Chansky's Notebook: Deja Blue

The Tar Heels gave us that old, familiar feeling at the ACC tournament.

They came out with the true swagger we haven’t seen in a few years, and even though they didn’t shoot the ball that well the Heels took control of the game in the first half. A 17-2 run never let Virginia out of the choke hold, coasting to a 63-43 victory and sixth straight win.

It was a lot of Brady Manek and a little bit of everyone else, as Carolina’s defense set both ACC tournament and school records by holding the frigid and frustrated Cavaliers to 13 points in the first half, shooting only 18 percent.

On offense, Manek was the conductor and everyone else boarded the train. Late in the period, Manek had outscored all of the Wahoos 19-13. The halftime score was not only 31-13, the teams were mirror images of each other, thanks to what Hubert Davis termed “spectacular defense.”

Davis put Leaky Black on UVa’s small point guard and leader Kihei Clark, who went scoreless until his team was out of the game and on the way to the NIT. It was reminiscent of when Dean Smith assigned 6-6 Vince Carter to nationally ranked Clemson’s Tyrell McIntire in the game that turned around the 1997 season. Likewise, the 6-8 Black used his seven-foot wingspan to block Clark’s vision and his leaping ability to bother his shots.

Coming off the dramatic win at Duke, the Tar Heels jumped on Virginia from the opening tip and did not need the usual dominating performance from Armando Bacot, who nevertheless finished with a UNC season record of 24 double-doubles (10/11) in a supporting role of Manek’s 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

RJ Davis may have been the unsung hero, as the sophomore embraced his expanded role as primary ball handler with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 of the team’s 17 assists on 25 made baskets. Caleb Love had 5 of those assists, as the Tar Heels moved to 14-0 when he dishes out at least that many.

Perhaps most important in the early dismissal of the Cavaliers was playing time Coach Davis could give his bench — valuable minutes to rest the starters for Friday night against Virginia Tech, UNC ’s seventh ACC semifinal in the last 8 years, and attempted sweep of the Commonwealth.

Historically, that also sounds like the same old story.

Photo via Todd Melet.

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Chansky’s Notebook: Deja Blue

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