Season's Initial Final Thoughts

Just some off the cuff points about the game (with the caveat that I was working at Brixx while it was on and not fully watching until the last 2/3 mins and first 2 mins of OT):

- I was very unimpressed with the way the last play went off, on a short list of shots I'd like to have to win a game (in that situation) that shot was about 7th. I'd like to have seen Ty drive and kick, drive and dish to Tyler/Brandan, or drive and take the shot (jumper/lay-up), or an isolation play for Tyler/Brandan in the post against 4 foul Roy Hibbert (I'm assuming he was still in), or a better look at a 3, or Reyshawn taking a 3 instead of Wayne. But thats just off the top of my head. I mean, why take a shot that we (as a team) make ~35% of the time when you can use your bigs, or a runner, which has a much higher probability of going in? ugh.

- Once in OT the game could have gone either way. If you give Tyler a foul instead of the travel call, if Ty's near steal on the G'town end is recovered by a Heel and not a Hoya that makes it a 2 point game at 2:30 instead of a 6 point game. And with about 3:00 or 2:30 left, down 6, we panicked and started taking 3's, I thought we were over that, we didn't need 3's to get back in it against USC, ugh.

Update: Wow, I looked at the stats from the game, this was UNC's 2nd worst Def eFG% 63.6 and worst Off eFG% 38.7 of the season. EVERY other part of the game seemed to go UNC's way, even rebounding 43% of the 62% missed shots, I'm surprised the score was tied at the end of the game, and can say that when something is not meant to happen, its not meant to happen (sorry John, I don't have a stat for "meant to happen", but I do know it was pretty low for the game at NC State).

Now the fun part: Sour Grapes!!
- Before the season started, (I don't think on this blog), my expectations for the team was Elite 8, with the talent and inexperience I thought that was a good goal, and that I'd be happy to finish the season there, Final Four would have been nice, losing in the sweet 16, a little upsetting, but I comfortably put the team in the top 4/8 range for the year, which is where they ended up.

- Hopefully this bad taste in everyone's mouth will encourage the team to stay together, and I think the team will be in top form if everyone but Wright stays, though I'd like him to hang around as well. This team had the Final Four in its grasp, so they should know that next year could lead to a title run if they all return.