch and Hansbrough were more concerned about TEAM, and I’m seeing that same attitude with Barnes. As for Saturday, I’m hoping we see 2 halves of Tar Hell poured out on the Terps!
I thought Barnes was the POG. The theory is simple: He made the shots, and made them at the times, that won the game for us.
Henson is developing into a consistently very good defensive player. Indeed, in one way, and perhaps oddly, he reminds me of Hansbrough. Each is a freak of nature — Henson with his length and elasticity, and Hansbrough with his power.
The reason I rank Hansbrough above MJ, Jamison, Worthy or Ford as our greatest player is also pretty simple. Hansbrough went beyond being a freak of nature; he was, I thought, something even more rare, a primal force. He played under control for sure, but you could see — and more importantly, opponents could see — the primitive, brutal and violent power just about a quarter inch below the surface. He was not the strongest player we ever had (Julius Peppers), but he was the most fearsome.
To be completely honest, I sensed something almost sexual in his power; it was irrepressible in the way life itself is irrepressible. I was entirely unsurprised to have seen him in the stands with one hot number.
To get back to the present team: Barnes does not remind me that much of Lynch. Lynch was a strength player; Barnes, not so much. On the other hand, Barnes is way more nimble and varied in his offense than Lynch. Overall, each will turn out to be much the same as a rebounder, Lynch more on strength, and Barnes more on quick hands and feet, getting to the spot before the opposition.
As others have said, when Barnes becomes consistent, we are in for a spectacular show. It may well be a show that moves to the NBA soon, but we’ll enjoy it whole bunches for as long as it’s in Chapel Hill.
dex strickland is an enigma…….the dude is invaluable and at the same time irks the heck out of me. he can stink up two games in a row and then become the glue that carries us to a victory in the third……..dang dex make up your mind dude. i am convinced that once he that shall remain nameless left, you were freed up to be better. you exhibit maturity that some of the other players are growing into. relax and do your thang
Can’t help but feel that Ben Hansbrough would have fit in just like TH and Lynch. Right decision at the time but hindsight says it was a miss. I hope that I am not writing the same thing 4 years from now with regards to Cody Zeller.
Wonder if one-n-dones feel the same connection to the “family” as 3 and 4 year players?
We need to seriously stop with the talk of Ben Hansbrough. If we admit that it was the right decision at the time, then it is an incredibly unfair standard to say now, that it was the wrong one. And in this particular case, it was never even an option, so it can never be considered a “miss.” As much as Roy loved Tyler, don’t you think that if there was any indication the Ben wanted to come to UNC, then Roy would have found room for him? Sometimes (often times) brothers just want to go to their own school, and have their own legacy.
Does anybody know why Shannon Scott (Charlie Scott’s son) is not coming to play for UNC next year? Did we offer him a scholarship?
HeeledSoul’s point about Barnes guarding Scott Wood was very good, but remember Strickland guarded him quite a lot, and McDonald some possessions. They did a great job in erasing State’s only perimeter threat. I’m really impressed with Barnes’ development as a defender. No doubt the kid has an ego, but it is directed toward improvement, teamwork, and winning.
And of course Strickland was not a great defender last year. He has really embraced the role of stopper.
^^No offer. UNC had planned to have Marshall and Drew at point next year (with Strickland the 3rd option) and then was looking to bring in either Paige or Rose the year after.
“dex strickland is an enigma”
On offense, no doubt.
Strickland is obviously more comfortable in, and more suited to, games against teams who are willing to play in transition , and who don’t play a lot of zone. Until he develops a more dependable mid-range/long range shot, he’ll be more limited in his effectiveness against certain teams.
I would like to see him be more aggressive to the basket, against everyone, but since they’ve seen a good bit of zone this year, and particularly in games like BC, where they did a good job of getting back in transition D, I’m not surprised he’s been erratic.
With Maryland’s fairly up tempo game, hopefully Dexter will have some of the same opportunities he had in the State game, though Maryland is better, defensively. Also, I’m on record as not wanting him to take any threes at all, but if he can hit one every now and then, with the same stroke he used for his three against State, I won’t complain. He still landed a bit off-balance, because of his lean, but at least it looked better than most….of course they all look better when they go in.
