UNLV upsets #1 North Carolina 90-80

• krambman

  

  The Rebs are leading the top-ranked Tar Heels 75-63 with six minutes to play.
• Jughead

  

  Of course. They aren't playing at home. :rolleyes:
• ironman02

  This is over. Pathetic effort by Carolina tonight.
  
  They're not anywhere close to the #1 team in the nation right now.
  
  UK, and probably Wisconsin, are gonna hand their asses to them next week unless they wake up.
• krambman

  

  UNLV now up 10 with 2:28 to play.
  
  This is one of those games where I need a Gus Johnson soundboard.
• Azubuike24

  

  If anything, it's a blueprint on how to beat UNC.
  
  Kendall Marshall might be a great passer, but he is a below-average athlete and a terrible offensive player when you make him keep the ball.
  
  Also, he has been abused all night by UNLV's guards. I know he's a Freshman but the way Marquis Teague has played the last 2 days, and the way Jordan Taylor has played for the last 2 years, Marshall is going to have his hands full in the upcoming week.
  
  Also, there is something missing with Harrison Barnes. He has disappeared in this game for the most part. He's a very good player, but he's nowhere near the NPOY, or at least has he even attempted to play the part in this tournament.
• krambman

  

  UNC has refused to play defense or rebound in the last few minutes of this game.
• ironman02

  When you can't throw it in the ocean from the free throw line, your big men play soft and let inferior players dominate them, and no one can make a jump shot...oh, and you let the opponent make THIRTEEN three-pointers, you lose.
  
  I have no idea why Carolina continuously leaves shooters when they get torched from beyond the arc all the time. It's maddening.
  
  I don't know about this team. They don't seem to have changed much from last season.
• ironman02

  Let the clock run out and get your asses back to Chapel Hill...
• krambman

  

  FINAL: UNLV - 90, UNC - 80
• Azubuike24

  

  It kind of sours me on the game next Saturday...blah.
• ironman02

  Azubuike24;988766 wrote:It kind of sours me on the game next Saturday...blah.

  Trust me, it's not going to be a game. It's gonna be a massacre.
  
  Carolina has A LOT of work to do before they become a good team.
• Azubuike24

  

  Well, we both know this sport isn't won in December. So, although it's a huge game, it's not that meaningful. However, as a huge college basketball fan, I wanted #1/#2, the two best programs of all-time, the most talent ever one a single court, etc...
• krambman

  

  Azubuike24;988766 wrote:It kind of sours me on the game next Saturday...blah.

  It obviously does take some of the hype and anticipation away. At least if UNC had played well there would still be more excitement.
• ironman02

  Azubuike24;988769 wrote:Well, we both know this sport isn't won in December. So, although it's a huge game, it's not that meaningful. However, as a huge college basketball fan, I wanted #1/#2, the two best programs of all-time, the most talent ever one a single court, etc...

  Yeah, exactly what I wanted too.
  
  Hopefully Carolina got their wake up call from UNLV tonight and will actually make a game of it at Rupp, but I'm certainly not counting on it at this point.
• swamisez

  

  I wish this loss mattered for Carolina but it doesn't. Nice resume builder for Vegas. Likely just a kick in the pants for Roy's team.
  
  One can hope its 2010 all over again but I doubt it.
• ironman02

  Marshall didn't play well tonight at all. He didn't run the offense, he didn't distribute the ball, and he certainly didn't put his guys in position to score. I don't know what the stats say, but he just didn't have command of the game tonight. Azubuike is exactly right also...he can't match up with quick, athletic guards. His defense was horrendous, allowing dribble penetration nearly every time down the floor.
  
  Zeller was in foul trouble tonight, but it was more than that. He seemed disinterested, and he just plays soft. He's not physical enough, not strong enough with the ball, and he can't rebound. Henson was much of the same tonight.
  
  Barnes couldn't make a shot, and then he began forcing shots, so it just got worse. By the time he started to get better looks, it was way too late.
  
  PJ Hairston needs to play more minutes...a lot more minutes. It pisses me off when he's making everything and Roy sits him down, because that's the "normal" rotation. Just once, go with the hot hand and abandon your normal substitution patterns.
  
  And this help defense just gets beyond ridiculous when teams are lighting it up from outside. You have one of the best shot blockers in the game and another big man who is usually solid defensively. Let them defend the rim instead of letting good perimeter-shooting teams nail threes in your face all night. Playing the percentages doesn't work when teams are getting WIDE open looks.
• Azubuike24

  

  I think for UNC to contend for a title, Roy needs to really incorporate Bullock, McAdoo and Hairston. Pure talent-wise, they might be 3 of the top 4 on the team (save Barnes), but as you said, Roy seems to really like to always have his rotation consistent and never rely on someone to carry them. This is my issue with Barnes. If the dude is as amazing as people say, why doesn't he command the ball, attack the basket and dominate? I love watching him play but also get frustrated when he shows little emotion and settles down. Tonight they needed someone to throw a hay maker of a counter-punch to UNLV but nobody was willing to wind up.
  
