Art Chansky’s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.
Carolina can’t seem to catch a break.
The Tar Heels opened the ACC tournament with one of their most impressive games of the season. Not that blowing out 10th-seeded Boston College is anything to crow about, but it was probably the one game they didn’t need Armando Bacot to win after their senior turned one of those tender ankles.
So, when Bacot went down late in the first half with another sprained ankle, the hopes of a championship sweep among Tar Heel Nation had to sink, even though AB insisted after the 85-61 win that he’d be ready to go for tonight’s quarterfinal against No. 2 Virginia.
Hubert Davis probably hoped for an easy victory so he could play his bench and keep as much gas in the tank for a possible four-game run in Greensboro. Besides Bacot’s injury, Davis got what he wanted with four guys in double figures, 10 getting into the scoring column and only roadrunner guards R.J. Davis and Caleb Love playing extensive minutes while totaling 40 points.
The team motor was running since the opening tip, and the Heels had the near-perfect balance of an inside-outside game, hitting 55 percent overall and 42 percent from the arc in one of their best games of the now 20-12 slate. Besides Davis and Love combining for 7 of 14 long balls, D’Marco Dunn and Dontrez Styles hit 3 of 5 in a free-flowing affair after recent rock fights.
Whether Carolina can beat Virginia and either Clemson or N.C. State to reach Saturday night with Bacot hobbling is the storyline moving forward, and it’s too bad since the Tar Heels sure looked like NCAA material on this night.
But what a bad break for their leader after Bacot came into the tournament with the pride of making first team All-ACC for the second straight season and maybe a slight chip on his shoulder from finishing only third for ACC Player of the Year. In that regard, he personifies his team that fell even further from its expectations and finds itself needing to beat some steep odds.
The Cavaliers play a low possession and slower tempo game, so maybe Mondo can bang his way through it without putting too much mileage on that ankle. In that regard, Clemson is the preferred opponent on Friday night even though the Tigers are just a Quad 2 team compared to the quicker Quad 1 Pack.
But the way the Heels took apart BC after the Eagles were playing their best ball is at least a hopeful sign that whatever they did to get ready is working so far.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines