UNC's Ed Davis out six weeks with wrist injury

• karen lotz

  

  i'm just giving you a hard time. no need to get panties in a bunch.
• Prescott

  Karen, I"ve learned over the past few years that the duke fans to take great pride in their sweet 16 appearnances. It is tough to defeat 15 or 16 seed and then follow that up with a victory over a #10 or a #7 or an #8 or a #9.
  
  Just think you may have beaten the 64th best team in country and followed that up with a victory over the 36th best team. That is called getting it done and the duke fans cherish those moments.
• ironman02

  One win over Carolina and Dukies everywhere start talkin' a big game. I guess they're just not used to this type of success against the Heels. I know it has been quite a while since a Duke fan could claim that they have a team superior to that of Carolina. I'll just keep taking it in stride because we all know it's not gonna last long.
  
  Carolina did pick up a win today against lowly NC State at the Dean Dome. At this point, I'll take any win I can get. 14-11 and heading to Atlanta to take on the Jackets next week. Would be nice to see the Heels build on this win and get a W on the road. I'm still holding out hope for 19 or 20 wins with the rest of the regular season and the ACC Tournament.
• slidepiece

  duke fans are happy just getting to the tournament every year I suppose. When you've got your dukie blinders on I suppose it can be hard to distinguish between consistency and mediocrity for a supposed "elite" program like duke. Just think if they make the sweet 16 this year. They will probably have a parade in derm.
  
  I can honestly say that it bothers me very little that UNC has missed the big dance 3 out of the past 9 years. It would be different if Carolina wasn't shining during those 6 years that they qualified for the NCAA tournament, but unfortunately for duke fans that is not the case. 3 Final Fours and 2 National Championships compared to 1 Final Four and loads of losses to lower seeded teams.
  
  In this bottom line world that we live in, where winning at the highest level is the ultimate goal, the Heels have won 2 natty's to duke's 0 during that span, as well as consistently defeated their rival in recent years. It's facts like these that help me sleep a little better at night, even though UNC is underperforming this season.
  
  UNC's edge over the dukies extends not only on the court, but also in the world of recruiting top-notch players like Harrison Barnes. I'm sure duke fans will be hating that name for the next 3-4 years
• reclegend22

  

  slidepiece wrote:UNC's edge over the dukies extends not only on the court, but also in the world of recruiting top-notch players like Harrison Barnes. I'm sure duke fans will be hating that name for the next 3-4 years

  Not really. We will be quite filled with talent on the wing. Seth Curry, Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, Andre Dawkins. Also, we have our own rock star recruit, Kyrie Irving, who's being regarded by many recruiting analysts as the closest thing we've seen to a Jason Williams since #22 left Durham eight years ago. I'm afraid what North Carolina fans haven't seemed to figure out yet is that what was once a huge advantage over Duke in gaining the services of Barnes, has since faded as Carolina's point guard woes are likely to continue into next year. Leslie isn't a threat, and Drew II is not going to be vastly improved a year from now. That leaves all of the hope, or most of it, in the hands of Kendall Marshall, and nearly every recruiting service and analyst has reported that he's having a very disappointing senior season. Roy might be questioning that early signing.
  
  Which means that North Carolina's famous secondary break offense that has led to so much recent success will once again lack that fundamental key: a great point guard. With the evolution of Duke's front court, and Carolina's likely early departure losses in Ed Davis and perhaps the now seemingly unhappy John Henson (he's still being reported as a lottery selection), the point guard position becomes that much more important. And, IMO, the key to success for the team who takes the upper hand in this rivalry over the next few seasons. Duke will be that team.
  
  
• reclegend22

  

  Also, if Barnes is as great as you think he is, he won't be staying around for four years. And likely not three.
• ironman02

  Since when is John Henson unhappy? He's not going anywhere. Davis might still be around Chapel Hill next year too.
  
