Since we’re in the era of COVID, let’s say that Carolina’s performance in Las Vegas against Kentucky was a series of false positives.
The five-game winning streak that included impressive second halves was apparently no indication that the Tar Heels were ready to play a full game against a quality opponent like the nationally-ranked Wildcats.
The defense, which appeared to be improving under Hubert Davis’ plan to encourage with doses of tough love here and there, was a complete disaster against a far more motivated and excited Kentucky team.
UNC was dominated by a transfer from Georgia named Sahvir Wheeler, a 5-foot-9 guard with short arms who used his wide body and quickness to blow by anyone attempting to stop him and scored on a variety of shots, including left-handed scooping layups at the basket.
No one beside UNC’s Armando Bacot played well, and even his seventh double-double of the season might still be a false positive because the Wildcats’ freshman center and top rebounder in the country Oscar Tshiebwe sat out 15 minutes of the first half in foul trouble and when he returned his team was up by deep double digits.
The Tar Heels’ recent proclivity to share the basketball disappeared with only 9 assists and giving up 22 points on 12 turnovers.
Stunned by an active Kentucky defense, they had no answer, forcing shots from almost the opening tip against an aggressive opponent that was more determined to bounce back from a loss at Notre Dame than Carolina was at extending its winning streak, returning to the rankings and getting a “Quad 1” win that would enhance its post-season resume.
One would think that Kentucky leading the nation in rebound margin might be a false positive since its 91st-rated schedule after losing the opening game to Duke included Robert Morris, Mount St. Mary’s, Ohio University, Albany, North Florida, Central Michigan and Southern (whoever most of them are).
Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler (2) reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Joe Buglewicz)
But the 2021-22 Cats, whose roster is a major makeover of transfers and freshmen from their 9-15 record last season, are loaded with new faces who are uber-athletic and were almost impossible to guard by Carolina’s almost helpless man-to-man defense. The Heels gave up 54 points in the paint, matching the number Tennessee got in their previous worst game of the now 8-3 season.
Recent upticks in rebounding, 3-point shooting and corralling their share of 50-50 balls also took a nose dive. At halftime, the Big Blue was out-boarding the baby blue 26-14 and 11-3 on the offensive end, going 3-of-7 from the arc compared to UNC’s 0-6 (a season-worst 1-13 for the game) and just seemed more determined to get the ball when it was up for grabs.
On one possession, when Carolina forced four missed shots, the Cats got every offensive rebound and scored on their fifth attempt, two of their 15 second-chance points. That, along with getting beaten repeatedly on transition, must have had Roy Williams throwing his crutches across the living room as he watched from home while recovering from a second knee replacement surgery.
As Williams likes to say, “Basketball is not a complicated game. If you get more shots and more rebounds than the other team, you usually win.” His former team lost both of those statistical battles and, also likely toasting Ol’ Roy, was beaten down the court even after Kentucky made one of its 39 field goals of the afternoon on 20 assists. The Wildcats took 19 more shots and finished with 18 more rebounds, 11 off the offensive glass, which is an easy loss in Roy’s book.
Davis was encouraged when his first Tar Heel team cut an 18-point deficit to 11 at halftime and, during the break, was hopeful despite its biggest halftime hole of the season.
That too was a false positive as Kentucky came out for the second half as the aggressor and soon bumped the lead back to 18 and eventually to 35 in UNC’s worst loss in the last 71 years of the all-time series that the Tar Heels lead 25-17. It also marked Carolina’s largest deficit since trailing Duke by 36 in 2010.
“We had no will, no want to and no toughness for the first 15 minutes,” Hubert said, “and for the last five minutes I liked how we got tougher.”
Davis believed that effort and energy could beat a longer and more athletic foe. It looked like the Tar Heels were trying hard, but Kentucky was playing at a level they haven’t faced since the Tennessee loss in November and Carolina reverted to ugly one-on-one basketball when unable to get the ball into Bacot.
In the post-game handshake, Davis said he thanked Kentucky coach John Calipari for showing his team how far it hard to go. The answers begin by finding the truth from a bunch of false positives.
Photo via AP Photo/Joe Buglewicz.
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Art,
Your article was very kind. As a fan and not a journalist, we stunk up the place. We were terrible from the first missed shot to the last. I never thought that this team would be blown out by this much. The question is, “how can we play with such energy one game and then basically “lay down” and be a patsy for another team?” One of my Tar Heel friends asked me the following question which I couldn’t really answer–he asked if the score would have been this bad if Dean or Roy were the coach? Who knows? Hopefully, Hubert will get this team playing in the right direction, EVERY GAME.!
Regards,
Dennis
Wes Miller’s teams really play hard. For years now, UNC coaches talk about a lack of hustle, a lack of determination, not going after loose balls, etc…, Hmmmm….
Stop! Wes is happy at his current stop, and not looking to Chapel Hill for answers. I like Wes, but his teams have had a few miserable losses over the years as well, including a recent blowout loss to Xavier by 20; and has a near identical record to UNC so far this season.