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
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:02 pm
Alan, you’re blaming Hewitt for the foul?
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:02 pm
that was a charge
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:03 pm
this is a travesty of officiating.
Decatur Tech Fan
January 16th, 2010
4:04 pm
up by 20 to down by 2 with 1 30 to play….still say CPH knows what he is doin?
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
4:04 pm
If we lose this game, any confidence we have now is GONE.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
4:05 pm
The timeout calls are questionable at best.
Jeff
January 16th, 2010
4:06 pm
Same story different day…
Decatur Tech Fan
January 16th, 2010
4:07 pm
Hey Pewitt……at least Cremins was MAN enuff to resign. Whats your excuse?
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:08 pm
We’re down by 1 and you call yourselves fans?
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:08 pm
No i blame hewitt for poor play calls out of timeouts and not running more clock when we had the big lead allowing unc and the refs to get them back in the game
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:09 pm
On the road vs NC. What did you expect a cake walk?
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:09 pm
we should never have lost the lead. up by what, 19? give me a break. this isn’t some awesome unc team like last year.
Baba O'Riley
January 16th, 2010
4:10 pm
set play out of the timeout?
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:11 pm
Alan how long have you been watching ACC basketball?
Decatur Tech Fan
January 16th, 2010
4:11 pm
Hey Techno, how long u been watchin our POS coach? 9 yrs and 15 plus games under 500 in conference aint gettin it done. If not for that outrageous contract by the dead and gone Braine, the president of the BCCA wdnt have a job. enuff is enuff.
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:11 pm
you take the shot with 3-4 secs left on the clock. if you miss, then you foul. let’s see what ph calls.
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:11 pm
stupid shot even if it went in. now they win on the last shot
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:12 pm
You guys are NO different than the UGA fans that stormed out during their fb game vs KY.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
January 16th, 2010
4:12 pm
Wow! We might actually pull this thing out. Very frustrating game though
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:12 pm
wow. well at least they were smart enough to not let them foul. make the free throws and worst is ot.
Jeff
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
So glad we are going to win this…but very, very, very surprised.
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
you negative fans and hewitt haters need to stfu
Jeff
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
HA! Maybe I spoke too soon…
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
nope tech. uga has a winning tradition. we don’t.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
What do you think? Can the Heels hit the 3?
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
3 wins it.
Jeff
January 16th, 2010
4:13 pm
Negative fans? LOL! Realists man…realists..
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:14 pm
c’mon jackets, one more sstop
Innocent Bystander
January 16th, 2010
4:14 pm
Alright. If ever we needed to play good D…
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:14 pm
We havn’t beaten NC at their house since Marbury was here.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
January 16th, 2010
4:15 pm
It’s so hard to figure this team … the most schizophrenic bunch I’ve seen in years.
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:15 pm
tech hewitt is one of the worst coaches in the ncaa. that has been proven with his crap record. he has 3 nba players on his team and loses to uga and uva. that should never happen.
Decatur Tech Fan
January 16th, 2010
4:15 pm
Blind squirrel….nut. good job PLAYERS! You won in SPITE of coaching……ugh. Im happy for the team and the players. Good job Jackets.
Innocent Bystander
January 16th, 2010
4:15 pm
BALLGAME!!!
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:16 pm
should be at least 3-1 in conf. lose to fsu and clemson and uga and beat duke and unc. too funny.
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:16 pm
We win.
Flowery Branch Yellow Jacket
January 16th, 2010
4:16 pm
Congrats to the Jackets. I wish they could bottle up their first half performance and bring it back out again at a moment’s notice.
thrillerdome
January 16th, 2010
4:16 pm
great win! now we gotta keep the momentum going in the next few games!! GO TECH!! and support hewitt and the players….
Joe Schmoe
January 16th, 2010
4:16 pm
GT takes down the Heels. Never should have been this close, but it is the Tar Heels.
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:18 pm
Alan, UVA is undefeated in the conference. Go back to the UGA page.
dandydawg
January 16th, 2010
4:18 pm
Way to go Jackets!!!
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:18 pm
nice win guys. now play this hard when you play crap opponents. or hewitt coach them to play like this all season and you will be more respected.
Technophobia
January 16th, 2010
4:19 pm
This is a great win. Anybody who knows ANYTHING about BB knows NC would make a run.
Decatur Tech Fan
January 16th, 2010
4:19 pm
FB yellow jacket…its actually easy. Pewitt coaching leaves it entirely up to the players. How many offensive playes di u see run? I cdnt find one…In and out, turn and jump….please. Sit abck and watch while Fox builds a poerhouse while we settle for 7/9 8/8 every yr in conference except for 2-14 yrs every 4 or 5. Someoen please win the lottery and buy out Pew’s contract.
Brad
January 16th, 2010
4:19 pm
This team is an enigma.
jonnycash
January 16th, 2010
4:20 pm
Williams you should have thrown out the whole GT team. Loss couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
csquared
January 16th, 2010
4:20 pm
need to check the DNA of that red-haired stepchild CHAD mentioned earlier.
GTech
January 16th, 2010
4:23 pm
Good win for Tech. Not trying to take away from today’s victory, but these are not UNC’s and Duke’s best teams. It’s tough to win on the road in the ACC. It’s just going to be an up and down year.
Joe Schmoe
January 16th, 2010
4:23 pm
Decatur Tech Fan, Fox builds a power house???
Really?
Im not even touching that.
Alan
January 16th, 2010
4:24 pm
make a run. lol. good coached teams don’t allow teams to take the lead with a 19 point lead in the second half. this won’t be the last time that happens this season.