North Carolina Tarheels Vs. Notre Dame Irish: ACC Championship Game

I took a lot of ribbing last night as my beloved Duke Blue Devils trailed the Irish of Notre Dame throughout the entire semi-final game.  At the half, Duke trailed by 15 but chipped away at the huge Notre Dame lead.  Duke got within 4 but never overcame the deficit.  ND Coach Mike Brey refused to double-cover Jahlil Okafor and chose instead to foul him.  Watching him try to make a free throw at the charity stripe was painful to watch.  Last night’s loss by Duke could imperil their No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

While the “all-Tobacco Road” championship will not happen tonight, I have to root for the Tarheels against the Irish.  The Heels are riding high after defeating No.1 seed Virginia.

Tipoff is at 8:30 PM ET and the game will air on ESPN.  The Tarheels are 24-10 this season averaging 77.8 points and shooting 47.3 percent while defensively they are allowing 67.8 points.  The Irish are 28-5 averaging 78.6 points and shooting 50.9 percent.  They’re allowing their opponents to score 65.2 points.

As you can see, the stats for both teams are fairly equal, but for the very first time in Carolina’s history, the Heels defeated two higher seeds—No. 4 Louisville and No. 1 Virginia in the ACC Tournament.  During the regular season there were obvious problems on both ends of the court for Carolina in terms of finishing off teams.  I don’t want to be an ACC chest-thumper but…the ACC is one of the toughest conferences in the country.

Notre Dame, in all their years in the Big East Tournament, never made it to the final and they haven’t advanced past the first weekend in the NCAA Tournament since 2003, in fact, they haven’t even won a tournament game in four years.  So, I’m going to boldly predict a win for the team I only ever root for when Duke is not playing.  I hope Carolina ruins St. Patrick’s Day for Notre Dame’s leprechaun mascot.

Oh, and their shoes are ugly.

GO HEELS

And since no basketball post would be complete without some pom-poms, check out these lovely Tarheels cheerleaders.

Basketball Heaven: ACC Semi-finals

It’s going to be a BIG night tonight.  Game One of the 2015 ACC Tournament Semi-finals features the North Carolina Tarheels against the Cavaliers of Virginia.  The game airs on ESPN at 7:00 PM.  Following that game will be the biggie:  my beloved Duke Blue Devils vs. Notre Dame.

As I’ve written many times before, none of my friends are Duke fans.  They are all huge fans of the Tarheels.  I’ve invited them all to Casa de Curmudgeon for a little camaraderie, adult beverages and a taco bar.

I’m going to whip out all my Duke Campus Crystal barware engraved with the Iron Dukes logo and a Duke chips and dip bowl and a couple of Duke serving trays, after all my quests need to be reminded whose house they’re visiting.

Drinks will be served at the bar in the kitchen and I’ll set up a buffet in the den with tortilla bowls that can be filled with shredded beef, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and their choice of hot or medium salsa, Pico de Gallo and guacamole.  There’ll be some Grilled Corn with Avocado Pico de Gallo, Mexican Rice and Dulce de Leche Brownie Bites for dessert.

Carolina looked really strong in their defeat of the Cards yesterday afternoon.  The Heels are averaging more points per game than the Cavs but their percent shooting is fairly equal.  I think the Heels pull this one out late in the game.

At 9:00 PM THE game is on.  Duke faces the Irish of Notre Dame for the third time this season.  Ordinarily my friends might seek to leave after the Carolina game, but they hate despise dislike really can’t stand that school so they will hang around to join me in cheering on the Blue Devils to victory.

The Irish are going to have to battle a tenacious little point guard in Tyus Jones.  The third Plumlee brother, Marshall, and Jahlil Okafor are going to be tough to defend so the question for tonight’s game is:   Will Duke face an explosive offense or the team that last night needed 12 minutes to get its first field goal of the second half?  After the drubbing Duke gave NC State last night, I’m betting Duke emerges the victor and plays for the ACC Championship crown tomorrow night.

GO DUKE

And since no basketball post would be complete without some pom-poms, here’s some lovely cheerleaders for you to peruse.

