It has been brought to my attention

that this link deserves to be immoratally enshrined in the blog. And it truly does.

It may not have made this hallowed ground the first time around and it may not always be available at the linked server, but there is no doubt that few Internet phenomenons are more awesome on so many levels than all your base are belong to us.

all your base, your base, your base, are belong to us.

Great weekend

Why was it great you ask? Simply because of Sunday.

First, the Tar Heels completed their best basketball week of the season with their best win of the season. Absent Rashad, they played two GREAT games, and I couldn't be more happy. I thought there was a fairly decent chance we'd go 0-2 WITH Rashad, so to pull out two tough road games to stay ahead in the ACC was crucial.

Moreover, while the State game was impressive for the steady, methodical way in which we cranked the vice and took the life out of them, the Maryland game (which featured much of the same) was incomprehensibly important for the confidence of this team. First of all we relinquished a lead (probably one we shouldn't have, but there were some fluke plays and the Terps hit some big shots). Then Jawad, senior leader, steps up and nails a giant three-pointer -- btw, how sweet has that play been with Rashad out? While it would have been nice to get a stop on the other end, we did force not the best shot, and just were victim to quite a tip-in. Then, Ray, consciously making amends for the dook game drives for a lay-up (see Ray? see? now remember that). And then of course, for the first time in a crucial game in recent memory (see dook, gt last year) we came up with a defensive stop, thanks to Mr. Dominant Sean May, who is making a late run at All-American or ACC POY (screw you, JJ) honors possibly.

So yeah, winning was amazing. The way we won perhaps excites me more, as it could come in crucial around tournament time.

Mad props to Jackie and David for two step-up, MAN games. David took some bad shots in the first half, but hit some critical 3-pointers and came up with some big plays overall. And Jackie was, well, Jackie -- but in super-Jackie form.

Melvin, Mr. Here Let Me Pass This Ball For No Reason Eight Feet To Your Left And See If You Can Get It Before It Goes Out Of Bounds, you suck. You play horrible defense, you can't make the shots that you are in to make, you make horrible decisions (thank god for the awful Fox Sports camera angles so I couldn't see exactly how THROWN you got on that awful shot), and you are more of a turnover-machine than a freaked out freshman walk-on point guard.

Marvin, we know you'll be back. Rashad, we pray you will be.


Also contributing to the greatness that was yesterday was the Lady Heels' magnificent display over in Durham, snapping a 33 home court winning streak en route to sweeping the Devils and capturing the No. 1 seed for the ACC tourney. Ivory Latta was huge, as was Erlana Larkins, and it was quite the surprise to see the Heels fluster the Devils so thoroughly. If this team can ever play a smart game at the right time (i.e. eliminate the totally boneheaded plays never before witnessed in the history of basketball), they could be an honest contender. ("I could've been a contender" -- sorry to digress, I've just never seen that movie.) They have all the talent, and all the heart, and at times the defense. Do they have the smarts? I've seen it at times, rare times, but it's enough of a glimmer to give me hope. But, hell, I'm overflowingly happy with a sweep of dook for once, and actually getting some basketball points in the Carlyle Cup for what seems like the first time ever, sadly.

Two wins and a path through home territory toward our first solo ACC championship in more than a decade and the women clinching a tie for first (even though they should win it outright) equals about as good a weekend as you can get.

except for maybe next weekend (notice the optimism).

And now that I said that, we're probably in for some serious disappointment (notice the pessimism -- I can't escape it.)

Chasing Amy

with "Amy" being Eric Wallace, sophomore phenom and '07 standout who supposedly already possesses a UNC offer.

So, yeah, last night Jimmy, Joel and I went to check out Wallace and his Glenn team take on Durham Hillside, the No. 3 ranked team in 3-A. The game was at Hillside, and the season was on the line for both teams as it was the sectional final.

As an aside, the high school basketball culture here is so different than back in the Centennial State. I couldn't believe that the gym wasn't packed (it's the freaking PLAYOFFS), and the student bodies were almost completely lacking. It was eerie compared to what I'm used to. That's not to say it wasn't intense--just different. Cheerleaders sitting in the stands and utilizing them as noise-making devices, the band playing cool, hype music (and paying attention to the game), parents standing up and yelling at each other, chants (YOU!.....YOU!......YOU!) and taunts--all that stuff was new and fun. And Jimmy warned me that a brawl was possible, and though it didn't really come close to that--it was easy to see how the escalation could occur.

Anyways, on to the game and Wallace. What a fantastic high school game. Glenn won on a tip-in right before the buzzer, vindicating themselves after nearly getting screwed out of a win by an egregious call by the official. Up 5 with 3 minutes left, two Glenn rebounders grabbed a missed shot, and the ref called a jump ball -- but nobody from Hillside was even touching the ball. Hillside promptly drained a 3, and got a quick basket, and the game was tied with just over 2 minutes left. Wallace missed a key PAIR of free-throws, and Hillside proceeded to kill 2 minutes of clock in order to take the last shot. The plan kind of backfired when they were called for traveling at half-court (after a total play breakdown) with 6.7 seconds left, setting up the exciting finish. Wallace was double-teamed on the inbounds, and couldn't get the ball. The point guard took it, got to the basket but had to throw up a tough shot, which ended up working out when one of Glenn's big guys rose up out of the mass under the basket to tip it in at the buzzer (it was clearly good). At which point everyone on Hillside's team began ripping off their jerseys and collapsing to the floor in tears (I honestly felt really sad for them). The refs ran off the court as Hillside's coach sprinted and profaned to the middle of the court in hot pursuit of them.

Wallace's unofficial line: 7-13, 15 points (1-1 from 3, 2-5 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals, 0 assists, 1 sick dunk. (He also had a really good game in the semifinals, looking at the stat line)

I have to say I was more impressed by Wallace than the last time I saw him. Clearly, he is far ahead of his peers athletically, and he possesses lots of tools that could make him great. I don't see him as an elite, can't-miss prospect at this stage, though. On the other hand, he's only a sophomore and has plenty of time to improve. He's got as good a chance as anyone, but he'll have to improve.

His line was made somewhat less impressive by the fact that after a fast-paced first quarter, both teams went into bog-done zones and the game slowed noticably. So, scoring 15 points, which was about a third of his team's total, and being the leading scorer even when he wasn't the first option (Glenn's post players were totally domming Hillside's undersized, weak frontline), was actually pretty impressive. He had 12 at halftime, though, so he didn't do much in the second half. That's one of the enigmas about Wallace I have trouble with. He's not very assertive, NEVER trying to get the ball. On one hand that unselfishness is laudable, but I'd still like to see him demand the ball a little more. Like, it was nice to see him convert a crucial 3-point play (his only second half points) to answer a momentum-changing and lead-grabbing run by Hillside. That might have been the most important play of the game. He needs to do that more often.

His shot is decent. It seems like it could be refined a bit, but it is far from unorthodox. Just slightly...weird. His body isn't square to the basket and his arm gets a little loose, but the potential is there. He definitely needs to improve his ballhandling and bring his dribble down a little bit, but he did show a good burst in getting into the lane under control and finishing smoothly. He does everything well and would be an ideal 3 in the ACC -- and with a reliable jumpshot compares to a less-tenacious, unpolished Josh Howard. One area he clearly has problems with is his decision making. He can get his shot when he wants it, but that often leads to him taking poor shots, at inopportune times, or trying to dunk EVERYTHING. This gets him into trouble and really is the only glaring weakness in his game.

So, to resume, he changed my mind last night. He can be really good, I am convinced of that now. But he's not there yet, and won't get there without more work. We'll see over the next two years if he puts in the work necessary to distance himself from other players in his class or if they start to close the gap on him.

If y'all have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Wednesday's weekly meme 6

BEST SONG EVER, the BATTLE

the matchup:

Afternoon delight, w/ accompanying video and Will Ferrell antics

vs.

best Tar Heel track since the Unstables laid it down (click on samples, then play number 12)

comments? Let's hear 'em.

21:32

Yes, the numbers say it all.

We shattered the previous record by 10 minutes.
+
We dommed the next team by 5 or so minutes.
+
Nobody, even with a girl, had to do eight
+
We averaged less than one minute per
= 21:32

and all that means:

We win AGAIN!!!



and so much for this ;-)

links galore

JamesOn

I'll admit it, I've seen a few sick plays by Sean Williams. There's a lot of (as yet unproven) hype here, but he could be a nice addition to the ACC lexicon of stars

in light of UNLV's and Pacific's crazy wins recently, the top 10 comebacks of all time

bad news for ACC traditionalists

Virginia, you can do better (just don't go after Mike Montgomery, okay?)

a deep look

Black culture, basketball, sportspersonship, and moral issues. Some stuff to think about, for sure.

Hilarious

a true genius, his words leap off the page and tickle the soul -- JJ Redick, the single best poet in the history of writing? Without a doubt, I think so.

Check the lyrical evidence:

"Searching for the face of God
I'm only inspired by the poems of Nas"

he's a true scholar of one of the world's already recognized lettered GIANTS; the one, the only, Nas

"Suddenly the bars connect to walls
and I find myself contained inside life's prison"

is he taking a sublty, cleverly veiled shot at his rival McCants? Clearly.

"I went blow for blow, I went face to face
Now the devil knows, I'm able to escape"

how did he convince K?

"Three sisters have influenced my poetic verses"

what happened to Nas? I thought he was the shizznit.

"I can't see what my future has in store
but I move forth with the strength of a condor"

I know they are in danger of extinction, but I assume condors are pretty fucking mighty, right? Aren't they? Anyone from the Audubon here?

"My mind and body united like the Colors of Benneton"

a simile beyond the scope of comprehension, in fact beyond life itself...he's so deep, it's magical

"I've changed others through and through
And my son, I'll do the same to you"

he is God's instrument on Earth. We are so lucky.

"and everyone will know my name
But I think he's insane"

We think "he's" insane too. Nobody will know his name after about 3 years in the NBA. And why don't we capitalize He all of a sudden? Are we talking about K again? Or God? Is there a difference?

"It's difficult to fathom the coming of the rapture
What if I awoke in an empty pasture?"

I'm sorry, those lines just suck. Really bad. What's so horrific about waking up in an empty pasture? Seems kind of peaceful to me.

this week sucked

(like most do these days), but as I tend to view myself as a happy person and like to appreciate the things worth appreciating, I give you:

things that made this week good (shout out to Alex):

an email from British Andy; a free dinner at Lenoir that included a chicken sanguich, bread bowl chile, trix, waffle fries, and ice cream; realizing in my third class that only half of my face was shaved; getting my x-mas present from Ryan; talking to people online for once, including two epic LOL conversations with Alex and Rachel; staying up till 5 in the morning to watch Tootsie, a movie I didn't even know existed (the details: it happened to come on about 215 right as I was hitting the hay. I saw Dustin, who I've been quite a fan of due to his Rainman excellence, so I figured I'd watch for a few minutes. Then, all of a sudden he's a girl, and I'm intrigued, and figure I might as well just stay up till the wee hours and fuck myself over for the rest of the week); Cosmic -- a constant; a UNC win -- a constant; mint mint chocolate chocolate chip; completely forgetting to follow the election until Thursday; talking to my little sis; Uefua demonstratively rocking out to the unedited version of "Some Cut" before class; dook losing -- a constant; getting out of my last class early; discussing sex/sports metaphors with Jesse Holley and Heather O'Reilly and whoever the girl is who made the "riding" reference; seeing a fellow drug school graduate at the bar, knowing we didn't have the shit the next day; Geoff's "I don't need nobody" joke, even though it was anything but funny; making Ana snort in Spanish class; reading people's blogs (I really do have a perverted interest in knowing what they are doing, a thirst that cannot be satiated merely by away messages and profiles -- that's sooo AIM); watching the transformation in Alex brought on by his discovery of "In my white tee"; always being right; and watching "Vermont: the season."

see? It wasn't all bad.

Wednesday's weekly meme 5

since these are the only type to get comments (guess that shows my readership)...

What CURRENT ACC player will have the best NBA pro career? Anyone from Marvin to Redick to Sharrod is eligible.

Rick Majerus s-u-c-k-s!!!

That is all I have time for right now, and it only makes the cut because of its supreme position in terms of overall importance to my life.

dug up

Quin, sorry dude, but did you really think this was gonna work?

"The Tar Heels are a certifiable Final Four contender, but whether they are the ones cutting down the nets or not depends on whether Raymond Felton decides to limit his Red Bull intake before the game." half-court woes

"Simply, the Tar Heels are still a work in progress searching for the attitude that created their program's history. Discovering it is now their mission, their key to tournament success." this article says what I think and fear

simmered down now

I think I'm ready to give my thoughts on the dook game. Let me preface them by saying that I expected us to lose the game. Dook is a good team, and Cameron is Cameron. Plus, we'd never shown ourselves capable of playing big in a big game. So, I went into the game purely wanting us to show signs of being the great team I thought we were -- the fact that I didn't see any (well, okay, very few) of those signs is I think why the loss has hit me so hard.

I thought we were great, mature, poised, and ready to prove a point. All we proved was that we panic in big games, make some of the stupidest plays ever, have players disappear, and choke under pressure.

Now, I understand the arguement that we played like absolute horseshit, Jawad and Rashad shot like crap, we had 23 TOs, we missed some key free-throws (and they made a lot), it was at dook, and we still only lost by 1 -- and had a chance to win.

My counter: why does all that shit CONTINUE to happen when we play in big games? I'd write it off as a fluke once or twice, but it's been pretty consistent with this group. Even Rashad admitted that the team was nervous, flighty. Well, it showed.

