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Let’s engage in a little realism with the Tar Heel fan base.
Carolina returning to the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed is as astounding as missing the Big Dance altogether last season was maddening. The Heels won an apparent debate within the NCAA selection committee and sneaked into the West Region, where they are the fourth No. 1 seed.
That seems good since the East Region in Boston was once UNC’s landing space as No. 2 behind defending and favored-to-repeat as NCAA champ UConn. We can all thank N.C. State for playing its game of this century in the ACC final, I guess.
If Hubert Davis hasn’t told the team yet, he surely will that this is a business trip, not two easy wins in Charlotte before a few days at the Sweet 16 in La La Land.
And it isn’t an old-time’s sake reunion possibly with Michigan State and legendary coach Tom Izzo (and, by the way, its new president Kevin Guskiewicz). Paxson Wojcik’s father Doug is an assistant on Izzo’s staff and whom we know from serving with Matt Doherty for three years until that verdict was in.
Nor will it be the media’s adaptation of the LOVE STORY between last year’s UNC starting backcourt, whose divorce led to respective Player of the Year honors in the ACC and Pac 12. If they meet, Caleb Love’s Arizona will play R.J. Davis’ Carolina at the home of the Clippers and Lakers for a spot in the Final Four.
It must be a business trip because Hubert’s return to the Dance was seemingly as challenging as last season, after which Coach Davis let Love and six others transfer and reshaped through the portal and that good old COVID season.
If the Tar Heels do not make at least a decent run and get knocked out early, it will be due to one or two or three parts of their game that they never really solved in compiling a 27-7 record and winning the ACC regular-season title.
Fixing these three ways to win are:
· Be as tough or tougher than your opponent. Personally, monstrous Mississippi State looks way bigger and stronger than Izzo’s Spartans who would help the Heels by beating the Bulldogs from Starkville.
· Play defense like you mean it. Carolina is one of the top teams in defensive efficiency (according to the analytics geeks) but let N.C. State shoot 55 percent on supposedly five-day-tired legs.
· Shoot the dadgum ball in from outside. When R.J., Cormac Ryan and “Harry” Ingram are hitting somewhere in the 30s, the Heels usually win that game. But the offense stagnating into hard looks against the shot clock can be fatal.
It’s one-and-done time. Eyes forward. Be the best you can be.
Featured image by Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro.
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.
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Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.
When we shoot well we win. When we play defense well we seem to shoot better.