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"I was just shooting it like it was in practice or any other day. When it came off my hands, I felt confident." -- Will Graves on his banked-in 3-pointer against Mississippi State.
On College Game Day this morning, let it be known that Hubert Davis, UNC Class of 1992, picked the Tar Heels to beat Duke while seated at half court of Hansbrough Cameron Indoor Stadium. While all the other commentators chose favored Duke, Mr. Davis exemplified the true spirit of the greatest rivalry in sports, and picked his alma mater. His colleague, Bobby Knight, then proposed that he receive the “alumni of the year award,” and so we are justly giving it to Mr. Davis. This is not the first time Mr. Davis has upheld his loyalty to the University of North Carolina, as evidenced in the hidden-camera video below. It is not a commercial like some might think.
Although, Jay, you are normally a voice of reason and valuable insight, today is different. Eat it, Bilas. And so for Mr. Davis’ body of work as a full-bore Carolina supporter, even in the face of the Cameron Crazies, he shall be presented with this most prestigious award. The dozens, nay, hundreds of people who will see this will surely understand the humongous honor.
Congratulate yourself, Hubert Davis. You are The Rafters’ Alumnus of the Year.
In the state of North Carolina, there is a small country in western Durham. It’s old - though not 1789 old – and has gone through name changes and rape scandals, yet still retains a pristine image. Here the citizens aren’t of the same ilk as most North Carolinians, and most natives know it. Yes, here is the home of Duke University.
The private institution has a certain air about it — a stuffy one. Sure it’s ranked in the Top 10 Universities of U.S. News and World Report, not No. 28 like some dinky public school, but does that give them the right to be so, well, douchey?
Some of you will be thinking I’m blowing this out of proportion. There’s no way ALL Duke students are total pricks, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that in my experience, I have yet to meet a Duke student who didn’t rub me the wrong way, intentionally or not.
Take my most recent encounter, at the party of a mutual friend in December.
I introduce myself to said Dookie without knowing his affiliation. He is friendly enough, as much as to be expected at a party in which many don’t know each other. I ask him how he knows the mutual friend, blah blah, and eventually get to, “Oh where’d you go to school?”
I visibly show my distaste at his answer — all in fun. After all, the UNC/Duke rivalry is one of the most well-known sports rivalries in the country. What happens next is the same thing that has happened to me multiple times when meeting a Dookie.
The conversation dies for a second. It’s during this silence that a couple of things are happening. The Dookie is usually trying to figure out something else to say, while at the same time hiding his or her scorn for my joking gesture. Yes, it was all in fun, but you can tell it drives them crazy to see a “bumpkin” from Chapel Hill insulting their school.
I’m usually just trying to hold in my laughter. If I had seen said Dookie in a lineup, I could have picked him out as the one who went to Durham Tech. Much like its basketball players (douchey, unathletic), Duke students tend to have a look.
Anyway, a new question is then usually proposed by said Dookie. And nine times out of 10, it’s this:
“Oh, so are you actually FROM North Carolina?”
As a matter of fact, I am, dick. But the question wasn’t meant to find out where I was reared. It was used to reassure the Dookie that he or she is superior. I obviously must have gone to UNC because it was the best public school I could get in to, and couldn’t go to a prestigious private one. Forget about the fact that some out of state kids would kill to go to UNC, and that it’s consistently one of the best public schools in the nation. Not to mention that Carolina’s journalism school – my major – is Top 3 in the country at worst.
No, this doesn’t matter to the royal blue. They know their snooty network of donors and alumni will get them in a “better” job than I could imagine. They’ve been destined to “attain” greatness since they popped out of the womb, silver spoon in hand. Even Reggie Love has a good position in the current administration.
That is a travesty, but the worst part is that I’ve had the experience described above several times. Perhaps it’s their environment that causes them to ask such questions. Maybe after attending the Gothic Gehenna you just get used to being around other Yankees with trust funds and how they interact with one another, and then just don’t remember how to act around normal people?
It’s just much easier (or true?) to take your prestige and call it arrogance, pretension, snootiness, conceit, snobbery, contempt or vanity.
This post could honestly be 100s of photos. Somehow that Jon Scheyer makes a face nearly every time he has to make a physical movement. Watch the game tonight. If he makes a pass – face. If he shoots a jumper – face. If he shoots a free throw…. you get the idea.
We all like to say that Duke only shoots 3s. And it’s true, they do take a hell of a lot of 3s. In fact, I’d hazard to assume they take way more threes than anyone in ACC. It’s my opinion, so it’s science.
