Virginia vs. Wake Forest Game Thread - Fuck It All To Hell

[Lohengrin]

This is very short sighted thinking. I am just as upset as anyone, but if Wake left the ACC we would be just like about 20 other good liberal arts colleges that no one outside of their state has ever heard of. No more televised games, no more mention in the national media, no more bowl games. Just a pea ant college in a bucolic southern town. Being in the ACC has done more for Wake's reputation than anything else that we have done.

Tell all that to the administration, Bud. From my view, being a pissant liberal arts college is what they truly strive for. Small big tall. They're fucked up in their core view of themselves. We'll never amount to anything until fundamental views of WFU are changed. Good luck with that.

 

[raldeac]

Yes, being in the ACC is very good for us, and we can/have competed with right leadership.

 

[DeacWatcher]

Is it a bad loss? Sure it is and as a lifelong Wake fan it now joins a Pantheon of other gut wrenching ones. However we all know Wake can be good by what happened not that long ago.

We are in year 2 of one of the more major rebuilds in NCAA history, so this is kind of to be expected (I had not really expected THIS) when you have young guys on the court and you're expecting them to perform like upper classmen. Manning is going to have to get these guys to really sack up the rest of the way after tonight.

I can still see an NIT bid this year but NCAA's are too far away.

 

[ChrisL68]

NIT bid this year? LOL

 

[DCDeac]

I love Crawford & realize he is going to have a wonderful career at Wake, but he did not hit his final critical 2 free throws. if he hit those we at least could have got beat in OT.

Yeah sorry, I meant after he missed the first 2. He hit 3/4 to close it out. My main point is he played an incredible game and as much as this one hurts - just putting him in those positions early is good for him.

What's really sad is when Devin caught the first inbounds, everyone knows he's not the guy you want on the line. Yet he hit the first two free throws. Then Dinos loses his mind and throws it into him again and he predictably goes 0/2 to set up the ending. Good teams don't do that. You think Duke throws it into Plumlee twice with under a minute left?

I think part of the reason that happened is because Devin's a senior and Crawford is still deferring to him. The sooner he starts taking over those situations the better.

 

[deactherunner]

Watched the replay late at night, was cursing to myself until 4 am. Hard to fault anyone on the inbounds pass itself-of course if we had tried something else it probably would not have gone in because those shots usually don't go in, but I'll take a high arching contested three. It just went in. The problem, as has been stated, is what led up to the shot. The worst part about sucking at free throws is that it should be the easiest thing to practice. All you need is a ball and a hoop. It's not like you need some kind you guru to help you-you probably can find decent ideas on youtube.

 

[ChrisL68]

Why is Devin even in the game in those situations? He's a terrible free throw shooter take him out when you have the lead late

 

[deactherunner]

Why is Devin even in the game in those situations? He's a terrible free throw shooter take him out when you have the lead late

As is always the question in these situations, who do you put in? There is no one on this team that I really want with the ball, just some that are less bad than others.

 

[MichDeac25]

Yeah sorry, I meant after he missed the first 2. He hit 3/4 to close it out. My main point is he played an incredible game and as much as this one hurts - just putting him in those positions early is good for him.

What's really sad is when Devin caught the first inbounds, everyone knows he's not the guy you want on the line. Yet he hit the first two free throws. Then Dinos loses his mind and throws it into him again and he predictably goes 0/2 to set up the ending. Good teams don't do that. You think Duke throws it into Plumlee twice with under a minute left?

I think part of the reason that happened is because Devin's a senior and Crawford is still deferring to him. The sooner he starts taking over those situations the better.

Agreed, Crawford was 8/10, 3-5 from 3, and only had 2 TO's. Granted, the last one was at a critical time. But he played an amazing game. Dinos still gives up too many points. That inbound in the last few minutes of the game where he was guarding his man beyond half court and then the guy just ran past him for a layup. You just can't let that happen. This is a game when your upperclassmen needed to make smart plays to close it out - CMM was absent, DT was gutsy, but not a reliable FT shooter. Crab and Dinos spazzed out but they're only sophomores. I think Collins and Crawford just have that badass attitude that will close out games in the future. Collins hits his FT's and has great form.

 

[DCDeac]

Why is Devin even in the game in those situations? He's a terrible free throw shooter take him out when you have the lead late

He's a good passer and was supposed to inbound the ball. That being said, on the final play you know Devin has a bad ankle and is moving slowly. Manning's lack of confidence in Moore despite his routinely effective play continues to be a mystery. Fucking McClinton got double his minutes and logged one whole rebound as his only stat. If Moore is the guy challenging that shot on the wing we probably win. If Collins is the guy challenging that shot on the wing we probably win.

 

[raldeac]

As is always the question in these situations, who do you put in? There is no one on this team that I really want with the ball, just some that are less bad than others.

I did notice that near the end, coach subbed Codi to defense, out on offense - some situational awareness-progress being made.

 

[Dispatch Deac]

Bryant Stith did the same number on us in Dave's first season.

 

[daaberry]

Although only 2 minutes, I again thought Moore played fine. Can't understand how he doesn't get back in, especially considering DT spent some time in the locker room. During the meltdown, Crab had a turnover with just a little over a minute left that really hurt as we would have either gotten 2 more FT attempts or burned close to 30 seconds off the clock.
Obviously hindsight makes it easier to say this, but being up only one with 4 seconds left it seems the only shot UVA was going to get was a 3 pointer. I would much prefer they have to take that shot by rebounding a miss (on purpose) & moving it up the court. Most likely a player ends up shooting around a half court shot in that scenario.
I know CMM catches a lot of shit, but I'll give him his props for having an 8/0 assist/turnover ratio last night.

