Austin Rivers and Duke-UNC Provide a Gem

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“That’s why I watch sports.”

Those were the words I heard at Buffalo Wild Wings after the dust had settled on Duke’s come from behind victory over archrival North Carolina.  It’s hard to place events in the context of history less than an hour after they occurred, but I don’t think you could find a noticeably better college basketball game if you tried.  And I mean ever.  This game simply had it all.  From start to finish, the game could be equated to the fine art of basketball; just beautiful play from two extremely talented, extremely well coached teams.  The two teams combine for what could be up to eight first round picks, and the talent and passion on display on the floor of the Dean Dome was a treat for all to see.

                Duke jumped out to an early lead behind 10 quick points from star of the night Austin Rivers.  The freshman showed the command and control of the game that he lacked early in the season, where he struggled.  Both teams started the game off on fire, and for a five minute stretch early in the half, you had to wonder whether either team would hit a hundred.  For me, the highlight of the first half was the play of John Henson.  It didn’t take long for him to convince me that he is a future NBA star, as his length and athleticism coupled with an incredibly soft touch on the offensive end are the makings of an all-star.  Perhaps more importantly, he really seems to have an understanding and feel for the game, especially on the defensive end.  It’s hard to say the impact of a player with 17 total rebounds could be underrepresented in the stat book, but Henson’s certainly was. 

                As impressive as Henson and Rivers were in the first half, Harrison Barnes was underwhelming.  After only 6 first half points, Barnes completely turned it around in the 2^nd period, dropping in 19 to finish with a team-high 25.  Carolina’s offense often revolved around isolating Barnes and letting him go to work, and he poured in shots from all over the court, including tough fade-aways, and one’s, and spot up jumpers.  Barnes showed off his ability as an ultimate streak scorer; when he is hot, it seems he cannot miss, but when he is off, it can be ugly.  Despite his points, Barnes finished with only 3 rebounds and a single assist.  That being said, his play was the main reason the 'Heels had a double digit lead late in the game. 

                With two and a half minutes to play, nursing a double digit lead, it all fell apart for the Tarheels.  Tyler Thornton and Seth Curry hit back to back threes to cut the lead to four, and following an offensive foul on Barnes and an offensive rebound, forward Ryan Kelly cut it to two.  After a few missed free throws and an inexplicable self basket,  by UNC forward Tyler Zeller, the diaper-dandy Rivers found himself matched up with Zeller at the top of the key, down two.  He froze Zeller, who for some reason did not have his hands up, and with a second left pulled up from way down town and hit nothing but twine.  The shot was cold-blooded, confident, and seemed beyond the capabilities of a freshman, regardless of who his Dad is.  A perfect end to a perfect comeback to a perfect game, Rivers iced yet another, and perhaps the best, chapter of the bitter Duke-UNC rivalry.

                As I mentioned earlier, the game will certainly go down as one of the best regular season games in the history of collegiate basketball.  It’s tough to rank among the all-time classics, but I dare you to find a game between two bigger rivals (impossible), a better ending (nit-picking), or, perhaps most importantly, a better battle between two transcendent stars.  The highlight for me, other than the buzzer-beater, was a stretch early in the 2^nd half where Barnes and Rivers combined for 13 straight points.  As a fan, I love to see stars take over the game, put the team on their back, and will their teams to victory.  Tonight, Barnes and Rivers, both underclassmen, did just that.  It was a shame there could be only one winner.   I can only hope we see these two do battle in the pros for years to come.  The game was made infinitely better by the fact that it was won and not lost.  While there was a goofy tip and some missed free-throws that cost Carolina and put Duke in a position to win, at the end of the day, it was up to Rivers, make the shot and make the trip home down Tobacco Road victorious, miss and go home empty.
 

                Finally, the game reminded me why I will always prefer college basketball to the NBA.  The passion displayed by both teams, coaches, and the Carolina fans will simply never be matched in the pro game.  It was simply priceless to see Roy Williams yelling at his guys to buckle down on defense down the stretch, or Coach K’s ecstasy after his freshman won the game for him.  To see two of the all-time legendary coaches, neither of whom are young men, that into a game reminded me why sports mean so much to me and so many others.  Tomorrow morning, Duke will wake up a game higher in the ACC standings, and will begin preparing for their next game vs. Maryland.  But who cares about that?  Most of us will wake up and head to class, work, or whatever we do to occupy our days.  But just for tonight, let’s cherish the gift we were given by two phenomenal teams and schools and remember why exactly it is that we love sports.