If there was ever a good time to lay an egg, this was it.

Carolina’s ugly performance at Virginia was predictable from a mile away. Not that the Tar Heels would surely lose, but they were in for a mighty struggle against a team that was climbing out of a shooting slump that hit rock bottom in Chapel Hill nine days earlier.

With Coach Tony Bennett putting young shooters in the lineup, the Cavaliers came out firing and hitting, which ignited the crowd at the JPJ Arena. The Heels played right into the Wahoos’ hands by shooting too quickly and frittering away possessions with 12 first half turnovers. Virginia was quicker to the ball, to the boards and to the basket. UNC wound up with its fourth ACC road loss and its third egg.

If Roy Williams ever needed a game to shove down his team’s collective throats, this was it. Carolina has wrapped up the first seed in the ACC Tournament by virtue of having beaten all three teams that could tie the Tar Heels for first place in the one game they have played this season against 11-5 Florida State, Louisville and Notre Dame. All three could lose this week, but UNC wants to avenge its close loss to Duke on Senior Night and win the ACC outright.

When Virginia makes 10 three-pointers, pulls down more offensive rebounds and only turns the ball over four times, it can shoot 32 percent from the floor and still beat the Tar Heels. But that game was at home on a night the Cavaliers suckered Carolina at every turn, got every loose ball and seemed to get every crucial call. The Heels violated John Wooden’s axiom – be quick but don’t hurry.

Williams was so mad that he had five subs on the court for a long stretch while the starters sat and watched. They got within a point in the second half but UVa freshman, Kyle Guy – the kid with the hair bob – joined London Perrantes in making eight of the team’s 10 treys. UNC did not deserve to win, and did not. Period.

So you tell me, what would you rather do, lose at Virginia or lose at home to Duke in the Blue Blood rematch? That bad-looking loss in Charlottesville will help the Tar Heels finish atop the ACC all alone come Saturday night in the Smith Center.

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