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
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