Wow C Michael!
^Thanks C.Michael. Good information. I hope it was a good decision.
Just wanted to stir the pot here…
If we could only have it one of two ways, would we rather:
a)Win the next two & lose a close one to Duke, or
b)Lose the next two, but blow Duke out of the Dean Dome
^I want revenge.
Boulder,
Sorry if that came off harsh. It’s just that the Ben Hansbrough talk of late seems like nothing more than self-torture, especially when you consider that if the Heels did sign him out of HS, then they would not have gotten Wayne Ellington and Ben would not be on this year’s team because he would have graduated already.
Raj,
I think it will be. Scott would have helped next year, but only because Drew bolted somewhat unexpectedly. But long term, I’d much rather have Paige than Scott.
why do we always seem to play either Maryland or GT for these Sunday night games?
Tar Heel baseball home opener today @ 3.
Heels have started with a 4-0 road trip.
BboulderHeel, C. Michael, or anyone
Have we ever had any brothers on the team, besides the Wear brothers??
I’m not too big of a fan of twins playing basketball on the same team. I was happy when the Wears left. Don’t like KU, and even thou the Morris twins produce, they are pretty stupid players. I think twins worry to much about their own brother’s success (pt, points, etc.) rather than the whole team’s.
Charlie Scott’s got a son on JV, but from what i saw of him on TV, he makes John Henson look like John Goodman.
^
i know we had the Wolf brothers, but i’m pretty sure they were not on the roster at the same time in any year.
“To be completely honest, I sensed something almost sexual in his power;”
rath, your man crush for Hansbrough has been known for sometime, but some of this stuff you should just keep to yourself, maybe you can start a Hansbrough diary
Maybe like Cody Zeller, Ben Hans didnt want to follow in his brother’s footsteps, and wanted to be his own man. People who cant grasp that concept prolly dont have a brother.
^said the Plumlees.
CM, haven’t seen too much talk about BH. Of course, I have been applying a self-filtering mechanism for all of the inappropriate but seemingly acceptable criticism of players that did accept scholarships… now that is torture… but it set all kinds of records for pageviews.
I’ll just put my contrarian self back in readmode.
bH
“Can’t help but feel that Ben Hansbrough would have fit in just like TH and Lynch.”
rath’s mind would have melted if another Hansbrough had shown up on campus, so probably was for the best
Tyler was a great player, but Antawn was better…
“^said the Plumlees.”
There is a difference in following a legacy vs. being another big dude with fouls that can set illegal screens……
Just thought I’d throw out this tidbit. My best friend is in Vegas this week. Last night he played craps with Roy. As he said, “Roy freaking Williams”. He mentioned that Roy was pleasant to everyone there, and wore a HUGE title ring (love it). Roy mentioned that he liked his team’s ceiling in March (love that too).
Let’s hope Roy brings back Bazz from Nevada (would love that the most).
If Antawn had stayed for his senior season his numbers would have gotten to levels that neither Reddick nor Hansbrough would have been able to touch, also if the Heels won the title like they should have in 1998 (thanks Gut) I don’t think their would have been much debate on Jamison being the greatest Tar Heel of all time, but without that title it hurts Antawn in this debate.
Just like if Hansbrough left after the FF disaster of 2008, he wouldn’t even be on this short list (Ford, Jamison, Rosenbulth, Jordan, and Hansbrough) for all time greatest Tar Heel.
You really could argue that maybe Ford shouldn’t be on the list considering many (including myself) don’t even feel he was the greatest UNC PG of all time.
“Let’s hope Roy brings back Bazz from Nevada (would love that the most).”
That better be the reason why Roy is in Vegas otherwise Baddour needs to start looking at that expense account a little more closely.
Roy is a gambler? Good. I admire a man and a coach who is willing to take chances rather than one who always plays it safe and winds up with a middling job or a career that ends with 50-50 success and is soon forgotten.
Go Heels!! No fear here, beat the Terps!
Totally agree scl11, Antwan cant be elevated to that status because of the lack of a title.
