Exploding out of the gates with 12 unanswered points, #5 North Carolina was well on its way to defeating the #18 Florida Gators 75-64 Friday night in the fight for 5th place in the Battle 4 Atlantis finale for each team. Kennedy Meeks flexed his muscles once again scoring 18 points and grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds in a return to his normal self. Marcus Paige netted 16 points with four assists as the Tar Heels kept the Gators in check all game long.
Kasey Hill paced the Gators with 20 points and Michael Frazier II added 17 points and 9 rebounds for Florida (3-3, 0-0 SEC). But, it was Florida's inability to match the energy and resourcefulness of the Heels from the tip that would ultimately cost the Gators in the long run. UNC (5-1, 0-0 ACC) controlled the game from the get-go, feeling comfortable with a high-possession contest as both teams looked to push the ball whenever possible. Freshman Justin Jackson made a statement from the tip that he was going to continue to show offensive aggression and force the Gators defense to make a stop. By the first official timeout, Jackson had 5 of the 7 Heels points while Florida was still searching for an answer. And, the Gators continued to search for holes in the Carolina defense. But, it was Carolina who clamped down and forced a number of bad shots and turnovers that led to points on the other end. J.P. Tokoto drilled a couple of threes in transition that opened up the game for the Heels. It wasn't until the 13:14 mark of the 1st half that Florida scored, and, by that time, the Gators were already down 12-2.
The offensive flow to this game was at a frenetic pace for both teams with plenty of possessions in the first half but it was the Heels that dominated the paint from the start. Meeks and Brice Johnson once again tag-teamed the work downlow to help Carolina secure the advantage in the contest. With 7:57 to go in the 1st half, Carolina already had 14 points in the paint and led 22-8. The Gators tried and tried from the outside in the first half but, it wasn't pretty (at the 3:36 mark of the half, Florida was shooting 7-27 and 1-15 from 3-point land).
On the other hand, Carolina was spreading the offense up and down the lineup as the UNC depth began to wear on the listless Gators. Up 39-23 at the half, the Heels had 5 players with six or more points, and it seemed like Florida would just roll over for the Heels.
However, the 2nd half brought new life for the Gators as it outscored the Heels 5-0 in the first minute and a half of the 2nd stanza, quickly getting right back into the game. But, the Heels would respond defensively maintaining a double-digit lead into the under-12 minute official timeout. And, that is when Carolina would push the lead back to 56-41 off a thunderous Isaiah Hicks jam-burger.
Florida would find themselves in foul trouble as both Frazier II and Dorian Finney-Smith would pick up 4 fouls at the 8:00 minute mark of the 2nd half Meeks was able to feed off the absence of two star Gators players and connect on two shots that upped the lead to 58-43.
That is when the tide began to shift a little and when the Tar Heels were forced to play much smarter on the defensive end. Before the Heels could recover, Florida had closed the gap to 11 at the 4:39 mark of the 2nd half and then down to a 67-60 margin with two minutes to go. And, would you know it, Carolina's free throw shooting would ice the game for the Heels. Paige stepped up to the line in the final minutes multiple times and calmly splashed a few from the charity stripe (Paige was 9-10 from the FT line) to extend the Tar Heels lead. The Heels were much better from the line, just like its game versus UCLA, as the Heels managed to make 74.2% of its free throws.
Carolina outrebounded the Gators 40-38, out-assisted the Gators 15-10, and shot much better from the field compared to the Gators (45.1% to 32.8%). All of that equaled a very impressive win for the Heels as Carolina finished up strong in the Bahamas with a 2-1 overall record and two huge wins versus Top-25 opponents after a disappointing loss to Butler in the quarterfinal round.
The Heels have to feel good about themselves with two emphatic victories to finish up this tournament. Carolina will board a plane for Chapel Hill on Saturday morning.and head back to NC to get ready for the collision with Iowa in the ACC/Big-Ten Challenge next Wednesday (I will be in attendance, thanks to Rams Club Faithful Jerry Worsley, for the "Turn it Green" game).
The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament was won by #2 Wisconsin beating Oklahoma Friday afternoon and it held up as being the most talent-filled tournament of all the rest in the new, fresh NCAA season. Carolina learned a whole lot about itself in the Bahamas and this tourney will obviously provide insight the Heels need to grow into a top-contender for the National Championship.
Next Game: #5 North Carolina (5-1, 0-0 ACC) vs Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten) Date & Time: Wednesday, December 3, 2014 @ 7:30pm EST Location: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC TV/Radio: ESPN or ESPN3 / Tar Heel Sports Network
Matchup: #5 North Carolina (4-1, 0-0 ACC) vs #18 Florida Gators (3-2, 0-0 SEC) Date & Time: Friday, November 28, 2014 @ 8:00pm EST Location: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas TV/Radio: AXS TV http://www.axs.tv/subscribe / Tar Heel Sports Network
A fifth place finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis will be on the line Friday night as the fifth-ranked Tar Heels tangle with the #18 Florida Gators. Carolina comes off an impressive 22-point thrashing of #22 UCLA while the Gators came alive late versus UAB to secure a spot in the Consolation Bracket final. The Heels, fresh off an outstanding all-around performance, will look to seize advantage early and speed up the tempo in order to defeat its second ranked opponent in as many days. Florida, on the other hand, has struggled out of the gates this season. Ranked #7 in the AP Preseason 25, Florida fell to Miami 69-67 and barely defeated Univ. of Louisiana-Monroe last week dropping them significantly in the polls. It was another nail-biter for the Gators last night against UAB, but a late 7-0 surge sealed the victory.
Junior sensation Marcus Paige got in rhythm early for the Heels on Thanksgiving night and ended up netting 21 points to lead all scorers. He benefited, as most of the offense did, from Carolina's aggressive defensive approach to the game versus the Bruins. The Heels (4-1, 0-0 ACC) forced 23 Bruins turnovers which led to 31 transition baskets. Look for UNC to clamp down on defense once again and try to speed the contest with the Gators to a fever pitch. Florida (3-2, 0-0 SEC) has not been too flashy on offense this season, only scoring 63.4 pts/gm coming into the matchup with the Heels. Carolina holds a major advantage on paper in the scoring department as the Heels have put up 82.6 pts/gm so far this year. Continuing to work on defense by rebounding strong, getting into the passing lanes, and converting on fast-breaks should be the formula for beating Florida.
Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson arrived in the Bahamas feeling really good about their play and, through the first three games, were hands down commanding the Tar Heels charge. However, things have been different for the Carolina big men on the Island. Point production and rebounding numbers have dipped for both and may even be affecting them mentally, especially Johnson. Brice was visibly upset with himself on multiple occasions versus the Bruins (only scoring 4 points with 3 rebounds). Meeks only scored 8 points and, most notably, just grabbed 2 boards. Both players were taken out of the starting lineup Thursday, as Coach Roy Williams decided to shake it up a bit. The Tar Heels bench stepped up to the challenge and displayed the talent and depth on the roster that everyone expected going into the season. Isaiah Hicks and Theo Pinson continue to improve daily and are exuding confidence as they battle for loose balls, rebound, and get out in transition.
What will be a significant storyline for Carolina, as they move deeper into non-conference play, is how Meeks and Johnson will respond on the court. It's not a question that the bench can come in and play noteworthy minutes, it's that the Heels will need solid efforts from all the roster to make this season a much more enjoyable ride. I expect Meeks and Johnson to step up in a tremendous way against the Gators and prove to themselves that they have the skill and heart to battle every night against the best competition and succeed more and more each game. The Heels hold a seven rebound advantage on paper over the Gators (44.8 Heels to 37.6 Gators), so if the Heels can muster a hustling effort like the one versus UCLA, that will go a long way in deciding the outcome Friday night.
