What a show for the mental game of basketball. The rematch this weekend with the number six ranked North Carolina Tarheels taking on the number three ranked Duke Blue Devils. In the last battle between these two highly touted North Carolina basketball schools, Duke pulled up on a last shot in the last two seconds making it to win over Carolina. The Tarheels appeared not to forget the pain of this loss in the rematch!
When it comes to basketball mental toughness, basketball psychology and a basketball mentality rest assured that North Carolina came prepared in all three areas for the rematch this weekend. It appeared in the first quarter that either Duke simply was over matched and overwhelmed by the Tarheels preparation or they just weren’t themselves prepared as well; perhaps a combination of both.
In the first quarter of the rematch, North Carolina went on a seven minute 16-1 scoring run that Duke never seemed to be able to recover from. It was an impressive show of basketball mental toughness on the Tarheels part and on the flip side a very good example of a team absolutely losing their basketball psychology. By that it’s meant they simply lost their concentration, their focus, in tangibles, their assignments, etc….That 16-1 run, while hard to watch if you are a Duke fan, was a supreme example of how important a role a proper, strong, tenacious basketball psychology is important in winning a basketball game.
Did it happen to all the Duke players at once? It’s hard to say. Perhaps one or two still had their basketball mentality still “in place”, however more than one, daresay, absolutely lost it. The coach of Duke could only be seen putting his head in his hands and trying to find the right words to say to the players.
After that initial and early seven minute run of Carolina, Duke did seem to somehow pull themselves back together and appear to be back into a state of basketball mental clarity, however throughout the game it was clear they simply could not overcome that initial 16-1 deficit they precluded on themselves early in the game.
All the credit goes to the North Carolina Tarheels on a fantastic display of basketball psychology. Not only was it a win but it was Duke’s worst loss to North Carolina in 23 years. It was a clear example of a team that played consistently throughout the entire game with a basketball mental toughness, a basketball knowledge and a determination to win and beat the team that had previously beaten them at the buzzer.