I just will not let UNC fans forget how great that kid was when he was at UNC. My favorite heel of all time.
I think that for players who grew up with college being a goal and priority aside from basketball, there really isn’t much to be gained by leaving early, with the possible exception of leaving right after winning a title (a la Sean May), as this does seem to “trick” the professional scouts into giving a better contract.
If Bobby Frasor can earn a really good living playing professional basketball, then it is clear just how valuable four years of playing in a system like Duke or UNC’s is. There are guys making so much in Europe that they cannot afford to switch to the NBA because of the ridiculous collective bargaining that would deem them first year players.
With respect to Ben Hansbrough, there really isn’t any reason we can’t root for him, even if he is Roman Catholic. I think most people are really just saying, “wouldn’t it be nice if he were here?” We have had brothers in the past, but not at the same time. I remember the Brust brothers, Chris, who won a title, I think, and Matt, who ended up transferring to another school, so who is to say Ben might not have transferred away from UNC, as well.
I do think Marshall needs to limit his turnovers, but I still like the fact that he has developed as a defender, makes the offense flow better, and is willing to drive to the basket and take an open perimeter shot.
Although the Henson had several highlight blocks, the best part of the game was a text-book, almost NBA quality, pick-n-roll that Marshall and Henson executed, resulting in the first Barnes dunk. It was a thing of beauty. With our bigs who can drive to the basket as well as score with a jumper, I think this team should run a few more of those plays.
Antawn Jamison maybe the best post player in UNC history from a talent standpoint for sure. Loved his quickness making moves on the catch. I wish Zeller would take notes. And, he’s from Providence High School.
I’d rather lose badly to both teams if it guarenteed a 98-like romp of Dook at the Smith Center. On the Shabazz front, I like how Roy was there while K sent Wojo to watch. I say win for us.
Sports Illustrated printed an article after one of UNC’s wins over Duke while Antawn was there (I think it might have been in the ACC tournament?). As usual Antawn had scored 20+ points. The amazing thing is that, according to this article, he had the ball in his hand for only 28 seconds… for the entire game. That is how quickly he got the shot off once he got the ball.
@UNC RAJ
I remember that game. Duke was so frustrated because their defense didn’t have time to rotate. Antawn already had the shot up. Such a shame Jamison gets stuck on a loser NBA team for the end of his career. I used to enjoy seeing him here in Washington.
Marshall has been excellent (a Godsend) for a freshman PG. His being left-handed is actually an advantage for him intially because defenders naturally defend right-side first. My experience has been that most right hand players are quicker to develop their left hand for that very reason. Conversely, left-handed players are slower to develop their right hand because they get by without it for so long. Against State when Marshall got caught deep in the lane with a big blocking the left rim he tried to go under and come up on the right side of the hoop. He had no answer for how to get the ball up on that move because he never goes right. When he gets skilled enough to get that right hand involved he will be an even better finisher around the basket. I am not complaining mind you.
It would be interesting to see efficiency ratings for players and teams prior to 2001. My personal feeling was that Carter was a superior player to Jamison in 1998, while Jamison was a superior player in 1997 and 1996.
I have often thought it strange that UNC people praise Jamison more than Carter given they each stayed three years, earned degrees, were All Americans, got drafted next to each other, and were then traded for each other. It was Vince Carter who almost carried us to victory against Utah, while Antawn and Shammond were MIA.
It may have to do with Jamison being seen as an overachiever in college, while Carter basically achieved what was expected of him.
Maybe Carter getting more recognition as a pro makes up for it.
Carter is the greatest dunker and catcher of the alley ever at UNC, and often people that dont follow the heels, refer to the 97-98 teams as Carter’s team. I think Jamison is lost in the shuffle to everyone outside of UNC, bc of how big Carter became in the pros.
Carter is still my favorite heel to watch play, no one can throw it down like him period.
