PeteCalvin
Hall of Fame
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- Aug 26, 2011
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Man, what a great game for this new look conference! I know we all have liked to hate on Duke at one time or another in the past, and have taken our share of pot-shots at K, but I have nothing but respect for them on this night. And not just because we won. Both teams played their hearts out tonight. Those players gave us a game for the ages, one that lived up to the hype and beyond! Parker is just a scoring machine. He's gotta be the best pure scorer in all of college, and it's not close. This is not a great Duke team in the mold of past great teams, but it is a very good team that is loaded with talent. They played a gritty, tough game. No real cheap shots, ala Pitt. Just tough, in your face, defense. They gave everything and almost took the win.
And what can I say about our men in Orange? My gosh, who would have imagined us walking away from the court with a win after enduring 15 made threes to only 3 of our own? This was like the NCAA game against Wisconsin all over again. Tyler Ennis is not a freshman. He may not even be human. The poise that he showed tonight, the big shots he hit, the clutch free throws he knocked down...just WOW! Amazing does not begin to describe his ability on the court. Just as JB said in his presser, CJ became a different player tonight. He brought it to a new level. He played like a POY candidate and led this team when we needed to weather the storm. And Jerami Grant...OMG! This guy is a bonifide stud in the paint. He rebounds, blocks shots, and makes some very difficult shots in traffic. What's scary is that he's only scratching the surface of his potential. Our guys played their asses off tonight in what was probably their most complete game of the season. They had to play at the highest level on both sides of the ball to beat this Duke team tonight, and they delivered a stellar performance. Think about how important our 81% from the line was tonight. We shoot anything less, and it's a tough pill we're swallowing.
The officiating was solid, but obviously not perfect. But it certainly wasn't petty. They let the players make plays. I know most Duke fans will curse the Rodney Hood play in OT, but no ref is making that call in a game like this.
This Duke team is one of the 5 best teams in the country right now. I firmly believe that. No other conference this year will boast a game EVEN CLOSE to this one. Tonight John Swofford is sitting somewhere knowing the future of the ACC is bright. Tonight was about respect, and the ACC just earned back a ton.
Kudos to both teams. This was a blast.
And what can I say about our men in Orange? My gosh, who would have imagined us walking away from the court with a win after enduring 15 made threes to only 3 of our own? This was like the NCAA game against Wisconsin all over again. Tyler Ennis is not a freshman. He may not even be human. The poise that he showed tonight, the big shots he hit, the clutch free throws he knocked down...just WOW! Amazing does not begin to describe his ability on the court. Just as JB said in his presser, CJ became a different player tonight. He brought it to a new level. He played like a POY candidate and led this team when we needed to weather the storm. And Jerami Grant...OMG! This guy is a bonifide stud in the paint. He rebounds, blocks shots, and makes some very difficult shots in traffic. What's scary is that he's only scratching the surface of his potential. Our guys played their asses off tonight in what was probably their most complete game of the season. They had to play at the highest level on both sides of the ball to beat this Duke team tonight, and they delivered a stellar performance. Think about how important our 81% from the line was tonight. We shoot anything less, and it's a tough pill we're swallowing.
The officiating was solid, but obviously not perfect. But it certainly wasn't petty. They let the players make plays. I know most Duke fans will curse the Rodney Hood play in OT, but no ref is making that call in a game like this.
This Duke team is one of the 5 best teams in the country right now. I firmly believe that. No other conference this year will boast a game EVEN CLOSE to this one. Tonight John Swofford is sitting somewhere knowing the future of the ACC is bright. Tonight was about respect, and the ACC just earned back a ton.
Kudos to both teams. This was a blast.