That is true, and Walter had a broken finger. LaGarde was lost for t he season when the,Heels were something like 18-1?
I guess I was pointing out how difficult it is to compare eras. I truthfully think last years team would have run the 1977 team off the floor, and last years team was maybe we the most frustrating watch in my lifetime.
Not even close. Sorry, but that is 1,000,000% wrong. If the 77 team, even without Tommy, played last year's team 10 times, 77 would likely win 9 (and probably 10). And that's no exaggeration, by big margins
That is the danger of using raw stats on a given game. Look, I have watched that particular full game probably 7 0r 8 times since the first time (and just did again), and you are barking up the wrong tree here.
The games then and now are different. Literally NOBODY plays today at the pace UNLV did then. They averaged like 103 WITHOUT a clock or 3. They pressed all the time and fouled (and got away with fouls) at a frenetic level that would make Huggins' "Press Virginia" look tame. And they were scary-good and shot out of their minds that day. And think about this, in 77 we still outran them to get a working second-half lead, and Dean masterfully used the Point Zone and the Corners to take it home. But today? I'll go on record and say there's not another team in today's ACC that 77 UNLV couldn't run outta the gym. Our current team would be the only one that would have a decent chance against them.
There was no 3 line so the spaciing was more compact and TOs were easier to force, and it was easier to commit unforced ones. Moreover, the zebras totally lost controi of that one within the first few minutes. This is one of those games that started converations about going to 3 refs, which of course they did in the 80s.
Here's another difference, there was a
5-second closely guarded rule (!!!) --- that I wish they'd bring back --- so you couldn't just dribble down a clock like you can today. That in and of itself was a big catalyst for way more TOs. In fact that may be the SINGLE biggest difference in that aspect. I played and coached with the 5-second rule --- it matters a LOT.
Phil couldn't shoot for the entire FF after being mugged in the Regional and hurting his right elbow (and rehurt it during this game) --- he missed shots in both FF games he usually made in his sleep, plus it literally hurt severely to dribble and pass as well. One of the reasons John ran "Chaser" so much in the Corners was that Phil was hurting ao bad. Walter was recovering from a recently broken right hand with fingters taped together and couldn't grip the ball in that hand. That caused at least 2 of his TOs (the fact hat he managed to go 7-7 from the field is a damn profile in courage.
Oh, and as for Phil's TOs, 2 came from HORRIBLE offensive foul calls and he got hammered without calls on a couple others. And just a quick rewatch I also counted 10 dimes (although stat-keeping could be pretty arbitrary).
So again, for myriad reasons, do NOT underestimate the teams in that game. UNC 77 could be dominant in ANY era (especially with Tommy), and under ANY era's set of rules.
