Three A.M. Rehash
Random thoughts while winding down from Wake Forest’s 92-89 victory over North Carolina in what was by far the best game I’ve seen this season. A reader named Alex noted that I did, indeed, get my wish. It was a classic.
Jeff Teague was really already in the club. He did score 30 just a game ago against BYU, 31 earlier against UNC Wilmington and 29 against UTEP. But what we all just got through watching him do—score a career-high 34 points, hit thee of four 3-point attempts and drain 13 of 15 free throws, many of them at money time—cemented his stature as one of the really special guards to play at Wake Forest. Jackie Murdock (whom I had the grand pleasure of meeting last fall, at Putters, on homecoming weekend with his former teammate Maurice George) was probably the first, at least since ACC began. Others to follow were Billy Packer, Charlie Davis, Skip Brown, Frank Johnson, Delaney Rudd, Muggsy Bogues (who had a big grin on his face when the spotlight found him tonight), Randolph Childress and Chris Paul. Old-timers might want to add Dave Wiedeman, the middle-agers Danny Young and the young whippersnappers Taron Downey and Justin Gray, and that would be fine with me. But Jeff Teague is the one we’re watching now, and what a show he’s putting on. His slices to the basket border on un-guardable with one guard alone. And he was breaking down Ty Lawson, one of the best in college basketball. The great ones have attitude. Think Randolph. Think Paul. Teague believes he can beat you and he doesn’t mind letting you know it. It’s fun watching a budding legend just as the buds are starting to bloom.
When Chas McFarland plays like he played tonight, the Deacons are a sleepless night for any coach that has to play them. The forwards, James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu had their hands in the win. Their defense, their wingspan, quickness and ability to switch on the perimeter to keep the offense from getting untracked, helped knock North Carolina back early in the game, and they combined for 18 points and 11 rebounds. Aminu actually played 30 minutes, which surprised me given his foul trouble, and Johnson played 20. But what McFarland showed is that the Deacons can beat a team as good as North Carolina without either one of them really taking over long stretches of the game. That’s because McFarland played, considering the stakes and competition, the best game I’ve ever seen him play. Though I have to say he wasn’t bad last year at Georgia Tech (28 points, 12 rebounds), and the Deacons probably aren’t undefeated right now without his contributions (20 points, 14 rebounds) at Richmond. Remember the spin move and layup in the first half? He made that move once or twice last year, but it was a slower, almost lurching kind of move. Tonight he really acted like he meant to do it. Might even pass for ballet. I was kidding him about his breakout late when Tyler Hansbrough’s 3-pointer caromed long and he got it ahead of the pack and was dogged all the way down the court by Lawson before laying it in. I asked him if he thought about finding a guard to pass to. He said, no, nobody was in front of him. He and Hansbrough were not a pure matchup. Hansbrough usually guarded the power forward and either Deon Thompson or Ed Davis took McFarland. And McFarland had help from Tony Woods and David Weaver. But all that said, McFarland had the better game. McFarland made seven of 10 from the floor, six of nine from the line, pulled nine rebounds, blocked two shots and scored 20 points in 33 minutes. Hansbrough made three of 12 from the floor, 11 of 13 from the line, pulled 11 boards, blocked a shot and scored 17 points in 35 minutes. McFarland had 11 points and five rebounds in the second half, Hansbrough four and seven. On this night, Chas had the better game—and he wasn’t going against Makhtar Ndiaye.
And I’m glad Joe and Honey Gaudio were in town, because they got to see their son make them, and everybody at Wake Forest, proud. He wasn’t sure he liked the week off before tipoff, fretting a bit that there might should have been a midweek game after getting back from Utah, but obviously he and his staff used the time wisely. The Deacons were prepared. Gaudio kept a wonderful touch on the rein of the game, juggling foul trouble, substituting to strength, being positive when it called for it, providing some aggressive counseling when the need arose. The Deacons burned the Tar Heels time and again on inbounds plays, many of them following timeouts. Woods dunked off a pass from McFarland. Teague passed to L.D. Williams who passed to McFarland for a dunk. One that I believe was off the inbounds, though not after a timeout, was Teague’s all-along-the-baseline pass to Harvey Hale for his 3-pointer from deep in the right corner, over next to Ashby Cook. He was every bit as good afterward in the media conference. Grateful, respectful, purposeful. Talked about going back to the house with his folks and family and eating some pizza, but being back at the office by 8 a.m. this morning to watch tapes on BC. I know the pizza tasted great.