Basketball Heaven

In Tuesday’s first round of the ACC Tournament, Boston College defeated Georgia Tech and Wake Forest lost a heartbreaker to Virginia Tech.

Today’s Second Round match-ups, which will air on ESPN and ESPN2, has No. 8 Clemson playing No. 9 Florida State, No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 12 Boston College, No. 7 North Carolina State playing No. 10 Pitt and No. 6 Miami goes against No. 14 Virginia Tech.

The ACC Tournament is a three-day battle on the hardwoods for the crown before the winner heads on to their NCAA dreams.

No. 1 Virginia will play the winner of the Clemson/Florida State game in Thursday’s Quarterfinals.  I believe FSU will defeat Clemson.  Louisville will be pitted against the winner of the North Carolina/Boston College game.  North Carolina will edge out the Eagles.

As a big-time Dookie, the 7 PM game between NC State and Pitt is of enormous interest as the winner will face my beloved Duke Blue Devils in the quarterfinals on Thursday.  I smell a victory for the Wolfpack due to Pitt’s weak defense.

Finally, the winner of the Miami/Virginia Tech game will meet the Irish of Notre Dame at 9 PM on Thursday.  The Hurricanes whipped the Hokies twice in the regular season and will likely emerge the winner tonight.

I am going to be in basketball heaven for the next three days watching teams that comprise the very best of men’s college hoops.  I make no secret of my love for Duke.  I know America hates them, but hey, with a 28-3 record and ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll they are indisputably a title-winning team.  The hate piles up for Duke in the same way it does for the New York Yankees or the Dallas Cowboys; they’re worthy opponents.

And since no basketball post would be complete without some lovely cheerleaders, have a gander at these pretty young things.

UPDATE 2:32 PM:  The Noles barely defeat the Tigers 76-73 after losing a 20-point lead.

UPDATE 4:57 PM:  With 5:01 left in the game, if became apparent the Eagles could not overcome the big lead the Tarheels had.  Carolina wins 81-63.

UPDATE 9:13 PM:  The Panthers played hard, but struggled throughout the game never once taking the lead.  The Wolfpack skinned the cats 81-70.

FINAL UPDATE:  Hokie's turnovers killed their chances to win against the Canes.  Their only lead in the game came in the second half and quickly disappeared as they lost 59-49.

Duke Blue Devils Vs North Carolina Tarheels

I love this time of year.  Spring is right around the corner and college basketball is at its zenith.

Tonight my beloved Duke Blue Devils (27-3) are playing arch rival Carolina (21-9) at the famed “Dean Dome” in Chapel Hill.  Tipoff is 9:00 PM ET and airs on ESPN.

This is the last day of the ACC’s regular season.  Duke has been on one helluva roll of late devastating the hapless Demon Deacons of Wake Forest 94-51.  Seventeen days ago the Tarheels lost a heartbreaker to Duke in overtime 92-90.  The Heels are looking for payback.  Can they do it?  I don’t think so.  They’re playing at home but the bad news is they’ve won a scant 6 games in their last 16 meetings against Coach K’s team.

If, and I do mean if, the Heels miraculously win tonight the Louisville Cardinals will be the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament.  But I’m not going to think about that.  Duke is 4-1 against the top five teams in the league and the Heels are 1-4.

First round games start this Tuesday.  Second round is Wednesday with the quarterfinals set for Thursday.

None of my friends are Dookies, but that won’t stop me from donning my Blue Devil’s regalia (there’s no shame in my game) and walking into my favorite watering hole/sports bar where they will all be congregated to cheer my boys on to victory.

GO DUKE (GTHC)

And since no basketball post would be complete without some pom-poms, here’s a pretty Duke cheerleader to feast your eyes on.

Duke Blue Devils’ Impossible-To-Stop Two-Man Wing Game

I insist on gloating today.  I insist on being annoying about it too.  Today, that’s how I’m going to roll.

All season long, I’ve heard it said and I’ve seen it written that Duke has been on an up-and-down roller coaster ride with a “bitter slump pushing them to the brink of being unranked” before finding themselves late in the season.