Florida is led by Junior guard Michael Frazier II who averages 14.8 pts/gm and 6 reb/gm while Graduate center Jon Horford serves as the man in the middle picking up 11 pts/gm while snatching down 7 reb/gm. Junior Eli Carter has been sidelined in the Bahamas with a sprained left foot, but freshman guard Chris Chiozza has jumped right in as a replacement and played great basketball. Chiozza sparked the Gators against UAB with 13 points, three assists, six steals and was one of the offensive bright spots in a game where Florida trailed with three minutes to go. The Gators offense has been grinding at many moments this season and Florida head coach Billy Donovan recognizes it has been a thin line between wins and losses for his club.
"Some times, offensively, we're getting bogged down, but other times we're getting good looks," said Donovan after the UAB game. "We're 3-2 right now, but we could have won every single game...and we could have lost every single game. That's the reality of it."
Reality also lies in the fact that the Gators face the Heels in less than 9 hours. The Heels lead the all-time series over the Gators 3-2. Tonight's game will be only the second time the two teams have faced off since 1965. If you Tar Heels fans have tried to forget, as I have, the other meeting was 1999-2000 NCAA Final Four where Florida defeated UNC 71-59 (I was devastated in my UNC-CH dorm room). Both head coaches will have a chance at earning coaching milestones this year as Donovan is only 11 wins away from 500 and Coach Williams is only 22 wins away from 750.
Tonight, the winner takes home a slice of solace by salvaging an early-season trip to the Bahamas (Carolina even more because a win would mean the Heels defeated two ranked opponents) with a 2-1 record, even though both squads would love to be in the tournament championship game that pits #2 Wisconsin vs Oklahoma.
A championship will have to wait for now. And, maybe...just maybe...lessons learned here on Paradise Island will usher in opportunities for greater tournament victories down the road. Focus now is on wrestling down the Gators and getting back to Chapel Hill in pretty good shape.
North Carolina sliced and diced their way through the UCLA Bruins Thanksgiving night just like many of us Tar Heel fans did with our tender, juicy turkeys over the course of the day. Compared to yesterday afternoon's unimpressive showing against Butler in the Battle 4 Atlantis opener, UNC brought a greater dose of energy and aggressiveness to the court tonight. The Heels cruised to a 78-56 victory over the lethargic Bruins by forcing turnovers and using its transition game to spark its offense. Marcus Paige topped the Heels scoring with 21 points (in only 27 minutes of play) and also dished out 5 assists. Justin Jackson netted 12 points and was not rattled by an inconsistent shooting night (4-13 from the field). J.P. Tokoto and Isaiah Hicks both added 10 points apiece as Carolina dominated the Bruins for the last 34 minutes of the ballgame.
As I eluded to in my earlier post, UNC needed Paige to set the tone offensively. And, he did. Paige hit a three early and added a few nifty drives to the hoop to get the ball rolling. It was the start that the Heels needed and a shot in the arm for a team that was searching for answers following its loss to Butler one night earlier.
What was even more interesting about the beginning of the game is that Coach Roy Williams switched up his usual starting lineup, mixing up things for the first time this season. Williams inserted Joel James, Nate Britt, and Hicks into the starting lineup and set Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson, and Tokoto to come off the bench. The shakeup allowed more playing time for Hicks; and the 6'8" sophomore from Oxford was determined to influence the game with his hard work ethic and determination. And, boy, did he ever. Hicks was all over the place, diving for loose balls, grabbing rebounds, dunking put-back rebounds, getting out on the break. His breakout play in the last couple of games has really turned some heads and will definitely lend to more playing time and, hopefully, light a fire under Brice Johnson as the season moves along. (Johnson was not himself this game with many mental errors and only offering up 4 points and 3 rebounds).
Even with the early baskets by Paige, Carolina trailed 18-11 with 13:55 left to go in the first half. It was all down hill for UCLA from there. UNC picked up the defensive pressure and the Bruins could not handle the heat, turning the ball over time and time again. 10 turnovers in 15 minutes of play in the first stanza had already allowed the Heels to run off 14 transition points. By halftime, Carolina had stunned the Bruins with a 32-11 run over the last 13:55 of the half that placed the score at 43-29.
The perimeter defense followed the gameplan to perfection, wreaking havoc on UCLA sophomore standout Bryce Alford. Alford came into the game averaging over 19 pts/gm and 8.2 ast/gm but, on this night, Carolina held him in check (only 10 points and 3 assists). More noteworthy is the fact that Alford turned the ball over six times and the Bruins totaled a staggering 23 turnovers. UNC knew what to do with the ball once in transition as the Heels outscored UCLA 31-6 in transition points. Carolina loved the pace to the game as it seemed UCLA wanted to run, so the Heels obliged and showed their speed and effectiveness against a more tired, run down Bruins squad. And, you know Tokoto had to get in on the fast-break action with a little Thanksgiving stuffing of his own!
UCLA did not get any better in the second half. In fact, Carolina continued to turn the Bruins over and score at will. Paige drilled two huge 3's during an 11-0 run that completely nailed the coffin on the Blue & Gold. Hicks and freshman Theo Pinson (7 rebs, 3 assists) were splendid for the Heels during the second half blow-out tonight proving that UNC's depth can be a dynamic weapon. Even though Hicks started the game against UCLA, him and Pinson have been great off the bench. In tonight's contest, the Heels bench outscored the Bruins 28-9!
Senior Norman Powell led the Bruins with 15 points, but had 5 turnovers. Kevon Looney, who had been on a double-double tear, was completely taken out of the game by Carolina defenders and his own foul trouble. Looney finished with 11 points and just 6 rebounds.
North Carolina was much sharper on both ends of the court than in its loss to Butler on Wednesday. There was a noticeable difference in effort and will to get to the ball at any cost. UNC players identified their struggles and used the game against UCLA to begin to iron out those mistakes. Paige talked about this in his post-game interview. "It's easy now for us to see the difference in how we played tonight versus how we played (against Butler)," Paige remarked. "The way everyone was into it, playing unselfish, flying around on defense, being active, that's a more fun way to play...And when you see the results as drastically different as they were, why wouldn't you want to play that way?" Not only was Carolina flying around on defense, but they were boxing out and grabbing more rebounds this evening which was pretty much non-existent against Butler. Even though Carolina lost the rebounding battle, it was by a much narrower of margins, 38-35. And, the Heels actually won the offensive rebounding war, 13-9. So, that is a tremendous step to bringing the fundamental, boxing out, aggressive rebounding style back to the court. Also, the Heels shot 73.7% from the free-throw line which was a drastic improvement from the last few games. All in all, this commanding victory over the Bruins can be summed up by saying it was..."Sweet as Pumpkin Pie!" Carolina will play for 5th place in the Battle 4 Atlantis when it meets #18 Florida Gators at 8:00pm EST Friday night. If the Heels can pick up a win in that one, it will head back to Chapel Hill sporting a 2-1 record from the tournament and feeling pretty good about itself beating two Top 25 teams. A loss would be a disappointing finish to the trip and a 1-2 record in the tournament which could sour the Heels' return home. But, until then, Tar Heels get to celebrate the win by enjoying a hot Thanksgiving night meal with all the fixings!! Next Game: #5 North Carolina (4-1, 0-0 ACC) vs #18 Florida Gators (3-2, 0-0 SEC) Date & Time: Friday, November 28, 2014 @ 8:00pm EST Location: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas TV/Radio: AXS TV / Tar Heel Sports Network
Matchup: #5 North Carolina (3-1, 0-0 ACC) vs #22 UCLA Bruins (4-1, 0-0 Pac 12) Date & Time: Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 27, 2014 @ 7:00pm EST Location: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas TV/Radio: Radio - Tar Heel Sports Network (list of affiliates) AXS TV. - visit http://www.axs.tv/subscribe for providers
Teams with a combined 16 National Championships will face-off Thanksgiving Day as North Carolina will try to right the ship against a talented UCLA squad. Both teams suffered disappointing upset losses in the quarterfinal round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Paradise Island, Bahamas. #5 UNC was defeated by Butler 74-66 in a contest where the Heels lacked aggressiveness on the boards, giving up 29 offensive boards to the Bulldogs en route to being outrebounded 57-40. #22 UCLA fell victim to a late, explosive Oklahoma Sooners run that spelled doom for the Bruins as the Blue & Gold lost 75-65. Given the nature of tournament play, there is a quick turnaround for the teams, which will allow one school to erase the pain from the night before and the other to soak in the sorrow of back-to-back defeats. No doubt, with pride on the line, you should see both teams bring more energy, passion, and determination for 40 minutes.
