Its all about attitude (BIG PLAYS)

[The Big Tease]

I have done some local newspaper reading....and I learned a couple things.....North Carolina fans love basketball, and they are digging the fact that this young team is playing great right now, and that they might win the NIT. According to the paper.....students were skipping class, and fans were waiting outside to arena to get tickets to the game. I like the perception....and given the fact they are playing a team that declined an NIT trip just last year....motivation has to be a factor. I like the boys in baby blue.


On the other hand.....Texas Tech is giving away tickets to try and get fans in the stands. This is clearly a team that is disappointed not to be in the big dance. They have won a couple of games in the NIT.....but morale is well known to be bad in Lubbock. Tech didnt cover the spread last time out against San Diego State.....and they are generously giving 8 points to a very dangerous team in Georgia Tech tonight. Ga tech clearly is a young team and doesnt know that this tournament is not a huge deal. It IS a huge deal to these guys. You will get a max effort from Georgia Tech tonight, and shoudl stay within the number.


My plays:

NC -3
GA Tech +8
NC/Georgetown over the total (i dont have the number in front of me)

 

[gjn23]

you're grasping at straws and looking for reasons to bet UNC if you think that GTown declining a bid last year to the NIT has anything to do with tonights game.

Look more closely at "real factors" like matchups, home crowd, tempo, the way both teams are playing right now, etc....

I think all roads still lead to Tobacco Road but not because GTown passed on the NIT last year. I think that Sweetney will have a monster game but if the refs can get a few early fouls on him that could change everything for GTown and possibly make it a dd cruise fest.

 

[The Big Tease]

The NIT has everything to do with motivation......And the fact that they didnt want to go last year is not completely irrevalent. You think that Georgetown enjoys cruising the nation from Providence to North Carolina in a tournament that they are "too good" to play in? They dont enjoy it.......And when North Carolina has the fan support that it sounds like they have, it sounds like a play for me. North Carolina is very young......one of the youngest in the nation. Winning this tournament woudl give them a boost for next year and Dougherty knows it, and he is pushing his kids to keep going. NC is the only play here.

 

[gjn23]

I guess this years 12 Gtown players didn't get the memo that last years group diodn't want to play in the tourney thus these 12 shouldn't be motivated.

The factor that was overlooked was coaching. Dougherty is a terrible coach. This team will win on talent alone and not on proper coaching and execution. However they will lose many games they shouldn't because of that same factor.

 

[The Big Tease]

I knew you would respond....

But oh well....you won the game, I can handle that. I would make the same play 100 times out of 100 times. And I would never have capped this game the same way as you because I think that Dougherty is a good coach. He has a bunch of kids. He lost his big man early in the year, and he got them this far. I dont understand how he is such a bad coach:shrug:

Try coaching a bunch of freshman and softmores, without an inside presence and see how ya do...I bet you dont beat Duke and Maryland and get into the top 16 of the NIT

 

[buddy]

Big Tease,

Tough break. I was with you on NC -3 and despite the loss, still believe NC was the right side.

But a team full of freshmen and sophomores with no inside presence is a tough test vs a team which depends "ENTIRELY" on one player.

As far as Dougherty being a terrible coach....

A basketball-centered school like North Carolina does not carelessly hire a HC.

Matt Dougherty may not have been their first choice, but he is a good coach...and so are his assistants.