by Paul Casey Gotham
Setting: Joel Coliseum on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the scene as the #4 Demon Deacons (13-0) host the #3 University of North Carolina Tar Heels (14-1). Game time is 8:00 Sunday.
Plots: The game marks the first ACC Conference game for the Deacs while the Heels are 0-1 after their loss to Boston College last Sunday, 85-78. Wake is currently second in the nation for field goal percentage shooting 51.2% from the floor while holding opponents to 36.4% – seventh in the nation. Wake has held all their opponents under 50% shooting from the field.
Meanwhile the Heels rank second in the nation in scoring offense with 94.6 ppg. UNC dishes out 20.5 assists per game – good for number one in the nation.
Sub-plots: UNC will still be without the services of Marcus Ginyard who continues to struggle with a foot injury.
Flashback: The last time these two teams faced each other ranked third and fourth in the country was January 15, 2005. Chris Paul dropped 26 and had 8 assists as Wake overcame a 10 point half time deficit to win 95-82. The Heels wen t on to win the national title that year and have beaten the Deacs the five times they have met since then. UNC holds the advantage in the all-time series 151-63. This rivalry dates back to 1910 and is the fifth oldest in ACC history.
Characters to watch: Sophomore Jeff Teague drops 51% from behind the arc and leads WFU with 19+ per game. The Indianapolis native also leads the team with 4 assists and 2 steals per game. Al-Farouq Aminu leads the way with 8.9 boards per game.
Tyler Hansbrough leads the Heels with 22 ppg. Freshman Ed Davis is grabbing 7.9 boards per game. Ty Lawson leads the way with 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
Resolution: Wake Forest has the athletes and the talent to run with UNC, but they need to be careful and take a page out of the BC play book. UNC is fifth in the nation with over 10 steals per game – they probably convert every one of those swipes into points. The Deacs should not be afraid to run with the Heels, but they also need to show patience and pull it out and run offense when the situation warrants.
WFU matches up with UNC inside better than any other team in the ACC. 7-footer Chas McFarland will start, but Deacon coach, Dino Gaudio has a pair of 6’11’ kids on the bench – Tony Woods and David Weaver to go with another 7-footer, Ty Walker. Last year McFarland picked up his fourth foul less than a minute into the second half. If that happens again, Hansbrough won’t have as easy of a time scoring.
Denouement: Come Monday – Wake Forest will be ranked higher than UNC.
With all the hoopla over the Big East having 9 teams ranked, I lost sight of the fact that the ACC is #2, #3, and #4. WOW!
I’m watching this game right now. Looks to be a “battle of titans”. Both teams are very impressive. How many times has Danny Green answered with a trey every time UNC badly needed a hoop? WF up by 3 with 30 secs left.
Wake and UNC are not scheduled for another game this year. They might catch each other in the post-season, but this is one of the unfortunate consequences of conference expansion. BC and Va Tech are great additions to the ACC, but I sure would like to see Wake and UNC play again. The Heels deserve a chance to get the Deacs in their own barn.
Good to be back on the clip…I mean bench. Casey – I love these “Tale of the Tapes.” We broke the first rule about the bench today in our phone conversation, “We don’t talk about the bench!” (First day back and I made a ‘Fight Club’ reference. If my name was Pete, I’d demand a helmet sticker). Anyway – UNC has become the [D’Antoni] Phoenix Suns of the college ranks. They simply cannot manage a close game. If someone can trade baskets with them (i.e. Wake and Teague), then they’re in trouble. Plus, to reiterate what Casey said, Wake looked better than UNC in transition. They were terrible in all half court sets and looked rushed. Hansbrough needs more touches, back to the basket, high post…wherever. Roy is letting his guards run too wild.
Most startling from this game and apparently the BC game, which I didn’t watch, is UNC’s defense. My gosh. A simple pick-and-roll baffled them. Wake kept it pretty much spread and they continued to stay man. Teague killed them. Dare I say Roy should have thought about changing defensive looks? He won’t do it though. Having Ginyard would have helped defensively, of course.
And just on a side note, what is the creepy level of Kyle Singler? I cannot watch Duke for the sole reason of having nightmares of his close ups. His creepiness would translate on GoDuke.com like this: “maiming, pillaging anytime with friends, and occassionally wandering around on a rainy night in a dark green poncho adorned with a meat hook.” Jeepers…
🙂 for the Singler ‘creepiness’. He can be as creepy as he wants – the kid can play.
Rey it is great to have you back. We have missed your input.
I am happy you enjoy the tale of the tape stuff. Hmmmmm….maybe an ‘On the Pitch’ Tale of the tape could work some time?