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That's Why They Play the Games
That's Why They Play the Games
Jim Meadows
Published by Swampy Meadows
02-14-2010
That's Why They Play the Games

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) -- Friday night, Class of 2010 UD recruit Juwan Staten and his #7 ranked Oak Hill Academy squad were on national TV via ESPNU facing a perennial HS power, the #6 rated St. Patrick’s of New Joisey.

For you “Jersey Shore” fans, here is “The Situation”:

.4 seconds left in regulation.

Oak Hill leads 79-78.

A kid from St. P’s is at the line to shoot 2 freebies.

Unfortunately the player in question is not Kyrie Irving, the do-everything PG headed to Duke next year.

Nor is it Michael Gilchrist, the top ranked junior in the country.

It’s Derrick Gordon.

The 40% FT shooting Derrick Gordon.

One to tie, two to win.

Derrick clanks the first.

Gordon bricks the second.

Ballgame.

Maybe Gordon missed the FTs out of sheer embarrassment. When I plugged his name into the “Jersey Shore Nickname Generator” his came out as “The Sausage Party.”

Try it yourself: http://www.unlikelywords.com/2009/12...ame-generator/

Fast forward to the UD/SLU game Saturday afternoon.

44 seconds left in regulation.

UD leads 54-49.

Paul Williams at the line for UD with a one-and-one opportunity.

PW misses the front end.

26 seconds left in regulation.

Flyers up 54-51.

Williams again at the line for a one-and-one.

Paul misses the front end again.

And eventually, as we all know, Kwamain Mitchell drained the “Mission Impossible” bank shot three pointer with 2 seconds left to send it into OT.

UD goes on to lose in double overtime, 68-65.

My point?

You win some.

You lose some.

And some get rained out.


If you are thinking to yourself “Hey Swamp, there are no rainouts in basketball” I’ll tell you about the Cincinnati Royals/Boston Celtics exhibition game Mrs. Swampy and I attended way back when. That tilt got called due to condensation on the floor from the hot air melting the ice under the floor in the dumpy old Cincy Gardens.

My other point?

Going to the FT line with the outcome of the contest in the balance is why they play the ****ed things.

You can’t phone in the results.

Or fax ‘em.

Or Tweet them.

Or even blog them.

As that eminent philosopher, Jedi Master Yoda put it:

Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'

Paul tried.

Twice.

He failed.

Twice.

So how did he react?

PW made a three pointer in the first OT to re-tie the score.

The next time UD finds itself in “The Situation” I don’t know about you, but I want Paul Williams at the line.

Georgia Tech game, anyone?

UD lost the St. Louis tilt, not the 2010 season. There are still six regular season games, plus the A-10 Tournament left to play.

Beat LaSalle.

As a post script, I’m hardly one to bust Derrick Gordon for his “Jersey Shore” ‘nickname.’

When I plugged Jim “Swampy” Meadows into the Jersey Shore Nickname Generator, I got “J-Muscle.”

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: swampy@udpride.com
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  #1  
By jack72 on 02-14-2010, 12:29 PM
I do not want Paul Williams at the line next time. Maybe next year and probably his senior year. When you do what Paul did and call for the ball and hold it till you get fouled, you had better produce. The seniors like Perry and London and Lowery, or CJ should have got that ball. Williams has been a huge disappointment. Great defense but totally eratic on offense. If he stands in that corner one more time just waiting for the 3, like he shoots like Luke, I will scream. By the way right after he made that 3 he turned the ball over right under the basket.
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  #2  
By DGO67 on 02-14-2010, 12:32 PM
Thanks for a perspective with a dash of sanity...but do understand why some of us went crackers at losing the way we did!
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  #3  
By Atlantic 10 on 02-14-2010, 06:17 PM
Originally Posted by jack72 View Post
I do not want Paul Williams at the line next time. Maybe next year and probably his senior year. When you do what Paul did and call for the ball and hold it till you get fouled, you had better produce. The seniors like Perry and London and Lowery, or CJ should have got that ball. Williams has been a huge disappointment. Great defense but totally eratic on offense. If he stands in that corner one more time just waiting for the 3, like he shoots like Luke, I will scream. By the way right after he made that 3 he turned the ball over right under the basket.
I guess you will scream, because its going to happen again. He is a 80% foul shooter
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  #4  
By San Diego Flyer on 02-14-2010, 07:45 PM
Unfortunately he's 75% now. He was 81% before last night. I was a little surprised that he looked anxious at the line and his ft's were flat and hard. Not his best effort unfortunately.
When he held the ball until he got fouled I was thinking, cool he wants them.
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  #5  
By Swampy Meadows on 02-14-2010, 09:03 PM
Despite the crappy outcome this weekend, as of today, the Flyers are still in the dance:

http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

Needless to say, they have to stop losing games sometime or this is gonna change for the worse.
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  #6  
By UACFlyer on 02-15-2010, 11:52 AM
All but impossible to believe...

I didn't know the details....I'm sorry that I now do.

Not one, not two, but three highly improbable things had to happen to lose the game. One,...our guy misses the front end of a one-and-one. Two, he does it again. Three, SLU cans a shot that has maybe a one-in-ten chance of going in. Good grief!

Even at that, we still had a chance.
____________

I recall a game (post season) quite a few years ago in which UConn was down by NINE with 45 seconds to go. They tied the game with three consecutive rapid-fire threes....meaning they had to get the ball back quickly a few times without the other team scoring. Indeed, there was no fouling...steals were involved. And after the third tying three there was yet another steal with time enough for an uncontested dunk which would have won the game. The UConn player blew the dunk!!! And UConn lost in OT. Some very unusual and very painful things happen in BB games.

The way we lost at SLU is one of them. I think that loss will keep us from the Dance...I hope I'm wrong. To be wrong the Flyers are going to have to play much better in their remaining road games. There is no reason for optimism.
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