BIG WIN FOR THE 'HOOS
The Tar Heels are undefeated at John Paul Jones Arena no more. They were the only ACC team to have never lost at the arena, which opened in 2006, until Sunday night when the Cavaliers played a great final 16 minutes to win, 61-52.
Despite mostly struggling in ACC play the past few seasons, UVa has now won five straight ACC openers.
Link to video highlights: http://vasp.tv/mensbasketball/1av6
Virginia got off to a hot start, hitting its first few 3-point shots and taking a small lead. UNC battled back, though, and eventually led at the half, 25-24. The refs opened the game with several questionable calls and at one point, UVa has seven fouls while UNC had zero. The Tar Heels didn't get whistled for their first foul until about five minutes left in the first half. Virginia was shooting lots of 3s at first while UNC was taking it to the rim more so that can account for some of the disparity in free throws, but a 7-0 foul margin is almost unrealistic and ludicrous. Luckily, the foul count balanced out after that and I thought the refs called a good game going forward.
UNC made a little 9-2 run in the second half's opening minutes and it looked like it might pull away for a win. After a timeout, though, it was all 'Hoos as they closed on a 35-18 run the rest of the way to seal the win.
Great, great performance by several players and lots of them came up big in key moments or added something of significance to the victory:
Joe Harris (19 points on 7 of 11 shooting, five rebounds): Harris was typical Harris, hitting 2 of 4 3-pointers but also showing a bit of an inside game. A drive through the Carolina defense to a dunk during the first half was quite the pleasant surprise. Great effort, too, in the second half when he hustled for a steal and ended up getting a foul call when a UNC player shoved him in the back. Harris showed lots of grit and determination in this game and seemed like he really wanted to beat UNC. He broke his hand on the road vs. Carolina last season.
Evan Nolte (nine points, 3 of 4 from 3-point land): The freshman was actually the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer and hit some monster 3s. All but one of his 3s came in the second half, including one that was from 25 feet or more. And that really long one came during a critical juncture of the game when Virginia was beginning to make its run and take the lead for good.
Jontel Evans (eight points, six assists): The significance of the Evans' return to the lineup was not lost on Harris, who said after the game, "He really slowed things down offensively. He came into the huddle and told us how he wanted to get the ball side-top-side and really try to make the defense work. I think from that point on in the second half we really did a good job of that." I'm not going to pretend to know what "side-top-side" means, but Evans, besides a couple of turnovers in the first half where he threw the ball to nobody, was a great calming influence on the team. The team is a little better with him on the floor, I think (though I like what Teven Jones is bringing to the team), and is not at 100 percent yet. His penetration into the lane in the second half was key and he seems close to having that tear-drop floater in tip-top shape. I was hoping before the game he would give the Wahoos 20 solid minutes and he gave 21.
Akil Mitchell (seven points, 11 rebounds): It was actually revealed that on Thursday, Mitchell sprained his ankle and was close to not going in this one. Mitchell said to The Daily Progress' Jerry Ratcliffe after the game, "I was teetering back-and-forth about an hour before the game. It was literally a miracle I played. [Athletic trainer Ethan Saliba] said I was a week ahead of schedule for a high ankle sprain. I couldn't even tell you how in the world I'm able to walk on it. I guess once you get into the game, you don't think about what hurts. You just play through it." Mitchell snagged nine of his 11 rebounds in the second half and gave a great effort, full of heart and will.
Paul Jesperson (seven points): Jesperson started but got in early foul trouble and didn't really play until the second half when he contributed a 3-pointer, nearly another 3-pointer that was halfway down then somehow popped up out of the cylinder, a pretty driving layup where he switched from his right hand to his left hand in midair, and two critical free throws down the stretch to help seal the win. Jesperson is much-maligned and some fans think a guy like Nolte should start over him but Jesperson played well tonight and deserves credit. The driving layup also came at a critical part of the game and took a lot of guts.
