GAME THREAD: Maryland vs. North Carolina

[ccbird]

LOL...Walkons..senior night.

If you can't grasp this, that's on you.

I didn't see the end of the game but based on what is being said, it is very sad that any fan would even remotely complain about this, in this situation.

And I bet if the roles were reversed, you wouldn't even mention this.

BTW, classless is when teams fans throw objects at the other team's family. Classless is when a team's fans(any team) chant F U. Classless is when your athletic dept and coach implore you to stop acting like morons and yet you do it anyway. Classless is when a guy dunks at the end of a game when you are up by a lot.

Allowing your walk ons to have some moment of glory on their senior night isn't classless.

If you can't grasp it the complete opposite way that is on you. Nobody should be taking a shot, especially multiple shots, inside of the 35 sec shot clock when you are up 20+ points. It's completely bad form, but coming from the guy who trolls this section of the board and has an ego the size of the ocean I expected no less. I was actually surprised it took you as long as it did to get in here and comment. It was only a matter of time, we all knew you were coming.

[The Epic]

For them to have the ability to run the clock yet choosing to maximize the time left to try and get off as many shots as possible is bad form. Case closed, end of story.

Or maybe it's getting the last chance to experience being a Tar Heel on their home court. Just give it to them. They worked their tails off just to get a few moments to chuck some shots in a real game, and you're criticizing this.

There's worse things. Really.

[Sports Guy]

If you can't grasp it the complete opposite way that is on you. Nobody should be taking a shot, especially multiple shots, inside of the 35 sec shot clock when you are up 20+ points. It's completely bad form but coming from the guy who trolls this section of the board and has an ego the size of the ocean I expected no less. I was actually surprised it took you as long as it did to get in here and comment. It was only a matter of time, we all knew you were coming.

I'm not trolling...I'm giving my opinion. Nothing trolling about anything I said. You cry about me talking about Duke...I am actually speaking IN FAVOR OF UNC and Roy W. Do you think I like that?

You guys are wrong, plain and simple.

[The Epic]

BTW, classless is when teams fans throw objects at the other team's family. Classless is when a team's fans(any team) chant F U. Classless is when your athletic dept and coach implore you to stop acting like morons and yet you do it anyway. Classless is when a guy dunks at the end of a game when you are up by a lot.

Allowing your walk ons to have some moment of glory on their senior night isn't classless.

Quoted for extra truth, along with a Vasquez shimmy.

[AgentOrange]

Its not even about running up the score. I don't care if we were losing by 50 and they brought the walkons in to play. Let them run it up some more. It's not about us stopping them. We didn't quit playing defense and it really has nothing to do about us playing defense anyway. If the walkons are out there bombing 3 after 3 with 2 min left on the clock good for them. 1 min left on the clock good for them. Once you get inside of 30 sec, inside of where you can run the clock out you shouldn't be jacking up multiple shots. You run the clock out, if one of the seniors wants to take the last shot as the clock expires I don't like it but I can deal with it. For them to have the ability to run the clock yet choosing to maximize the time left to try and get off as many shots as possible is bad form. Case closed, end of story.

Sorry, the case isn't closed. They were all seniors. They all played hard for the program and deserved a chance to get a basket on senior night. The game was already over. It didn't hurt us that they were hitting shots, even within 30 seconds of the game.

If you want to have a beef with the Henson dunk at UMD, I am on your side. This one, no.

[ccbird]

Or maybe it's getting the last chance to experience being a Tar Heel on their home court. Just give it to them. They worked their tails off just to get a few moments to chuck some shots in a real game, and you're criticizing this.

There's worse things. Really.

They were on the court playing for the last 4 min of the game. They started the game. That's the experience, that's allowing them to soak it in. As I said, and I could be wrong because I don't know all of the Carolina walk ons but I know a few different guys had not only shot multiple times since they had re-entered the game but had also scored.

And you say there is worse things but it's a fundamental difference people have in the approach. Some would disagree that there aren't a lot of more classless things on the court. I ref youth basketball and I see the fundamental difference. Some coaches in the last 15- 20 sec of a game when they are winning big tell there kid to go dribble out the clock, others are encouraging their players to shoot the ball again and press. Needless to say, I have much more respect for the former but I understand why some kids don't understand good sportsmanship over personal glory.

[Sports Guy]

Sorry, the case isn't closed. They were all seniors. They all played hard for the program and deserved a chance to get a basket on senior night. The game was already over. It didn't hurt us that they were hitting shots, even within 30 seconds of the game.

If you want to have a beef with the Henson dunk at UMD, I am on your side. This one, no.

Exactly...and just to follow this up...If this game had NOT been senior night, I can see having an issue with it even if it was the walk ons.

HOWEVER, the idea of the senior night is really being overlooked...I don't think the people crying over this understand what the walk ons do for their teams.

[ccbird]

Like I said it's a fundamental difference people have to the game. I knew poeple would argue and while I disagree strongly I understand why and where the other side is coming from. It's why I'm ducking out. I'll conclude by saying what I said earlier in the thread, I know there are many coaches out there at all levels that despite the circumstances(walk ons, senior night) would not have let their players chuck up a shot, let alone two, inside of 30 seconds.

[The Epic]

And you say there is worse things but it's a fundamental difference people have in the approach. Some would disagree that there aren't a lot of more classless things on the court. I ref youth basketball and I see the fundamental difference. Some coaches in the last 15- 20 sec of a game when they are winning big tell there kid to go dribble out the clock, others are encouraging their players to shoot the ball again and press. Needless to say, I have much more respect for the former but I understand why some kids don't understand good sportsmanship over personal glory.

Jackson Simmons is the only one that shot after he scored, twice. Dupont (natch) and Crouch both didn't shoot after their made buckets.