The first meeting of the 2013-14 regular season between Duke and Carolina was to have been February 12th.  Mother Nature decided to dump “Snowpocalypse” on Chapel Hill and the Dean Dome instead.  That game was rescheduled for February 20th.

Duke led the Tarheels during the entire first half but lost control in the second to lose 74-66.  I was crestfallen.  A short two days later, my boys would take revenge for their February 1st overtime lose in the Carrier Dome to Syracuse 91-89.

The Orange came to our house, Cameron Indoor Stadium, where all the “Crazies” live.  It was at Cameron that The Orange found out that they are not the gods of the ACC and that rules ignored at your house can be equally ignored at our house.  It was the scene of Coach Bonheim literally losing his shit over a clear blocking foul and enduring a 66-60 loss to my beloved Blue Devils.

Last night was Senior Night.  The Tobacco Road Rivalry was set between The Heels and the Devils.  I had a feeling in my heart of hearts that this meeting would end in victory for my beloved Blue Devils.

I was right.

Jabari Parker had his most polished game of the season late night.  Even with Carolina’s best defender, J. P. Tokoto, draped all over him in an attempt to frustrate him Parker patiently picked his spots.  One possession he would receive a post entry pass, face up and nail a jumper. The next, he'd face up again, see Tokoto anticipating the jumper and drive right to the rim.

Rodney Hood scored 24 points and combined with Parker for 27 of Duke’s 40 first-half points.  As strong as their first half was, the real clinic came in the second half.

The Blue Devils led by as many as 19 points during multiple stretches, breaking down the North Carolina defense to shoot 50.9 percent from the field.  At certain points, it looked as if Hood and Parker were toying with a fangless Tar Heel defense. 

Hood finished with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting and knocked down three of Duke's eight shots from beyond the arc.

Duke's last 16 points came at the charity stripe. The Devils did not hit a field goal in the final 6:56 because Carolina had apparently decided to start fouling early to get back in the game.  On a lesser team that strategy might have worked.  Carolina didn’t reckon that Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon and the shooter-heavy lineup were going to be cold-blooded at the stripe.

Oh yeah, Marcus Paige, the vaunted second-half wonder boy looked scorched at the end.  I loved his expression.  That’s why I picked that photo to chop.

It was an exhilarating game to watch.  I couldn’t have asked for anything better to cheer me up after spending a week at home with pneumonia.

From here, it’s on to next week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro. 

Four slots still remain to be determined as of this writing.  Already locked are (1) Virginia, (2) Syracuse, (3) Duke, (4) North Carolina and (5) Pitt.

Carolina and Duke have drawn byes and won’t see action until Friday.

Go Duke.  And by the way, Carolina GTH.

Going Behind Enemy Lines

The obligatory panic over the approaching winter storm has officially begun, raising questions over whether tonight’s rivalry game between Carolina and Duke at the Dean Smith Center will be played.

As of this posting, the ACC policy on postponements states that games will be played as scheduled as long a both teams, the officials and essential game personnel can get to the game safely.

The game is scheduled to air on ESPN at 9 PM ET.  It’s a home game for the Tarheels.

I requested time off from work today and tomorrow so that I could go behind enemy lines and cheer on my beloved Blue Devils.

The plan was to travel to Chapel Hill and take a limo to the game.  The advantage, of course, is to avoid the chaos of returning to your car in an overcrowded parking lot and waiting an inordinate amount of time to exit.  It was an excellent plan.

“Snowpocalyse” has changed all that.  I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the South is about to get socked by a snowstorm of catastrophic proportions.

I have written many times that I am considered key and essential personnel and a first responder.  As such, I’ve had to cancel my already approved time off from work.

Clearly, it would be foolish for me to risk travelling the distance from my home to Chapel Hill to see the game in person.  I am, therefore, relegated to optimistically leaving work at 8:30 PM (in the midst of “Snowpocalyse”) and making it to my house in time to watch some of the game on television.

Duke is ranked 11^th in the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll.  Carolina isn’t even in the Top 25.  In ACC standings Duke is 8-3 and Carolina 6-4.