Teven Jones (six points): Jones made the only two 3-pointers he shot and they were early in the game. The freshman point guard did a good job of setting the tone of the game both offensively (Virginia ended up making eight of 14 3-pointers) and defensively.
Darion Atkins (two points, two blocks): Atkins got in early foul trouble and only ended up playing 16 minutes. He had a couple early blocks that helped set the tone for UVa, though. He was suffering from shin splints the last couple games but it was unclear after the game if his limited role against UNC was because of the injury or because of the foul trouble, or because that was the just the flow of the game. Perhaps a combo of all three.
Justin Anderson (one point, two blocks): Cavalier fans are buzzing about the freshman who only scores 5.4 points per game and here's why: He can flat out jump out of the gym. He's become a fan favorite because of his dunking ability but Sunday night, his ups were on display on a couple of great blocks. One time he blocked the ball so hard, it bounced down and backward instead of out-of-bounds and ended up bounding off the UNC player and then out-of-bounds. Really fun player to watch and he has tons of enthusiasm. Started to pump the crowd a few times. Really seems to love the fans and his team. He has a lot of raw skill and can't wait for him to hone his game and channel that athleticism. On a side note, Anderson did something funny tonight and gave the Heels a taste of their own medicine. He drove into the lane and a UNC player had his hands straight up in the air and Anderson stopped and dove backwards, pretending to get pushed by the Heel. He got the foul call. Anderson went tumbling back all the way into the seats. It was a great acting job and good to see UVa get a ridiculous call after some of the crazy calls UNC has gotten the last couple years.
On the negative side of things, Virginia shot only nine of 18 from the free-throw line, something it can hopefully improve upon as it will need to make more free throws down the stretch of other games.
All in all, it was a great win Sunday. UNC is not at its best this season, but a victory over North Carolina always goes a long way toward impressing people if you end up on the NCAA tournament bubble. Virginia's last win over UNC before Sunday was at Chapel Hill in Tony Bennett's first year, 2009-10, 75-60. Virginia played great defense down the stretch, limiting Carolina to just 18 points over the last 17 minutes of the game after it took a 34-26 lead. The Cavaliers held the high-scoring Tar Heels (83.6 points per game, second in the nation) in check, holding them to their lowest offensive output of the season. Most every Tar Heel was held in check as well, except for Reggie Bullock, who was an assassin from downtown, hitting 4 of his 6 shots from beyond the arc on his way to a game-high 22 points. I was utterly unimpressed with James Michael McAdoo (10 points, seven rebounds), who averages the most points (14.8) and rebounds (8.3) on the team. He shot some terrible free throws and a lot of his shots seemed weak. He got a steal at one point during the game and could have had a breakaway dunk, but instead he just laid it in. It was a very odd play, as if he thought there was a foul and almost stopped completing the play. Maybe he was just being a nice guy, but it showed me he seems to lack the killer instinct that makes the good players great. He is only a sophomore and maybe he will develop it, but tonight was not one of his better games. By the end of the game, I was yelling "James Michael "McAWHOOO?" Sorry, just had to throw that one in there.
And it's great that the punk, John Henson, isn't on the Tar Heels anymore. That guy's flopping was too much to handle last year.
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BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) vs. No. 2 Alabama (12-1), 8:30 p.m. ESPN
The Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide collide tonight in what sounds like a very traditional matchup, but Notre Dame hasn't actually been in the national title game since 1988, the last year it won it. The Fighting Irish went undefeated through their regular season, but has had several close calls, winning 20-17 over Purdue, 13-6 over Michigan, 20-13 over Stanford in overtime, 17-14 over BYU, 29-26 over Pitt in triple overtime, and 22-13 over a USC team not playing with its starting QB (Georgia Tech beat a similar USC team in the Sun Bowl, 21-7). Alabama lost one game, getting bested by Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa. Besides that game, the Crimson Tide had only two other close calls, beating LSU 21-17 and edging Georgia 32-28 in the SEC title game. I think Alabama has had the tougher schedule, having to deal with the tough SEC. Notre Dame's schedule was tough, but nothing to write home about. In retrospect, its stiffest challenge was probably Stanford based on how the Cardinal ended up this year (winners of the Rose Bowl).
