Tip-off vs. the No. 12 Tar Heels coming up
CHAPEL HILL, NC - OK this is my third blog looking ahead to the Carolina game. Enough already?! Hey, this time there’s actually something coming. In about an hour. It’s called tip-off, and if you care to join me I’ll blog some during the game.
I’m in the innards of the Dean Dome as I type, wondering if the car I borrowed from an old friend of mine to drive over here will be in the same shape as I left it. The old friend of mine is a Duke grad, and I noticed as I was walking past the back end, that she’s got a “Duke Alumni” license plate holder thing. Let’s hope nobody gets any crazy ideas walking past it, or I’ll some explaining to do when I get back to her house tonight!
I did notice it’s a little different walking into a game here two hours early than at say Virginia. Fans were lined up out the door as I walked past into the media entrance. I’d expect it to be electric in here today as the fans try to rally their team from two losses in three games (Clemson and C of C). That is, unless Tech can establish the pace, take a lead, and quiet them down.
A tall order, considering Tech has lost its last two road games at Virginia and at Georgia, and had to withstand a serious late push at Charlotte. And Tech has lost its last 12 games at the Dean Dome, dating back to 1996.
I just spoke with a North Carolina writer who emphasized that the Tar Heels will come out in this game and look to pound, pound, pound it inside, after getting embarrassed by Clemson on Wednesday. In that game, post players Deon Thompson and Ed Davis combined for a total of eight points, each scoring 4 points on 2-of-4 shooting. And neither one attempted a free throw. Wow.
So I’d imagine Roy Williams has had a thing or two to say about that in practice the past few days, and that Tech should see a team today dedicated to getting it down low. That’s something Tech could take a lesson or two on as well. And something you’d expect Tech to try to do today too.
It is interesting, at least on paper, how many similarities these teams have, in terms of where their strengths and weaknesses lie.
Without Tyler Zellner coming off the bench today – Carolina’s top reserve in the post is out four to six weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, which was announced on Friday – Carolina will go to the Wear twins. That’s Travis Wear and David Wear, identical twins, who wear mirror-image numbers – Travis is 43, David is 34.
We’ll try to keep it all straight, and keep you informed as we go.
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197 comments Add your comment
John
January 16th, 2010
3:09 pm
It’s not about making the free throws. It’s the fact they only called 5 or 6 fouls on unc the entire half. 2 were in the last 10 seconds that were intentional so they really had 4 fouls. That is a joke.
Carroll Rogers
January 16th, 2010
3:10 pm
Hey, a free throw
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:10 pm
Hey free throws!! LOL
If lawal comes close to his scoring avg, we win this game easily
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:10 pm
What a pathetic call
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:10 pm
OMG we made em.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:11 pm
still no comments about that being our first FT
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:11 pm
Anyone else think that was a cheap foul on Favors?
Carroll Rogers
January 16th, 2010
3:12 pm
30 seconds in Favors’ third foul. wow, just not his day. thougth it was a fair call though. Officials have said from the start they were going to call swinging elbows after a rebound.
John
January 16th, 2010
3:12 pm
Let’s watch carolina swing those elbows and see if they call it…yeah right.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:13 pm
When we will see a cheap fould called on Lawal for them not calling that one in the 1st half by the UNC bench?
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:13 pm
As long as they call it the same way for both teams I’m ok with it. I’ll be watching for UNC elbows.
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:14 pm
UVA in first place, lol, January madness?
chris o bomb
January 16th, 2010
3:14 pm
im ready for brian oliver to be on the court. He has an amazing shot, and shumpert has officially put himself on the map!
GT in Aug
January 16th, 2010
3:19 pm
I don’t know to much about b-ball (I watch a lot), but how in the H*ll is Favors a better NBA prospect than Lawal?
John
January 16th, 2010
3:20 pm
Those refs sure love blowing that whistle for unc
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:20 pm
All ball and still got a call.
chris o bomb
January 16th, 2010
3:20 pm
are we 100% in ft’s?
haha
John
January 16th, 2010
3:22 pm
No over the back call on unc. What a surprise. Oh plenty of time left the announcer says for unc.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:24 pm
Lawal is 2 years older. Some project Favors to have a higher ceiling.
John
January 16th, 2010
3:24 pm
4 free throws. 15 for carolina. i bet it’s 30 to 8 when it’s over. Unbelievable how they can be so one sided thinking no one will notice.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:26 pm
Who is UNC playing today?
John
January 16th, 2010
3:27 pm
Nice no call refs. Can you be anymore obvious?
John
January 16th, 2010
3:27 pm
and they call that. good god. this is a joke
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:27 pm
John- THAT was the make-up no-call that they owe UNC from the 1st half
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:28 pm
How could they miss that foul?
John
January 16th, 2010
3:28 pm
and he was swinging his elbows!! nice refs!! gotta help carolina win!! cant have them lose 2 in a row.
John
January 16th, 2010
3:28 pm
boy the fouls for unc just keep coming!!! come on refs. call some more.
John
January 16th, 2010
3:29 pm
so unc gets 5 make up calls for techs 1? what about their player swinging his elbows just now
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:29 pm
How many times are they gonna say, “this is the lagrest crowd GT has played in front of this season”?
GTech
January 16th, 2010
3:30 pm
GT in Aug I don’t get it either. Derrick Favors has done absolutely nothing at Tech. I always hear “Favors has all the tools” etc. Favors will be drafted for his potential.
John
January 16th, 2010
3:30 pm
wow his arm almost got yanked off. they had to call that one but didn’t want to
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:31 pm
Slam!
chris o bomb
January 16th, 2010
3:32 pm
tv is on mute now. am 790
should have done this awhile ago.
GT in Aug
January 16th, 2010
3:33 pm
Shump is the man!
John
January 16th, 2010
3:34 pm
Look at these stats. The refs are doing all they can to keep unc in the game
Tech has shot 55 shots and made 22 40%
unc has shot 37 and made 13 34%. yet they were just down 8. outrebounding them big time and look at turnovers. we should be up by 20 if not for the refs.
John
January 16th, 2010
3:34 pm
Calling everything they can on tech
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:36 pm
The stats do say we should be up by 20 at least. The refs are keeping them in it. Unc isn’t hustling. Gt is but they are doing what they can to keep unc in it.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:36 pm
“It’s just not going the way of the guys in the light blue”. Or Mike Patrick, they are just getting outplayed.
GTech
January 16th, 2010
3:38 pm
Tech is standing toe to toe with Carolina. Carolina is trying to make runs, but we’re responding well. Let’s keep it up.
GTech
January 16th, 2010
3:41 pm
3 bad possesions in a row for Tech
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
3:45 pm
NO foul???
GTech
January 16th, 2010
3:45 pm
Here we go…
Buzzeng
January 16th, 2010
3:45 pm
The lead won’t last at this rate. Won’t help when UNC goes into the double bonus either…
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:51 pm
Nope the refs made sure to allow them to get that bonus to take the lead and win
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:56 pm
Hewitt calling his last to? one left with 5:10 left? Why?
Carroll Rogers
January 16th, 2010
3:56 pm
Tech has one timeout for the final 5:10.
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:57 pm
and of course we committ a foul after the time out! way to go hewitt
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
3:58 pm
was there actually a plan for that timeout?
Alan
January 16th, 2010
3:59 pm
last time out with 4:24 left. OMG
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:01 pm
hold the damn ball. run some clock