University of North Carolina Athletics
Theo Pinson
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
January 27, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the game against NCSU.
By Adam Lucas
1. No good way to interpret that loss. NC State, a team that had to struggle back from the depths to beat Pitt on the road, came into the Smith Center and emerged with an overtime win that will officially launch concern across the Carolina basketball world. "I'm not ready to panic or abandon ship," Roy Williams said immediately after the game. He'll have a short time to convince his team of the same thing with the Tar Heels headed to Clemson on Tuesday night.
2. Pretty easy way to sum that one up: N.C. State (a team that came into the game shooting approximately 33% from the three-point line in ACC play) hit 15 of 30 three-point shots, while Carolina hit 4-of-19, with two of those coming in the closing minutes. The Tar Heels missed multiple open jumpers, and you could see the hesitation from the perimeter impacting the offense in the final minutes of regulation.Â
3. That's going to lead to questions about whether the small lineup is productive if the Tar Heels aren't getting any scoring from the wing. Cameron Johnson and Kenny Williams struggled again offensively. Johnson eventually found a way to create some offense driving to the basket, and finished with 12 points and six assists, and Williams scored his two baskets in key spots late in the game on curls to the rim and also added four assists and four rebounds.
4. Theo Pinson, on the other hand, had his third career double-double and scored 22 points to go with his 15 rebounds. The senior would likely tell you he wishes he had back a couple of his four turnovers, but on a day when the Tar Heels desperately needed offense to stay in the game, he provided it.
5. Add Allerik Freeman to the State list that includes Lakista McCuller as Wolfpack players who had a career day from the three-point line against the Heels. Freeman finished with 29 points and was an amazing 7-of-7 from the three-point line. Even with Williams on him--UNC's best perimeter defender--Freeman still couldn't miss.
6. Struggles at the free throw line were another story. Johnson made the two big ones at the end of the second half, but Carolina finished 11-for-20, and left another one on the table when Joel Berry missed the front end of a one-and-one late in the game.Â
7. Here's the math: UNC made 4-of-19 shots from the three-point line and 34 of 53 from two-point range. Expect Roy Williams to emphasize in the days to come that it might be a good idea to get a few more shots inside the arc.
8. Luke Maye was terrific again, finishing with 31 points and 12 rebounds while adding three blocks.
9. It looked like the decision to go to Sterling Manley on the last State inbounds play of the game was going to pay major dividends when Manley came up with a loose ball in the corner. But he appeared temporarily overwhelmed by the moment and turned it back over, allowing State to make the game-clinching free throws.
10. In addition to Manley, two reserves gave UNC good minutes. Garrison Brooks had a great stretch in the first half and finished with eight points, a rebound and an assist, and Andrew Platek sank a three-pointer and scored five points in 11 minutes.Â
11. Carolina had a big 48-34 rebounding edge, but just 15-13 on the offensive glass on a day when there were more UNC misses available for rebounds than for State. The Pack actually had the edge in second chance points, 22-18, so the Tar Heels didn't convert many of those boards into points.
12. Great halftime ceremony honoring the 1967-69 teams. Those are teams that helped make Carolina Basketball what it is, and they received a well-deserved round of applause. Larry Miller was part of the ceremony--he is one of Carolina's greatest players and hasn't been back to the Smith Center in many years.
13. There will be lots of frustration in the hours and days to come. And this doesn't excuse losing a home game to NC State. But the Pack is playing much harder and better than they were last year when the Tar Heels saw them in Chapel Hill. Kevin Keatts has done a good job with them, and you can expect a madhouse when the Tar Heels go to Raleigh in two weeks.
1. No good way to interpret that loss. NC State, a team that had to struggle back from the depths to beat Pitt on the road, came into the Smith Center and emerged with an overtime win that will officially launch concern across the Carolina basketball world. "I'm not ready to panic or abandon ship," Roy Williams said immediately after the game. He'll have a short time to convince his team of the same thing with the Tar Heels headed to Clemson on Tuesday night.
2. Pretty easy way to sum that one up: N.C. State (a team that came into the game shooting approximately 33% from the three-point line in ACC play) hit 15 of 30 three-point shots, while Carolina hit 4-of-19, with two of those coming in the closing minutes. The Tar Heels missed multiple open jumpers, and you could see the hesitation from the perimeter impacting the offense in the final minutes of regulation.Â
3. That's going to lead to questions about whether the small lineup is productive if the Tar Heels aren't getting any scoring from the wing. Cameron Johnson and Kenny Williams struggled again offensively. Johnson eventually found a way to create some offense driving to the basket, and finished with 12 points and six assists, and Williams scored his two baskets in key spots late in the game on curls to the rim and also added four assists and four rebounds.
4. Theo Pinson, on the other hand, had his third career double-double and scored 22 points to go with his 15 rebounds. The senior would likely tell you he wishes he had back a couple of his four turnovers, but on a day when the Tar Heels desperately needed offense to stay in the game, he provided it.
5. Add Allerik Freeman to the State list that includes Lakista McCuller as Wolfpack players who had a career day from the three-point line against the Heels. Freeman finished with 29 points and was an amazing 7-of-7 from the three-point line. Even with Williams on him--UNC's best perimeter defender--Freeman still couldn't miss.
6. Struggles at the free throw line were another story. Johnson made the two big ones at the end of the second half, but Carolina finished 11-for-20, and left another one on the table when Joel Berry missed the front end of a one-and-one late in the game.Â
7. Here's the math: UNC made 4-of-19 shots from the three-point line and 34 of 53 from two-point range. Expect Roy Williams to emphasize in the days to come that it might be a good idea to get a few more shots inside the arc.
8. Luke Maye was terrific again, finishing with 31 points and 12 rebounds while adding three blocks.
9. It looked like the decision to go to Sterling Manley on the last State inbounds play of the game was going to pay major dividends when Manley came up with a loose ball in the corner. But he appeared temporarily overwhelmed by the moment and turned it back over, allowing State to make the game-clinching free throws.
10. In addition to Manley, two reserves gave UNC good minutes. Garrison Brooks had a great stretch in the first half and finished with eight points, a rebound and an assist, and Andrew Platek sank a three-pointer and scored five points in 11 minutes.Â
11. Carolina had a big 48-34 rebounding edge, but just 15-13 on the offensive glass on a day when there were more UNC misses available for rebounds than for State. The Pack actually had the edge in second chance points, 22-18, so the Tar Heels didn't convert many of those boards into points.
12. Great halftime ceremony honoring the 1967-69 teams. Those are teams that helped make Carolina Basketball what it is, and they received a well-deserved round of applause. Larry Miller was part of the ceremony--he is one of Carolina's greatest players and hasn't been back to the Smith Center in many years.
13. There will be lots of frustration in the hours and days to come. And this doesn't excuse losing a home game to NC State. But the Pack is playing much harder and better than they were last year when the Tar Heels saw them in Chapel Hill. Kevin Keatts has done a good job with them, and you can expect a madhouse when the Tar Heels go to Raleigh in two weeks.
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