Pedal to the Metal

You know, you could change a couple of letters in that phrase and come up with something that sounds the same but is nicer and sweeter: Petal to the Medal. Like maybe rose petals strewn in a parade for Olympic champions. That would be nice.

Alas, I'm talking about the "don't let up" type, not the nice type.

Duke played host to North Carolina last night. Carolina won by seven. Duke's three or four best players are seniors. UNC's are freshmen and sophomores, with the exception of David Noel. It was senior night, the most emotional night of the season for Duke and the fans at Cameron Indoor Stadium. So how did UNC do it? I propose the "Pedal to the Metal" theory of competition, wherein one team plays so hard and aggressively for so long, the other team never gets a chance to relax.

The first time I really noticed this philosophy in effect was the Sugar Bowl between Illinois and LSU. LSU came out slinging the ball around and built a big lead. Once they had the big lead, they didn't switch to a grind-it-out, slow things down running game. They kept slinging it around. After all, Illinois wasn't stopping them. LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher was pulling no punches the whole game. He kept his foot on the gas for four quarters, and LSU won going away, despite an Illini surge in the second half. LSU's offense and defense put pressure on them the whole game.

Last night, UNC did the same thing. They ran the entire game, and in the second half it took a huge toll on Duke's transition defense. A missed shot because of tired legs, a quick outlet, and a pass ahead to a player outrunning the exhausted Blue Devils for a layup. This helped Carolina build a 12-point lead in the second half. With maybe three minutes to go, they were still running. Yes, they would back the ball out and take time off the clock, but whenever there was an opening to drive the lane and dish or find the open guy at the rim to lay it in, they did. Keep attacking, keep building the lead, don't let them rest of defense and save their energy for offense. I was very impressed. The other way in which they attacked was to stick someone (or two someones) in JJ Redick's face the entire time. He got very few open looks after the first five minutes, and he was so tired from being hounded by multiple defenders and UNC's running game, that he had no legs for the end of the game. Playing 39 minutes didn't help, either.

Which leads me to the Scotty Williams theory that rules most of the time: "Don't be stupid." Two minutes left, a 10-point lead, and they're still throwing up jump shotswith 20 seconds left on the clock. Awful, stupid, wild jump shots. Shots that give Duke easy possession and numbers going the other way. Aggressive is good. Stupid is bad. UNC goofs gave Duke energy and opportunity to make it a 3-point game with less than a minute to go. Smarter play, tough defense, and made free throws allowed UNC to hang on.

A very impressive win, and UNC will be dangerous in the NCAA tournament. But wait till next year. The four impressive freshmen will be sophomores, there will be two senior leaders, one of the two best recruiting classes in the country, and one of the best coaches in America calling the shots for an all-out attack on the rest of the country.

The most impressive freshman was Tyler Hansbrough, who only put up 27 points and ten rebounds his first time at Cameron. He went toe-to-toe with senior Shelden Williams, who's only going to be a first-team ACC player, and maybe first-team All-American as well. He was the best player on the floor last night. Williams wasn't too shabby, either, with 18 points, 15 rebounds and I think six blocks. Shelden Williams, NOT my cousin. I wouldn't claim a Duke player if my life depended on it.