Carolina will need to fix the rebounding issue that popped up versus Butler. Up until this point, UNC had played some inferior opponents and rebounding seemed to be OK with Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson, and J.P. Tokoto gobbling up (had to do that...It's Thanksgiving Day, folks!!) the boards. However, an inability to box out and show the complete effort to finish on defense allowed for the opponent to dominate the offensive glass. Coach Roy Williams wrote "57-40" in big numbers on the locker room whiteboard and "Off. Reb. 29-14" right beside it after Wednesday's game sending a definitive message to UNC players. It was heard loud and clear. "As a big man, I feel like we could've done better being physical with them," remarked sophomore Isaiah Hicks. "We let them (Butler) push us under the rim, and they got the ball." Key Word...PHYSICAL. Look for Meeks, Johnson, Hicks, and the rest of the Tar Heels to bring a more physical approach to UCLA. I expect there to be plenty of banging downlow between the big fellas because the Bruins, also, do not lack in size and strength in the middle. UCLA freshman Kevon Looney, a 6-foot-9 forward, has exceeded all expectations so far this season. With his dynamite performance yesterday against Oklahoma (16 pts, 15 reb), he became the first UCLA freshman in school history to post at least four double-doubles in his first five collegiate game. Keep in mind, Kevin Love (former UCLA and current NBA Superstar playing alongside LeBron James) only had three double-doubles in his first five games. Looney averages 15.0 pts/gm and 12.6 reb/gm so he should be a handful for the Heels. Being physical with Looney and keeping his numbers at a minimum is crucial for Tar Heels success. Late in the game yesterday, Marcus Paige began to show the first signs this season of leading the Heels with his scoring prowess. Yes, maybe the Heels have not truly needed him to score effectively in its first three games. But, yesterday was a different story. Paige took a while to heat up, but when the Heels reached desperation mode, Paige was there to keep the game somewhat close. It is imperative that the sensational junior (avergaing 13.5 pts/gm so far) start off with a nice scoring flow as the Heels would like to see Marcus contribute a bit more in the scoring column in the first half (not just the second half). Look for Paige to try to find his shot early. UCLA has a rising star on its roster as well. Son of Coach Steve Alford, Sophomore Bryce Alford has sprinted out of the gates this year scoring the ball effectively and dishing out a staggering amount of assists. Alford is averaging 19.8 pts/gm on 46.4% shooting (90.9% Free throws) but it is his uncanny ability to find the open man for baskets that is raising the nation's eyebrows. He has tallied 41 assists so far this year and averages 8.2 ast/gm. That 41 assists mark is 19 more assists than the leading Tar Heel player, Tokoto, in that category. Carolina's perimeter defense will have a tough task in front of them, but it is paramount that the Tar Heels keep Alford at bay as much as possible. Hounding the ball on defense, getting deflections in the passing lanes, and creating transition baskets will go a long way in taking down the Bruins. The Junior Paige has taken over the leadership role for a Tar Heels roster that is low on Seniors. And, UCLA, knows what that feels like. The Bruins return one starter from their 2014 NCAA Sweet 16 team and that player is senior guard Norman Powell. As the team leader, Powell is second, behind Alford, in Bruins scoring this season and was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Monday with sparkling performances against Nicholls State (23 pts) and Long Beach State (26 pts) last week. The Alford/Powell guard connection is an explosive and creative backcourt that will test the Heels ability to defend and produce on the offensive end. With 18 and 17 appearances, respectively, North Carolina and UCLA have made the most all-time NCAA Final Four appearance in college basketball (that's a whopping 35 Final Fours between the two perennial powerhouses). The teams have combined for 3,906 wins, 91 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the before-mentioned 16 NCAA championships. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series with the Bruins, 6-3. Carolina has won 5 of the last 6 meetings, but Thursday's matchup will be the first meeting between UNC and UCLA since the 2000-01 season. That means that Roy Williams will coach the Tar Heels against UCLA for the first time. Williams is 4-2 versus the Bruins (all games as coach of Kansas).
#5 North Carolina suffered a stunning loss to the Butler Bulldogs, 74-66, in the opening game of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas Wednesday afternoon. Behind an impressive rebounding advantage, the upset-minded Bulldogs used grit and determination as the key to beating the Heels. A staggering 57-40 Butler advantage on the boards stood out like a sore thumb as Carolina never could muster an important box out on the defensive end. Playing somewhat lethargically, UNC was out of sync and frustrated throughout the contest which allowed a very hungry Butler team to swoop in for the kill.
Alex Barlow, somewhat of a surprise contributor, paced the scoring for Butler (4-0, 0-0 Big East) with 17 points and was very instrumental in hounding Marcus Paige on defense, forcing him into quite a number of tightly guarded shots. Kelan Martin also poured in 17 for the Bulldogs who stayed close with the Heels all first half long and then opened the game up in the second. Roosevelt Jones turned in another one of his all-around efforts by netting 12 points, dishing 6 assists, and grabbing 8 rebounds. Those rebounds were the difference in this one. Kameron Woods led Butler with 13 boards and it was the Heels inability to snag defensive rebounds that led to its demise on this particular afternoon. Never before in the Roy Williams era has Carolina (3-1, 0-0 ACC) given up as many offensive rebounds to its opponent than it did versus Butler. A whopping 29 offensive boards were pulled down by the Bulldogs and that was quite mind-boggling considering the post play by the Carolina big men so far this season.
Let's put this rebounding effort by Butler in perspective for a second. The Bulldogs actually grabbed three more offensive rebounds than Carolina grabbed defensive rebounds. With 29 offensive boards to 26 defensive boards by Carolina, Butler rebounded its misses 52.7% of the time. An unfathomable number in the Roy Williams-coached era for the Heels. Carolina will need to regroup and bring more energy and want for the basketball off the rim. Coach Williams touched on this in his post-game press conference.
"The biggest thing is you have to want to get the basketball. You have to fight and get off the box out. It's a little bit about having to have five guys willing to box out on defense and finish the defense."
How the Heels respond to this lackluster rebounding performance will be indicative of the passion and will to succeed defensively moving forward.
Carolina led at the half 35-32 behind a true bright spot, Isaiah Hicks. Hicks showcased some aggressiveness towards the basket, finishing a couple of flushes downlow with authority. His quickness allowed the Heels to stay on top for most of the first half. Hicks would finish with 10 points and 5 rebounds. But, Butler would not stay down for long.as they began to heat up from the outside and continue to rule the boards. There was a period of the second half where the Bulldogs could do no wrong, tipping a slight 43-41 lead all the way to a 59-45 insurmountable obstacle.
With the lead down the stretch, Butler unexplainably put up quick shots which allowed the Tar Heels to go on a decent run towards the end of the game. Paige finally found his rhythm as the Heels shifted into desperation mode. He finished with a team-high 18 points but it was only his flurry at the end that padded his scoring numbers. Paige nailed two 3's and completed a 3 point play off an attacking move to the rim and cut the Butler lead to 69-66. However, the Heels never had a possession where it could tie or take the lead and Butler sealed the deal when Jones calmly drained four important free throws in the final minute.
Free throws were the other component of this game that did not go Carolina's way. While Butler was 21-29 (72.4%) from the line, Carolina was a measly 18-32 (56.3%). And, even more shocking, was the fact that Paige, UNC's all-time leading free-throw shooter, went 5-9 from the stripe missing more than two free throws in a game for the first time in his career.
You can say it was just one of those days.
