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.
And, I am certain, that day is not too far ahead.
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