About Tyler Zeller’s Wrist
November 19th, 2008 at 11:43 amBy Chris
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
During the closing minutes of North Carolina’s emasculation of the Kentucky Wildcats, fab-frosh Tyler Zeller was going up for a breakaway dunk, only to be met at the rim by Kentucky’s Ramon Harris. The result of Harris’ contact was Zeller landing on his wrist, potentially breaking it and perhaps even ending his freshman season.
While waiting on Zeller’s diagnosis, the Internets are alive with folks discussing whether or not the play was dirty or necessary. Should Harris have pulled up and let Zeller add some more insult to the fact Kentucky played like absolute fertilizer or did he show some pride by challenging what would’ve been a meaningless basket?
First, the play in question:
Now, we all agree the play, in the grand scheme of the basketball game, was pretty meaningless. North Carolina had the contest in hand from the opening tip, so why wouldn’t Harris just let Zeller continue with the humiliation by punctuating the game with a dunk to give the crowd even more reason to cheer?
Apparently, that’s just what some UNC fans wanted.
As for Harris, he, evidently, decided to display some pride for Kentucky and tried to interfere with the dunk. Maybe Zeller — who located Harris before he left the floor — was expecting a lot of contact and lost his coordination in the air, because it certainly doesn’t look like Harris took him down.
In fact, from the angle the video provides, it doesn’t look like Harris made much contact with Zeller at all.
Because Harris made a play on the ball — how calculating of him — Zeller lost control of his flight pattern and landed on his left wrist. For what it’s worth, Roy Williams didn’t think the play was dirty:
“And let’s get something straight: I think it was an aggressive play by their youngster [Harris] — he was trying to block the shot. It was a hard foul, but I don’t think it was a dirty foul.”
After watching the replay a few times, I’m not even sure that constitutes a “hard foul,” but the point is there. Williams doesn’t think it was malicious or dirty. He didn’t even use the word “unnecessary” to describe what happened.
So what’s your call? Dirty play or part of the game? I wonder what Ashley Judd thought, seeing how she had an up close and personal look at the entire debacle.
Update
Jeff Goodman is reporting Zeller is, unfortunately, likely out for the season.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I am viewing the replay and truthfully it cannot even be described as a “hard” foul. There was body contact but it appeared minimal. The defender did not even swipe at the ball and his arms were still straight up when you see Tyler losing his balance. It does not take much contact to throw someone off balance when they are running full speed and get lift like Zeller does. It is an unfortunate injury but the defender was hardly to blame for it. Some fans are writing that the player should not have even tried to defend given the score and the time of the game. His coach would probably differ on that point as I am sure that Roy would if a Carolina player did not contest a shot when he was so close to the shooter. If the player with the ball had been Tyler H, he probably would not have even hit the floor.
Zeller is going to be great and I look forward to seeing his moves for the next few years.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Harris barely even touched the kid! We watched it over and over last night and just didn’t see the contact. I think you’re right that Zeller thought he was going to get hit hard and compensated wrong.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
It sucks that Zeller hurt his wrist, but stuff like getting challenged on a dunk is part of the game.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:23 am
why was that flagrant
November 20th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Cause the big man fall down, go boom.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:07 am
white men cant land
November 20th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I saw a comment on YouTube that made me LULZ:
“broke his wrist cause he doesnt know how to dunk. f****t “
November 20th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Ive watched the replay aboot 8 times and still cant see any contact.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
want to know what the real shame is? that was his party boy hand
February 7th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
It was a bad foul, ridiculous. You cannot convince me he was going for the ball; i mean, like he could actually block a 7 footer from behind. It was a terrible foul, costing unc a key player. It was just plain wrong by the kent. player!
February 9th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Funny, Jer, but Roy Williams doesn’t agree with you; and I quote:
“And let’s get something straight: I think it was an aggressive play by their youngster [Harris] — he was trying to block the shot. It was a hard foul, but I don’t think it was a dirty foul.”