  The worst part for UNC is they have 4 five-star recruits who are 6'8 or bigger (Zeller, Henson, Barnes and McAdoo) and they got out-rebounded by 7 by a UNLV team who simply wanted it more. Moser is a 6'7 small forward forced to play the 4 and 5 position and he got every rebound. This has to upset Roy the most. Not that UNLV was hot. Not that Marshall struggled on D. The rebounding.
• hoops23

  

  Give UNLV credit. This is a program that has made the tourney 4 out of the last 5. They won 24 games last season and are 7-0 this year.
  
  Their coach has them returning to old form and the team shot the lights out against the #1 team.
  
  This was a resume building win for the Rebels and a learning experience for UNC.
  
  I do agree with prior sentiments about Marshall though. Very good court "Marshall", but he's not very athletic and his shot isn't great. When you make him beat you with his offense, it'll be a long night for UNC.
  
  I will say, Tyler Zeller is absolutely soft inside. He's no where near the other Tyler in terms of toughness/competitiveness. I thought Zeller was going to be a big difference maker, but last year it seemed he regressed with his inside game. He gets abused and often times stripped in the paint.
  
  Barnes is hit or miss too. He was a player I had on my radar as a potential pick for the Cavs, but the more I see of him, I see a player who lacks the ability to separate as a wing-player and a consistent shot. He's also a poor FT shooter.
• ironman02

  Azubuike,
  
  I think Barnes tried to take over the game, but he just couldn't make a shot. He started driving to the basket more and demanding the ball in the post, but he was just ineffective. He's usually pretty clutch, but I do agree with you that he's not assertive enough all the time. At times, he's way too passive when he needs to be scoring. Barnes started very slow last season, and while he's averaging over 17 PPG so far, he doesn't look to be as good as he was in March of last year. Hopefully he gets things going soon, because Carolina is going to need him to be much better.
  
  I completely agree about Bullock, Hairston, and McAdoo. Hairston is playing very well, Bullock is also becoming more consistent, and McAdoo is easily the most physical player on the team. McAdoo's offensive skill set is still pretty raw, but he hustles, and is much stronger with the ball than Henson, and especially Zeller.
• Azubuike24

  

  Even coming out of high school, the knock on Barnes was he had everything you look for in a dominating NBA small forward except the athleticism.
  
  Compare him, athletically to LeBron, Carmello, Durant, etc...he's not in the same league. While he's a great player, I think his absolute maximum upside is maybe Paul Pierce. No better, and that's not a knock on Pierce, who has had a great career. However, nobody will ever mistake Paul Pierce as a perennial league MVP or even a top 10 player of this generation.
  
  I'll call Barnes the anti-Andre Iguodala. He looks the part in every way but there's just one aspect of his game that is missing. For Iggy, it's the offensive skill-set, for Barnes it's the athleticism. Knowing this going in, I'd agree that he's a risky take for the Cavs if they get the #1 pick again...not sure I could justify in any way, shape or form Davis or Drummond not going to Cleveland if they are draft eligible.
• reclegend22

  

  
  
  The lady taking a nap is absolutely precious. What a night. The Runnin' Rebels couldn't have been hotter.
  
  Carolina will rebound. They are a top two or three team this season, and they are going to stay there all year. I look forward to the Kentucky game next Saturday in Rupp Arena. The Wildcats better be ready to bring it, because I want blood haha.
• ironman02

  Apparently Barnes left the locker room after tonight's game walking on crutches. He turned his ankle pretty badly, but played the rest of the game and seemed to be fine. UNC is saying that it's a precautionary measure and that he'll be evaluated once they return to Chapel Hill.
  
  Fingers crossed on this one. Can't afford to lose him with Wisconsin and Kentucky on the horizon.
• reclegend22

  

  I have to say, reading all this sky is falling stuff has been an excellent way to cap the night. Thanks, guys.
  
  See you in February.
  
  (Hopefully Barnes is okay, though. I want Carolina at full strength and, as Duke fans can attest to, injuries really suck.)
• Laley23

  

  Holy overreacting people.
• reclegend22

  

  I must have been out of the room making more victory popcorn when Barnes slipped, but I just read in a postgame report that it happened as a result of Harrison losing his footing on top of one of those big advertising stickers. This is getting absolutely ridiculous. I understand that the sponsors of these early-season tournaments are paying big dollars to support these events and, as a result, have a right to have their brand on display during the tournaments, but tournament coordinators either need to find a less slippery, more condensation-resistant material to make these floor decals out of or find a different way to advertise these sponsors. I'm with Tom Izzo, for the players running around the court at top speed, there is nothing good that can come from it and I'm surprised that there haven't been more serious injuries because of it.
  
  On a side note, who the hell sees one of these stickers and says, "Oh my God, after the game I need to go to O'Reilly Auto Parts and buy a saber saw"? It is called the O'Reilly Auto Parts Tournament, we get it. We don't need adhesive decals all over the court announcing this fact further. The CBE Classic, which isn't named after O'Reilly anymore I don't believe, is one of the worst. Every year that court looks like a children's sticker book. It's absurd.