#1 UNC vs. #5 Duke Live Blog

No pressure, dude. No pressure at all…

No speedos. For the love of God, no speedos.

9:01 pm: A very touching moment of silence for Eve Carson.

9:02 pm: No speedos. For the love of God, no speedos.

9:03 pm: Quentin Thomas will start tonight ahead of Ty Lawson.

9:06 pm: 3-0, Duke. 20 seconds in and already Duke hits an open three. Did Carolina learn nothing from their last matchup?

9:07 pm: 4-3, UNC. Ellington and Hansbrough each hit tough baskets, and Carolina takes the early lead.

9:08 pm: Q!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gets a block on Lance Thomas.

6-3, UNC. That may have been goaltending on Thompson, but we’ll take it.

9:10 pm: Lawson comes in and immediately makes a great assist to Green.

Carolina is also honoring Eve Carson with black “EVE” patches on their right shoulder. Everyone in the stadium is wearing a light blue ribbon in her honor as well.

9:11 pm: 10-5, UNC. Scheyer with the basket, but he doesn’t get back on defense. Ginyard makes him pay with a huge dunk.

First TV timeout. A nice pace, if a bit inconsistent, and the speed favors Carolina right now.

9:15 pm: 10-7, UNC. Zoubek is in the game for Duke. We’ll see what kind of effect it has on Hansbrough.

9:17 pm: 10-9, UNC. Duke’s bench players seem to be playing better offense than the starters. The same might not be said of the defense, as Zoubek picks up two quick fouls.

9:18 pm: That was a cheap foul. Danny should know better.

This game is starting to get a little sloppy on both sides.

9:19 pm: Scheyerface is playing point. Cue the obligatory photoshop:

13-9, UNC. Green hits the three off the Ginyard assist.

9:24 pm: Taylor King is left WIDE OPEN for three. Fortunately for us, he misses. Duke’s been pretty cold from the perimeter so far this game.

9:25 pm: The line so far: The two teams are a combined 10-35 shooting. Ugh.

9:27 pm: The exact opposite of Ugh: Only 2 turnovers for Carolina. Green hits another shot to make it 17-9, UNC.

9:28 pm: 20-9, UNC. Q saves a bad pass, and Green is open for three again! Carolina brings the lead to double digits.

9:30 pm: 22-11, UNC. Hansbrough scores inside. Kyle Singler had no chance.

24-11, UNC. There’s the Ty Lawson we know and love.

9:31 pm: 24-13, UNC. I think Scheyer makes a face even when he shoots free throws.

9:35 pm: 24-15, UNC. Henderson may be only Dukie playing well thus far in the game.

9:36 pm: Uh-oh…Speedo guy. I liked the old Speedo guy better.

9:38 pm: 27-15, UNC. Hansbrough gets another offensive rebound, and he scores on the putback.

9:41 pm: 29-18, UNC. Paulus hits the three with a hand in his face. I wonder why he hasn’t been getting the ball in the perimeter.

9:42 pm: 29-21, UNC. NO!!! You can’t leave Paulus open like that!

9:44 pm: 31-23, UNC. Danny Green stops the bleeding, but the Cameron Crazies are back in this game.

9:45 38-26, UNC. The Carolina fastbreak. Or for Duke fans: the buzzkill to end all buzzkills.

9:50 pm: 40-31, UNC. It’s a bad sign for your defense when you know your opponent’s shot is going in before he even catches the pass.

9:52 pm: 42-31, UNC. Ty Lawson gets an easy layup inside off a nice pass.

9:53 pm: That’s the end of the first half, and Carolina leads 42-31. The Tar Heels have had a good game on defense, forcing Duke’s lowest-scoring first half this season. Carolina can win the way they have been playing thus far, provided three extra factors: 1) they don’t go cold from the line, 2) Duke doesn’t storm out of the locker room (a very strong possibly), and 3) the defense doesn’t let Greg Paulus continue to light it up from beyond the arc.

10:11 pm: As the second half begins, it appears that Duke is outhustling Carolina in the opening possession. Duke had more offensive rebounds in one possession than in the entire first half.

10:12 pm: 44-35, UNC. I don’t care who’s driving inside, and if they’re about to dunk. NO ONE can be left open on the perimeter.

10:14 pm: 44-37, UNC. Carolina has seven blocks in this game, but I have yet to see them box out effectively in the second half. Duke is outhustling us to every rebound.

10:15 pm: 46-37, UNC. Another game, another double-double for Hansbrough.

46-40, UNC. Paulus can’t miss right now!

10:16 pm: 46-42, UNC. For God’s sake, Carolina, FIGHT FOR A REBOUND!