But here’s the thing, K’s offense isn’t necessarily designed to be focused on 3-pointers. It’s not quite the same as the NFL, but it’s still called the spread offense.
There are a number of screens set in the initial run-through. The first look is often for a back-door pass. But you also have to consider some of the recent players that Dook recruited: Scheyer, Singler, Smith, Redick, Randolph, Thomas, Plumlee(s) and — excuse me while I chuckle — Zoubek.
Most of those guys LOVE the three. Ever watched a Duke player drive the basket? His teammates’ eyes get all big and they run to the 3-point line, frantically clapping their hands as if the potential two-point drive will upset the basketball Gods. And I know some of you will agree that when Duke’s offense breaks down, there are four players on the wing waiting to take a shot.
Now some of you will be saying “big deal.” The offense is designed for those drive and dish looks. But you’re missing the underlying effects of playing in such an offense, and it’s a reason to hate Duke.
One of my biggest qualms with the 3-pointer idiot savants is that they just play the game wrong. Whether it’s the flopping, the emphasis placed on drawing fouls or the floor slapping. There’s something about Duke basketball that’s just not right. And when they’re re-introduced to playing with others (i.e. the NBA), their methods just don’t seem to translate.
Going back to those players I mentioned earlier. These players are also the types that will do, without question, whatever Coach K says. Blindly, stumbling forward, they run that offense to a T. K was a psychology major, and he puts it to use. His system is so ingrained in his players that it totally takes away any individual flair or natural talent they once had.
“When we look at it, we always say you know Duke is a great college school. None of their guys come out and become great players in the pros because they don’t have that in their blood. …. Even to this day that still is ingrained in all Carolina guys. There’s no way you’re going to like anything about Duke.” — Michael Jordan
What undoubtedly happens after one year in the system is that if you’re not good enough to play in the NBA, you usually end up staying four years. Take Redick. The best player on the roster for probably three years, yet did he ever flirt with the NBA? Redick stayed four years, only to lose on his senior night to a future four-year player who would actually win a national championship. Redick could have left after his junior season, but the reality was that he didn’t have anything besides that jump shot. Why? That jump shot worked in Duke’s system. Redick spent his entire senior year attempting to develop some other basic skills that NBA players need.
What’s more, this tendency to stay four years actually makes the Duke students EXPECT it of their players. The pricks have no sense of what’s best for their team’s players in the long run. Who can forget Elton Brand’s e-mail with a Duke alum about his decision to leave early? Just an excerpt:
Never being considered a part of your posh group of yuppies really hurts me to the heart. Yeah, right. Because I don’t care about you or your alumni.
Sincerely,
Elton Brand #42 NBA
If you think about the Duke players that have stood out in the NBA recently – Brand, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Corey Maggette – None of them stayed four years. I would argue a Duke player’s success in the pros in inversely related to the amount of time spent in Durham. Whereas at UNC it’s almost a moot point. The players that are great at Carolina – barring injuries – are great in the NBA, regardless of time spent at UNC.
That’s why it’s so exciting to watch Carolina basketball. Each player’s personality comes through on the court. Whether it was Rashad McCants’ casualness, or Tyler Hansbrough’s tenacity. The devils just play the game wrong because they operate like a machine, a flopping, slapping, boring machine. It’s uninspiring, frustrating and just ugly to watch.
Of the myriad reasons to hate Dook, it’s one that just gets to the core of basketball. It should be fun, both for the players and for the fans.
A couple summers ago I had the pleasure to intern at a magazine here in Chapel Hill and was lucky that I wasn’t completely surrounded by print journalism vets that outaged me by 30 years. It was here that I met Zeke Smith, an associate editor – I believe that was his title – and photographer that helped the time pass over mutual adoration of all things Carolina and hip-hop. Zeke also photographed UNC sporting events and I’m sure you’re aware of some of his more popular work.
While, Zeke, a UNC grad, is currently residing in jolly olde England, he and his brother, a Dook grad have joined forces to create BluevsBlue.com a one stop-shop for both sides of the rivalry spectrum. Everything on the site is well written and as all Carolina fans know, even if you hate it, you have to know almost as much about Dook as you do the Heels. It’s sickening in that way.
So take a minute to check in on the happenings over at BvB, it’s worth the time you’re already wasting at work.
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lulu is discussing. 
Caroline is discussing. 
lulu 10:58 pm on March 6, 2010 Permalink
I’ve always loved Hubert…that’s all I have to say about that.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and the game.