Duke vs. UNC Observations – Daniel Bayer 252 ESPN Radio
*Please note that this article is clearly biased and slanted, since it is written from the perspective of a UNC fan.
•It was Senior Night for Marshall Plumlee on Saturday, and it was probably the last home game for Brandon Ingram too (it might even be the last time the Crazies see Grayson Allen trip an opponent).
•Luke Kennard is going to be really good whenever he is a Junior or Senior.
•What has happened to Marcus Paige’s 3-point shooting? UNC is the team to beat in the NCAA Tournament if Marcus can get his 3-point stroke back.
•Was there really a flopper on the Duke team this year? There was only one flop in the whole game on Saturday.
•What is up with those Duke managers sprinting across the court at the end of Duke games? Where are they going and why are they in such a hurry?
•The Zeller family was more successful in college than the Plumlee family, and it would be a fun 3-on-3 game to watch.
•Kennedy Meeks really stepped up in this game (12 points and 14 rebounds) and answered the critics who called for his benching (I was one of them).
photo courtesy of Bleacher Report
•Did Derrick Thornton play in this game?
•Theo Pinson didn’t really light up the box score (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists); however, he was a solid contributor (clutch free throws, defense, hustle, and tip-ins) and one of the reasons the Heels won. Even though he is sometimes a liability on offense, the Heels are a better team the more he plays in games.
•Brandon Ingram could not get into any sort of rhythm on Saturday, due to his foul trouble.
•Duke gets all of the calls example of the night…Justin Jackson’s nose gets called for a foul, due to hitting Ingram’s elbow.
•Grayson Allen hits the floor after such little contact more than any player in basketball (other than Lebron James in the NBA playoffs).
•This game had a very similar feel to the one played earlier in Chapel Hill, where the Heels were clearly the better team but allowed Duke to hang around until the end. However, credit to the Heels for gutting this one out and hitting some clutch free throws at the end in a tough road environment.
•UNC is now 5-0 whenever Tyler Hansbrough shows up at Cameron.
•When you beat Duke and are ACC Champions…
Daniel Bayer appears Tuesdays 4-6pm on The Drive on 252 ESPN Radio