2012 Duke at North Carolina
Re-watch #8 - The Duke Basketball Project
Duke at North Carolina
ACC Regular Season
Dean E. Smith Center - Chapel Hill, NC
February 8, 2012
Where I was
In 2012, I was living in Chicago for graduate school. All of the MBA classes were taught in the evening, so my Wednesday night “Current Issues & Trends in the Sports Industry” class was going to run up against the tip. Fortunately, the business school was downtown and my friends were willing to walk across the street to watch the game (and watch me be a nervous wreck). Those guys are great hoop-watching buddies and even better friends. So once class was over, we ordered some food and a few beers, and settled into the game after only missing the first few possessions.
Why this game
I had a couple of other games picked out as possibilities, but I decided to go ahead and do the first re-watch from the rivalry instead - I’m surprised it took me this long. Other than NCAA Tournament games, I have definitely re-watched more Duke/UNC games over the years than any other match-up. Although this is not my favorite game from the rivalry (I’ll work on that list at some point), it is one of the few I had not watched since the original broadcast, so I decided to do this game next.
Storylines
Not much needs to be said other than Duke vs. North Carolina. The rivalry is obviously a big game at least twice a season and has delivered some classics over the years. North Carolina entered the game ranked 5th nationally, winning 14 of their last 15 games. Duke was ranked 9th and had won 4 of its last 5 games against Carolina. The Blue Devils were coming off a home loss in overtime to Miami and would need to win in Chapel Hill to avoid losing two ACC games in a row for the first time since 2009.
The Teams
North Carolina and Roy Williams started Kendall Marshall, Reggie Bullock, Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller. James Michael McAdoo, P.J. Hairston, and Stilman White came off the bench. Justin Watts and Desmond Hubert are also listed in the box score. Duke started Tyler Thornton, Seth Curry, Austin Rivers, Ryan Kelly, and Mason Plumlee. Miles Plumlee, Andre Dawkins, Quinn Cook, and Josh Hairston subbed in for the Blue Devils. The freshman Rivers was in for a big night, finishing the game with 29 points. Since 2012, only two Duke players have scored more than 29 points in a win against UNC. Can you name them? See Trivia Answer below.
The Game
1st Half Summary
Duke got off to a good start - Mason Plumlee scored in the paint before rejecting Tyler Zeller on the other end, leading to an Austin Rivers 3. I love a great jab step. Zeller was a force for North Carolina in the first half - he was terrific at running the floor and scored the first 7 points for the Tar Heels. Rivers used a ball screen to drill another 3 before getting a put back - he now had 10 points and, after an Andre Dawkins 3, Duke led 15-7 after the first 5:00 of the game. Ryan Kelly hit a free throw line jumper off the bounce and then a deep 3, before Kendall Marshall answered with a layup and a long jumper. Seth Curry hit Duke’s fifth 3 of the half. Then, Coach K called a set to lift the Carolina defense, giving Curry an open drive for a layup before Mason Plumlee blocked Marshall at the rim in transition. The teams traded points from Quinn Cook, Zeller, Curry, John Henson, and Barnes. Andre Dawkins used a hand-off with Miles Plumlee to hit his second 3 of the half. The Blue Devils now led 35-29 with 5:45 remaining. Tyler Zeller continued to score, first with a jump hook in the paint and then a dunk, giving him 19 points in the half. Both teams converted on several free throws and Duke began to turn the ball over. Harrison Barnes’ two free throws gave North Carolina its first lead of the game with 0:43 left on the clock - Duke now trailed 40-41. A block by Zeller led to a layup for Reggie Bullock just before the halftime buzzer. Duke managed just one field goal for the final 7:36 and UNC used a 14-5 run to close the half.
2nd Half 20:00 - Duke 40 North Carolina 43
After four consecutive misses to start the half, Harrison Barnes opened the scoring with a step-back jumper for his first field goal of the game. The move showed why he’s still putting up 15 per game in the NBA and why he would score in bunches for the remainder of the contest. Buckets from Ryan Kelly and Austin Rivers would bookend a Kendall Marshall 3-point play. John Henson and Barnes would extend the Tar Heel lead as Coach K took a timeout.
2nd Half 16:34 - Duke 44 North Carolina 54
The next few minutes would be a back and forth with Harrison Barnes and Austin Rivers. Kendall Marshall penetrated the paint in transition, kicking the ball out to Barnes for UNC’s only 3 of the game. Rivers answered with a deep 3 before Barnes hit a tough shot in the lane. Rivers then used a staggered ball screen to hit another 3, before Barnes made a one-dribble pull-up. Rivers finally missed on a 3 from the right wing, but he would get another chance from that spot later in the game. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dion Waiters would do their best Rivers/Barnes impression a couple of years later during All-Star Weekend. Kendall Marshall continued to pressure the Duke defense with constant drives, finishing at the rim.
2nd Half 11:48 - Duke 53 North Carolina 65
After the media timeout, Seth Curry converted a much needed 4-point play. Barnes added a couple more buckets and Rivers hit his fifth 3 using the hand-off action that had worked so well for the Blue Devils all game. Miles Plumlee made two free throws after an offensive rebound and Tyler Zeller hit his familiar jump hook.
2nd Half 7:59 - Duke 62 North Carolina 71
The next few minutes saw little scoring action - Duke got a couple of free throws from Ryan Kelly and a drop-step reverse layup from Mason Plumlee. John Henson rebounded a missed free throw by Barnes, leading to Kendall Marshall finding James Michael McAdoo for a dunk. Kelly hit 2 more free throws on the other end.
