University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 10, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the season opener against Northern Iowa.
By Adam Lucas
1. That was a very unexpected offensive display considering the absence of Joel Berry and Cam Johnson (muscle spasms). The Tar Heels put up 86 points and did it on 50 percent shooting from the field, eventually building a 31-point lead at one point in the second half. Take away two of the roster's top scorers, and an 86-69 victory is a very welcome start to the 2017-18 season.
2. The biggest part of that offense was Luke Maye, who is poised to have a huge year. The junior finished with 26 points in 28 minutes--26 points in 28 minutes!--and also grabbed ten rebounds. He easily would've had a 30/10 night if the Tar Heels had needed more minutes from him. Maye scored on a variety of baskets, including jumpers, post moves, and a couple of three-pointers. Because he is Carolina's best rebounder, he is going to play big minutes this year. He won't get 26 every night, but he's a legitimate All-ACC candidate.
3. There will be more about this in the postgame column, but let's just accept right now that this corner is firmly in the tank for Kenny Williams. The junior does everything you need on a winning team, and when he's adding a little scoring--as he did Friday night, posting ten points and knocking in a pair of three-pointers--he's a very valuable piece. Williams had several headlong dives on the floor that Roy Williams is certain to use when he reviews the film with the team.
4. Congratulations to Garrison Brooks for receiving the Isaiah Hicks Award by picking up two offensive fouls in his first 11 minutes of Tar Heel action. Other than those two calls, Brooks showed some nice polish--including a savvy feed to Luke Maye for a bucket--and good touch around the rim. Not every day will look as good as that one, but it was an encouraging start to his Carolina career. The rookie finished with 14 points and six rebounds to highlight the contributions of the freshmen big men. Combine him with Brandon Huffman and Sterling Manley and you get 27 points and 15 points, a terrific stat line.
5. Speaking of the freshmen bigs, the Tar Heels generally held their own in the paint. Although Northern Iowa had a 14-13 edge on second chance points, they owned a 37-29 advantage on the glass. Carolina shot 18-of-27 on shots in the paint and outscored Northern Iowa--a team that appeared committed to the three-point shot--36-14 in the post. All of those categories are going to be areas to watch this year as the Tar Heels eventually run into even more talented post players.
6. The Tar Heels didn't suffer too much in the absence of Berry. Jalek Felton got the start and had almost as many spin moves as points (five) while looking very much like the dynamic scorer everyone thinks he can be. In a bit of a surprise, he also showed a little tenaciousness on defense, and picked up a couple of steals. Seventh Woods had a great first half and finished with nine points and two assists. Carolina had just seven turnovers (zero from Theo Pinson, who also had a team-high tying five assists).
7. It was nice to see the Tar Heels self-correct themselves after an overexuberant start. The Heels hoisted their first three shots from three-point range, missing all three. They then took just eight of their next 31 shots from beyond the arc. That isn't going to be a strength of a team missing Berry and Johnson, and the Carolina offense eventually found other ways to probe the UNI defense. For the game, the Tar Heels took just 15 three-pointers, making six, after the 0-3 start.
8. Let's mention this now before Carolina has an off night and everyone complains about it: the Tar Heels made 18 of 21 free throw attempts (85.7%), including 4-for-4 from Brooks.
9. Sure, the 2017-18 season is officially underway now, but it's not too late to take a fun look back at 2017. If you're in Chapel Hill, you can buy signed copies of the official 2017 championship book, Redemption, at Chapel Hill Sportswear. And if you're not local, you can buy signed copies online.
10. Isn't it nice to have Carolina basketball back again?Â
1. That was a very unexpected offensive display considering the absence of Joel Berry and Cam Johnson (muscle spasms). The Tar Heels put up 86 points and did it on 50 percent shooting from the field, eventually building a 31-point lead at one point in the second half. Take away two of the roster's top scorers, and an 86-69 victory is a very welcome start to the 2017-18 season.
2. The biggest part of that offense was Luke Maye, who is poised to have a huge year. The junior finished with 26 points in 28 minutes--26 points in 28 minutes!--and also grabbed ten rebounds. He easily would've had a 30/10 night if the Tar Heels had needed more minutes from him. Maye scored on a variety of baskets, including jumpers, post moves, and a couple of three-pointers. Because he is Carolina's best rebounder, he is going to play big minutes this year. He won't get 26 every night, but he's a legitimate All-ACC candidate.
3. There will be more about this in the postgame column, but let's just accept right now that this corner is firmly in the tank for Kenny Williams. The junior does everything you need on a winning team, and when he's adding a little scoring--as he did Friday night, posting ten points and knocking in a pair of three-pointers--he's a very valuable piece. Williams had several headlong dives on the floor that Roy Williams is certain to use when he reviews the film with the team.
4. Congratulations to Garrison Brooks for receiving the Isaiah Hicks Award by picking up two offensive fouls in his first 11 minutes of Tar Heel action. Other than those two calls, Brooks showed some nice polish--including a savvy feed to Luke Maye for a bucket--and good touch around the rim. Not every day will look as good as that one, but it was an encouraging start to his Carolina career. The rookie finished with 14 points and six rebounds to highlight the contributions of the freshmen big men. Combine him with Brandon Huffman and Sterling Manley and you get 27 points and 15 points, a terrific stat line.
5. Speaking of the freshmen bigs, the Tar Heels generally held their own in the paint. Although Northern Iowa had a 14-13 edge on second chance points, they owned a 37-29 advantage on the glass. Carolina shot 18-of-27 on shots in the paint and outscored Northern Iowa--a team that appeared committed to the three-point shot--36-14 in the post. All of those categories are going to be areas to watch this year as the Tar Heels eventually run into even more talented post players.
6. The Tar Heels didn't suffer too much in the absence of Berry. Jalek Felton got the start and had almost as many spin moves as points (five) while looking very much like the dynamic scorer everyone thinks he can be. In a bit of a surprise, he also showed a little tenaciousness on defense, and picked up a couple of steals. Seventh Woods had a great first half and finished with nine points and two assists. Carolina had just seven turnovers (zero from Theo Pinson, who also had a team-high tying five assists).
7. It was nice to see the Tar Heels self-correct themselves after an overexuberant start. The Heels hoisted their first three shots from three-point range, missing all three. They then took just eight of their next 31 shots from beyond the arc. That isn't going to be a strength of a team missing Berry and Johnson, and the Carolina offense eventually found other ways to probe the UNI defense. For the game, the Tar Heels took just 15 three-pointers, making six, after the 0-3 start.
8. Let's mention this now before Carolina has an off night and everyone complains about it: the Tar Heels made 18 of 21 free throw attempts (85.7%), including 4-for-4 from Brooks.
9. Sure, the 2017-18 season is officially underway now, but it's not too late to take a fun look back at 2017. If you're in Chapel Hill, you can buy signed copies of the official 2017 championship book, Redemption, at Chapel Hill Sportswear. And if you're not local, you can buy signed copies online.
10. Isn't it nice to have Carolina basketball back again?Â
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