 

[morrison2951]

Painful L, but for those of us around (or at) the 1983 ACCT 1st Round last second loss to cow college, we know it feels even worse under those circumstances.

Both teams were 17-10 heading into the tourney and Gentleman Carl had the Deacs poised to win by taking a last shot using Smith's 4 corners tactics- until we turned the ball over with under 30 secs to play and we all know how that ended.... cow college ultimately got to hang a Natty banner.

They were out of the NCAA tourney had they lost to us in that 1st Round game.

 

[IMissRandolph]

1989–90	Dave Odom	12–16	3–11	8th
1990–91	Dave Odom	19–11	8–6	T-3rd	NCAA Second Round
1991–92	Dave Odom	17–12	7–9	6th	NCAA First Round
1992–93	Dave Odom	21–9	10–6	T-3rd	NCAA Regional Semifinals
1993–94	Dave Odom	21–12	9–7	3rd	NCAA Second Round
1994–95	Dave Odom	26–6	12–4	1st	NCAA Regional Semifinals
1995–96	Dave Odom	26–6	12–4	2nd	NCAA Regional Final
1996–97	Dave Odom	24–7	11–5	T-2nd	NCAA Second Round
1997–98	Dave Odom	16–14	7–9	T-4th	NIT Second Round
1998–99	Dave Odom	17–14	7–9	4th	NIT Second Round
1999–00	Dave Odom	22–14	7–9	5th	NIT Champions
2000–01	Dave Odom	19–11	8–8	T-5th	NCAA First Round
2001–02	Skip Prosser	21–13	9–7	T-3rd	NCAA Second Round
2002–03	Skip Prosser	25–6	13–3	1st	NCAA Second Round
2003–04	Skip Prosser	21–10	9–7	T-3rd	NCAA Regional Semifinals
2004–05	Skip Prosser	27–6	13–3	2nd	NCAA Second Round
2005–06	Skip Prosser	17–17	3–13	12th	NIT First Round
2006–07	Skip Prosser	15–16	5–11	T-10th
2007–08	Dino Gaudio	17–13	7–9	T-7th
2008–09	Dino Gaudio	24–7	11–5	T-2nd	NCAA First Round
2009–10	Dino Gaudio	20–11	9–7	T-5th	NCAA Second Round

That's a great post and a breath of fresh air with some tangible facts. This was a helluva program for a long time with strong coaching, solid recruiting, and a loyal fan base. Wake was a top 4 program for years in an ACC that boasted arguably the nation's two best programs.

Wellman has reduced it to ruins with the decisions he's made and some that he's not made. There exists no accountability at Wake Forest, this will be the first year in 20 that I won't give to the Deacon Club. Abstaining until he's gone

 

[nvadeac]

We've lost 3 or 4 games this year already almost solely due to pathetic free throw shooting. No one can change that but players. YOu can have a great game like Crawford did but when you brick 3 or 4 free throws in the last minute (and he's certainly not the only one) you get what you deserve. We were 6 for 15 in the last minute and change. Beyond pathetic. Add in teh great defensive play Crawford made to steal teh ball from Brogden but then throw it away which led straight to a wide open three and the die is cast.

 

[mercurydime]

You can't hang an old man's head on a young man's shoulders.

I can't recall when I've been so disappointed in a loss.

 

[liveanddiedeac]

That's a great post and a breath of fresh air with some tangible facts. This was a helluva program for a long time with strong coaching, solid recruiting, and a loyal fan base. Wake was a top 4 program for years in an ACC that boasted arguably the nation's two best programs.

Wellman has reduced it to ruins with the decisions he's made and some that he's not made. There exists no accountability at Wake Forest, this will be the first year in 20 that I won't give to the Deacon Club. Abstaining until he's gone

During that stretch we often complained about not doing better in the postseason, now we'd take that level of failure in the postseason back in a heartbeat.

 

[Why the Deac Not]

I've been a WF fan for over half a century and I have to face up to the painful reality that Wake is a pathetic joke athletically! It is the whipping post and laughing stock of the ACC. A few winning seasons in basketball and still fewer in football seduces gullible fans into the notion that Wake can win in the money sports But it can't! It's a cruel hoax...in part because those in charge aren't willing to do what is necessary to win.

Wake ought to give up on big-time athletics or at least join a lesser conference where occasional wins are possible.

I understand your pain man, cuz I'm as frustrated as anyone who went to Wake or loves the Deacs. But if it were just a few winning seasons, I don't think many of us would even care enough to post here. This ain't Siena, Valpo, St. Joe's, VCU or some Johnny Once in a While mid-major that has a good run every 10 years or so. Hopefully this isn't the new normal though in the new expanded, mega-conference ACC.

 

[Ernest T Deacon]

That's a great post and a breath of fresh air with some tangible facts. This was a helluva program for a long time with strong coaching, solid recruiting, and a loyal fan base. Wake was a top 4 program for years in an ACC that boasted arguably the nation's two best programs.

Wellman has reduced it to ruins with the decisions he's made and some that he's not made. There exists no accountability at Wake Forest, this will be the first year in 20 that I won't give to the Deacon Club. Abstaining until he's gone

Nailed it...Rome has been burning for 6 years, and Wellman is the arsonist and Hatch the fiddler...