Photo by: Peyton Williams
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 15, 2017 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from Carolina's game against Bucknell.
By Adam Lucas
1. That was a pretty solid win against a likely NCAA Tournament team without one of Carolina's best scorers in Cam Johnson. The 93-81 win isn't one that will go in the time capsule, but it's also one the Tar Heels could have lost--but didn't.
2. What a luxury to have two seniors who have played together as much as Joel Berry and Theo Pinson. Their chemistry was evident in almost everything they did against the Bison, starting when Berry tossed a no-look over the shoulder pass from midcourt to Pinson streaking for a layup. Enjoy those two. In the 2017 version of college basketball, there won't be many like them. Berry finished just 1-for-11 in his first game back of his senior season, but it hardly mattered. He still played 30 minutes, and he and Pinson tied for the team lead with six assists apiece. The fact that they are so willing to share the ball even as seniors who could be forgiven for hunting their shot dictates the tone for the rest of the team.
3. As has been noted multiple times, the positive about having three freshman big men is that you're going to get something good from at least one of them every night. Such was the case with Sterling Manley on Wednesday, as he had a very solid first half, scoring a couple of buckets and grabbing seven rebounds in just six minutes of action. For young players, sometimes it just takes a little bit of positive reinforcement to remind them that they are indeed capable of playing at this level. Manley got that in the first half. He then built on it into the second half and finished with a whopping 16 points and 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes. Garrison Brooks, meanwhile, was in double figures (10) for the second straight game, and Brandon Huffman scored four points in four minutes. The young big men have had a good opening week.
4. Bucknell has some players who are difficult to defend. Zach Thomas can score in the paint or off the dribble, and multiple Tar Heels spent time defending him, with the most possessions going to Luke Maye. Thomas, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week who was terrific in Bucknell's first two games, did get 21 points, but he was allowed just four rebounds (only one offensive) and shot 6-for-15 from the floor.
5. Williams is going to use some creative rotations in Johnson's absence. The Tar Heels played two point guards, paired two of the freshman big men on one occasion, had Pinson and Berry on the bench in a one-point game with 13 minutes left, and then had Andrew Platek, Seventh Woods and Huffman on the court with nine minutes left in a six-point game. It's November, folks. If you don't try lineups like that now, you don't find the next Luke Maye.
6. Speaking of whom, the original Luke Maye was terrific again. And you could see how much Williams trusts him with the way Carolina runs offense for him. The Tar Heels ran a specific play for a Maye three-pointer coming out of a timeout (he made it) and then did it again up 75-67 needing a dagger--and Maye again hit a three-pointer. The junior finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
7. There will be plenty of them this year, but Kenny Williams' block on Zach Thomas at the end of the first half has to go on his season defensive highlight reel.
8. If you need to take a concern from this game and/or you are Roy Williams, the fact that Bucknell shot 46 percent from the floor will be a point to address. The Bison shot just well enough from the three-point line (11-28) to stay in the game.Â
9. Carolina was in the one-and-one with 14:18 left in the second half and took advantage of the free throw disparity. The Tar Heels made 25 of their 33 charity tosses, while Bucknell went to the line just 18 times (and made 12).
10. The win marks Roy Williams' 400th victory at Carolina and the head coach's 200th win at the Smith Center. He is now an impressive 107-4 against nonconferences foes in the building.
11. There are more thoughts on Cameron Johnson's 4-6 week absence here.Â
1. That was a pretty solid win against a likely NCAA Tournament team without one of Carolina's best scorers in Cam Johnson. The 93-81 win isn't one that will go in the time capsule, but it's also one the Tar Heels could have lost--but didn't.
2. What a luxury to have two seniors who have played together as much as Joel Berry and Theo Pinson. Their chemistry was evident in almost everything they did against the Bison, starting when Berry tossed a no-look over the shoulder pass from midcourt to Pinson streaking for a layup. Enjoy those two. In the 2017 version of college basketball, there won't be many like them. Berry finished just 1-for-11 in his first game back of his senior season, but it hardly mattered. He still played 30 minutes, and he and Pinson tied for the team lead with six assists apiece. The fact that they are so willing to share the ball even as seniors who could be forgiven for hunting their shot dictates the tone for the rest of the team.
3. As has been noted multiple times, the positive about having three freshman big men is that you're going to get something good from at least one of them every night. Such was the case with Sterling Manley on Wednesday, as he had a very solid first half, scoring a couple of buckets and grabbing seven rebounds in just six minutes of action. For young players, sometimes it just takes a little bit of positive reinforcement to remind them that they are indeed capable of playing at this level. Manley got that in the first half. He then built on it into the second half and finished with a whopping 16 points and 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes. Garrison Brooks, meanwhile, was in double figures (10) for the second straight game, and Brandon Huffman scored four points in four minutes. The young big men have had a good opening week.
4. Bucknell has some players who are difficult to defend. Zach Thomas can score in the paint or off the dribble, and multiple Tar Heels spent time defending him, with the most possessions going to Luke Maye. Thomas, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week who was terrific in Bucknell's first two games, did get 21 points, but he was allowed just four rebounds (only one offensive) and shot 6-for-15 from the floor.
5. Williams is going to use some creative rotations in Johnson's absence. The Tar Heels played two point guards, paired two of the freshman big men on one occasion, had Pinson and Berry on the bench in a one-point game with 13 minutes left, and then had Andrew Platek, Seventh Woods and Huffman on the court with nine minutes left in a six-point game. It's November, folks. If you don't try lineups like that now, you don't find the next Luke Maye.
6. Speaking of whom, the original Luke Maye was terrific again. And you could see how much Williams trusts him with the way Carolina runs offense for him. The Tar Heels ran a specific play for a Maye three-pointer coming out of a timeout (he made it) and then did it again up 75-67 needing a dagger--and Maye again hit a three-pointer. The junior finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
7. There will be plenty of them this year, but Kenny Williams' block on Zach Thomas at the end of the first half has to go on his season defensive highlight reel.
8. If you need to take a concern from this game and/or you are Roy Williams, the fact that Bucknell shot 46 percent from the floor will be a point to address. The Bison shot just well enough from the three-point line (11-28) to stay in the game.Â
9. Carolina was in the one-and-one with 14:18 left in the second half and took advantage of the free throw disparity. The Tar Heels made 25 of their 33 charity tosses, while Bucknell went to the line just 18 times (and made 12).
10. The win marks Roy Williams' 400th victory at Carolina and the head coach's 200th win at the Smith Center. He is now an impressive 107-4 against nonconferences foes in the building.
11. There are more thoughts on Cameron Johnson's 4-6 week absence here.Â
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