And, from there, the Heels never looked back.
Carolina (19-8, 9-5 ACC) rocketed out of the gates Saturday afternoon against the Yellow Jackets (12-15, 3-12 ACC), proving there was no lingering hangover from the gut-wrenching defeat to archrival Duke earlier this week. The Heels would continue to build on its lead throughout the entire game behind a well-balance scoring attack that saw six Tar Heels score in double digits. UNC was on fire, smoking from the field as the team shot 62.3% en route to its hightest shooting percentage of the season. The Carolina big men were at it once again as Kennedy Meeks led UNC with his second 18 point performance in a row while Brice Johnson fought through a serious illness to add 16 points. Meeks has really stepped up his play of late after being taken out of the starting lineup for a couple games early this month. Over the the course of the last three games, Meeks has scored 51 points (average of 17 points per game) and has shot 71% from the field (22-of-31). Marcus Paige rebounded from two straight dismal outings to contribute 13 points and dish out 10 assists, collecting his first-career double-double, and the first UNC points-assists double-double since Dexter Strickland did it against East Carolina in 2012. Paige also took care of the ball by not having a single turnover, so his 10 assists without a turnover were the most since Kendall Marshall had 13 assists to no turnovers versus NC State in 2012. The Tar Heels, as a team, tallied 26 assists which was the most by UNC during ACC play this season and third highest output all-year long. J.P. Tokoto soared high over the Yellow Jackets putting in 12 points as Isaiah Hicks and Justin Jackson entered the double-figures group with 12 and 11, respectively.
"Today we came in, lost four out of five, we needed to make a change," said Tokoto. "Just wanted to bring energy and anything I could do for the team. Everyone fell in and everybody played great today."
The Yellow Jackets never had an answer to the explosive offensive display the Heels rained down on them all day in the Dean Dome. Georgia Tech was led by Marcus Georges-Hunt who scored 15 and Quinton Stephens added 10, but those two would only combine for six of their points in the second half that was all Carolina Blue. Carolina dominated in the paint outscoring Georgia Tech 46-30 and the Heels consistently got to the rim and found themselves open for many uncontested shots. The Tar Heels would shoot above 60% in both halves (61.3 in the first, 63.3 in the second) and Carolina had not shot that well since 2011 against Tennessee State. From the get-go, the Heels just looked crisp with a bounce in their step. Paige, most noticeably, seemed to have a swagger in his dribble and intended on getting himself and the Heels back on track after dropping four of the last five contests.
On the first possession, Roy held up those ever-famous four fingers and the crowd (which was much more quiet during the game than usual) sensed something special. Paige directed the "Four Corners" set on the court just as Phil Ford, Jimmy Black, and Kenny "The Jet" Smith had done for Coach Smith's ballclubs in the past. It was a surreal moment and when Johnson's layup went through the hoop for two, chillbumps and memories of Coach Smith came rushing in. Coach Williams took a seat by his assistant coaches after that first play and took a big breath, exhaled, and seemed to say a little prayer to his mentor. Coach Williams had practiced the play with the team when no one else was around because he wanted the moment to be extremely special, touching, and significant.
"I wanted it to be something very sincere from our team...to Coach Dean Smith," Williams stated. "So we didn't want anybody sending out a daggum Twitter or fax or whatever the dickens we go on today. I wanted it to be something from my team to Coach Smith and that worked out great."
For the current players, like Paige, who weren't even born when there wasn't a shot clock and "Four Corners" reigned supreme, the execution of the play had them on pins and needles.
"That was one of the most nerve-racking moments of my life just because I feel like if I would've turned it over, if I would've messed it up or something that I was letting down the way we were going to pay homage to Coach Smith," Paige said. "I'm just glad Brice caught it and laid it up. He made me look good."
The whole team looked mighty good the rest of the way. Cruising into the half with a 43-29 advantage, the Heels would blow this thing completely out of the water in the first minutes of the second. By the first official timeout in the second half, UNC's lead had ballooned to 28 points and reached a peak of 38 with seven minutes to go. Even without Joel Berry II, due to a stomach virus, the Heels managed to rotate players flawlessly and keep the Ramblin' Wreck at bay. Meeks' and Johnson's assertive and aggressive tone, Paige's effeciency, and Tokoto's high-flying acrobatics highlighted this game and put a exclamation point on this crazy week for the Heels. Hopefully, this game serves as a springboard into the final four games of the regular season, starting with another rivalry matchup with NC State at home on Tuesday night.
With all of the lettermen from the coaching days of Dean Smith in attendance Saturday in the wake of Dean's public memorial inside the Dean Dome Sunday, Carolina executed the gameplan to perfection, getting out in transition, scoring off of turnovers, and distributing the scoring balance up and down the roster.
On this day in Chapel Hill, it was a heartfelt statement to our legend, to our Dean, reminding him that This is Carolina Basketball and that Coach Smith is "Forever A Tar Heel."
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