Both these teams are hard-nosed and like to run the ball and play good defense. Notre Dame is 29th in the country in rushing at 202.5 yards per game. Its leading rusher is Theo Riddick at 880 yards and five touchdowns.Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson will also run the ball and has picked up 305 yards and five touchdowns this season. Alabama is even better at 224.6 yards per game (19th) and is led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, who've combined for 27 rushing touchdowns. In the SEC title game victory over the Bulldogs, the Tide ran for 350 yards.
Passing wise, Notre Dame ranks 75th in the country. Golson has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 2,135 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Junior backup QB Tommy Rees will also come in and throw the ball occasionally. He's completed 57.6 percent of his passes (59 attempts vs. 282 for Golson) for 436 yards, and a pair of touchdowns and picks. For Alabama, senior A.J. McCarron has really improved over the past year. This season, he's completed 66.8 percent of his passes (same as last year) for 2,669 yards in 13 games (2,634 in 2011 in 13 games), and, here's the biggest improvement from last season, 26 touchdowns compared to 16 last year. He's also cut down on his interceptions from five to three and upped his yards per attempted pass to 9.33 from 8.03. Still, Alabama ranks just 79th in the country in passing. It isn't where it makes its hay.
As I said, both defenses are stout. Notre Dame gives up the fewest points per game in the nation at 10.3 and Alabama isn't far behind in second at 10.7. In passing defense, Alabama ranks fourth while Notre Dame is 21st. In rush defense, the Tide is first while the Irish rank fourth.
If it comes down to the kicking game, the Tide has the edge. Alabama's Jeremy Shelley has made all 11 of his attempts and long-range kicker Cade Foster has made four of his nine attempts, including three of five from beyond 50 yards. Notre Dame's Kyle Brindza has made 23 of 31 attempts this season.
Notre Dame has had a nice season but I don't think it has met a team like Alabama yet. The Irish have certainly been Fighting Irish this season, though, very resilient and never giving up on a game behind its outstanding linebacker, Heisman finalist Manti T'eo. Still, I like the game to be close early, then for the Crimson Tide to make a run and put some distance between themselves and the Irish before a late score or two puts Notre Dame within striking distance but it won't be enough.
Alabama 27, Notre Dame 21
The Tar Heels are undefeated at John Paul Jones Arena no more. They were the only ACC team to have never lost at the arena, which opened in 2006, until Sunday night when the Cavaliers played a great final 16 minutes to win, 61-52.
Despite mostly struggling in ACC play the past few seasons, UVa has now won five straight ACC openers.
Link to video highlights: http://vasp.tv/mensbasketball/1av6
Virginia got off to a hot start, hitting its first few 3-point shots and taking a small lead. UNC battled back, though, and eventually led at the half, 25-24. The refs opened the game with several questionable calls and at one point, UVa has seven fouls while UNC had zero. The Tar Heels didn't get whistled for their first foul until about five minutes left in the first half. Virginia was shooting lots of 3s at first while UNC was taking it to the rim more so that can account for some of the disparity in free throws, but a 7-0 foul margin is almost unrealistic and ludicrous. Luckily, the foul count balanced out after that and I thought the refs called a good game going forward.
UNC made a little 9-2 run in the second half's opening minutes and it looked like it might pull away for a win. After a timeout, though, it was all 'Hoos as they closed on a 35-18 run the rest of the way to seal the win.
Great, great performance by several players and lots of them came up big in key moments or added something of significance to the victory:
Joe Harris (19 points on 7 of 11 shooting, five rebounds): Harris was typical Harris, hitting 2 of 4 3-pointers but also showing a bit of an inside game. A drive through the Carolina defense to a dunk during the first half was quite the pleasant surprise. Great effort, too, in the second half when he hustled for a steal and ended up getting a foul call when a UNC player shoved him in the back. Harris showed lots of grit and determination in this game and seemed like he really wanted to beat UNC. He broke his hand on the road vs. Carolina last season.
