Admit it - you got beat

Wow.

Knowing the history of this Carolina-Duke rivalry, I should have had a clue. But I admit it: I didn’t give the Tar Heels a shot at winning going into Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday night.

First, it was Cameron. Second, despite the way Carolina has surprised the college basketball world this year with its play, the Heels still aren’t nearly as talented as this Duke team. Third, and maybe most importantly, it was senior night at Cameron. No way Duke would lose in the final home game for J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.

OK, maybe there was a way. Carolina won 83-76.

Following the game, I heard both Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coach Johnny Dawkins say that Carolina deserved all the credit for winning.

They didn’t mean it.

This is how I know: I listened to both on the postgame radio show. The next words out of both their mouths were something about how Duke was too tight. Krzyzewski said his players turned the game into something more than it was (I suppose if his team won it would have been a bigger game to him) and Dawkins said the players put too much pressure on themselves, being senior night and all.

Please.

If, for a moment, we play along with the Duke coaching staff and believe that the players were nervous about this game, shouldn’t that have shown itself in the opening minutes? It didn’t, of course. At least not for Duke. The Blue Devils led 13-3 in the early going and didn’t trail until less than six minutes remained in the first half.

Yeah, they came out real uptight.

See, I don’t buy that too tight stuff anyway.

Shouldn’t Carolina have been the team suffering from a case of nerves? For the most part they were a bunch of snot-nosed freshman making their first trip to Cameron. Shouldn’t the intensity of that alone have been enough to give Duke the edge?

And doesn’t Duke have four seniors in their top seven players? I just submitted my ACSMA All-ACC ballot on which I had Redick listed as player of the year and Williams as defensive player of the year. Both were on my first team All-ACC. These players have been through almost every possible situation in their careers. Are we to believe they were too tight to beat Carolina?

Look, we all know Duke is still the favorite to win the ACC Tournament. And the Devils are one of the favorites to win the NCAA title as well. Two losses, including one at home, in a four-day stretch last week doesn’t change either of those things.

All I’m asking is that Krzyzewski and Dawkins show a little more class.

Just admit that one Carolina freshman, Tyler Hansbrough, had his way against this Duke defense, while another one, Danny Green, stole the ball from a Duke senior, Sean Dockery, in the final minute to save the game for Carolina.

Admit that Carolina is playing better than anyone in the conference right now. That doesn’t make them the favorite – or even my pick – to win the ACC Tournament. Just the hottest team in the ACC as the regular season ends.

Just admit that Redick is struggling – it wasn’t just that Temple zone that had him baffled, but every team Duke has played since that game.

Admit that there are problems that need to be addressed if Duke is to win it all this season.

But don’t blame it on your team being too tight. Because if this group of seniors is too nervous to win a regular-season game in their own building, how in the hell are they supposed to win a national championship?

- Patrick Hite