10:18 pm: 51-44, UNC. Ellington hits a three to help quiet the crowd.

51-46, UNC. It;s a tale of two halves so far. Duke is playing like their lives depend on it this hald, while Carolina has looked mostly flat. Zoubek is consistently outhustling Hansbrough on the boards.

10:22 pm: 53-48, UNC. Ty Lawson is the only Carolina player who seems to be playing with any sense of urgency right now.

10:23 pm: 55-48, UNC. Ellington with a nice jumper.

10:25 pm: WARNING: Side effects of Cameron Indoor Stadium include gayness. Exhibit A: Dick Vitale.

10:26 pm: 57-54, UNC. Lawson has been key in the second half, but I have yet to see Hansbrough make a difference since he came out of the locker room. Meanwhile, Scheyer hits his first three of the game. Cue the Scheyerface:

10:31 pm: Hansbrough needs to get to the line in the second half.

DANNY GREEN, WHAT KIND OF A PASS WAS THAT!

10:32 pm: Carolina is committing the two worst acts of fundamental offensive basketball right now. First, they are taking rushed, low-percentage shots. Second, they are not getting in the paint fighting for rebounds. Most importantly however, I have yet to see Hansbrough get a meaningful touch in the second half, and we’re more than halfway through.

10:34 pm: 57-57. For the last time, STOP FALLING FOR THE KICKOUT!!!

10:35 pm: 60-60. Do my eyes deceive me? did Quentin Thomas just hit a three pointer? WHOOOOO!

10:36 pm: 62-62. Hansborugh finally gets a basket, but Lance Thomas answers on the other end.

10:37 pm: Hansbrough now stands at 1,999 points for his career. One more and he will be the first player in school history to score 2,000 points before his senior year.

10:39 pm: 66-64, UNC. Alex Stepheson get the tip-in.

This is the back-and-forth game we expected to see.

10:40 pm: 66-66. How did Ellington’s shot not go in?

Q…control thyself.

10:44 pm: 68-66, Duke. No…Scheyer for the lead!

10:46 pm: 68-66, Duke, 3:36 left. Less than four minutes left to decide the ACC regular season championship, and the difference is two points. Carolina will have the ball. It doesn’t more nerve-racking than this.

68-68, 3:00 left. Ellington ties the game.

70-68, 1:58 left. Carolina takes back the lead thanks on an offensive rebound and putback by–guess who?–Tyler Hansbrough. With that shot he eclipses the 2,000 point mark for his career.

1:48 left. Paulus finally misses, and it’s Carolina basketball.

72-68, 1:25 left. Lawson hits his free throws.

1:07 left. Duke gets the ball after a UNC turnover.

44.2 left. Lawson steals the ball, Green scores off the tip, and Carolina leads 74-68. The Heels have stepped up big in final minutes, and time is running out for the Dukies.

22.7 left, 76-68, UNC. Carolina gets the ball, Duke doesn’t foul and Green gets the HUGE dunk! My rational side says it may be impossible for Duke to comeback now. My irrational side says ITS OVER! ITS OVER!!! ITS OOOOOOOOOOOOVEEERRRRRRRRRR!!!

FINAL: 76-68, UNC. CAROLINA IS THE ACC CHAMPION!!!

It’s actually an extraordinary win considering the Hansbrough shot zero free throws tonight. Give tremendous credit to the Carolina backcourt who came up big after a lackluster performance in the first Duke game. Ellington, Lawson, Thomas, Ginyard and Green made the big plays when they absolutely needed to make them, and Duke missed their last eleven shots when they mattered most. But it’s worth repeating…congratulations to UNC on the ACC regular season championship.

 

 

 

 

Duke vs. North Carolina Women’s Basketball Today

Today the Lady Tar Heels play Duke in Carmichael Auditorium. While the Heels have already won the ACC regular season title and have pretty much sewn up a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, This game is still important for three reasons:

1. It’s Carolina-Duke. Enough said.

2. With a win, Carolina will have completed their first ever perfect in-conference regular season.

3. It’s the final game in Chapel Hill for Erlana Larkins and Latoya Pringle, two of the Lady Tar Heels’ greatest forwards.

 The game is on at 5:30 pm on FSN, so be sure to watch.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

One of Duke Basketball’s traditions is for the Blue Devil to ride a surfboard on top of members of the pep band, who roll to propel him across the court. In Duke’s win over Georgia Tech, however, the stunt went horribly wrong (thanks to Awful Announcing for the video):

Granted, it’s just a knee sprain and he’ll be okay, but…watching the felt representative of all that is evil in the universe hold his knee in pain with such gusto…it is one of the many small joys that makes the world a better place.

We Interrupt Coverage of Wednesdy’s UNC-Duke Game…

…for coverage of Monday’s UNC-Duke game.

Dook Week: The Battle For Who Sucks Less

Yep, that pretty much sums up this matchup in the post-Mack era. As much as we would like to say that we were thisclose to a 9-2 record to this point (and we were), the fact remains that we’re 3-8 coming into this matchup against 1-11 Duke. However, the good news is that a win would still place us ahead of Miami in the ACC Coastal Division to end the year. So there’s that motivation for the team to win big and for fans to go to the game…along with the consequences to modern civilization as we know it if we lose to Duke in Kenan Stadium.

Steve Wojciechowski Enjoying Offseason As a Part Time Veterinarian

As an alum and a die-hard fan of North Carolina, I will blindly root against any of Duke’s on-court or on-field activities. But even I have to admit, the Dookies are model citizens off the court.

Take the example of Duke assistant coach and former point guard Steve Wojciechowski. After the Blue Devil’s down year and early exit from the tournament, I would have forgiven him if went to the film room, poring over game films to find out what went wrong. He could have gone on the recruiting trail to find new players to rebuild his proud program. Hell, he could have vented his frustrations out smashing an inanimate object. But being the model citizen that he is, Wojo decided to begin his offseason by giving back to his community. Less than a week after the heartbreaking loss to VCU, Wojo was in a veterinary clinic for exotic pets in Raleigh, North Carolina, working several shifts and taking care of various animals rarely seen on Earth. We have manged to obtain two photos of his volunteer work.

Here, we see Steve Wojciechowski providing a routine checkup to Rodrigo, a young bull. Since the vet staff complained of his constipation, Wojo is checking for colon polyps. Rodrigo doesn’t seem to mind.

In this picture, Wojo is in the middle of a delicate procedure, using sterile plastic tweezers to remove a brain tumor from the head of a giant parrot. The parrot has been briefly incapacitated by watching a “Flavor of Love” marathon while Wojciechowski removes the tumor without causing any pain.

In an era of cynicism toward athletes, it’s nice to see when an sports figure has a direct positive impact on others. Even if it’s a Dookie.

Goodbye, Josh McRoberts!

We’re going to miss your flopping and inside turnovers, as you venture into the NBA.

Seriously, McRoberts has talent, but for him to succeed he’s going to need an attitude adjustment. I, for one, am not counting on it based on this video evidence.

Video: VCU Eric Maynor’s Game Winning Shot Against Duke

The absolute happiest moment for me from the Tournament so far. I must have been screaming for five minutes straight after this. Now all that’s left is for the Heels to make the Final Four. I will forever be a fan of Virginia Commonwealth because of this.

Chris Duhon Has Really Hit The Skids

I’ve heard a lot of people say that’s difficult to adjust to life in the NBA. I have taken that statement for granted, but I never believed that the adjustment would be this difficult. There are a lot of seedy characters you meet, and they can end up taking advantage of you just because you’re famous. But I had never seen such a clear example until now. Here we see Chris Duhon, accomplished Duke Player and and Chicago Bulls backup point guard, spending his free time working as a male stripper as a favor to his marijuana dealer, for whom he owes hundreds of dollars.

Who’s that guy handing out more cash? Pacman Jones?

I was shocked! That’s more of Chris than I needed to see. Didn’t Coach K teach him to stay away from such people? He’s from Chicago, he needs to tell Chris rule #1: Don’t let the customer touch you!

(photo gallery found via Deadspin)

Video and Photos: Gerald Henderson’s Elbow on Tyler Hansbrough

Thanks to the forum at Inside Carolina for both the photo and the video of the play (url if link doesn’t work: http://www.beamin1.com/offsite/dookthugs.wmv, requires Windows media Player, WARNING: explicit commentary). To think, I was almost brainwashed by Billy Packer into thinking it was completely unintentional. Now, Henderson may not have meant to bloody his nose. But undoubtedly there was some intent; he definitely meant to foul Hansbrough hard.

This is a great picture with caption from Today’s ACC Headlines (3/6). If Billy Packer was covering this game in Cameron Indoor, he may have said this.

Even the Dook player (#5, left) is shocked and cringing at the whole thing.

You have to thank Dewey Burke (right) for preventing Psycho T from going completely postal.

Here’s a photo of Henderson leaving. My favorite part is the look on Wojo’s face (left).

UPDATE (3/5): Okay, now that WordPress will finally let me edit, I also have a YouTube video of the clip (for some reason the other video link isn’t working):

UPDATE (3/7): The most important part of this story is that Tyler Hansbrough is going to be okay. It appears that he’s moved on from the entire incident, and frankly, so should we.