The Day is Nigh

Hell's Bells, I am jacked. 9pm. 9pm until all the mercy in the world shrinks into shadow and the Dukies ride that river boat through the fiery gates. The College Park demons are ready. We're ready. It's holy war. We're going to Hades, baby, and we need to come out winners. I'll take any kind of victory. Blow-out, dramatic, Pyrrhic. It's all the same in the hardcourt jungle.


Because like it or not, UNC has made its case. They just scored 100 points in a road ACC game. Sure, BC is struggling, but they're still upper tier in the conference. And I don't need to remind you that even winning on the road in this conference is hard. Scoring 100 and winning by 32?

Gulp.

Henson and Zeller are two of the league's best big men. They were always going to give Duke fits. Barnes, who has scored 26 and 25 his last two games, was never going to stay below average. We knew from Ken Pomeroy that their defense is not just good, but elite. We knew Roy made the proper decision by replacing Drew with Marshall at point. But I personally took solace in the fact that supposedly they couldn't shoot threes. It was the glaring error that would doom them and keep true greatness at bay. Well, last night that went out the window too, to the tune of 11-21. It was a massacre, by far the most impressive win by any team in the ACC this season. And, I have to admit, it was good basketball. It was fun to watch.

Here's the reality: at 6-1 in conference, they are a legitimate threat to win the regular season title. If Duke loses tonight- and please prepare yourselves for this, because it's not pleasant- UNC becomes the favorite.

They've won 9 of 10. They seem like a fairly complete team. Even the attitude of the faithful is starting to change. I got a haircut yesterday, and the barber (a big Carolina fan) worried that they were about to lose 3 games in a row (BC, FSU, Duke). I told him that was highly unlikely, but he wouldn't budge. In class the day before, a couple students who follow the team obsessively scoffed when I suggested that Carolina might have a shot at the ACC title. Before last night, the fan base didn't quite believe. The memory of last year was too fresh, and the cynicism they brought with them this year was fueled by a rough start.

After last night, the cynicism is gone. UNC is back, and so is their swagger. The fans will start to believe again. Sunday's game against FSU will be a 10-point win. They might even be a top 10 team by the end of the season. That wouldn't surprise me a bit.

I know this is sounding like pure bad news. But the formula for the good guys is simple: win tonight, blow out N.C State this weekend, then beat Carolina in Cameron on Wednesday. That gives us a 1-game edge in conference with a pretty favorable schedule ahead of the season finale at the Dean Dome (the only obvious obstacle is 2/26 at Virginia Tech).

But make no mistake; these next few games are very, very important. If we go down in the lion's den tonight, the whole tenor of the season changes. After the St. John's game a lot of analysts and opposing fans thought they saw Duke exposed. I personally think it was a giant overreaction to a very unfortunate game, but a loss tonight would show that I'm wrong. The last thing you want is for the players themselves to lose confidence, but dropping two in a row to inferior teams could easily start the process.

It all begins tonight, and Maryland will be ready. They're coming off three straight wins, including a fairly impressive one at Georgia Tech. Jordan Williams could get 30 against the Plumlees. The entire team plays excellent defense, 2nd best in the country in overall efficiency (just behind the Texas juggernaut and ahead of Florida State). They have four guys who are capable of hitting threes and who, let's be honest with ourselves, probably will hit threes at home against Duke.

Vegas has Duke as a 3-point favorite, and Pomeroy taps us at 1. As I mentioned yesterday, our record in the past 5 games at Maryland is 5-5. Most of the time, our ranking was higher. The point of all this is basic: for such an important, potentially season-defining game, the larger world expects a crapshoot.

SO IF YOU'RE NOT JUMPING OUT OF YOUR SKIN, MOODY BLUES, GET THERE.

We need fight songs. This team lacks fight songs. America lacks fight songs. With fight songs, we will destroy Maryland. I'm stealing from soccer, life, old twitter posts, and my own imagination. Vamos:

(Tune: "The Battle Hymn of the Republic")

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the rippling of the twine
It has fluttered like the leaves upon the honeysuckle vine
From the grace of Nolan's jumper you would guess that he's divine
Your team is fucking screwed!
Glory Glory to old Nolan
Glory Glory to old Nolan
Glory Glory to old Nolan
The Terps are fucking screwed!

(Tune: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home")

When Kyle Singler's on the wing, a three! A three!
When Kyle Singler's on the wing, a three! A three!
When Kyle Singler's on the wing
The Turtle-Doves will fucking sing:
"Oh. Dear. God. It's. Another three for Duke."

(Tune: "Dixie")

He came down south as a transfer shooter
Seth Curry, the turtle tutor
Go to hell, Go to hell, Go to hell, Terrapins!
While College Park is scared and fretting
Curry's hot but Gary's sweating
Go to hell, Go to hell, Go to hell, Terrapins!

(Tune: "Do Your Ears Hang Low?")

Do you Terps play D?
Are you ever out to sea?
Can you get out on the three?
Can you stop a shooting spree?
If you ever leave the Dawk
for the baseline or the block
Then you're fucked, whoopee!

(Tune: "White Wedding" by Billy Idol)

Hey College Parkers, would you like a friend?
Hey College Parkers, he'll stay 'til the end
Hey College Parkers, don't try to defend
Hey College Parkers, watch the man ascend
Hey College Parkers....three ball!

IT'S A NICE DAY TO PLAY SOME BALL
IT'S A NICE DAY FOR A WHITE RAVEN
IT'S A NICE DAY TO PLAY SOME BALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!

By the way, the Hot Potato is: Nolan Smith. Make your picks by 9pm. Here are the current standings...Carrie is just killing this game:


Make no mistake, Moody Blues: These are our rivals. There will be times in your life when you should act like gentlemen and gentlewomen. THIS AIN'T ONE OF THEM. Get loud, get proud, fuck the Terps, Duke forever.