Duke-UConn

I love it when I turn on the TV just in time to see an amazing March Madness comeback.

I hit up the orange vs white UT football scrimmage.

 

Imagine if UT had even bothered to recruit Okafor, who was playing in their backyard.

He was under the radar his entire HS career... he only started to get some attention in a summer all-star game.

After Deng got swatted by him around the 9 minute mark, you could just see that Duke decided, "We're not going in there anymore." They hit some crazy threes to maintain the lead, but it just prolonged the inevitable.

That's my boy though... fellow Bellaire Cardinals for life!! (too bad Lucas couldn't pull it out for OSU... but now UConn better win it all).

 

Did UT win?

 

Nope. They choked again.

 

I saw Okafor play several times in high school. I thought he was just an average player for his size. They had some showdowns with Klein Forest though. Okafor and Klotz was a pretty good match up for a regular season high school game. I figured he'd be a good role player in college but he really stepped up his game. I'm glad to see him holding it down for the Houston area.

 

Charlie Villanueva looks like he is 35 years old.

UConn better beat the living dogsh!t out of Tech or I will be highly pissed.

 

Wonder how many times they'll cut into the championship game to alert us of how Chris Duhon's injury is making him feel?

 

This game was eerily similar to the Duke-UConn 1999 Championship game. Another overrated, outside shooting Dukie tries to take his man off the dribble to win the game in the closing moments only to lose the ball. Trajan Langdon meet J.J. Redick.

Can someone please tell me how the hell J.J. Redick is the best pure shooter in college basketball since Chris Mullin. The guy has never shot over 40% from 3 point land in his career. I can probably reel off twenty better college shooters since Chris Mullin than this Dukie.

 

From the Duke Sports website...
".399 His Freshman year, and above 40% for his career."

Career Notes
An All-America and All-ACC candidate ... one of the best pure shooters in the nation ... a deadly weapon from outside the three-point line or from the free throw line ... an explosive offensive player who can get on a roll quickly ... exhibited the skills at both ends of the court that make him an oustanding player, not just an outside scoring threat ... has 23 career double-digit scoring games, which ranks third behind only Chris Duhon (40) and Daniel Ewing (33) among Blue Devil returnees … his nine 20-point games are the most by any Duke returnee … has six games in which he’s made five or more three-point field goals entering 2003-04 … already ranks sixth on Duke’s career list with a .399 three-point field goal percentage … has 30 career starts entering his second season.

Freshman Season (2002-03)
All-ACC third team and All-ACC Freshman Team honoree ... named a second team Freshman All-America selection by Basketball Times ... USBWA All-District III honoree ... started 30 of 33 games … averaged 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game ... his 15.0 scoring average was the fourth-highest by a Duke freshman behind only Johnny Dawkins (18.1), Gene Banks (17.1) and Mike Gminski (15.3) ... led team in free throw percentage (.919) and three-point field goals made (95) and attempted (238) ... was second on the team in scoring (15.0 ppg), field goals made (149), three-point field percentage (.399) and assists (67) ... ranked fifth in the nation with a .919 free throw percentage ... established the ACC and Duke season record with a .919 free throw percentage ... was third in the ACC in three-point field goals made (2.88), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.399) and tied for ninth in scoring (15.0 ppg) ... ranked among Duke’s single-season leaders in free throw percentage (first, .919), three-point field goals (fifth, 95) and three-point field goal attempts (fifth, 238) ... set school record by making 43 consecutive free throws from Jan. 2-Feb. 5 ... had nine 20-point games, the most among all freshmen in the Coach K era ... part of a freshman class that averaged 33.6 points per game, the sixth-highest figure by a rookie class in ACC history … season highs were 34 points vs. Virginia (1/15), seven rebounds vs. Michigan (12/7), six assists in two games, five steals vs. Davidson (11/25) and six three-point field goals at Georgia Tech (2/26) … scored 26 points against Central Michigan in the NCAA Tournament (3/22) ... scored game-high 30 points in the ACC Tournament championship game against N.C. State (3/16) ... scored 23 of his game-high 30 points during the final 10:05 of the ACC title contest … his free throw with 2:51 left put Duke up for good in that game in which the Blue Devils trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half … led Duke with 19 points on 6-of-7 shooting from behind the arc and six assists against Georgia Tech (2/26) ... scored 17 points against Maryland (2/19) ... tallied 15 points, four assists and two steals against Virginia (2/15) ... scored 17 points against North Carolina (2/5) ... scored game-high 24 points against N.C. State (1/22) ... set Duke freshman record with career-high 34 points against Virginia (1/15) ... named ACC Rookie of the Week on Jan. 6 following his 22-point performance vs. Clemson ... recorded his third 20-point game in a row with a team-high 22 points against Clemson (1/5) ... also recorded career-high six assists and was 8-of-8 from the free throw line vs. the Tigers ... scored 20 points against Fairfield (1/2) ... led all players with 26 points against Dayton (12/29) ... led Duke with 20 points in his first career start against Ohio State (12/3) ... led all players with 20 points against UCLA (11/30).

