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The Tar Heels returned to the mainland with more questions than answers.
Carolina’s worst showing in nine trips to the Maui Invitational (1-2) portends more about its future than the past. Hubert Davis’ fourth team has pure talent on the perimeter but only average size and skill inside. And now that upcoming opponents – starting with ninth-ranked Alabama Wednesday night at the Smith Center – have had ample scouting time, it could get worse before it gets better.
Always-rugged Michigan State is more like the remaining schedule of Power 4 opponents, whose first objective will be an inside game, where the Heels have trouble scoring and defending. This has led to four such first-half deficits that, despite comeback wins in two of those games, still leaves them 4-3 on the season.
It puts more pressure on the three guards and their subs to score, and that has resulted so far in poor shooting from R.J. Davis and helter-skelter play from Elliot Cadeau. Davis had a season-high 30 points in the thrilling comeback win over Dayton but remains under 30 percent from the arc. The wizardry of Cadeau often makes him look more like a one-on-one guy than a team guy.
Thank goodness for the continued emergence of Seth Trimble, who to date has been UNC’s best player and best shooter — like his 3-pointer that forced the Spartans into overtime before they won by virtue of their scoring, rebounding and getting fouled inside.
“That’s something that we’ve got to really look at and address,” said Hubert Davis on giving up 50 points in the paint to MSU. “For this team to be the best that it can be, we have to be good defensively and good at rebounding the basketball. Tonight we just weren’t, we couldn’t keep ’em out of the paint. We couldn’t guard them one on one. We couldn’t get rebounds or loose balls when it was up in the air. It’s 50-50 chances.”
The size difference is not really 50-50 even when Davis insists it’s more about “the size of your heart” to play with and stay with bigger foes.
In Maui, Carolina was out-rebounded 114-102 and 29-23 on the offensive glass, which leaves them behind in second-chance points — a rarity for UNC basketball. On one of the key possessions against Michigan State, the Spartans scored after a flurry of offensive boards.
“We’ve just gotta find a way to get tougher and get those rebounds and those defensive stops,” Davis said. “They got 50 points in the paint and it wasn’t all dribble drives. They wanted to get the ball inside and we just couldn’t stop ’em.”
Freshmen Drake Powell and Ian Jackson combined for 32 points, went 6 for 10 from outside and posted positive numbers for most of their minutes in Maui. But they were generally part of a “small lineup” with one big man.
That doesn’t solve the Heels’ inside woes.
Featured image via Associated Press/Lindsey Wasson
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.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 newsletter.
HD NEEDS A NEW ‘BIGMAN’ COACH😇🤨😇 d LACKS(!!) of POST PLAY/SKILLS SINCE HIS TENURE WILL B HIS DEMISE😇🥶😇😘🩵😘
J. Wash needs to make himself a threat. When he flashes to the foul line or top of the key and receives a pass from the perimeter, he should face the basket first to look for the short jump shot. A pump fake and drive may also be available instead of immediately passing the ball back out to the perimeter. Also, he is getting pushed off his spot on defense because his feet are to parallel. He should stagger his stance to better brace himself.
Just become great at three things and you will be fine. For Coach Smith’s teams it was fast beaks, scoring and pressure defense. For Williams teams Fast Breaks (Playing fast), Scoring and Rebounding. This team can score, and fast break so pick something else to be great at or be mediocre or poor in everything. This team could go old school and be great at pressure defense.
I totally agree. We need to use our defense to keep the other team guessing. Don’t let them walk the ball up court, full court press right from the tip. Switch defenses, man to man, zone press, halfcourt trap. Use the bench to stay fresh, scout the opposing team to find the shooters and shade towards them when playing zone. When the opposing team shoots the ball, don’t look at the ball, find your man and box out. If your man shoots, yell BOARDS, to let your teammates know to box out their man. We must do a better job rebounding. Got a lot more info that might help.
Why has the university treated Mack Brown so shabbily as he leaves.
Deserves better.
The ole used car salesman who left UNC like a thief in the night in 97 robbed almost 30 mil from UNC the 2nd go around by beating who? Name his best win? You cant because all he did was pad his schedules and win column by beating a bunch of cupcakes. He wouldnt have won 2 games a year with Buntings schedules. Shame on UNC for ever hiring a soft old grampa to lead an already soft cultured program.