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Matchups have been a Carolina killer all season.
We knew the Tar Heels’ roster was talented but would have trouble against the behemoths on the best opponents.
“We’re smaller than most teams,” Hubert Davis said the week before the second Duke game.
Against the Blue Devils, who are among the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament, those mismatches were more than evident.
Duke used taller transfers Maliq Brown (Syracuse) and Sion James (Tulane) to outsize six-footers R.J. Davis and Elliot Cadeau and forced the Heels into their worst shooting game in weeks.
Brown, 6-foot-9, and James (6-6) guarded Davis and Cadeau along with 6-6 junior pro prospect Tyrese Proctor to cover Carolina’s perimeter, which made 9 of 27 three-pointers thanks to the Heels’ worst shooting half since their first match-up.
Brown and James had struggled with injuries late in the season and a week ago were questionable for the regular season finale, and their play turned out to be important against the Tar Heels.
Brown spent much of the second half guarding Davis, who missed 5 of 7 shots and made one 3-pointer after draining 3 of 4 in the closer first half.
Cadeau made only 2 of 6 after intermission, and Seth Trimble had a miserable 1-for-9 shooting game with a single long ball going down in the second half.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer is blessed with one of the most skilled and deepest rosters in the country. The Blue Devils can certainly win it all but will be more challenged in the NCAA tournament than Carolina was in two doubles-digit losses.
The size differential allowed Scheyer to use his tallest player, 7-2 freshman Khaman Maluach (among Duke’s projected high NBA draft picks) only seven minutes in the second half against the Heels, who still could not match Duke’s size and athleticism.
For Carolina, the off season will be critical for Hubert Davis, who once again has to hit the transfer portal for starters, unlike Scheyer who primarily took upperclassmen transfers from lesser programs and were happy just to be at Duke.
UNC has promised a larger commitment to signing basketball players and could use it to acquire a bigger, better and deeper team.
Money is the most important factor in this changing world of college athletics, and Carolina must find more dollars to rebuild its brand as a true basketball blueblood.
Ohio State fans were ravaged when hated rival Michigan won the 2023 College Football Playoff championship. Upon learning that the Wolverines had spent so much NIL money in recruiting, Buckeye alumni and fans channeled their anger into buying better players, and their team was installed as the favorite for the 2024 season. Despite losing to Michigan for the fourth straight year, Ohio State regrouped and won the CFP by dominating four games.
Carolina basketball needs the resources to do the same to compete with Duke, which will have another rich roster next season.
Featured image via Todd Melet
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.
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