Okafor/Duke

[mauconnfan]

Gets away with murder. What they have let go down the stretch of the game and in OT with this guy is a travesty. Pounding into Meeks down low with the shoulder and forearm and being allowed to.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Great game. Very entertaining.

 

[champs99and04]

Okafor is unstoppable on the block. He doesn't get away with fouling, he's just mastered the power post game. It's been a long time since college basketball has seen a center this polished offensively at this age.

I have no idea why UNC didn't just foul him. The kid has one weakness and it's free throw shooting.

 

[mauconnfan]

Okafor is unstoppable on the block. He doesn't get away with fouling, he's just mastered the power post game. It's been a long time since college basketball has seen a center this polished offensively at this age.

I have no idea why UNC didn't just foul him. The kid has one weakness and it's free throw shooting.

That's funny champs, I could have sworn Meeks was standing there and moved about 5 feet back by a shoulder but it must've been a breeze not that shoulder that Okafor threw into him? He thought he was the NBA version of Shaq - bad job by the refs. On defense he pushes and holds all the time too. He's good but not as good as you like think. Worst job by Roy Williams anyway so no excuses.

 

[champs99and04]

That's funny champs, I could have sworn Meeks was standing there and moved about 5 feet back by a shoulder but it must've been a breeze not that shoulder that Okafor threw into him? He thought he was the NBA version of Shaq - bad job by the refs. On defense he pushes and holds all the time too. He's good but not as good as you like think. Worst job by Roy Williams anyway so no excuses.

Not even one of Okafor's better games, either. Roy Williams gave that game away as you said.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Not even one of Okafor's better games, either. Roy Williams gave that game away as you said.

LOL! UNC lost?!!! I thought that game was over when carolina was up 9 with like 3 minutes left.

 

[caw]

Probably both right. He is the most skilled young big I've seen in awhile (maybe Jefferson was as skilled but he went straight to the NBA so hard to tell) but he does get away with a lot that other players don't (cough, Brimah, cough). He also has absolutely massive hands. As mentioned earlier he does have a weakness as a FT shooter but he also seems to have some conditioning issues.

 

[Greathusky]

I loved it when they showed a replay of an uncontested drive by Tyus Jones. Winslow set a pick and literally grabbed and held the UNC player as Jones drove by. Give him a 10 yard penalty at least.

 

[mauconnfan]

I loved it when they showed a replay of an uncontested drive by Tyus Jones. Winslow set a pick and literally grabbed and held the UNC player as Jones drove by. Give him a 10 yard penalty at least.

That was unbelievable - basically tackled him.

 

[Gringo]

Okafor definitely had a couple offensive fouls that weren't called. I felt sorry for Meeks when Okafor just bullied his way inside and they ended up calling an and 1 on Meeks once Okafor got position.

With that said Okafor is the most offensively skilled freshman post player I've seen in my lifetime. Kid is going to be a great player.

 

[Danzz]

Okafor definitely had a couple offensive fouls that weren't called. I felt sorry for Meeks when Okafor just bullied his way inside and they ended up calling an and 1 on Meeks once Okafor got position.

With that said Okafor is the most offensively skilled freshman post player I've seen in my lifetime. Kid is going to be a great player.

Did You kareem when he was a freshman?

 

[Gringo]

Did You kareem when he was a freshman?

That was well before my lifetime.

 

[gtcam]

I will not sit here and belittle Okafor BUT if anyone in a UConn uniform did what he did they would have fouled out in the first half. He loves to put his hands on guys shoulders to keep them down. Is he good? Hell yes. Is he the best in a while? How long of a while? I dont think he would not get away with that type of play vs. Walton, Emeka, or any legitimate athletic solid 5 in the old BE days.
I had to laugh last night - seemed like everytime they showed a replay of what was to be a highlight, the thing that stood out to me was there was a lot of pushing and grabbing but the Duke players.
I loved when they highlighted one drive to the basket by Okafor and in that one sequence he carried the ball and took steps.
The play where Jones drove for the tying basket in regulation was a joke - Winslow mugged the defender as he was setting a "screen" - even Bilas said he "grabbed" the guy.
Roy Williams is not a good coach. They should have never lost that lead
In addition - a lot of us blast RP (including me at times), but I've watched the preseason AA everything guard for NC, Page, and that kid is a huge dissappointment. He can't defend and throws up the worst shots. Sure he has had some big games but lacks the consistancy of any AA talk.
NC is big but very very soft.

 

[HooperScooper]

I loved it when they showed a replay of an uncontested drive by Tyus Jones. Winslow set a pick and literally grabbed and held the UNC player as Jones drove by. Give him a 10 yard penalty at least.

I was screaming the same thing. They showed the replay and it was very obvious. Don't know how the ref on the baseline doesn't call that.

 

[Cheeky]

That's funny champs, I could have sworn Meeks was standing there and moved about 5 feet back by a shoulder but it must've been a breeze not that shoulder that Okafor threw into him? He thought he was the NBA version of Shaq - bad job by the refs. On defense he pushes and holds all the time too. He's good but not as good as you like think. Worst job by Roy Williams anyway so no excuses.

So Mau, we're going to add this to your conspiracy list, right?
We'll call this one, "all the refs in the NCAA are conspiring to let Okafor foul."
Did Okafor actually land on the moon?

 

[superjohn]

Okafor is really good and he gets away with a ton. Okafor constantly hooks his defender and also drops his shoulder and barrels into the defender often. Hey if you can get away with it keep doing it, just amazing a freshman gets that kind of leeway.

 

[gtcam]

So Mau, we're going to add this to your conspiracy list, right?
We'll call this one, "all the refs in the NCAA are conspiring to let Okafor foul."
Did Okafor actually land on the moon?

I'm not Mau but will contribute:
I dont think it's a conspiracy but put another uniform on the kid that doesn't say Duke or Kentucky and as a frosh he doesn't get that leeway.
To go even further - Boat is a senior, a returning NCAA ring wearer and he gets less respect than the Jones kid from Duke or any of the frosh at Kentucky.
The Jones kid drives, gets nicked and the whistle blows, Boat drives, gets decapitated and its a play on,
Conspiracy? No but food for thought
Did Okafor eat green cheese?

 

[Migs]

Winslow held on the tying lay up and the final attempt by Paige after the missed free throw. Tough spot to call a foul with less than two on the clock, but you can't just stick your arm out there and slash someone going for a final shot off a rebound they clearly outworked you for. Okafor abused Meeks who was in foul trouble. There were offensive fouls that weren't called but Meeks couldn't offer any resistance sine the other big had already fouled out.

I only saw the final 2 of regulation and OT but I was surprised with how many iso and clearouts K "ran" in sucession. Every time down the court was either isolation for Jones\Winslow or clear out for Okafor. Simple offense sets that Roy couldn't stop because he "didn't have enough talent."

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If you have Okafor on your team and you can isolate him on the block you do it 12 times out of 10.

 

[mauconnfan]

So Mau, we're going to add this to your conspiracy list, right?
We'll call this one, "all the refs in the NCAA are conspiring to let Okafor foul."
Did Okafor actually land on the moon?

So Cheeky, we're going to add this to you just being a total dick list?

 

[gtcam]

another question/concern- Duke ran out of time outs and then the clocks start having problems so Duke receives not one, not two but three stops in play in the final 3 minutes so they can regroup, rest and talk things over.
NO CONSPIRACY just wondering.................