  I know you Dukies like to think that Marshall won't be good because his high school team has struggled, but it seems to me that his supporting cast isn't that great. I'm not completely familiar with his teammates, but that's the impression I get. When he was surrounded by elite talent during summer ball, scouts were raving about him. He's going to be fine. Also, Larry Drew II isn't as awful as people make him out to be. He's no Lawson or Felton, and never will be, but he'll be much better next season. This is, after all, his first year as the starting PG at Carolina and he's averaging over 6 assists per game.
  
  Another thing that's funny is the sentiment toward Barnes from Duke fans. When he was considered a "lock" to Duke, he was the greatest college prospect in the last 10 years. When he committed to Carolina, he suddenly became very average and won't be the impact player that everyone thought he would be. Whether he stays one year or three, he's going to make a major difference for Carolina in the immediate future because he gives them what they are lacking this year...an athletic slasher that can also shoot the rock. Couple him with Bullock, and you have the perimeter game that Carolina has been missing without Ellington and Green this season.
  
  But I'm sure that Kyrie Irving will shine and Barnes, Marshall, and Bullock will all be duds. Maybe Carolina should forfeit next year's games now.
• reclegend22

  

  Actually, I think Bullock will be the better player than Barnes. That said, no one here said Barnes won't be great. I'm sure he will be. What I said is that it is my opinion that since both Duke and Carolina will have more than solid presences on the wing (Duke, I think, will have one of the best in the entire country -- I mean Curry and Smith alone is a nightmare match-up for opponents), that the point guard position becomes the most important in the rivalry. Kind of like it was when UNC lost out on Jason Williams in the late '90s. We know what happened after that.
  
  Obviously, Carolina won't fall back into that state of affairs (8 and 20 is, hopefully, for a school like Carolina only once in a generation), but I feel Kyrie Irving, along with Duke's promising crew of front court players, is going to keep Duke on top of this rivalry for the next couple of years.
  
  Carolina is not going to all-of-a-sudden take over Duke a year from now. Not with Singler and Smith back. Probably not with Singler gone. That's what I find funny, Carolina fans (not saying anyone here in particular) believing this.
• reclegend22

  

  And Davis is all but gone, IMO.
  
  I'm not a Carolina fan, so I don't follow it as closely, but that's what I see from a distance. And what most UNC fans I know have also come to terms with.
• ironman02

  So let me make sure I'm clear on this. Kyrie Irving, as a true freshman, is going to come in and completely replace Jon Scheyer? This is the same Jon Scheyer that Duke fans are promoting as the ACC POTY and possible NPOTY candidate. Don't get me wrong, I think Irving is going to be very good. However, there's no way that he comes in as a frosh and manages the game the way Scheyer does. He will definitely have more pure athleticism than Scheyer, but that doesn't mean he won't be prone to freshman mistakes. This year's freshman sensation at PG, John Wall, turns the ball over a lot and makes mistakes that first-year players make. A junior Larry Drew II, with a year of starting experience under his belt, isn't going to be that much worse than Kyrie Irving as a frosh. If the kid comes in and is Jason Williams recreated, I'll be surprised.
  
  I'm not trying to say that Carolina is going to dominate Duke next year, sweep them, or even beat them once. I'm just saying that after beating Carolina one time, it appears that many (not saying anyone here in particular) Duke fans are thinking that they are guaranteed to own Carolina for the forseeable future. I don't see it that way, but my glasses are Carolina blue, rather than that royal blue junk.
• ironman02

  With regard to Davis, I don't think it's a done deal. He turned down lottery money last year because his family is financially stable and his father, a former NBA player, told him he's not ready. Their goal is for Ed to enter the league when he's not going to keep a spot on the bench warm all season, but instead play solid minutes which will lead to more money in the all-important second NBA contract. If that was their thinking last year, I don't see how it could have changed. Ed still isn't physically mature enough to hold up against the big men of the NBA on a nightly basis.
  