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| UVa freshman forward Evan Nolte |
Evan Nolte (nine points, 3 of 4 from 3-point land): The freshman was actually the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer and hit some monster 3s. All but one of his 3s came in the second half, including one that was from 25 feet or more. And that really long one came during a critical juncture of the game when Virginia was beginning to make its run and take the lead for good.
Jontel Evans (eight points, six assists): The significance of the Evans' return to the lineup was not lost on Harris, who said after the game, "He really slowed things down offensively. He came into the huddle and told us how he wanted to get the ball side-top-side and really try to make the defense work. I think from that point on in the second half we really did a good job of that." I'm not going to pretend to know what "side-top-side" means, but Evans, besides a couple of turnovers in the first half where he threw the ball to nobody, was a great calming influence on the team. The team is a little better with him on the floor, I think (though I like what Teven Jones is bringing to the team), and is not at 100 percent yet. His penetration into the lane in the second half was key and he seems close to having that tear-drop floater in tip-top shape. I was hoping before the game he would give the Wahoos 20 solid minutes and he gave 21.
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| UVa senior guard Jontel Evans |
Akil Mitchell (seven points, 11 rebounds): It was actually revealed that on Thursday, Mitchell sprained his ankle and was close to not going in this one. Mitchell said to The Daily Progress' Jerry Ratcliffe after the game, "I was teetering back-and-forth about an hour before the game. It was literally a miracle I played. [Athletic trainer Ethan Saliba] said I was a week ahead of schedule for a high ankle sprain. I couldn't even tell you how in the world I'm able to walk on it. I guess once you get into the game, you don't think about what hurts. You just play through it." Mitchell snagged nine of his 11 rebounds in the second half and gave a great effort, full of heart and will.
Paul Jesperson (seven points): Jesperson started but got in early foul trouble and didn't really play until the second half when he contributed a 3-pointer, nearly another 3-pointer that was halfway down then somehow popped up out of the cylinder, a pretty driving layup where he switched from his right hand to his left hand in midair, and two critical free throws down the stretch to help seal the win. Jesperson is much-maligned and some fans think a guy like Nolte should start over him but Jesperson played well tonight and deserves credit. The driving layup also came at a critical part of the game and took a lot of guts.
Teven Jones (six points): Jones made the only two 3-pointers he shot and they were early in the game. The freshman point guard did a good job of setting the tone of the game both offensively (Virginia ended up making eight of 14 3-pointers) and defensively.
Darion Atkins (two points, two blocks): Atkins got in early foul trouble and only ended up playing 16 minutes. He had a couple early blocks that helped set the tone for UVa, though. He was suffering from shin splints the last couple games but it was unclear after the game if his limited role against UNC was because of the injury or because of the foul trouble, or because that was the just the flow of the game. Perhaps a combo of all three.
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| UVa freshman guard Justin Anderson |
On the negative side of things, Virginia shot only nine of 18 from the free-throw line, something it can hopefully improve upon as it will need to make more free throws down the stretch of other games.
All in all, it was a great win Sunday. UNC is not at its best this season, but a victory over North Carolina always goes a long way toward impressing people if you end up on the NCAA tournament bubble. Virginia's last win over UNC before Sunday was at Chapel Hill in Tony Bennett's first year, 2009-10, 75-60. Virginia played great defense down the stretch, limiting Carolina to just 18 points over the last 17 minutes of the game after it took a 34-26 lead. The Cavaliers held the high-scoring Tar Heels (83.6 points per game, second in the nation) in check, holding them to their lowest offensive output of the season. Most every Tar Heel was held in check as well, except for Reggie Bullock, who was an assassin from downtown, hitting 4 of his 6 shots from beyond the arc on his way to a game-high 22 points. I was utterly unimpressed with James Michael McAdoo (10 points, seven rebounds), who averages the most points (14.8) and rebounds (8.3) on the team. He shot some terrible free throws and a lot of his shots seemed weak. He got a steal at one point during the game and could have had a breakaway dunk, but instead he just laid it in. It was a very odd play, as if he thought there was a foul and almost stopped completing the play. Maybe he was just being a nice guy, but it showed me he seems to lack the killer instinct that makes the good players great. He is only a sophomore and maybe he will develop it, but tonight was not one of his better games. By the end of the game, I was yelling "James Michael "McAWHOOO?" Sorry, just had to throw that one in there.
