North Carolina Tar Heels: Starting to Defy Description
“I’ve seen me a mermaid once. Even seen a shark eat an octopus, but I have never seen a phantom Russian submarine”– Chief of the USS Dallas, Hunt for Red October
There is of course something missing in this retelling. That would be Oregon. Jordan Bell blames himself for losing the game. That is stupid and not unlike when Isaiah Hicks blamed himself for the Kris Jenkins shot last year. Bell did all he could. He thinks his rebound would have saved the game? Who catches his outlet pass? Who shoots it? Do they make it? What if they don’t?
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No, Bell played his role as he was intended. He is only guilty of not being Superman, which is no crime at all.
If there is blame to pin on the Ducks it must lie on Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey, and Dana Altman. Brooks never made an offensive impact on the game and his fouling out might have been a blessing in disguise. Dorsey found his shot late and otherwise lived off of the free throw line where he benefitted from a tightly called game.
Altman’s failing was not recognizing his hot players until it was almost too late. Dylan Ennis thrived off the matchup issues of being guarded by big men so that Pinson could cover Brooks. Yet Ennis never became the focus of the offense.
In the end, this was a game where you just have to breathe easy. The next game will probably be just as stressful with its own challenges. But there will be a next game for the Tar Heels, and that is all you can ask for.