One positive twist that the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament brings is that the Tar Heels can get back on the court tomorrow evening and try to erase the problems from this head-scratching game. With Oklahoma beating #22 UCLA, Carolina will now face the Bruins at 7pm EST in the consolation bracket with hopes of flipping the script in the Bahamas Thursday and ending Thanksgiving night with some celebratory turkey, stuffing, and gravy.
Next Game: #5 North Carolina (3-1, 0-0 ACC) vs #22 UCLA Bruins (4-1, 0-0 Pac-12) Date & Time: Thanksgiving, Thursday November 27th @ 7:00pm EST Location: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas TV/Radio: AXS TV / Tar Heel Sports Network
Matchup: #5 North Carolina (3-0, 0-0 ACC) vs Butler Bulldogs (3-0, 0-0 Big East) Date & Time: Wednesday November 26, 2014 @ 12:00pm EST Location: Imperial Arena - Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas TV/Radio: ESPN2 & ESPN3 (WatchESPN)/Tar Heel Sports Network
The spotlight will shine on the Bahamas this Thanksgiving season as the Battle 4 Atlantis gets underway Wednesday afternoon when the #5 North Carolina Tar Heels tangle with the Butler Bulldogs. These teams are part of a talented-laden group of clubs vying for the early season championship. As impressive as any opening tournaments, the Battle 4 Atlantis hosts four squads (out of 8) that are currently ranked in the Top 25. Five of the eight teams come to the Bahamas holding unbeaten records and all the teams combined have a 21-4 win/loss record. There is a buzz around the islands this weekend because many believe some Final Four foreshadowing will be on display.
Carolina (3-0, 0-0 ACC) arrives in the Bahamas looking to build upon its unblemished start to the young season. The Heels have dominated its competition mainly on the backs of its big men in the paint. Kennedy Meeks has had his way with opposing frontcourts by throwing his frame around (a more toned and muscular frame, mind you) and averaging a solid double-double for the season. His 16.7 ppg and 11.0 rpg lead the team in both categories and Meeks' ability to get in the passing lanes and run the court have been better than advertised.
Adding to the depth and skill downlow, Brice Johnson has been side by side with Meeks as the dynamic duo inside. Johnson averages 14.7 ppg along with 7.7 boards and will need to stay out of foul trouble in order to give Carolina a better chance at beating the Bulldogs. Senior superstar Marcus Paige (12.0 ppg) and freshman sensation Justin Jackson (13.3 ppg) are two more examples that UNC is stock full of talent this year. The Tar Heels will attempt to jump-start its perimeter shooting (only 27.3%), which will need more consistency if Carolina intends to contend for a National Championship. Besides Paige, the Heels have not had anyone else step forward as of yet, but Jackson, Nate Britt, and freshman Theo Pinson have shown brief signs of coming around.
Butler (3-0, 0-0 Big East) arrives on the islands in a state of coaching flux and with a desire to improve from its disappointing 14-17 season a year ago. From the outside looking in, one could never tell of the coaching mix-up because it has made the game look easy against its early season competition. Led by Interim Coach Chris Holtmann (in place of Brandon Miller who has been on medical leave since October), the Bulldogs have two 40-point victories already against inferior opponents, but it provides insight into the team's efficiency and effectiveness in shooting the ball. Butler is making baskets at a torrid pace, converting on 93 of 166 field goals (a smoking 56%) with a 3-point FG pct of 48.9% (a whole 21 percentage points higher than North Carolina). Carolina's depth gets so much attention by the college basketball media; however, Butler's depth should not be overlooked. The Bulldogs have seven different players that have scored in double-figures in a game this season. Junior Kellen Dunham leads the charge averaging 19.0 ppg (ranks second in the Big East in that category) and has scored in double-digits in all three games the Bulldogs have played this season. Dunham led the Bulldogs in scoring last year and he is picking up where he left off with big games versus Maine and Chattanooga so far this year. He is a threat from anywhere on the court, shooting 58.1% from the field and 66.7% from 3-pt range. Also, coming on strong is freshman Kelan Martin, breaking out for a career-high 23 points in Butler's last victory over Loyola Maryland. The 1-2 punch of Dunham and Martin will serve as a true challenge for Carolina defenders as the Heels try to rope in these two very gifted athletes.
Both teams sport that one essential, versatile player on the roster that is crucial to game flow and game control. UNC brings J.P. Tokoto to the fight as Butler is happy to have Roosevelt Jones back in its lineup (missed 2013-204 season with a wrist injury). These two players display an all-around game that may not get the press that it deserves, but their on-the-court athleticism and decision-making are assets any team in the country would love to have. Both Juniors, Tokoto fills up the stat sheet (averaging 8.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 6 apg) while Jones cards 10.7 ppg along with 7.3 apg and 2.0 steal/game). While Tokoto enters the lineup as a Forward and Jones plays as a Guard, both athletes possess a knack of knowing how to deliver the ball to the right spots and defend their positions at the highest level. Tokoto may get the slight edge in athleticism as J.P. has been known to showcase his repertoire of finishing moves around the rim (ie. patented monster dunks).
Carolina and Butler have met four times before with the series being tied 2-2. The Bulldogs won the last matchup, 82-71, in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational two years ago on Nov. 20, 2012. The winner of this game will face the winner of the #22 UCLA/Oklahoma game and that contest will be played on Thanksgiving, Thursday (Nov. 27). The tournament will conclude on Friday (Nov. 28).
The latest AP Poll moves North Carolina up one spot to #5. Kentucky remains #1 behind a stellar week that included the waxing of Kansas (who dropped to #11, allowing UNC to move to that 5 spot). Other ACC teams in the poll look like this: Dook remains at #4, Louisville inches up to #6, Virginia hops up to #8, and Miami blasts into the AP rankings landing at #17. With Syracuse losing to California on Thursday, the Orange drop out of the AP Top 25. Syracuse & NC State both received votes this week, but not nearly enough to crack the Top 25.
Kennedy Meeks scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, in Charlotte Saturday afternoon, as he dominated the paint to lead the #6 North Carolina Tar Heels to its first road win of the season over the Davidson Wildcats, 90-72. Justin Jackson netted 18 points in another impressive showing for the Carolina frontcourt. Marcus Paige and J.P. Tokoto also poured in double digit scoring performances with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Carolina (3-0, 0-0 ACC) had seven players score seven or more points in an all-around game that was led by the big man Meeks. His ability to seal off the defenders downlow enabled the Sophomore Charlotte, NC native to feast on layup after layup. The Heels kept going to the post for Meeks and Brice Johnson even when Davidson was staying in the game early with its hot outside shooting. The Wildcats (2-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10) hung tough in the first half behind the shooting prowess of Peyton Aldridge. Aldridge was well on his way to a game-high 25 points as he began to nail 3's when the Carolina defense was having trouble fighting through the double screens. Davidson pulled to within two points 27-25 with 6:45 to go in the first half, but it was all Carolina from there. By the next official timeout, the Heels went on an 11-0 run and had a 38-25 advantage and never relinquished its double-digit lead.
Besides Aldridge and his six 3-pointers, the Heels did a fantastic job guarding the perimeter and the 3-point misses usually ended up as a score for UNC. Going into the game, Carolina knew it needed to contain Davidson's outside shooting accuracy, and that is exactly what the Heels did. Davidson was shooting 25-50 (50%) from beyond the arc entering the game; however, Carolina's defense affected many shooters and the Wildcats were only able to make 11 of 36 attempts Saturday (30.6%).
Almost half of Davidson's field goal attempts were 3's and, since it was not connecting on many, the Tar Heels went strong to the glass and collected a whopping 51 rebounds. Meeks paced the Heels with 12 boards, but Johnson (who dealt with foul trouble all second half long) and J.P. Tokoto both pulled down 7 boards apiece in the Heels overpowering of the Wildcats.
