From Armando Bacot’s two rebounds in the first minute to Jalen Washington’s last basket of the game, and R.J. Davis’ double-double in between, Carolina looked and played like a different basketball team Saturday afternoon.
Granted, the Tar Heels beat Georgia Tech — a non-contender in the ACC — but they were visibly better than they have played since Thanksgiving in notching their first ACC win, 75-59. Their passes were crisper, their offensive cuts sharper, and their defense resembled the end of last season far more than the first month of this one.
On both ends of the court, their enthusiasm reflected how happy they were to be home after two weeks – and four straight losses – on the road.
Carolina climbed to 6-4, and despite falling out of the rankings faster than any preseason No. 1 team in history, one could explain the defeats. The Heels led Iowa State by seven points late in the game; they had numerous chances to put Alabama away in four overtimes; they were already travel-weary arriving at Indiana to play the juiced-up Hoosiers, and had to do it with an injured Bacot, whose sprained shooting shoulder caused him to miss the Virginia Tech loss.
Despite looking an inch shorter with his flattened new “doo,” Bacot played bigger than he has so far in his senior season. His first two rebounds were off the offensive glass, and he finished with 13 boards and 21 points for his 54th career double-double to get closer to Billy Cunningham’s first-place 60 in the UNC record book.
AB did tie Cunningham with his 61st game of 10 rebounds or more. He also passed George Lynch and moved into third place as the school’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,103 caroms, trailing only fellow four-year players Sam Perkins (1,168) and leader Tyler Hansbrough (1,219). In addition, it was his 15th career game and second this season with at least 20 points and 10 boards.
Meanwhile, Davis was all over the floor on his way to 22 points and 10 rebounds – his third college double-double and second this season. When he grabbed his last rebound in the closing seconds, it marked the fifth time this century that two Tar Heels had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game. The others were Luke Maye and Theo Pinson against NC State in 2018; Harrison Barnes and John Henson versus Long Island University in the 2011 NCAA tournament; Sean May and Marvin Williams against Iowa State in the 2005 Big Dance; and Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood at Virginia in 2000.
R.J. wrestles in a rebound for UNC men’s basketball in the first half against Georgia Tech on December 10, 2022. Davis tallied his second double-double of the season — both of which have come from points and rebounds. (Photo via Todd Melet.)
Davis’ co-scoring guard Caleb Love had another rough start, netting only two points in the first half before scoring eight in the second, punctuated by a fast break, flying dunk that sent the smaller holiday crowd wild.
However, Hubert Davis sat Love down for the last 5:39 of the first half after a rushed 3-point airball from the deep right wing, and Carolina went on to stretch its 22-21 lead to 39-26 to match the pre-game 13-point spread.
In Love’s place, freshman Seth Trimble had 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists as the Tar Heels ended the first half on an 11-0 scoring run that included holding the Jackets to 0-for-4 from the floor and forcing 2 of their 11 turnovers. Love did hand out 5 assists in the game for the second time this season, upping UNC’s record to 15-0 when he dishes at least that many.
“The last three minutes of the first half was the first time we looked like Carolina basketball,” Hubert Davis said of the early season struggles when the Tar Heels’ running game just wasn’t there, but this game they ran hard to certain spots on the floor and shared they ball better when they got it.
That contributed to the team’s highest assist-to-field goal percentage of the season (15 assists on 27 made baskets). Carolina killed the Jackets on the glass, 43-22, the largest margin of the season. Tech entered the game averaging 13 offensive rebounds but got only one and no second-chance points, the first time UNC has done both of those to opponents in almost a full year.
The Heels scored 17 fast-break points, which equals what they totaled in their TWO games at Bloomington and Blacksburg. They also shot 50 percent in the second half for the second straight time and fifth in 10 overall games so far.
Georgia Tech drained six more 3-pointers, but Carolina made five more field goals and 12 more free throws that more than offset the difference.
Washington, a 6-10 freshman from Gary, Indiana, has not played basketball in more than a year recovering from knee surgery in high school. He has sinewy arms and a wide wingspan. His first college basket came at the end of the game when he scored on a spidery pivot move under the basket, and the crowd gave him a nice welcome.
“His college high is two points,” joked Hubert Davis, predicting that won’t last long, his minutes will increase and Washington could become “one of the best players I’ve ever been around.”
For now, if he merely joined Bacot and Pete Nance in the big man rotation, it might help the Tar Heels overcome a size disadvantage they haven’t had in years.
After another warm-up against The Citadel Tuesday night, Bacot and his mates will have to play like bad boys against Ohio State at Madison Square Garden and Michigan in Charlotte to catch the eye of pollsters who have pretty much written them off as overrated after their magical March that took them to the edge of an NCAA championship.
In squaring their ACC record at 1-1, the Tar Heels face a promising next nine conference games when they should be favored in seven of them (besides at Virginia and at Syracuse) before the last nine toughen up considerably. Perhaps their improvement will get them to 8-3 going to Duke on February 4. Perhaps.
Photo via Todd Melet.
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