Some teams "know how to win," and do all the "little things" it takes. This team not only seems to lack those qualities, but additionally possesses a keen instinct for seeking out the types of plays that lead directly to losses. David missing a wide open catch (and layup). Rashad dribbling the ball off his knee. Marvin and Ray missing FTs, especially front ends. ALL of Ray's EIGHT turnovers.

Yes, our skilled PG, the floor general, our coach on the court, turned the ball over EIGHT times, the vast majority inexplicable bonehead blunders brought on by reckless play. (Please realize this is far from the first time Ray has had this many turnovers, and to be completely honest, it is unacceptable. If it means him playing slower, well then he needs to play slower. Lord knows he needs to play smarter. Take for example how many TOs we've had this year purely on trying to throw the alley-oop. Our success rate is probably 20%, and that's a pass you ONLY throw if it's WIDE open--not if Shelden Williams is at the freaking free-throw line and can still pick it off).

Caveat: Ray needs to be given FULL credit for bringing us back, and I do give him that respect. He never gave up and spurred our late charge. Unfortunately, we never should have been in that position to begin with, and he's got a lot of responsibility for that.

(A key point to make here is that the game would have been SOOOO much different if we'd have had even a slight lead for an extended period of time. Since dook had the lead, they were comfortable playing slow, controlling the tempo. I think their depth becomes a much BIGGER issue if they have to conitinually fight from 3-7 points behind for even 10-15 minutes of the game than if they can walk the ball up the court after another of our turnovers and hold it until the last few seconds of the shot clock until we foul them. Seriously, I might think that us getting an early lead and holding it could equate to as much as a 10-15 more points -- just for us -- as opposed to dook having the lead. This, probably more than anything, was the key to the game, IMO.)

little thoughts:

Mad props to Sean, he came to be great, and was

Disappointed that Marvin missed his FTs and threw that pass at Sean's feet, but he still played a fantastic game, and you can't expect him to be perfect

Melvin BLOWS, and probably leads to -5 to -10 points for the time he is on the floor, as he gets absolutely abused defensively, and has no court sense whatsoever, indicated by his pass directly to JJ, who was ALREADY in the passing lane, therefore saving him the effort of anticipation

Jackie was good, no complaints

Jawad, continues to prove himself as a pussy, both mentally and physically, at the most crucial times

David was okay, could have done slightly better on Redick, but seems to have had a very good game in light of our other players

Reyshawn: oh wait, we played Melvin. Why?

Rashad, dog, we need your shot back. It's not falling, but don't give up on the rest of the game. And BELIEVE you'll make the next one. Pretty soon you will. He's actually carried us before, so I'm not worried about him.

the last 18 seconds, My Theory:

it wasn't a struggle between Ray and Roy. It wasn't panic or confusion. It was Ray not wanting to take (and make) a shot and leave time on the clock. He wanted us to have the LAST shot no matter what, and gave up an OPEN shot to get it (well, not get it). Seems like the most backward reasoning ever to me.


okay, so that was a bit more of a rant than I wanted. I do think I have calmed down since Wednesday, and I never expected to get riled up in the first place. What can I say? The game was a huge disappointment, in so many facets, on so many levels. That's what makes me so sad, and right now, it feels like an infinite sadness (which UConn could make worse--either way it seems like it doesn't mean much anymore). Somehow, I imagine we'll do something to convince me again that we've changed, have what it takes, will compete for a NC -- but right now, I just don't see it. And that's why I cry.

done, done, DONE!!!

Yes, ladies and gents, I am officially done with Drug Education School, perhaps the worst and most expensive way to spend a Friday afternoon ever. This makes me very happy. It is okay for you to feel happy for me, too.

Today all we did was watch the movie Traffic and talk about it a bit.

I'd seen it before, but here are some thoughts I had:

I really like the cinematography. Mexico=yellow, DC=blue. In itself, that is very, very cool. I don't quite know why this is done, but it's unique, and therefore props are doled out.

Sometimes they overdo the whole interconnectedness of everything (like the fact that the U.S. drug czar has an aboslutely coked-out. crackwhore of a daughter and that some scenes show characters passing "incidentally" in the normal course of their different lives). But once again, at the same time it has a very cool feel to it, so I'm gonna give it a thumbs up. You should too, if you have artisitic sense. (I don't, btw)

overall, it is a very real and scary look at the impact of drugs. As an important aside, I seriously hate it when people laugh in scenes that MIGHT be considered funny -- IF you don't consider how fucking REAL and SAD they are supposed to be. This movie has more than a few of those. And I can guarantee you they don't want you to laugh, 'cause they aren't trying to be funny.

Anyways, if you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It's a pretty damn good movie, with a damn complex plot, and a lot of real-life significance to make the "wheels in the sky keep on turnin'" .... (Journey will take you on a fucking journey...)

Wednesday's weekly meme 4

say that it happens, some time, that Marvin attempts to dunk on Shelden, whether it be tonight, in Chapel Hill, in the tourney, or in the NBA. Who wins -- the immutable ONE or the unbreakable cranium?

Randomonium

Justin won, which rocks.

Only one team in the country hasn't played in a game in which the final margin did not exceed 6 points. Guess who?

check out this crazy ending

awesome weather. Good job, God.

lesbians in animation on PBS? Get out of town. BAN, BAN, BAN!!!

I love lamp.

Where's hongry?

midseason All-ACC teams

tough to argue with

FSU thoughts

I don't like what happened, but it was probably good that it did happen.

Tim Brando should have sex with Diego Romero.

Why could we NEVER feed the post? That's a little disconcerting.

As is Rashad's shooting. It'll come around, but will it be there against dook?

Von Wafer arouses serious anger in me with his ridiculous celebration antics after EVERY three he makes. He looks silly, like really silly.

Marvin's dunk. Enough said.

crucial

apparantly, "Deep Throat" is ill, his obituary written, and his identity soon to be revealed, according to this (notice that this article SHOULD be published tomorrow, so we'll see just how accurate and awesome the blogging community is, and me for finding it). Damn, shit will blow up when this happens.

also, the last scene of this commercial never ceases to get me, and it's not even THAT funny

do I blog too much? YES, deal with it.

Complete player?

McCants is currently second on the team in five key categories: points, assists, blocks, steals, and minutes played.

I like these links

individual player rankings

assist percentage stat
(UNC ranks third nationally, which says A LOT, I think)
also, you can click on a team's name on the stat page to see teams who, statistically, they play most like, which is a very cool feature, and very telling, IMO.

Friday Fun

so I went to number 4 out of 5 of my drug class sessions today.

highlights:

Curtis knows how to say "monkey ass" in German

axon
synapse
dendrite

agonist
antagonist

Airport Road is an appealing name to many.

LeBron's dunk last night was pretty amazing. And so were all of ours, especially Marvin's upon further reflection and pure pose perfection.

Yes, mounties have cars now.

Traffic next week, then freedom.

things I hate

the refs in a dook game (and tonight wasn't even that bad--though everything is relative when dook is involved)

Justin Gray getting "hurt" in every game. We can tell you aren't hurt. And it gets old. And when you come back in, you aren't miraculously gutting it out. You faked it, and now you aren't hurt and you want to play.

Strickland chewing gum like a damn machine gun. He looks like some comic, but I can't think of the guy's name.

Redick not being quick, but defenders bumping him instead of just moving their feet. Or just "bumping" him like they bump everyone else, but getting called for it.

Announcers talking about how Redick should be an All-American without considering that he was 5-15 or something when they said it.

Chris Paul getting more calls than dook ever did. (And Felton getting none. And McCants getting them called on him.)

People acting like injuries are the only reason Shav sucks.

Redick make= Holy Cow what range
Redick miss=you have to question that shot selection
Redick drive and make=he is much quicker than people think

Wednesday's weekly meme 3

best/worst commercial ditty?

I know you've seen it

but I want this as long as the link works. F'n awesome, and the dude knows it's good ahead of time. Somehow.

and then holy crap, he does it again (and calls it again--in practice).

Marvin, Sean and good stat articles

NBA watching Marvin
good news: "He has the talent and the potential but I'm a little lost when I hear he might be the first, third or fifth pick," one NBA scout said. "I don't know about that."

"It will be at least two years before he starts looking at it," Williams' father said. "We taught him if you make a commitment, you honor that commitment."

Sean reaffirms he'll be back (most likely)

But May doesn’t feel any pressure to jump to the NBA if he’s not ready. He said continuing to develop his body is a primary goal, and suggested the NBA will wait another year.
“For me, it takes a certain amount of more time (to develop),” he said. “A lot of guys can get better while sitting, but for me I think I need to be playing consistently all the time. So playing another year of college won’t hurt me at all.”

stat stuff

free-throw % not in decline:
Pomeroy, the master (don't fuck with the master)
Barry Jacobs' take

Mark Cuban's statistical look at the NBA corner-three

Random junk chances of a 5 OT game; we've got 2 more wins against Clemson to tie the record

ok, enough dilly-dallying--hw time