When these guys talk to their grandkids about their time that they played basketball on Senior Night, I'm sure they'd rather be talking about how they got the ball with a few minutes to go and just dribbled out the shot clock. You know, because that's classy or something. These are memories that they'll have the rest of their lives. That reaction that Dupont got...he will NEVER get again, and it was beautiful.

[ccbird]

Jackson Simmons is the only one that shot after he scored, twice. Dupont (natch) and Crouch both didn't shoot after their made buckets.

When these guys talk to their grandkids about their time that they played basketball on Senior Night, I'm sure they'd rather be talking about how they got the ball with a few minutes to go and just dribbled out the shot clock. You know, because that's classy or something. These are memories that they'll have the rest of their lives. That reaction that Dupont got...he will NEVER get again, and it was beautiful.

And there is the whole fundamental difference I speak of again. See, you say this sarcastically but I would be just as proud to tell my kids that I dribbled out the game or was on the court as the game ended as I would be to tell them I hoisted up and made a basket with my team up 24 as the buzzer expired. I don't need that extra bit of personal glory at the expense of what in a normal circumstance would be considered bad form. So basically these guys get exceptions because they are walk on seniors. I could really twist it and say it's actually disrespectful to those players that you make an exception for them that you wouldn't make for any other player in the same circumstance. Fundamental difference not only to the game but to life in general. I'm going to try to leave it at that.

[Hallas]

If you can't grasp it the complete opposite way that is on you. Nobody should be taking a shot, especially multiple shots, inside of the 35 sec shot clock when you are up 20+ points. It's completely bad form, but coming from the guy who trolls this section of the board and has an ego the size of the ocean I expected no less. I was actually surprised it took you as long as it did to get in here and comment. It was only a matter of time, we all knew you were coming.

It's walk ons. Maybe they could have used the practice in real game situations. Given that the Terps were down by 20+, we definitely could have used the practice.

[Flosman]

And there is the whole fundamental difference I speak of again. See, you say this sarcastically but I would be just as proud to tell my kids that I dribbled out the game or was on the court as the game ended as I would be to tell them I hoisted up and made a basket with my team up 24 as the buzzer expired. I don't need that extra bit of personal glory at the expense of what in a normal circumstance would be considered bad form. So basically these guys get exceptions because they are walk on seniors. I could really twist it and say it's actually disrespectful to those players that you make an exception for them that you wouldn't make for any other player in the same circumstance. Fundamental difference not only to the game but to life in general. I'm going to try to leave it at that.

I think you are way out in left field on this one. If the right thing to do was run the clock out why did Thomas shoot the ball with less than 20 seconds left? What was the deal with Parker's show boat dunk with 2 minutes or so left in the game? Our scrubs were trying against their scrubs, all of the scrubs were playing as hard as they could and there is nothing wrong with that. BTW the point differential really did not change at all over the last 8 minutes or so of the game. Believe me if Zeller would have gone for the 40+ that he obviously could have or if Roy would not have emptied his bench and a starter would have been launching a 3 pointer to beat the buzzer, I would be in total agreement with you.

[glenn__davis]

And there is the whole fundamental difference I speak of again. See, you say this sarcastically but I would be just as proud to tell my kids that I dribbled out the game or was on the court as the game ended as I would be to tell them I hoisted up and made a basket with my team up 24 as the buzzer expired. I don't need that extra bit of personal glory at the expense of what in a normal circumstance would be considered bad form. So basically these guys get exceptions because they are walk on seniors. I could really twist it and say it's actually disrespectful to those players that you make an exception for them that you wouldn't make for any other player in the same circumstance. Fundamental difference not only to the game but to life in general. I'm going to try to leave it at that.

I understand your point, I truly do.

I just look at it as a closure of sorts of their career. Even as walk-ons, these guys are pretty darn good basketball players. Most of them were probably stars on their teams growing up, and most probably got their share of accolades and maybe even aspired to play professionally some day.

Obviously at some point they realized that that was not their career path. So their athletic career, something that's probably been important to them for a long time, is coming to an end, for all intents and purposes. So they get a chance for one last hurrah, to be cheered by the home crowd one last time.

To me, that is a bigger deal than some platitudes about "playing the game the right way". If it were my son, I'd want him to have that moment. I'd want him to be classy about it, but I'd still like to see him enjoy it.

[Danielos38]

This is the "everybody gets a trophy" syndrome. The walk-ons are walk-ons because they aren't very good. Some jobs are generally thankless. Being a walk-on is one of them. You don't do it for the glory. But, if they happen to get some PT and score in the course of the game, then GREAT. It's nice that they get rewarded for all their hard work. Yet, the widely accepted unwritten rules of the game don't just go away because some (relatively) crappy player on a good team actually has the ball. People are only fine with it because they like the "feel-good story" of the underdog hitting a three to end the game. Well, BS. There's no story in hitting a meaningless three that only serves to disrespect your opponent.

[glenn__davis]

This is the "everybody gets a trophy" syndrome.

It's nothing at all like that.

Let's also not forget the student aspect of this, that a lot of the students watching the game probably know these guys personally and have good relationships with them. If you were friends with a walk-on and he had a chance to get in and score at the end of the game, would you be happy for him? Or would you sit on your hands and later criticize him for breaking basketball etiquette?

And lastly, there's nothing at all wrong with a "feel-good story". It's OK to be happy for other people when they get a nice moment in their life. No one was disrespected. I'm sure the MD players forgot about it 2 minutes after it happened.

Like I said, I think the proper thing to do would have been to dribble out the clock as well, and I think it's what I would have done in that scenario, but it's really not some huge slap in the face to MD.