Hoping for a Wake-North Carolina rematch
Posted: Sunday, January 11, 2009 8:58 PM
Filed Under:
ACC
Wake Forest’s 92-89 win against North Carolina Sunday night was an impressive display of athleticism and non-top offense. Not sure there’s been a better basketball game this season.
The only downside? We may not see the two play again.
The ACC tournament is a possibility, as is the NCAA tourney. These are two of the NCAA’s most talented teams. But nothing’s certain. And after watching these two for 40 minutes, I’m hoping a rematch happens.
If nothing else, it’ll give me another chance to watch Jeff Teague run up and down the court and score whenever he wants. His career-high 34 points (at 1.409 points per weighted shot) were a showcase of open-floor scoring, much the way Allen Iverson did at Georgetown. The run into the lane and finishing with a sweeping scoop. Driving across the lane, hanging in the air and waiting for the defender to land, then shooting on the way down.
Teague’s making a run at ACC player of the year (he averages 20 ppg, grabs more than four rebounds and dishes more than four assists a game), but he‘s helped by deep, talented Wake roster.
Behind 6-foot-9, athletic wings like James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu, long post players like Chas McFarland and Tony Woods and glue guys like L.D. Williams, Harvey Hale and Ishmael Smith, the Deacons (14-0) have the depth to just throw wave after wave of players at opponents.
UNC found out as much on Sunday.
The Heels aren’t used to having that happen to them, either. Usually, Roy Williams’ teams wear out opponents with their relentless secondary break and seven-to-eight man rotation. But that plays into Wake’s strengths. (Lucky for us viewers.)
That depth will come in handy during the next few weeks, too. Wake’s schedule isn’t getting any easier. It travels to B.C. on Wednesday, then 16-0 Clemson on Saturday. It closes the month with home games against Va. Tech, Duke and Georgia Tech. No easy task, to be sure, but a Final Four contender like Wake should be able to go out least 3-2 in that stretch.
Anything better and Wake should start checking out flight reservations to Detroit in April.
