Random comments as the Heels play a conference foe with two straight losses:
Pregame: Student Spirit Week? Is ESPN naming every week of the basketball season? More importantly, is basketbal not enough to get people to watch the game?
UNC 8, BC 1: BC has tried two different offenses - slow and methodical passing into a packed paint, and the Tyrese Rice quick three-launch. So far it's resulted in two steals and no baskets from the field.
UNC 14, BC 7: The seats behind the BC bench is about as empty as the Eagles' scoring threats in the paint at this point.
UNC 18, BC 14: There's not a lot of attacking the basket on either side of the court right now. UNC isn't playing with the same intensity they did with an early lead against State.
UNC 19, BC 17: Things currently generating more excitement in my apartment than the game - the score of the women's game, discussion about whether the season remiere of Lost will be any good, my laundry (Spin cycle! Spin cycle!)
UNC 25, BC 23: A blue/white team substitution, in reaction to poor UNC defense. The Eagles are getting too many cracks at the basket each trip down the court.
UNC 29, BC 26: I'm already sick of the term "flex offense." Are they ever going to explain what it entails, or is just it looks like - pass it around and hope something happens?
UNC 33, BC 26: There's been a fair amount of commentary tonight about the state of UNC's defense, especially allowing 47% field goal shooting over the last three games. Looking at the way their playing tonight, the emphasis seems to be on perimeter steals and defensive rebounding. And at least the steal emphisis has worked - in the last five games only once have the Heels had less than 8 steals, that being the Maryland game.
UNC 38, BC 31: John Edwards is in attendance, and I'm incredibly thankful this game is Vitale/Patrick and Musberger/Lavin free. Instead the conversation is focused on, shock of all shocks, the game.
UNC 45, BC 31: BC's lack of depth is a serious problem, with UNC's ability to draw fouls with interior play. Blair's been on the bench for most of the half with three fouls, and Rice is tenative with two.
UNC 47, BC 31: The damage of a 22-6 run not too far after the mass substitution is self-evident; BC is back to playing like the second-tier ACC team the preseason predicted they'd be. That the Eagles are third in the conference is a sign of how uncharacteristically weak the conference is this year.
Meanwhile, the UNC women's team has finally taken the lead against Wake near the end of the first half.
UNC 51, BC 31: Second half, more of the same. It's interesting to see Deon Thompson second down the court on a fast break behind Lawson, getting an easy bucket - he has 15. Good hustle there.
UNC 55, BC 31: Lawson draws Blair's fourth foul, sedning him back to the bench. At this point, why take him off the court? You're down 24, and you're not coming back with your tallest player and ACC-leading shotblocker on the pine. Saving him for a late game situation when you've lost any chnce of winning doesn;t make any sense to me.
UNC 63, BC 38: Both teams have gone cold shooting - UNC is 1-7 behind the arc by the way - and the play is getting sloppy. The announcers are discussing their belief that UNC and Duke will separate themselves from the rest of the ACC? Will? It's done, past tense.
UNC 63, BC 42: So what's with the camo shirts? UNC students are wearing light blue T-shirts with interlocking NCs in army green camoflauge (old school, not the more effective pixelated style) and Notre Dame fans are wearing full camo shirts. Is this just a fad? ESPN promotion? Idiocy?
UNC 67, BC 46: John Oates fouls out with 10:42 to play. It'l be a long game without big men for the Eagles at this rate. I always preferred the Sesame Street Count "Five! Five Fouls cheer" to the standard "Hey Hey Goodbye" the crowd chants now.
UNC 79, BC 50: Seven minutes left to play. Nothing really to say about that, except when a team gives up this early, the blowout can really get out of hand.
UNC 84, BC 60: With 3:48 remaining, Lawson and Thompson join Hansbrough on the bench.
UNC 91, BC 69: Tanner misses two good three point looks. The team still gets some garbage time blocks. No biscuits for the fans, though.