The overwhelming talent on the inside for the Heels was the story to this one as Davidson had no real solution to slow down the beasts in Carolina Blue. Tyler Kalinoski scored 12 and Jake Belford added 10 for the Wildcats, but the superstar from last year's game in Chapel Hill, Brian Sullivan, only managed 4 points on 2 of 10 shooting as the Tar Heels defense hawked him all game long.
And, just when you thought there could not be any more excitement on the court...Jackson lobs an alley-oop pass to Tokoto on the fast-break late in the game...and Tokoto rises sky-high, catches the ball with his right-hand and slams it down for a monstrous SportsCenter Top 10 dunk.. A must-see on the highlight reel tonight for all Tar Heels fans. Once the video is made available, I will post it. It is that awesome!
The Tar Heels will be boarding a plane soon to head to the Bahamas to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament that will consist of some major non-conference competition. Carolina's first game in the tournament will come Wednesday at 12pm EST against the Butler Bulldogs. The schedule beefs up for sure beginning this week, but over the first three games of the season the Tar Heels have shown that its size and depth (along with an improved defense) will serve as a major challenge for any opponent. If the Heels can turn around its free-throw shooting (only 64.3% versus Davidson) and find a consistent outside threat besides Paige, the team will become even more of an obstacle to overcome heading into the Holidays and beyond.
Next Game: #6 North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0, 0-0 ACC) vs Butler Bulldogs (3-0, 0-0 Big East) Date & Time: Wednesday November 26, 2014 @ 12:00pm EST Location: Imperial Arena - Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas TV/Radio: ESPN2/Tar Heel Sports Network
Matchup: #6 North Carolina (2-0, 0-0 ACC) vs Davidson (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic 10) Gametime: Saturday, November 22, 2014 @ 2:00pm EST Location: Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC TV/Radio: Time Warner Cable Sports Channel - Digital Channel 323 in the Carolinas/ Tar Heel Sports Network
College basketball is Heaven in the state of North Carolina. Just the mention of ACC elicits a plethora of vivid memories of championships, hall of fame coaches, deep rooted rivalries, and all the nostalgia the great sport brings to this area. But, over the past decade-plus, there has been a team from North Carolina outside of the ACC that has sparked interest nationally by competing at a very high level. That squad is the Davidson Wildcats and it looks for a signature win Saturday afternoon in Charlotte as it faces the sixth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.
Carolina and Davidson have played on 73 other occasions with the Tar Heels holding a 62-11 advantage. Their first meeting was held way back in February 1911 and the two in-state foes last met one year ago in a nail-biting thriller won by the Tar Heels 97-85 in Overtime.
Both teams come into the meeting sporting a 2-0 record and are focused on keeping the train rolling. Carolina (2-0, 0-0 ACC) has been impressive in its first two non-conference matchups utilizing its size advantage downlow and crisp passing from all positions. Junior forward Brice Johnson comes into the game leading the Heels in scoring with 17.5 ppg and his big-man sidekick, Kennedy Meeks, has showcased his slimmer body tone en route to averaging a double-double (15.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg). The effectiveness of the Tar Heels front-court has been eye-opening and more explosive this season in comparison to last year. Meeks is in much better shape to run the court on a Roy Williams-coached team that is always looking to get out in transition. And, Johnson has shown a knack for being more aggressive around the rim, whether its going up strong with the ball or fighting off the defender for an important rebound. The Carolina Faithful, especially Coach Williams, loves to see this type of play from the big men; but, he knows they must continue to work hard to put up similar numbers throughout the season.
"I thought last year those guys had some really good games every now and then," Williams stated. "But it's got to be on a consistent basis like (former Tar Heels) Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Tyler Hansbrough, Sean May. Those guys give it every night."
Davidson (2-0, 0-0 Atlantic 10) is coming off a superb season last year as it finished up its residency in the Southern Conference with a 15-1 regular-season record, blowing the conference up winning by three games. However, a disappointing loss to Western Carolina in the conference semi-finals relegated the Wildcats to only a NIT berth and left a sour taste in the mouth of Coach Bob McKillop's team. Davidson has moved to the Atlantic 10 Conference and joined a pretty impressive group of teams that did damage in the NCAA Tournament last year ( ie Dayton, St. Joseph's, Saint Louis). Playing with an even greater pool of talent, the Wildcats will have a lot of work to do (Davidson was picked in the preseason to finish 12th out of 14 teams in the A-10). SoCon Player of the Year De'Mon Brooks graduated last year and is no longer suiting up for the 'Cats and that becomes a big puzzle piece to replace. Brooks was the team's leading scorer and rebounder, so Davidson will have to rely on some other key contributors as this season continues. There are bright spots, no doubt, as captains Tyler Kalinoski (13.5 ppg) and Jack Gibbs (11.0 ppg) return to a lineup that can fill it up from the outside. Finnish freshmen Oskar Michelsen (13.5 ppg) adds another scoring punch to the squad. Also, back in the mix for the Wildcats is sharp-shooter Brian Sullivan.who all Tar Heels fans should remember from last year's game in the Smith Center. Sullivan lit the Heels up for 33 points, including 7 3's and was a big reason Davidson almost stole one in Chapel Hill. He has had a rough start to the season this year, shooting only 3-19 from the field, 2-10 from 3, but he is the type of scorer that brings energy and heart to the biggest of matchups.
The Wildcats have been at it again this year, shooting 53.5% from the field and a blistering 50% from behind the arc (25-50 from 3 pt range). That's an average of 12.5 made 3 pointers per game. Carolina will most definitely need to clamp down defensively on the perimeter so that the Wildcats shooters do not get comfortable from long-range. And, so far this young season, the Tar Heels have impressed with its perimeter defense. As I have discussed in previous posts, Marcus Paige, Nate Britt, and Joel Berry have delivered solid efforts on the defensive end from the guard position, with Britt gaining Team Defensive honors in the NC Central game. With the length of Johnson, J.P. Tokoto, and Theo Pinson in the forward positions, Carolina's 3-point defense has seen positive results. In the first two games, opponents are only shooting 29.7% (11-37) against the Heels from behind the 3-point line. Truth be said, their two opponents did not have the 3-point fire power as does Davidson. A key to the game for me will be how Carolina handles Davidson's outside shooting and can the Heels apply enough pressure to limit the Wildcats' success. Davidson has made at least one three-pointer in 640 consecutive games. The last time Davidson failed to make a 3 was on January 15, 1994 versus East Tennessee State. Not expecting the Heels to stop this streak, but capping Davidson at 1 or 2 would be nice.
Another key ingredient to the Heels beating Davidson is Carolina's ability to force turnovers, get out in transition, and score on the fast break. Against NC Central, Carolina never could push the ball like it wanted to but versus Robert Morris the Heels came alive. Jumping into passing lanes, rebounding well, and swift, accurate passing led to a ton of transition points for the Heels. Coach Williams is looking for more of the same Saturday afternoon. Tokoto has been amazing dishing the ball this season. He tallied 10 assists in the game versus Robert Morris, which was more than any Tar Heel produced all of last season. Sure, the guards will need to be efficient with their passes, but it's the big men that have been impressing everyone so far. Freshman Justin Jackson has turned some heads with his athletic play and ability to split defenders with his rocket passes while Johnson and Meeks have begun to perfect the High-Low passing game that is a pleasant nuance to the Carolina game this year. Crisp, clean passing (no turnovers) from the Heels, whether it be on the fast-break or in half-court offensive sets, could serve as a tremendous asset to Carolina's championship hopes this campaign.
Time Warner Cable Arena will be rocking on Saturday at 2pm EST as these two teams butt heads once again in front of a capacity crowd of 20,000. The Heels will attempt to speed up the game, dominate downlow, and get its perimeter shooting going a bit more (only 22.2% from 3 so far on 6-27 shooting). Preseason ACC Player of the Year Marcus Paige is looking for his first true standout game of the season. Davidson will need to combat Carolina's front-court dominance with some outside flair. It will be key for Davidson to continue splashing the threes with regularity because, if the threes don't fall, Davidson could be in for a world of hurt. Bench play will be important as the Heels need to match or outplay a Davidson bench that has been aggressive and feisty. The Wildcats bench has contributed almost half (48%) of its scoring production, so the Heels' bench of Isaiah Hicks, Britt, Berry, Pinson, Joel James, and Desmond Hubert need to bring their A-game.
