Ugly seems to be the theme of many a Carolina win this season, none more so than today's victory over State in the ACC tournament semi-finals.
Ugly - let me count the ways:
- No John Henson
- Tyler Zeller fouls out
- Harrison Barnes went 3 for 12
- James Michael McAdoo and Kendall Marshall were also in foul trouble
- Carolina had to utilize their fourth-string point guard - in the first half!
Yet, save for Henson all those players stepped up to help will the Heels to a tough win over a determined Wolfpack.
Zeller was generally unstoppable on his was to 23 points on 8 for 11 shooting. The strategy of 'give it to Zeller and have him score or foul out the other team' helped win this game today.
Barnes left a dozen points on the rim, but his aggressiveness midway through the second half changed the game in Carolina's favor. He seemed to recognize that his shot wasn't falling so it was time to take it to the rack, which usually resulted in free throws and points. Barnes' one-man run was huge.
McAdoo struggled at times in his first career start, but did finish with 9 points.
But this game belonged to Marshall and Watts. When my brother asked me 'How did Carolina win this game" I muttered "Uh, Marshall and Watts made plays" but struggled to come up with any other info on the game.
Marshall had an uneven game, but came up big at the end with his game-winning drive. And for the record, that was not a charge. The State defender had to lean into Marshall to even get close to charge position. And philosophically, on that kind of play the benefit of the doubt goes to the offense. More on this point later.
It wasn't just that last drive; Marshall made play after play in the second half, and his offensive game is now legit - and dangerous for the other team.
But what can you say about Justin Watts? He played point guard when Marshall got into foul trouble, spelled McAdoo at power forward when he picked up his fourth foul, then made THE play of the game with his steal - under the State basket - with less than 5 seconds left. Watts played 18 crucial minutes, and saved the game, turning ugly into victory along the way.
GO HEELS
- I would have been happy with either FSU or Duke as Carolina's opponent tomorrow. The chance to smite Duke again would have been great, but I think most Tar Heels fan like the idea of avenging the loss in Tallahassee.
- It should be quite a slug fest between two big front lines, especially if the Heels are again without Henson.
- Neither FSU nor Duke looked that smooth on offense, so if Carolina can shut down Snaer and James, with Bullock and Zeller, we should be okay. Of course, that assumes we also shut down Dulkys so Marshall, Watts and Barnes also need to step up on D.
- I like our chances though. Revenge is a powerful motivator. Look for a focused Barnes to lead the Heels to another ACC championship, 77 to 65.
Finally, some more thoughts on charges and blocking fouls.
The referees really stunk in this game, at both ends for both teams.
In general, college basketball refs have not had a good season, and it seems that down the stretch of this ACC season they have gone charge crazy.
I've blogged/ranted on this point before, but to me at least most of these charges should be called blocking fouls.
One, the team with the ball should get the benefit of the doubt. They are instigating the action, and should NOT be penalized for that. As it is in baseball, where a tie goes to the runner, in basketball a close play should be called a blocking foul, not a charge.
Two, too often charging calls reward lazy defense. Things have improved with the NCAA adopting the NBA semi-circle under the basket so that players literally can't just wait for the offense to come to them. For years, Duke would just plant a player under the hoop and wait for drivers to run into them and draw a cheap charging foul.
But that style of 'waiting for an offensive player to run into me' defense is still utilized by teams outside that semi-circle - and referees reward them for it. It makes no sense.
If a defensive player is NOT set once the player with the ball leaves his or her feet, that's a blocking foul. It's unfair to the offensive player to be called for charging for running into a defender who slides over to where that player is going to land. The offensive player is penalized for abiding by the laws of gravity.
1 comment:
This was the worst officiated game I've ever seen. The refs threw out the rule book, created their own definition of what a foul was, and then ignored their own rule at random intervals. I don't' know how those three were selected to call a tournament game, but I'd be surprised if they're allowed to call one again.
I still disagree with you on player-control fouls (charging). I think they're an integral part of the college game, and are essential to good defensive play.
Dean Smith certainly thought so, and for years, Carolina -- not Duke -- was known for players taking charges. (In fact, wasn't Ed Cota teased for being the only guard never to have recorded a charge as a Tar Heel?)
But I won't play the Dean card. I'll make the point without it.
It isn't lazy for a player to move over to cut off an offensive player's drive to the basket. In fact, it takes a lot of effort and an awareness of how the offensive is attacking the basket to get good defensive positioning.
He has to know when it's safe to leave his own man, and he has to move quickly to get into position to cover for his teammate who's been beaten off-the-dribble. If he does that correctly, he should be rewarded.
That's the foundation of weak-side help defense, and without it, you're not watching team play, you're watching a pick-up game.
When the rules are applied correctly, the offense does get the benefit of the doubt. The defender has to be set and he has to give the offensive player room to take 1-2 steps: he can't move into position while the offensive player is in the air and he can't shift over to force contact, or else he's committing a foul. The player with the ball has every right to attack the basket; he just can't create undue contact -- that he could have avoid -- while doing it.
We can talk more about his next weekend when I'm in town.
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