Ginyard: My First of Four Ws at Duke

Coach Williams always talks about how your collegiate career can speed by, usually conveying the message with a snap of his fingers. It’s a simple gesture, but the most appropriate as well. It’s hard to believe that some of the best moments of your life come and go before you can truly understand their importance.

Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson and Joel James can attest to that now that their last game in the Smith Center is behind them. As our seniors prepare to face Duke in Durham for the last time, it dawned on me that this weekend marks the 10-year anniversary of my first win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The 2006 season was supposed to be a ‘rebuilding’ year for Carolina, throwing a group of young and skinny freshman (not so much for Tyler Hansbrough) into the fire with just one experienced senior in David Noel. Not much was expected of us, but as we showed throughout that season, it was no reason for us to lie down and not to fight. We embraced the challenge of being the underdog, and with the leadership of David we blossomed into a top 15 team in the country.

There wasn’t one player on our team who had won a game in Cameron. It was No. 13 Carolina on the road at top-ranked Duke on March 4, 2006. There were Senior Night festivities in order for J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. We clearly weren’t expected to come home from Durham with a win that night; however, we had been doing the unexpected all season long and went into the game having won six in a row and nine of our last ten to secure a second-place finish in the ACC race.

I don’t remember a ton of specifics about the game that night, but here’s what I do remember: The energy in Cameron was beyond my wildest dreams. I was harassed by the crowd like never before on the road…during warm-ups! I remember being absolutely exhausted, every moment of the game. I remember every player on our team giving every ounce of energy he had, playing together on both ends of the floor, having confidence in each other and encouraging one another.

And I distinctly remember Tyler’s monster three-pointer in front of our bench and then watching Bobby Frasor and Tyler knock down clutch free throws at the end of the game; and realizing that we just pulled off the greatest heist, spoiling our rival’s Senior Night, 83-76. In the locker room, we managed to find the energy to celebrate like wild animals, nearly injuring ourselves in the famous post game “mosh pit.” It was a moment none of us would forget.

We would go on to win three more consecutive years in Durham, each victory solidifying the last and leaving a mark that few opposing players have the privilege to claim. Unfortunately, after sitting out most of the 2009 season, I had to return to Cameron a fifth time, and as in all rivalries things have a way of evening out.

Almost everything in the 2010 match-up was different. We no longer had Tyler and were a bit more balanced with our youth and experience, but we did not have the toughness of our previous teams that had been to consecutive Final Fours and won the 2009 national championship. Duke wiped the floor with us that night, almost setting a new record for our biggest loss in Cameron, before going on to win the NCAA title in 2010. I got my lesson a bit backwards than it most naturally occurs for a maturing basketball player, but I gained a lot more perspective for the previous four wins after that embarrassing loss.

Everyone has had this game marked on the calendar from the moment the date was announced. The players dream about this match up, dream about this rivalry and the chance to be a part of it. The whole world is talking about this game this week. It’s THE Best Rivalry in Sports…and I can’t wait to see how this one plays out. Wishing the best of luck to my Tar Heel family.

Go Heels!