Carolina hopes to continue its winning ways over Davidson as it will prepare to head to the Bahamas in a Thanksgiving holiday season Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament that will include the likes of powerhouses Wisconsin, Florida, UCLA, Butler, and Georgetown. However, first things first, bring on the Wildcats!
Carolina travels to Charlotte on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game against Davidson. Here's some information on how to find the game broadcast.
What channel? The game will air on the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel. That's digital channel 323 in the Carolinas. Here's a coverage area map:
What if I have DirecTV? You don't get Time Warner Cable Sports Channel. And yes, this is a different channel than Fox Sports Carolinas.
What about a live stream or ESPN3? None is available.
What other suggestions do you have?
***Get familiar with your Tar Heel Sports Network affiliates. The radio network will be on the air Saturday at 1 p.m. with complete coverage. Also, if you're in the Charlotte area, tickets are still available.***
Not much change in the AP Top 25 this week. Carolina holds on to the #6 spot. And there were only a few changes. A couple of teams switched spots (ie. Louisville leapfrogged Florida for 8th and Oklahoma jumped over Michigan State for 18th). Harvard was ranked 25th in last week's poll, but with a loss to Holy Cross, became the only team to drop out of the Top 25. Harvard was tied with Utah for 25th, so now Utah holds that spot solely.
As far as the ACC is concerned, there is much representation in the Top 10. Dook sits at #4 after a dominating week scoring 100 points in each of its two games. UNC is #6. Louisville, as mentioned earlier, jumped to 7th. And, UVA comes in 9th and is the fourth ACC team in the Top 10. Syracuse is the only other ACC team ranked in the AP Top 25 as the Orange makes its home at #23.
Each week on my blogspot, I will post the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll right above the Current Readers Poll on the right-hand side of my blog. There will be a link that you follow to ESPN.com to check out the current week's standings. Enjoy!
Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks once again ruled supreme in the paint as they led the #6 North Carolina Tar Heels to a blistering 103-59 victory over the visiting Robert Morris Colonials Sunday evening in Chapel Hill. Johnson scored 23 points, grabbing eight rebounds while Meeks contributed a double-double to the stat sheet with 21 points and 12 boards. The Heels (2-0, 0-0 ACC) for the second straight game started off on-fire by opening up with 12 unanswered points feeding the big men with crisp, accurate passes and picking up right where they left off Friday on the defensive end. Coming off a lackluster season opener at home, Robert Morris (0-2, 0-0 Northeast) took a gut punch early and was never able to recover, in large part due to the fact that Carolina showcased its up-tempo style in a much more dominating way than in its first game.
Creating havoc on the defensive end, overpowering the Colonials on the glass, and getting out into transition were three huge reasons the Tar Heels were able to cruise to such a large margin of victory. Led by Johnson and Meeks high-low game, the team fed off of their energy which, in turn, brought immediate dividends for other key players. Team leader and superstar Marcus Paige looked a bit more like himself tonight, tallying 15 points and connecting on three 3-pointers. He also had high praise for his big men. "That's been one of our keys in the off-season, getting Kennedy and Brice to score consistently. Tonight you saw what they're capable of...I mean that's big for our team, and if they can keep it up, you know maybe not 20 and 12 every night, but this level of production against quality opponents, we're going to be pretty happy with that," said Paige after the game.
Freshman Justin Jackson continued to glisten in the spotlight, turning heads with his flashy passes and incredible ability to get to the rim for easy shots. The Tar Heels were a much more well-oiled machine on Sunday, getting out on the fast break, dishing out assist after assist and making its presence felt on the inside.
Speaking of assists, Carolina was splendid as can be. Of the 36 field goals scored by the Heels, 29 of them came off an assist. There were alley-oop dunks, one-handed bounce pocket passes, lighting-quick curl passes, and high-low dump assists. That is very impressive and sings volumes of the discipline and passing talent this crop of Carolina players possesses. A zone that stifled Carolina on Friday was implemented in a similar way on Sunday. Only this time, the Heels crushed it with the before-mentioned passing game and fast ball movement. There was a particular possession in the second half where every Tar Heel player touched the ball as it moved around the perimeter, then to the free throw line, and then right downlow to Meeks for an easy layup. Junior forward J.P. Tokoto was sparkling in the assist game tonight recording close to a career-high with 10 assists. Lots of people are talking about his finish to the first half with two great passes, one finishing the half off that ended up in Isaiah Hicks' hands for an emphatic flush.
"A lot of the passes I made tonight were easy passes for me just because I can see the defense," Tokoto explained. "I can see where the defense is going and where my teammates are."
If you couple that with just one turnover, Tokoto sent a message to opponents that he not only can rise above the rim in the open court, but that he can deliver the dime in the blink of an eye. Carolina's ability to pass the rock tonight stood out to me and many others as becoming a defining aspect to the 2014-2015 squad.
In my pre-game analysis, I mentioned that the Colonials came to the game with a Preseason All-NEC player Lucky Jones on their roster who was their active scoring and rebounding leader. I also pointed out that Jones was a determined rebounder who was hungry for the school record, needing only 85 more rebounds to claim it. Well, on this night, Jones was completely taken out of his game by the physical size and depth of the Heels. Jones only managed six points and three rebounds, fouling out with about six minutes left in the game. Coupled with a 2 of 14 shooting performance in RMU's opening home loss to Lafayette, Jones seems to be forcing things at this time. Not only Jones, but the Colonials were out-muscled on the glass all night long losing the rebounding battle 49-31 to the Heels.
A lone bright spot for the Colonials was RMU freshman Marcquise Reed who poured in 24 points on 10 of 15 shooting. A nice stat line for a kid playing under the bright lights of a big-time opponent for the first time. He was the only Colonial to score in double figures.
Carolina will use this week to prepare for its first road test of the season on Saturday as it will travel to Charlotte, NC to play Davidson at the Time Warner Cable Arena (home of the Charlotte Hornets). The Heels' focus on defense and rebounding (offensive rebounding in particular) has proven beneficial in the first two games of the season. These facets of UNC's game has allowed for more up-tempo fast breaks, transition, and second-chance points. You have got to believe Coach Roy Williams is ecstatic with the progress so far, even though there is much more room for improvement.
"This could be the best offensive rebounding team I have every coached," Williams remarked in his post-game news conference. "Now we have to do it. We don't get any points for me just saying it, but this could be the best offensive rebounding team I have ever coached."
Now, let's get out there and do it again...and again...and again.
Next Game: #6 North Carolina (2-0, 0-0 ACC) vs Davidson (1-0, 0-0 Southern) Gametime: Saturday, November 22, 2014 @ 2:00pm EST Location: Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC TV/Radio: Time Warner Cable's Sports Channel Carolinas / Tar Heel Sports Network
Matchup: Robert Morris (0-1, 0-0 Northeast) vs #6 North Carolina (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
Gametime: Today, Sunday November 16, 2014 @ 6:00pm EST
Location: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC
TV/Radio: ESPNU or ESPN3 / Tar Heel Sports Network
On a chilly Sunday evening, #6 North Carolina welcomes Robert Morris to the Dean Dome in the first ever meeting between the two schools. Tonight will begin the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament as the Tar Heels look for its second victory of the weekend while the Colonials, after a disappointing loss in its home opener, are searching for its first win of the season. The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will continue for Carolina (1-0, 0-0 ACC) during the Thanksgiving holiday in the Bahamas, November 26-27-28 starting with a matchup against Butler at Noon on the 26th.
