Way After the Buzzer: UNC Charlotte

Quick Hitters

-Hopefully this is somewhat entertaining for people. I won’t go super in depth on quick hitters or film review as far as who needs to work on what. It’s more along the lines of some highlights and big plays. I don’t think it’s worth me saying what Tick Rogers needs to be working on at this point.

-This game took place on February 15, 1996.

-Louisville entered the game 17-11. UNC Charlotte was 11-11.

-OF COURSE ONE OF THE OFFICIALS WAS TEDDY VALENTINE!

-Jason Osborne and Alex Sanders missed this season (I believe the entire season) after becoming academically ineligible.

-At the time of this game, Samaki Walker was being held out of his eighth straight game due to an NCAA investigation involving a 1991 Honda Accord. The simpler investigation times.

-I did attempt to find a box score for this game but could not. As much as I love stats and numbers when doing these posts, I didn’t see it as a make-or-break deal on a post like this on a regular season game from 1996. So after about 15-20 minutes, I gave up. Sorry. I know Tick Rogers, Alvin Sims, and Damion Dantzler definitely had good games.

-Louisville only played about seven guys in the rotation for this game. The starters were DeJuan Wheat, Tick Rogers, Alvin Sims, Damion Dantzler, and Beau Zach Smith. Brian Kiser and B.J. Flynn came off the bench in the regular rotation. Freshman Charlie Taylor played briefly, but for the most part it was those seven guys the entire game. So when Beau Zach went out, it was a pretty small lineup with 6’6 Dantzler and 6’4 Sims playing in the paint.

-The next time you get to watch a live game and the time and score are always displayed, just appreciate it. It’s a luxury that we take for granted.

-There was a lot of movement without the ball by the Cards. Obviously, Coach Crum had the guys run a lot of sets. But there just wasn’t a lot of times where someone got the ball and looked to go one-on-one. There were cuts, screens, ball movement. It was refreshing to see how guys were getting open and manufacturing buckets instead of just dribbling the shot clock out and jacking a wild shot up.

-It looked like there were maybe a couple hundred people in the stands. And the benches were literally chairs that look like they came from a cafeteria.

-DeJuan Wheat didn’t have it going from the outside, but his defense certainly made up for it. He had at least three layups that all came from a steal or deflection that he had.

-I know they aren’t similar players, but for this game at least, Alvin Sims played like Dwayne Sutton. He was in there for offensive rebounds and going strong back up, often getting fouled. He was doing the dirty work in the paint, and that was the first thing I thought of. We remember his highlight dunks for sure, but he played like a 6’8 guy in this one.

-Hopefully you enjoy these clips that I pulled for film review. It was really cool to go back and see the players that I idolized growing up. And by the way, the Cards pulled out the win 67-64.

Film Review