And it's great that the punk, John Henson, isn't on the Tar Heels anymore. That guy's flopping was too much to handle last year.
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BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) vs. No. 2 Alabama (12-1), 8:30 p.m. ESPN
The Fighting Irish and Crimson Tide collide tonight in what sounds like a very traditional matchup, but Notre Dame hasn't actually been in the national title game since 1988, the last year it won it. The Fighting Irish went undefeated through their regular season, but has had several close calls, winning 20-17 over Purdue, 13-6 over Michigan, 20-13 over Stanford in overtime, 17-14 over BYU, 29-26 over Pitt in triple overtime, and 22-13 over a USC team not playing with its starting QB (Georgia Tech beat a similar USC team in the Sun Bowl, 21-7). Alabama lost one game, getting bested by Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa. Besides that game, the Crimson Tide had only two other close calls, beating LSU 21-17 and edging Georgia 32-28 in the SEC title game. I think Alabama has had the tougher schedule, having to deal with the tough SEC. Notre Dame's schedule was tough, but nothing to write home about. In retrospect, its stiffest challenge was probably Stanford based on how the Cardinal ended up this year (winners of the Rose Bowl).
Both these teams are hard-nosed and like to run the ball and play good defense. Notre Dame is 29th in the country in rushing at 202.5 yards per game. Its leading rusher is Theo Riddick at 880 yards and five touchdowns.Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson will also run the ball and has picked up 305 yards and five touchdowns this season. Alabama is even better at 224.6 yards per game (19th) and is led by a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon, who've combined for 27 rushing touchdowns. In the SEC title game victory over the Bulldogs, the Tide ran for 350 yards.Passing wise, Notre Dame ranks 75th in the country. Golson has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 2,135 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Junior backup QB Tommy Rees will also come in and throw the ball occasionally. He's completed 57.6 percent of his passes (59 attempts vs. 282 for Golson) for 436 yards, and a pair of touchdowns and picks. For Alabama, senior A.J. McCarron has really improved over the past year. This season, he's completed 66.8 percent of his passes (same as last year) for 2,669 yards in 13 games (2,634 in 2011 in 13 games), and, here's the biggest improvement from last season, 26 touchdowns compared to 16 last year. He's also cut down on his interceptions from five to three and upped his yards per attempted pass to 9.33 from 8.03. Still, Alabama ranks just 79th in the country in passing. It isn't where it makes its hay.
As I said, both defenses are stout. Notre Dame gives up the fewest points per game in the nation at 10.3 and Alabama isn't far behind in second at 10.7. In passing defense, Alabama ranks fourth while Notre Dame is 21st. In rush defense, the Tide is first while the Irish rank fourth.
If it comes down to the kicking game, the Tide has the edge. Alabama's Jeremy Shelley has made all 11 of his attempts and long-range kicker Cade Foster has made four of his nine attempts, including three of five from beyond 50 yards. Notre Dame's Kyle Brindza has made 23 of 31 attempts this season.
Notre Dame has had a nice season but I don't think it has met a team like Alabama yet. The Irish have certainly been Fighting Irish this season, though, very resilient and never giving up on a game behind its outstanding linebacker, Heisman finalist Manti T'eo. Still, I like the game to be close early, then for the Crimson Tide to make a run and put some distance between themselves and the Irish before a late score or two puts Notre Dame within striking distance but it won't be enough.
Alabama 27, Notre Dame 21
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