High School
A tremendous outside shooting threat who was a McDonald’s All-America selection in 2002 (one of four to sign with Duke) ... the 2002 Associated Press Virginia Player of the Year ... three-time Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year ... 2002 Virginia Mr. Basketball winner ... a second team Parade All-America in 2002 ... second team USA Today All-America in 2002 ... was named the McDonald’s Most Valuable Player after scoring 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting (5-of-6 from three-point range) ... also won the McDonald’s Three-Point competition ... named 2002 first team prep All-America among all classifications by recruiting expert Bob Gibbons (six players on the first team) ... ranked number 37 in the nation among all players by ESPN.com following his senior season ... led his high school team to the AAA state championship in 2002 ... scored a career-high 43 points in leading Cave Springs to a 70-62 win over George Wythe in the AAA title game ... set Virginia AAA state tournament three-game records for most points (111) and three-point field goals (20) ... returned to action after suffering a right foot injury that cost him three weeks of his senior season ... averaged 28.3 points, five rebounds and four assists as a senior ... had 99 three-point field goals in 22 games played as a senior ... shot more than 44 percent from behind the three-point arc during his career ... Virginia’s all-time AAA leading scorer with 2,215 career points ... three-time district and regional Player of the Year ... named the Roanoke Times’ “All-Timesland” Player of the Year three times ... rated the country’s 10th-best prep player by Future Stars, 12th by Prepstars, 13th by College Basketball News and 14th by BlueChipHoops.com entering 2001-02 ... a second team preseason All-America by Street & Smith’s in 2001-02 ... averaged 28 points, 6.7 rebounds and four assists while shooting .570 from the field (.440 from three-point range) and .910 from the foul line as a junior ... connected on 61 consecutive free throws at one point in his junior season ... averaged 23.3 points, four assists and three rebounds as a sophomore ... averaged 17.1 points, three rebounds and two assists as a freshman ... coached in high school by Billy Hicks ... played on two AAU teams (Hampton’s Boo Williams All-Stars) that won national championships.

 

What is the point of posting his entire Bio? Like I said, under 40% 3 point shooter his entire career.

The guy is overrated.

Also, I'm a little concerned that Duhon can't drive well to his left. And he can't finish to his left.

I don't think Ben Gordon has the ball handling skills to be a point in the NBA. Duhon ball pressure was giving him a lot of trouble. He looks like an athletic Juan Dixon to me.

 

Can someone please tell me how the hell J.J. Redick is the best pure shooter in college basketball since Chris Mullin.


ESPN Scouting report:

<I>A streaky shooter, but still one of the purest in the country ... Has terrific elevation, discipline and poise in his form ... Releases the ball at the top of his elevation ... <B>Much of the reason for his hot and cold tendencies lies in his shot-selection<B>, not mechanics ... Possesses range that borders on unreal, and <B>he occasionally gets caught up in that ability</B> ... Will take 3-pointers from well beyond the stripe ... </I>

In other words, he's such a great shooter that he goes and takes more difficult shots. Forces people to guard him further out, but will lower his overall shooting %.

 

the same way reggie miller never led the league in 3 point % (iirc) but was about as deadly as you could be. he was always shooting after coming off 2 or 3 picks and on the move and everything else. if redick just lined them up like a steve kerr type and wasn't actually used as an active offensive weapon he'd shoot something unreal.

his free throw percentage is testament to his unbelievable shooting.


and langdon didn't lose the ball driving. he was trying to get off the tying 3 with only a few seconds left and started tripping trying to spin away from his guy and traveled.

 

Ray Allen was a career 44.8% 3 point shooter in college. Launched 247 3 pointers his junior season at a 46% clip.

Shawn Respert was a career 45.5% 3 point shooter in college. He launched 251 3 pointers his senior season at a 47% clip.

J.J. Redick launched 251 3 pointers at a 39.5% clip.

Like I originally said, I find it ridiculous that people are saying that J.J. Redick is the best pure shooter since Chris Mullin. Don't tell me he is taking higher degree of difficulty 3 pointers than Ray Allen or Shawn Respert in college. Especially Shawn Respert. That guy took some of the craziest, off balanced shots that I've ever seen.

Chris Mullin was a career 55% from the field in college. Comparing Redick, a guy shooting 42% from the field and under 40% from 3 point land, to Mullin is a joke.

And you want to compare J.J. Redick to Steve Kerr. Kerr jacked up 199 3 pointers his senior season, hitting 57.3% of his 3's. And no, Kerr didn't exactly shoot just set shots in college. By the way, he was also 2nd team All-American that year. Not just 2nd or 3rd team All ACC like Redick.

Let's not even get started with Glen Rice and his career 56.9% FG% and 48% career 3PT% in college.

In closing, I just think J.J. Redick is overrated in comparison to all the hype he is getting. To say that he is the best pure shooter since Chris Mullin gets my blood boiling (I think Dicky V. said it).
It's not true. All the qualitative and quantitative data backs it up.

 

"and langdon didn't lose the ball driving. he was trying to get off the tying 3 with only a few seconds left and started tripping trying to spin away from his guy and traveled."


Actually, we got the facts inverted. With 34.3 seconds left and Duke down 1, Langdon tried to drive the ball and was called for traveling. After El-Amin made two free throws, he lost the ball while attempting the desperation three. The play I was initially referring to was the 34.3 seconds left play when he brought the ball up the court down 1. He like J.J. Redick tried to penetrate and turned the ball over as their respective teams were both down 1 with under 40 seconds to go. There lies to creepy similarities that I was trying to make in my first post. Two overrated outside shooters trying to penetrate to win the game, only to turn the ball over.




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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ba...ncaa_tourney/men/news/1999/03/29/closer_look/

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- With the national championship on the line, Trajan Langdon wanted the ball.

Coming out of a timeout with 34.3 seconds left and UConn up 75-74, the Huskies had 16 seconds to shoot. Khalid El-Amin, who up until that point was having troubles with the game's high stakes, kept the ball to himself.

El-Amin dribbled three steps in from the 3-point arc at the left elbow and with six on the shot clock, hoisted a flailing shot that missed the bottom of the rim and fell into the hands of a well-positioned Chris Carrawell.

There were now 20 seconds to play.

The crowd was frenzied, but Langdon was cool. He was, after all, the team's only senior starter, its captain, a five-year man whose clutch touch had been the cornerstone of the team's success this season. The moment was his time to shine -- to win a title for his Duke mentors, for his beloved coach, for his teammates, for himself.

Langdon took possession of the ball and slowly brought it up the floor. Seconds slipped away. Everyone -- from Coach K to Jim Calhoun to Langdon himself -- knew that he would be assuming responsibility for the last shot.

CNN/SI On-Site
Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins on Trajan Langdon's traveling violation
It was a designed play. It was a pick-and-roll for [Trajan] Langdon. He had two choices -- use the screen or go one-on-one. He decided to go one-on-one.

It didn't work out. Give Ricky Moore tremendous credit for defensive play. After that, it was ballgame.



Not Avery. Not Brand.

"I want Trajan Langdon to take that shot," Krzyzewski said. "I will walk down any road with Trajan Langdon."

UConn was preparing to make a champion's stand.

"We were confident," UConn's Kevin Freeman said. "We said we were going to win it with our defense. That's how we've been doing it the entire year."

At 12 seconds, Langdon went between his legs and began a move to the left side. The play was a high-screen roll, one that Duke had run successfully a number of times.

Langdon described the moments: "[Freeman] hedged on Shane Battier. I faked. Ricky [Moore] jumped on the fake."

His window of opportunity was down to six seconds.

"He recovered and I got stopped with the ball."

As the defensively brilliant Moore sealed off his path, Langdon spun into the lane, a move he had made countless times. This time, he just took a skitter-step too many. He was called for travelling and possession of the ball went to UConn.

"I felt good with the ball making moves," Langdon said. "Moore was on me the whole game. It was no different [on that play]. I thought Ricky made the right read. He played good defense."

On the ensuing inbound, El-Amin was fouled. He converted both free throws. Five seconds later, Langdon lost control of the ball in a crowd of three Huskies he said "felt like a hundred." Before he could even get a shot off, the game -- his Duke career -- was over, 77-74.

"If I could do it again," Langdon said, "all I'd do is maybe make a different move."

 

It makes me sick knowing that Vandy was actually Okafors favorite for a while during senior year. UConn got a good one..

 

it's too bad Chris Bosh left school last year. Him vs. Okafor could have been an epic battle in the championship game

 

First of all, generally speaking, Dick Vitale is an idiot. Second of all, specifically speaking, Vitale performs fellatio on all things Duke. Given those two facts, why would Redick being grossly overrated by him surprise you?

 

Looks Like Terry Cummings. . . when he was young and looking like a 35 year old man

Rocket River