Bleeding Shades of Blue

What's a better way to get back at your arch rivals than to take a jab at it's best player? On Sunday, what was undoubtedly going to become yet another Tarheel win over nemesis Duke Blue Devils in Chapel Hill, Duke struck back, literally. Being down 12 points with 14 seconds to go, UNC center Tyler Hansbrough missed a free throw attempt, got his own rebound and went back up for another shot. Making sure that shot didn't go in was the right elbow of Freshman G/F Gerald Henderson of Duke. Rather than take a swipe at the ball, which didn't make it up too far since Hansbrough was already fouled by another Duke player, Henderson skies into the air and comes down with his elbow obviously extended from his body. What it hit wasn't a basketball. Moments later Hansbrough is sprawled on the court bleeding profusely.

"His hand is open but the ball never goes up there and in the middle of the jump he never extends his arm and because there is no ball you can see [Gerald] turning and closing his eyes and he hits Tyler." - Mike Krzyzewski

Once Henderson "accidentally", as he and all Duke faithful like to put it, clubs Hansbrough in the face, rather than make sure he's OK when he sees him lying in pain on the floor, he walks away with back turned as if to say, "Yeah, I meant to do that." Which is exactly what I believe happened.

Duke has been struggling, losing 9 games this year, 5 of which came in the arena formerly known as the toughest place to play a road game. Now it seems everyone who plays there is guaranteed a win if they don't call Cameron Indoor "home." In the midst of the Blue Devils' worst year in recent memory, and the fact that many say they will only make the tournament because of the name on the front of their jerseys, for this to happen tells me one thing, they don't know what to do.

You tell me this happens last year and it's JJ Redick drawing blood from Hansbrough, and I'll call it an accident. Redick was a premier player on a premier team and a senior leader. But trying to tell me the mediocre Freshman Henderson didn't let his emotions get the best of him when even the perfect Mike Krzyzewski is frantically making comments in the media, something he never does, is ridiculous.