So as this loss set in over night, and I woke up numerous times thinking it was a dream, I gathered some thoughts and questions to ask yourself as a Tarheel fan. I'm putting them up here to first of all vent. Secondly, you can pick one point to discuss or input on.
1. As you look at the make-up of this team, and when I say make-up, I'm not just talking about skill-set, offensive or defensive ability, I'm also talking about mentality, toughness, the little things that matter. What is really different from this team or last years team? I can answer that, not a whole lot. How much mentally tougher have we gotten? Do we have a killer instinct? Do we shoot the ball any better (which has been the knock on us for 4 years)? So all this freaking hype this year on we are the most complete team in the country and should win it all. That's crap. It's the same team from last year that couldn't beat ranked opponents, couldn't close out games, and couldn't guard their own freaking shadow.
2. The loss is not just on Roy. Yea calling a timeout or no timeout is going to be discussed for sometime. But if he calls a timeout and we miss a shot then it's the same result. That did not in anyway lose this game for us. The final 10 minutes lost us the game. The inability to have SOMEONE man up and say I'm going to stop Brandon Ingram just one time from scoring. The inability to have SOMEONE man up and say I'm going to stop Grayson Allen from driving it down my throat. The inability to not only have our freaking guards all-world Paige and Berry throw the freaking ball inside and also our lazy bigs demand the ball. Say what you want Brice wanted no part of it when it got tough or close. Meeks is worthless period. Thats what lost us the game. Yea do I think we stayed in the 1-3-1 a position too long. Yes. When we got the 1 stop from them when we were in it we should of gotten out of it the next defensive position. But did we, no. They hit a 3 like everyone that was rooting for them not to hit one knew they would.
3. From my perspective and this is strictly my opinion, we will not recover from this loss. You could tell we invested too much into this game, not only from players but coaches too. This loss hurt us way more than it helped Duke. The guys on this current team have not beat Duke in any meaningful game. That sticks with a player and it begins to set in as a mindset. We could VERY easily lose 4 in a row or at least 3 out 4. Which I firmly expect to do.
So as I wrap up, I know some of you will say I'm being nothing but negative and I'm jumping off the wagon etc. But if you could please enlighten me on some positive take away from last night I would love to hear it. Because nothing about last night can be taken in a positive way. We got beat by a less talented team, 5 players, and a team full of guys that could not match our physicality. That's a bad loss. As weird as it may sound that's the worse loss of the year. Going to Cameron in 2 and half weeks, I dread it, they hit 7 threes last night, can only imagine how many they will hit there.
1. As you look at the make-up of this team, and when I say make-up, I'm not just talking about skill-set, offensive or defensive ability, I'm also talking about mentality, toughness, the little things that matter. What is really different from this team or last years team? I can answer that, not a whole lot. How much mentally tougher have we gotten? Do we have a killer instinct? Do we shoot the ball any better (which has been the knock on us for 4 years)? So all this freaking hype this year on we are the most complete team in the country and should win it all. That's crap. It's the same team from last year that couldn't beat ranked opponents, couldn't close out games, and couldn't guard their own freaking shadow.
2. The loss is not just on Roy. Yea calling a timeout or no timeout is going to be discussed for sometime. But if he calls a timeout and we miss a shot then it's the same result. That did not in anyway lose this game for us. The final 10 minutes lost us the game. The inability to have SOMEONE man up and say I'm going to stop Brandon Ingram just one time from scoring. The inability to have SOMEONE man up and say I'm going to stop Grayson Allen from driving it down my throat. The inability to not only have our freaking guards all-world Paige and Berry throw the freaking ball inside and also our lazy bigs demand the ball. Say what you want Brice wanted no part of it when it got tough or close. Meeks is worthless period. Thats what lost us the game. Yea do I think we stayed in the 1-3-1 a position too long. Yes. When we got the 1 stop from them when we were in it we should of gotten out of it the next defensive position. But did we, no. They hit a 3 like everyone that was rooting for them not to hit one knew they would.
3. From my perspective and this is strictly my opinion, we will not recover from this loss. You could tell we invested too much into this game, not only from players but coaches too. This loss hurt us way more than it helped Duke. The guys on this current team have not beat Duke in any meaningful game. That sticks with a player and it begins to set in as a mindset. We could VERY easily lose 4 in a row or at least 3 out 4. Which I firmly expect to do.
So as I wrap up, I know some of you will say I'm being nothing but negative and I'm jumping off the wagon etc. But if you could please enlighten me on some positive take away from last night I would love to hear it. Because nothing about last night can be taken in a positive way. We got beat by a less talented team, 5 players, and a team full of guys that could not match our physicality. That's a bad loss. As weird as it may sound that's the worse loss of the year. Going to Cameron in 2 and half weeks, I dread it, they hit 7 threes last night, can only imagine how many they will hit there.