2nd Half 5:08 - Duke 68 North Carolina 77
McAdoo drove to the basket, splitting the defense for another score, before Rivers missed a 3 and Barnes missed a turnaround jumper. Tyler Thornton missed on a 3 but Ryan Kelly was able to keep the ball alive after Mason Plumlee lost control of the offensive rebound. Thornton corralled the loose ball and got it back to Mason, who completed an up-and-under layup. Duke called timeout.
2nd Half 3:50 - Duke 70 North Carolina 79
After Barnes split a pair from the line, Austin Rivers went off the glass with a floater. Barnes drove left on Curry, avoiding an offensive foul before his jumper got a friendly bounce and fell in. Coach K continued to manage time and score with another timeout.
2nd Half 2:34 - Duke 72 North Carolina 82
One of my coaching mentor’s favorite sayings is “fake a pass to make a pass.” Tyler Thornton listened to that advice as he faked a post pass into Mason Plumlee. When Kendall Marshall dropped back on the fake, Thornton took advantage of the space and buried a 3. The Tar Heels decided to use a timeout of their own.
2nd Half 1:59 - Duke 75 North Carolina 82
As North Carolina initiated their offense, Mason Plumlee got into the passing lane and stole Marshall’s pass intended for Henson. Plumlee advanced the ball before dropping it back to Thornton, who found a streaking Curry on the other side of the floor. Curry shuffled his feet on the catch and hit a deep 3 reminiscent of his brother. Fortunately, no travel was called and Duke was back within four. Ryan Kelly drew a charge on the other end, as he stepped in to help on Harrison Barnes’ drive down the middle.
2nd Half 1:23 - Duke 78 North Carolina 82
Kelly missed a 3 from the left wing but followed his shot for an offensive rebound. He too used a subtle pass fake to free himself from Reggie Bullock and hit a baseline jumper. I can’t recall if the sound for the broadcast was even on in the restaurant, but if it was, the bar had become more crowded and loud as the night went along. Unable to hear the call, I distinctly remember thinking for a split second that Kelly’s shot from the baseline had come up short and simply brushed the net on the way down. Thankfully I was wrong and it was now a one-possession game.
2nd Half 1:08 - Duke 80 North Carolina 82
The Tar Heels used some clock before Tyler Zeller was fouled posting-up Mason Plumlee. UNC was in the double bonus - Zeller missed the first but made the second. Duke was unable to get into what they wanted offensively, so Coach K used his final timeout with just 11 seconds left on the shot clock.
2nd Half 0:20 - Duke 80 North Carolina 83
One of the strangest plays I can remember took place after the timeout. Ryan Kelly used a screen from Curry to get open on the right wing. Rivers passed to Kelly who let go of another Duke 3. Henson challenged the shot closely and as the ball approached the basket, Zeller went up to tip the shot away. He got a piece of it on the way down but inadvertently redirected the ball went into the basket. Here is the play. The referees blew the whistle immediately to discuss the ruling. Again, I can’t really hear anything, so my mind was racing. Foul on Henson? Goaltend? Is it worth 2 or 3 if the defense tips in a shot from the beyond the arc? On the re-watch, Dick Vitale thought Kelly may have been fouled on the shot, while Jay Bilas and Dan Shulman seemed to agree that a 3 tipped in by the defense would equate to 3 points on the scoreboard. I admit to still being a little confused on the rule but the officiating crew decided the shot had no chance to go in, so the tip-in should be worth 2 points.
2nd Half 0:14 - Duke 82 North Carolina 83
Thornton fouled Tyler Zeller on the inbound pass, sending him back to the line. This time, Zeller made the first but missed the second. With no timeouts remaining, Mason Plumlee rebounded the miss and handed the ball to Austin Rivers. Vitale remarked “...they’ve got a chance to win it” as Rivers brought the ball across the timeline. Mason set a ball screen for Rivers at the top - Bullock and Zeller elected to switch. Rivers isolated on the right wing, took two final dribbles, and launched a 3 just before the horn. I was simultaneously nervous, jacked-up, and exhausted when the ball went through the net. To this day, I have no idea why, but my only reaction was to Gronk-spike my Blackberry - an embarrassing reaction for an “adult” but thankfully my friends thought my smashed phone was hilarious (I hope). Duke closed the game on a 13-2 run for what Jay Bilas called “an absolute theft.”
Final Score - Duke 85 North Carolina 84
From the Box Score
Tyler Zeller put up 23 points and 11 rebounds and John Henson added 12 and 17 for North Carolina. After a quiet first half, Harrison Barnes finished with 25 points while Kendall Marshall logged 14 points and 8 assists. Austin Rivers led Duke with 29 points, including 6 out of 10 from beyond the arc. Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly scored 15 points each, while Mason Plumlee added 8 points and 14 rebounds. Duke was able to limit the fast-paced Tar Heels to just 6 points in transition, but was outscored by 28 points in the paint. The Blue Devils made up for that deficit by knocking down 14 three-pointers compared to just 1 for UNC.
Postgame Notes
Coach K showed tremendous respect for North Carolina after the game, saying he thinks they are the best team in the league, and he was proud of Duke’s fight to keep the game within reach. While this season had a disappointing end for the Blue Devils, it saw some great moments including: Coach K’s 903rd victory which passed his coach Bobby Knight for the most Division I wins all-time, an epic win over Kansas to capture the Maui Invitational, and of course this legendary buzzer beater. Austin Rivers would go on to be selected 10th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, followed by Miles Plumlee taken 26th. Brother Mason, Ryan Kelly and Seth Curry would make up the senior trio that led one of my favorite Duke teams to 32 wins the following season.
Trivia Answer
Zion Williamson 31 points (Duke 74 UNC 73 - 3/15/19)
Jabari Parker 30 points (Duke 93 UNC 81 - 3/8/14)
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
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