The Heels have some work to accomplish before the trip to the Bahamas, so let's break down the game tonight versus the Colonials (0-1, 0-0 Northeast). Robert Morris is coming off a very successful 2013-2014 campaign, which saw the team win its 11th Northeast Conference regular season championship with a record of 14-2. The Colonials were one win away from the NCAA Tournament but were upset by Mount St. Mary's in the conference title game. That sums up the life of a Mid-Major team. Losing the 2014 NEC Player of the Year, Karvel Anderson, to graduation was quite a blow for Robert Morris, as well. However, the Colonials bring back a number of contributing players from last year's team, including three starters. Most notably, senior forward Lucky Jones has a great shot at becoming the school's all-time leading rebounder. He only needs 85 more rebounds to claim the school record for himself. He was named to the Preseason All-NEC team and, besides leading the team in rebounding with 667 career boards, is currently RMU's active leading scorer with 1,200 points. His knack for being around the rim will be a considerable challenge for the Tar Heels.
UNC will have the bodies to bang downlow with Jones, however. Carolina showed their presence and depth in the middle during its first game of the season versus NC Central. Both Brice Johnson (who has muscled up 40 pounds) and Kennedy Meeks (slim and trim, I may add) served as quite a frontcourt duo in Friday evening's opening win. Joel James even supplied a nice array of footwork and smooth shooting which, hopefully, is a sign of his offensive production throughout the season. With all of this new found depth this season, UNC Coach Roy Williams has a luxury he has been missing for the last few years.
That is why we may still see Williams tinkering with his lineup to try to find the right pieces to the puzzle for specific situations. Both the perimeter and frontcourt run deep with talent, but it will be Coach Williams to analyze and search out the lineups that work best. All in all, finding the right cohesion on the court quickly (major non-conference games are right around the corner) will be important and, definitely, being able to gel as a team heading into conference play. With that said, the perimeter players need to shoot the ball better than they did Friday night.
It all starts with Marcus Paige. And, by that, I don't just mean Marcus Paige one-on-one. The Heels had trouble getting Paige open for shots against NCCU, so the team will need to respond with better screens and sharper passes to create extra space for the Preseason All-American.and ACC Player of the Year. After only eight points of offense Friday on 2 of 8 shooting, look for Paige to reap the benefits of a more heads-up offensive scheme this evening. Forcing turnovers and getting out on fast breaks will be the key to opening up the game early and often. The Heels only managed six fast break points against NCCU which is a far cry from the stat that everyone expects the Heels to dominate this year. The team is much quicker than previous seasons, so, it is imperative to get into passing lanes, defend, and create more fast break opportunities.
Preparation for a most difficult December schedule continues this evening in Chapel Hill. With so many powerhouse opponents on the horizon, Coach Williams believes it is imperative to find the right fit on the court as soon as possible. Robert Morris has the seventh most wins by a Mid-Major team since the 2007-2008 season with 163 victories and the squad is challenging itself with a tougher non-conference schedule that includes Georgetown next week (the other side of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament bracket). A good early season mid-major opponent is exactly what the Tar Heels need in regards to competition. Having depth is a luxury, as I wrote earlier, but it can also make it incredibly difficult on the coaches that are trying to create a perfect mesh.
Yes, the offensive flow of the game can and will be affected as the lineup changes come rapidly. But, once the coaches find the right fit where the players are all in rhythm out on the court, the Heels have the talent to produce a product that is mighty special.
The season tipped off at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill tonight as Brice Johnson led the #6 Tar Heels with 12 points to earn a victory over the visiting NC Central Eagles (0-1, 0-0 MEAC), 76-60.
Kennedy Meeks and J.P. Tokoto cracked the double figure mark with 10 points apiece helping to give North Carolina (1-0, 0-0 ACC) a slight cushion early in the game, a lead they would never relinquish. Starting off strong, Carolina jumped out to a 11-0 lead only to cool off quite a bit for the rest of the half. However, strong defensive play by the Heels allowed the team to steady the ship and maintain the advantage over the Eagles.
Playing with a roster full of injury-plagued athletes, NCCU Coach LeVelle Moton saw glimpses of what his team can possibly be this season. Guard Anthony McDonald paced the defending MEAC champions with 16 points while also doing some good things on defense. Running a Box-and-1 defense against Carolina's Preseason All-American Marcus Paige, the Eagles did more than stymie the college superstar. It made the Tar Heels somewhat stagnant on offense and led to Paige only attempting 8 shots, making just 2 field goals. NCCU must feel good about the potential it has in shutting down key perimeter players. Bad thing for the Eagles is that Carolina sports a very deep roster and others can and will step up.
Both Johnson and Meeks were very active for the Heels, grabbing rebounds (17 total between the two) and running the court when they got the opportunity. Meeks slimmer figure was immediately noticed as he dove for loose balls and had himself a nice steal and breakaway dunk.
When UNC fell into its lull on the offensive side of the ball, its defense kicked it into high gear. Sophomore Nate Britt played extremely well on the defensive end by hawking the opposing guard, especially when he picked up a full-court press that almost led to a five-second call in a critical part of the game. Freshman Theo Pinson pointed out in post-game interviews that this was the turning point of the game. Coach Roy Williams even gave Britt some love.
"Nate Britt did a nice job trying to put pressure on the guard," Williams complimented post-game.
The perimeter shooting never got going for the Heels as the team finished a combined 2-11 (.182 pct) from behind the arc. But, give Carolina credit, they were 1-7 from 3-pt range in the first half and they basically realized the shots weren't falling. The fast breaks were not coming, either (Carolina only scored six fast-break points). So, the Heels went to the post. They decided to feed Johnson, Meeks, and freshman Justin Jackson more and the big men handled their business. Jackson poured in 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in his first collegiate regular-season game. He and fellow freshmen Pinson became only the 10th and 11th players in the Roy Williams' era at UNC to start their first game as a freshman. Pinson was a surprise start over Tokoto, but Coach Williams explained later.
"J.P. made a mistake in practice. He did something I didn't like, so I didn't start him. It's over with now. He came in the first substitution and he started the second half, so it's no big deal. He's had a great preseason, he really has. He's done some nice things for us."
All in all, the season opener was a success. Not the flashy type of game some expected from the Heels, but a solid victory over a well-coached team that is hungry to prove itself among the big boys.
"It's a W. It's not the prettiest thing in the world," said Coach Williams to open his post-game press conference.
But, the Heels will definitely take it. And, it even set a milestone in the coaching career of Ol' Roy. Tonight was his 1,000th combined win as a college Head and Assistant Coach. Williams has won 725 games as a head coach (418 with Kansas, 307 with UNC). He also won 275 games as an assistant to the legendary Dean Smith.
Let's hope Carolina continues to grab those W's...By Any Means Necessary!
Next Game: Robert Morris (0-1, 0-0 Northeast) Date & Time: Sunday, 11/16/14 @ 6:00pm EST Location: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC TV/Radio: ESPNU or ESPN3 / Tar Heels Sports Radio Network
College Basketball Season is BACK!! And, so is...CLARY'S CAROLINA CORNER!!!! I'm so thrilled to, once again, pen your game-to-game analysis of the North Carolina Tar Heels Men's Basketball program. Throughout the season, you can follow my Blogspot as the Heels head down the Road to the Final Four! If you are new to Clary's Carolina Corner, or if you just need a refresher, let me inform you of what you can expect and come to depend on.
Clary's Carolina Corner will provide Pre- and Post-Game analysis of each and every UNC Men's Basketball game of the 2014-2015 season. Hoping to culminate at the illustrious NCAA Final Four to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. New to the "Corner" is where it originates...via Blogspot. You can follow on your desktop and/or your mobile device!! Back in 2006-2007, Clary's Carolina Corner started as a Mass Email to all my fellow Tar Heels. I wanted to up the ante for its return, so I pray you all enjoy the blog as much as I enjoy supplying it to you. Well, enough of this intro! It's time to jump right into action because it's College Basketball season, Baaabbbbyyyyy!!! (said in my best Dickie V voice).
It has been another hellacious off-season for the Tar Heels (not on the court, but off the court), but I will choose to keep the Academic Scandal discussion away from this blog. My focus will be on-the-court and eyes to the recruiting trail at times. But, you can guarantee, Clary's Carolina Corner will not disappoint!