Carolina is hoping to keep their winning streak alive.  I’m hoping Duke will crush their hopes.

Two schools separated by 8 miles and two shades of blue, Coach K, Tobacco Road, Cameron Crazies. The fans are passionate, the teams successful, the games almost always down to the buzzer. These are two of the four winningest teams in history, going at it twice a year (and once more in the ACC tournament if we're lucky). This is what college hoops is all about.

This game should be fantastic.  The rivalry between the two schools is legendary.  After Duke whips the Heels they should be in good shape to take on Syracuse on February 22nd and exact revenge when The Orange come to Cameron Indoor Stadium.

UPDATE 8:58 PM:  “Snowpocalypse” has forced the postponement of tonight’s game.  The make-up game will be played on February 20^th.  Perhaps because Dick Vitale was stranded at the airport was part of the reason the game was called off.

Pls be safe in Triangle area - ice /snow unreal -at TAC terminal in Raleigh - having tough time finding a ride to Dean Dome

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 12, 2014

Prediction: The Heels Will Clip The Jayhawks’ Wings

Tip off at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis is set for 5:05PM in the Midwest Regional Finals where the KU Jayhawks will face the North Carolina Tarheels.

The matchup analysis favors Carolina’s defense.  Kansas is given the offensive and overall edge in the game.

Let’s remember that the 30-6 Jayhawks barely squeaked by the Boilermakers of Purdue and the NC State Wolfpack in the last two rounds of the tourney.

Carolina’s point guard, Kendall Marshall, won’t take the floor today according to the latest update on his injured wrist.  That means that Stilman White will be pressed into action.  Against Ohio in Friday’s game, he played 32 minutes and had six assists and zero turnovers.

This will be the first time Kansas and North Carolina have played since the 2008 Final Four, when KU jumped out to a 40-12 lead and eventually won 84-66.

North Carolina won the national title in 2005 and again in 2009, and is in the regional finals for the sixth time under Coach Roy Williams. The Tar Heels are a No. 1 seed for a record 14th time.

Both teams had difficulty getting to this point, but Coach Williams has a point to prove.

As a die-hard Duke fan, I’m rooting for the Heels.  Based on mascots alone, Ramses is waaaaay tougher than some damn blue bird.  SRSLY.

Go Heels

UPDATE 7:08PM:  Congratulations to all you Jayhawks fans.  You won a gritty game against Carolina 80-67.  Best of luck to Kansas in the Final Four in New Orleans.

Oh, and hey, Heels fans, you lost the ACC Title and you came up empty in the NCAA Tourney. I love it.  See you on the court in the fall.  Go Duke.

Tarheels “Snaer-ed” In Shocker Loss To Florida State

Yesterday I was looking for revenge for the loss the Duke Blue Devils suffered at the hands of the North Carolina Tarheels on March 3^rd.  Little did I know that the revenge I was hoping for would come in the form of the Heels losing in a shocker to FSU in the 2012 ACC Tournament.

The team that defeated the Blue Devils took it to the Heels but good.  FSU’s box score reflects a 57.9 field goal percentage compared to Carolina’s 39.4%.  The ‘Noles dominated beyond the arc 47.8% to 25.0%.

Michael Snaer scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting for FSU. Deividas Dulkys netted 16 while Luke Loucks posted a 10-point, 13-assist double-double for the Seminoles.

With 3.9 seconds left and a chance to tie the game, P. J. Hairston shot and missed the iron when the buzzer sounded.

On January 14, 2012, Florida State breezed its way to a 90-57 shellacking of the Tarheels.  It was the biggest blowout ever handed to Coach Roy Williams.

During the game I saw one Carolina fan holding up a sign at Phillips Arena that read, “A Duke fan gave me these tickets.”  Poor baby.  Today, along with all the other true blue Dukies and Cameron Crazies I am laughing insanely at you.

Revenge is sweet I tell ya.  Revenge is sweet.

Congratulations to all you ‘Noles fans.  See ya at the NCAA Tournament.