Chansky's Notebook: How The Heels Did It

Is Carolina good enough to beat Duke for a second time?

Hubert Davis answered some questions Tuesday about the maturation of his basketball team over the last six weeks of the season. Why, exactly, are the Tar Heels playing so much better since the surprising home loss to Pitt, winning 10 of the last 11?

Davis says he always had confidence in these players even when they were losing games by double-digits. “Why wouldn’t I?” he said. “I saw that they had a chance, and it’s my job to stay positive. I love these guys, they trusted me as a first-year coach.”

It starts with the improvement of his “combo guards” R.J. Davis and Caleb Love, whose back-to-back 30-point games against Baylor and UCLA led these Tar Heels to UNC’s 21st Final Four.

“They had no senior (backcourt) leader on the team last year to show them the way,” Hubert Davis said. “Both of them can score and are taking care of the basketball much better than last year and earlier this year.”

As sophomores, Love and R.J. Davis have bettered their three-point shooting from their freshman season and steadily improved their assist-to-turnover ratios. UNC is 14-0 in games when Love dishes out four or more assists.

Love has become a lethal outside shooter when he gets hot, as he did against UCLA in the Sweet 16 with six three-pointers that helped the Heels pull out the tenuous game. “He’s not afraid to fail,” Hubert said. “I don’t know where we’d be without Caleb.”

Armando Bacot has set UNC and ACC records for rebounding and double-doubles, and while he unquestionably has a nose for the ball coming off the rim, he is also playing with the perfect stretch forward in the country for his game: Brady Manek is shooting 40 percent on three-pointers and also has 70 assists. “I knew he was experienced and could shoot the ball,” Hubert said of Manek. “But I didn’t know he is such a great passer and instinctive player.”

And senior Leaky Black has finally received credit as one of the best defensive players in the college game, regularly shutting out forwards and guards of all sizes.

Davis took ownership of a car with some broken and new parts. And it was his job to fix it and get the car running smoothly again. He said the team’s shared time together over the months led to the Final Four.

Whether these humming Tar Heels can beat national championship favorite Duke a second time in a month will be the test of a season that’s gone from nowhere to something special.

Featured image via Todd Melet

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Chansky’s Notebook: How The Heels Did It

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