  He may be worried about further injury, and I could see him making the jump to the league because of that. Or maybe he just doesn't want to be in college anymore, which would be another reason to leave. However, other than message board know-it-alls on IC assuming things about Davis by the way he carries himself, there has been no concrete proof that he's truly unhappy or dissatisfied with anything at Carolina. It seems as though he may be, but he also has always had a reserved demeanor about him and doesn't show much emotion. I'd say it's a 50/50 situation right now. He could take the money, but sit on the bench in the NBA until he develops further or he could come back to Carolina and improve his game next year. He turned down the money once. Maybe he won't turn it down again, but maybe he will.
• reclegend22

  

  I'm not going over the Scheyer thing again. Not only has he been my favorite player for the last four years, but he's also one of the most complete basketball players we've had this decade. The kid is smart as hell on the floor -- as I've said here a million times, almost Stockton-esque -- and will be tough to replace. He won't be able to be replaced, basically. BUT, we do have a pretty good option coming in. Our best pure point guard prospect since Jason Williams or Chris Duhon. We've missed this in our recent NCAA losses, and it's blatantly obvious. This is no knock on Scheyer, either, who's an All-American talent no doubt. This year's likely ACC POTY. But, as great a point guard as he is, he's not a true point guard in the sense of a Jason Williams. Kyrie Irving is that guy.
  
  I definitely wouldn't be as confident in regrouping from Scheyer's graduation if we also didn't have such a prolific set of wings heading back to Durham in fall 2010. In Smith, Curry, Singler and Dawkins (and the freshman Thornton), Duke has as good a perimeter game as any team in the country next season.
• Prescott

  I mean Curry and Smith alone is a nightmare match-up for opponents

  How can you be so sure that a kid who originally signed with Liberty University and was not pursued by the bluebloods of colllege basketball will be an instant success in the ACC or any other BCS conference??
  There must be a reason he wasn't offered after high school. Afterall, his last name made him reasonably well known especially in basketball cirlces.
  
  While I am sure he is a fine player, I'm not sure he will be amtchup nightmare for BCS quality athlete.
• reclegend22

  

  Nobody noticed Stephen Curry, either, until he went off for 40 a game in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. By that time, Seth Curry had already been courted and signed with Liberty.
  
  Obviously, both brothers have now been heavily focused on the past couple of years -- and many experts believe that Seth, where he was as a freshman, has more upside than Stephen. You could also take the wisdom of a guy like Jay Bilas, for example, who, upon seeing numerous Duke scrimmages and practices this year, has labeled Curry as one of Duke's top players already. Reports are that he's already playing exceptionally well and could be starting for Duke now (not sure whose spot he'd take, to be honest, but I guess that's a good problem to have).
  
  From what the Duke coaching staff has said about Seth at different points throughout the year, I can say that I have no doubt that Seth Curry will be a major, major contributor to this Duke team next season.
• Prescott

  Nobody noticed Stephen Curry, either, until he went off for 40 a game in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. By that time, Seth Curry had already been courted and signed with Liberty.
  
  Seth Curry is not Stephen Curry. Stephen may fallen through the cracks because of his size and his sleight build. Seth doesn't fit that mold.
  
  We will see . I think that players like Curry who are accustomed to shooting the ball at will can and do struggle in a more structured enviroment in which they are not the focus of the offense.Curry probaly had the green light at Liberty and probably averaged over 15 shots per game. That isn't going to happen at duke.
• Prescott

  Nobody noticed Stephen Curry, either, until he went off for 40 a game in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. By that time, Seth Curry had already been courted and signed with Liberty.

  Seth Curry is not Stephen Curry. Stephen may fallen through the cracks because of his size and his sleight build. Seth doesn't fit that mold.
  
  We will see . I think that players like Curry who are accustomed to shooting the ball at will can and do struggle in a more structured enviroment in which they are not the focus of the offense.Curry probaly had the green light at Liberty and probably averaged over 15 shots per game. That isn't going to happen at duke.
• hoops23

  

  I love how Rec has already stated Duke to stay on top of this rivalry for years to come lol.. Forget about our class coming in next year, a long with some of these guys this season who will have needed experience..
  
  Yeah, ok Rec..
  
  Again, 2005 and 2009 National Champions. You can continue hanging your hat on "just making the tourny year in and year out" but until Duke actually wins again, I don't care. At the end of the day, it's about the Championships, they don't pass those out for just making the tourny.
  
  Funny thing is, you talked like this in 2006-07... Then UNC quickly shut you back up in 2007-08 and 2008-09..
• reclegend22

  

  Nah, we beat you in '08.
  
  Besides, this rivalry has been notorious for going in cycles, and we now have the personnel to start one of our own. Will we own you? Probably not. You haven't owned us, either. We're 4-7 against you over the last six years or so, and we have won in Chapel eight of our last 11 trips, including four in a row from '99 to '02. Just like you beat us four in a row in Cameron from '06 to '09. That's in the past. This is a new time. We're re-rolling the ball out on the court now. It's time for the best team to step up. This year, Duke is stepping up big time. Perhaps the great Roy should've planned accordingly.
  
  As I've said you can hang your hat on those championships. But that doesn't erase the fact that we still have a national title and subsequent Final Four appearance in the last 10 years. In that same period, yes, you do have two titles, but also three non-NCAA tourney appearances, including one NIT and two no-shows (assuming you aren't invited to the Big Apple prom this season). You can hang your hat on that, I'll hang my hat on mine -- and the fact that we're now in better position, whether you want to believe it or not.
• ironman02

  reclegend22 wrote: Nah, we beat you in '08.
  

  I seem to remember that. I also seem to remember a key player missing for Carolina. Oh, that's right. The guy who NEVER lost to Duke. Not once. Ty Lawson.
  
  Carolina DOMINATED Duke in 2007, 2008, and 2009 with Lawson running the show. If we're putting things in perspective and acknowledging the successes and failures of each program, you can at least admit that.
  
  The talk about championships, Final Fours, and NITs is growing tiresome. Carolina fans are going to hang their hat on the 2005 and 2009 titles, and Duke fans are going to say they've been more consistent. That's not surprising since people tend to take up for their respective program. I think we should all agree on that and leave it alone.
• reclegend22

  

  My only point was that both Duke and Carolina have had their runs. That's been the nature of this rivalry. Yes, I can admit that in 2007 and 2009, Carolina dominated Duke. I wouldn't necessarily say, though, that the Heels have "owned" the series over the last few years. Duke did win at Carolina in '06, '08 and now '10, and took Carolina to the wire in Cameron in '07 (during the very down 22-11 Duke season) and '08. Last year, Carolina thoroughly kicked Duke's ass, but I'm not so sure one or two solid seasons (when Carolina had its best team in some time) means owning a rivalry. If Duke wins on March 6, and even again next February, I'm not going to say Duke owns Carolina.
  
  To make a long story short (yes, this is growing tiresome), we can agree to the premise that each schools' fans are going to stand firm behind their own accomplishments.
• ironman02

  Take it for what it's worth, but someone who knows a Davis family member is saying that Ed will be heading to the NBA. The wrist injury has his family worried about future injuries. If Ed is still projected as a lottery pick, he's going to end up leaving, even if he's not quite as ready as they would like him to be.
  
  I have no idea how accurate this is, or if it's even true at all. This seems to tell me that he and his family aren't fully committed to him leaving Chapel Hill, but they don't want to take any unnecessary chances after the injury scare.
  
  Hopefully Ed ends up staying, but if this is true, it looks like rec is probably going to be right on this occasion.
  
  I wonder if Roy will make a run at CJ Leslie before he commits to UK. Leslie is likely to be a one-and-done player, which would still allow Carolina to have room for McAdoo and Hairston in 2011. With Zeller, Henson, and the Wears inside, Carolina would not have the depth that they would like to have in the frontcourt. An explosive, athletic forward like Leslie would be the perfect fit, and he's right in Carolina's back yard.