As the No. 5 UNC men’s basketball team rolled to a 93-67 win over the Long Beach State 49ers at the Dean Dome on Tuesday, junior point guard Joel Berry proved yet again how he’ll be the straw that stirs the Tar Heels’ drink this season.
Despite taking just 10 shots, Berry tied a career-high with 23 points for the second time in UNC’s three games this season–while also adding six rebounds and four assists. The Florida native also kick-started a 14-0 Tar Heel run in the opening minutes with seven quick points before heading to the bench with two fouls.
He also continued to lead the way defensively with his high-pressure on-ball defense at the top of the key.
Berry’s on-ball defense has received high praise from both coaches and teammates alike early on this year. (Todd Melet)
Although head coach Roy Williams wasn’t happy with his team’s defense as a whole on Tuesday, he singled out Berry afterwards as someone who continues to set an example with his play on both ends of the floor–night in and night out.
“He’s really worked hard on his game,” Williams said of Berry. “He listens. He tries to do what I tell him to do. And he’s basically been setting the tone of the defense by getting out and pressuring [his] guy without fouling.
“These first three games, he’s had a heck of a start.”
Playing without forward Luke Maye—who sat out with a sprained ankle—UNC received a solid effort from Berry’s fellow junior Justin Jackson.
Williams slid Jackson into the power forward spot for a good portion of the game, and was rewarded with a 14 point, 10 rebound performance.
Freshman big man Tony Bradley scored in double-digits for the third straight game off the bench, while Kennedy Meeks added 15 points and seven rebounds himself.
The Tar Heels opened up a commanding 23-point halftime lead, but got sloppy for a few minutes coming out of the locker room—causing Williams to assault his clipboard during one timeout.
Justin Jackson posted a double-double after being forced into extended minutes at the power forward position against Long Beach State. (Todd Melet)
Berry re-entered the game two minutes later, and again the Tar Heels flexed their muscles against their overmatched opponent.
For an idea of just how important Berry has been for UNC early on this season, Meeks gave insight into how he’s perceived within the team.
“I think he’s a great leader for us,” Meeks said. “He’s definitely picking up some slack for Marcus [Paige] and Brice [Johnson]—being a vocal leader for us and getting us going.
“But he gets us going by his defensive play,” he continued. “Picking up full-court gets our team going and it’s what he does best. I think when he does that everyone is high energy and effort.”
For the head coach, however, this isn’t a surprise at all.
Berry was the ACC Tournament MVP last season, and even scored 20 points in the national championship game against Villanova.
This transformation has been more of a slow-build, with Berry easing into the starring role he finds himself in now.
“He wasn’t chopped liver last year,” Williams said. “So it’s not a new thing.
“I think last year at the end of the season, everybody looked to him to do things,” he continued. “Marcus [Paige], so many times, at the end of games gave him the ball because he thought he was gonna make the shot.”
Berry helped the Tar Heels open the game on a 14-0 run, while also engineering the team as it pulled away down the stretch. (Todd Melet)
After leading the team to a 3-0 start, Berry and the Tar Heels have a nine-day road trip to Hawaii up next on the schedule.
First UNC will face the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors this weekend, before entering the always-tough Maui Invitational preseason tournament next week.
While Williams looks forward to the chemistry boost the trip could bring the Tar Heels, Berry and the rest of the players are simply excited to face some tougher teams.
“That’s what this whole team wants,” Berry said. “We want a little bit more of a challenge.
“We still have to go out there and play our hardest because we’re trying to get better,” he added. “But I think going out to Maui and playing against some better competition will help us a lot.”
Up Next:
UNC’s game with Hawaii is currently set for 1 a.m ET on Saturday morning. The Rainbow Warriors present a formidable opponent, coming off a season where they upset No. 4 seed California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Game Notes:
- The Tar Heels have scored 95, 97 and 93 points in the first three games. That’s the first time UNC has opened a season with three straight 90-point games since the 1994-95 season.
- This was Berry’s fifth career 20-point game and the first time he has accomplished the feat at home. For the season, he is 18 for 30 from the floor (60 percent), 8 for 15 from three-point range (.533) and 20 for 22 from the free throw line (.909).
- The win ties Williams with Lefty Driesell for ninth place all-time in wins by a Division I head coach (786).
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines