More so than any other game this season, the win over the #3 ranked team in the nation last night really showed what this team is capable of doing. They didn’t just win because they had their A game on and a ranked team showed up with less than their best effort. We couldn’t even get to our A game with Ndongo out at the 4 minute mark. Players came off the bench that never expected to get minutes and played to the expectations of their coach, albeit, far above the expectations of their fans.
They’ve played hard before. Last night they played even harder & tougher. For 40 minutes they communicated with each other, always in motion on both ends of the court & every second with a collective positive winners’ look on their faces. The body language of an entire team always showing they were in control.
Remember that before this season, only Kelly, Sturdivant & Coleman had ever played together before. Two freshman started. Another came off the bench. The entire coaching staff is new. Slowly, step by step over a long season, CDS has made no bones about the system he is installing and what he expects of his players, individually and as a team. And with every loss, he and his system and coaching ability have been questioned by many.
Last evening we may not have seen what the 2023-24 team will continue to play like for the rest of this season. But we did see what the future of Tech basketball program is going to look like under this coach.
And I won’t listen to anyone who says UNC had an off night shooting. Their offense was contested all night. UNC’s offense met its match against Tech’s defense. UNC fans are saying the team had a bad night. Bull****. Tech defense gave them a bad night. Coach Hubert Davis credited Tech for playing harder. RJ Davis admitted his team was “outplayed”. His words, not mine.
My hope is this was evidence that CDS was right about these players having more ability than I recognized and they will finish the season strong. But no matter the finish to 2023-24, more sold out Thrillerdomes with big wins & post season action is coming.