UNC: Tough game, no shame
Posted by frankpos on March 30, 2008
Equal opponent, tied game with 11 min to go-can’t ask for more.
I have seen many Card teams over my 40 yrs of watching them, and I have come to love this team. I will always remember David Padgett.
And there were some great runs, big games and blow-out victories– and an Elite Eight which is nothing to sneeze at.
The team was a 3 seed–it over-achieved by both getting to the Elite 8 AND giving the #1 seed of the tournament and possible eventual National champion, all it could handle in its own backyard (and with Hansbrough being allowed approx. 9 fouls.)
Every team has some flaw. This team could not shoot free throws well (56% tonight), nor could it finish the end of tight, big games well. These proved their undoing tonight as they lost 9 pts on free throws alone. We held our own for the most part elsewhere.
But not quite. They were just a bit better–in virtually every statistic. Not by much– but the cumulative effect was game deciding.
And Hansbrough– I can assure you he is the real deal, fouls or not. Just a damn good, takeover-the-game player, who hit some clutch shots outside his range with people flying at him. We really had no one such complete player like him–few do.
I talked with many Carolina fans after the game–they admitted they were scared stiff when we made our run.
But, this Card team couldn’t quite do it tonight.
Tough game, no shame.