Even now in the NBA, blake griffin has nothing on Carter early to mid 00′s
Can I be frank and painfully open with you guys?…
The reason I rank THF above CMichael, Doc, or Lucas as our greatest UNC blogger is pretty simple. THF goes beyond being a freak of nature; he is, I think, something even more rare, a primal force. He blogs under control for sure, but you can see — and more importantly, the advertisers can see — the primitive, brutal and violent power just about a quarter inch below the surface. He is not the strongest blogger we ever had, but he is the most fearsome.
To be completely honest, I sense something almost sexual in his power; it is irrepressible in the way life itself is irrepressible. I would be entirely unsurprised to see him in the stands with one hot number.
…Was that too much? Be honest…
Carter is my favorite Tar Heel of all-time and when the light bulb went on for him that is the 1997 team took off.
Well done BW
^^^^^ From http://home.roadrunner.com/~unc92sax/archivedratings.html. Not KenPom, but the best we got…
1996
21-11
NCAA 2nd Round
McInnis .741 B
Jamison .733 B
Carter .665 B
Calabria .612 B
Williams .591 B
Zwikker .467 C
Okulaja .463 C
1997
28-7
NCAA Final Four
Carter .792 A
Jamison .763 A
Cota .657 B
Williams .650 B
Zwikker .547 B
Okulaja .494 C
1998
34-4
NCAA Final Four
Jamison .972 A
Carter .854 A
Sh.Williams .817 A
Cota .694 B
Okulaja .454 C
Ndiaye .318 C
Check out http://home.roadrunner.com/~unc92sax/2011ratings.html. Some kind fan ‘grades’ the UNC players (via conventional per minute stats) for each game & over the whole season…PLUS it gives grades for all seasons back to 1980. Good stuff.
Here are the grades for the N.C. State game:
Zeller .718 B
Strickland .678 B
Henson .644 B
Barnes .559 B
B.Williams .526 B
Marshall .408 C
McDonald .299 C
Bullock .274 C
Knox .236 D
The highest ranked players so far for the entire 2011 season:
Henson .733 B
Zeller .727 B
Marshall .653 B
Bullock .592 B
Barnes .574 B
McDonald .505 B
Strickland .453 C
Knox .390 C
B.Williams .345 C
Watts .330 C
Thanks, BoyWilliams for recalling about those stats. I have to say that seeing the light bulb go on for the 1997 team was one of the highlights of my time as a fan. I saw that team play in Cole Field House and that was an amazing day for me all around. It was an amazing place to watch a game and then UNC, and Zwicker in particular, really played their asses off. I almost got my butt kicked for merely mildly applauding as UNC got an easy victory on their way to the Final Four.
It really seemed like it was meant to be that year, but Arizona had our number. I really did like watching Carter play and I doubt anyone played more vertical at UNC.
BoyWilliams -
Anyone who doesn’t miss Hansbrough’s strength has not been watching the games. I mean, all I hear is complaining about how we don’t dunk the ball.
Still, you have a point. THF is, indeed, a primal force of blogging.
scl11 -
“rath’s mind would have melted if another Hansbrough had shown up on campus, so probably was for the best.”
There are those contending that it melted some time ago. Aging, as they say, is not for sissies. On the other hand, you can hide your own Easter eggs.
william, Carters catch & dunk in that game in Cole was one of the most amazing dunks I’ve ever seen. I was in Indy when Arizona won for the 2nd time, putting an end to the magical ride. Outside of 1998 & 2008, that was the most disappointing ends to a season, and little did we know at the time that it would be the last time Dean would roam the sideline.
rath — I hear ya about #50. Just funnin’ ya..,
BW -
I know, I know. You have a knack for it. Did you write for the DTH? I did, a many moons ago.
However, now that I’m swooning (again) about TH……….One of the things I liked best about him was that he almost never talked. You could barely get a word out of him. He may still be the worst interview in sports.
This is a welcome contrast, to a walking anachronism like me, to the non-stop chatter of current players, including some of ours. I mean, it’s twitter this and Facebook that. Every thought has to be broadcast.
Hello guys. Just put the ball in the basket. The talking will take care of itself.
Some of you may have gone round the bend…seriously.
“There is a difference in following a legacy vs. being another big dude with fouls that can set illegal screens……”
Win!
All of this love and good feeling after last year….
This is a test.