It's almost Friday Night and the mood is Right! Gonna have some fun, show you how it's done, Tar Heels TIP OFF!!!
#6 North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0, 0-0 ACC) host NC Central Eagles (0-0, 0-0 MEAC)
The Tar Heels open its season Friday night against the defending MEAC champion, NC Central Eagles. Carolina is poised to make a strong run to the ACC Championship this year and a deep push through the NCAA Tournament. UNC will, once again, be led by Preseason All-American guard, Marcus Paige; however, the supporting cast for the Heels this year are primed and ready to contribute at a high level. Joining Marcus in the starting lineup will be fellow Juniors, the all-around dynamic J.P. Tokoto and beefed-up Brice Johnson, along with slimmed-down Sophomore Kennedy Meeks, and highly-touted Freshman Justin Jackson. This starting lineup put on a show in the last Exhibition game played last Friday versus the Belmont Abbey Crusaders, ending in a 112-34 final score. That was exhibition, tonight is the real deal.
With that said, Carolina enters tonight's matchup sporting tremendous depth all the way down the roster. I can guarantee right now that this depth will be a huge storyline moving forward for the Heels this season. With guys like Sophomores Isaiah Hicks and Nate Britt, big man Joel James, and two very talented freshmen, Theo Pinson and Joel Berry II coming off the bench, there is plenty of support up and down this lineup. From top to bottom, this year's UNC squad posts big-time potential and definitely warrants a Top-10 ranking. Let's dive deeper into what the Tar Heels bring to the court this season.
The offensive leader in almost every Tar Heels category last season is back and on a mission for a March to the Final Four. Marcus Paige is coming off a red-hot 2013-2014 campaign, which saw him rocket to the top of the NCAA food chain. He is coming off a year where he averaged 17.5 points per game (ppg), 4.2 assists per game (apg), a .877 Free Throw Percentage (FT Pct.), and a .586 Field Goal Percentage. He was named 2nd team All-American by the Sporting News and earned 1st-team All-ACC and Most Improved Player in ACC awards. This year the sky is the limit for #5. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native is focused and locked in on surpassing last year's coming out party. His focus has always been on coming back and leading the Heels to a banner year. As last year ended, he believed there was much more work to accomplish in Chapel Hill.
"There are so many factors that go into it, but for me the vast majority of those pushed me to stay in college," Paige remarked as last season came to a close. "Physically maturing, wanting to be a little bit more successful down in March and April, trying to hang a banner and win more, and also just that I enjoy my teammates a lot. Everything just made sense for me to come back." That is the kind of superstar player I want on my team!
Returning with Paige is the ever-versatile J.P. Tokoto. This high-rising Junior has made great strides in the offseason to push his defensive skills to the max. Already a proficient defender leading the team last year with 1.6 steals a game (spg), Tokoto has shown signs in the preseason that his footwork and quickness have even stepped up a notch. His explosiveness as a finisher around the rim should razzle and dazzle the crowd in the Dean Dome this season, as well. Sophomore big man Kennedy Meeks dropped 45 lbs off his frame in the offseason and is more conditioned to run the court like the other star big men during the Roy Williams' era at Carolina. Like Sean May did for the Heels, Meeks is now prepared to run up and down the court this year which should bring him more points and keep him active around the rim. This year's Tar Heels squad is definitely quicker than last, showing lightning quick speed on the fast break during practice and exhibition games. Meeks weight-loss will bring immediate returns to the Tar Heel fast break. Watch for this! Isaiah Hicks will now look for a big year as he returns to his natural position, Power Forward. Hicks, sophomore standout from Oxford, NC, has shown during practice and preseason that this position is where he can flourish. In the four preseason games, he has led the scoring in two of those games (both in the Bahamas). His ability to shoot over guys and use his body to position himself for more opportunities will be a huge asset for the Heels this season. Expect big things from Hicks coming off the bench this season. Also, sophomore Nate Britt will be tag-teaming the point guard efforts this season with Paige and freshmen Berry II. Britt has undergone quite an interesting transformation this offseason. Britt worked hard during the summer to change his shooting style to right-handed from left-handed. It seems like a flawless switch as he has scored in double figures for both of the preseason games and he looks comfortable with his new form. Even more intriguing is the fact that he will still shoot free throws left-handed even though his field goal attempts will come with the right hand. Interesting indeed!
Alright, now you are caught up on the Tar Heels Roster....wait a minute...there is still a new group in town...The freshmen group I will now dub "PB&J", Theo Pinson, Joel Berry II, and Justin Jackson. Like how I did that?! Jackson has earned his way into the starting lineup for tonight's game and will become just the 10th Freshman during Roy Williams' tenure to start his first official game. But, Jackson has surely earned it. He has led the Tar Heels in scoring during the last two exhibition games and this McDonald's All-American has shown that his wiry and fierce play on the court opens the door for some offensive magic. Don't be surprised if Justin is a top pick for Freshmen of the Year honors in the ACC. This kid has some serious skills. Theo Pinson is also a McDonald's All-American and he has great leaping ability as well. His 6'6", 195 lb frame is perfect to play both forward and guard positions. A perfect asset to have coming off the bench and should get better with each and every game. Berry II will play backup point guard and should have a chance to excel in that position this year as Paige may move more full-time to shooting guard in some situations.
Okay, you are caught up on the Heels 2014-2015 roster, so let's dissect tonight's game versus North Carolina Central Eagles. The Eagles come off a sensational 2013-2014 campaign that saw them win the conference championship in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and reach last season's NCAA Tournament. Coming off that impressive 28-6 season, the Eagles have been picked in some circles to repeat as MEAC champions. Last season, NC Central knocked off NC State and played Wichita State and Iowa State very close. The Eagles lost Jeremy Ingram, last year's leading scorer, to graduation but they bring back leader Jordan Parks (pre-season All-MEAC first-team selection). If you can remember back to 2009, NC Central alumnus and head basketball coach, LeVelle Moton, made his debut as Eagles' coach against the Tar Heels, losing 89-42 in the two programs' only meeting. NC Central will challenge themselves in non-conference matchups this season, playing Carolina, Creighton, Cincinnati, and Memphis. They are looking to shake off the David vs Goliath moniker and actually prove to the nation they belong in the NCAA Tournament.
Eagles' head coach Moton says, "We will not shy away from top competition. We take every challenge head on and with the amount of newcomers we have to mix in, this schedule will truly reveal what type of team we have."
The top competition starts tonight in the form of the North Carolina Tar Heels! Ranked #6 in both the AP and Coaches Poll, Carolina has a squad that showcases a more versatile perimeter, led by Paige, and an aggressive size advantage downlow. Having this impressive depth in both aspects, outside and inside, will be a refreshing change to Coach Williams' lineup and you should see him be able to utilize this advantage possession by possession. With so much depth and talent this roster exudes, Ol' Roy is looking forward to finding the right ingredients.
"We'll experiment quite a bit, but at the same time we're going to try to win games, too," Williams said during his Wednesday press conference. "It's important to realize that we've had two exhibition games where we were far more gifted than the teams we were playing, so I tried to experiment a lot during those times. I don't see us experimenting nearly as much Friday and Sunday (against Robert Morris)."
If Williams can tinker the lineup just right for particular situations (whether it be a 3-guard lineup or a quick, feisty defensive lineup for full-court pressure), that could be the difference in a great year and A SEASON FOR THE AGES!!
With that said, it's time to bunker down and prepare for Tip-Off!! The season is almost underway and you DON'T want to miss all the action right here at CLARY'S CAROLINA CORNER!! GO HEELS!
Matchup: NC Central Eagles (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) vs #6 UNC Tar Heels (0-0, 0-0 ACC) Gametime: Friday 11/14/14 @ 8:00 PM EST Location: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC TV/Radio: ESPNU or ESPN3/Tar Heels Sports Radio Network
