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
Excellent first article Josh!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support Leslie! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!
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