University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Learning As They Go
December 5, 2009 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Dec. 5, 2009
By Adam Lucas
LEXINGTON--Inexperience doesn't have a face. It's an intangible quality of a basketball team, not like height or depth or athleticism.
But as Carolina learned Saturday afternoon at Rupp Arena, it can be just as obvious, even without having a tangible expression.
Kentucky's 28-2 first-half run was remarkable for the way the Wildcats got good looks and stymied Carolina defensively. But it was most stunning for the way Kentucky completely out-Carolina'd Carolina. Six of the Wildcat field goals in that game-turning stretch were scored within six seconds of taking possession. John Wall will get the credit orchestrating the fast-break blitzkrieg, but what was most impressive was that he had teammates running with him.
As the UK run turned from a trickle to a tidal wave, the Tar Heels assisted by struggling to get the ball inside offensively. By the time Kentucky had a 39-20 lead with five minutes left in the first half, Carolina had the same number of three-pointers as two-pointers and hadn't made a two-point basket in almost eight minutes. How bad was the interior offense? The first Tar Heel free throw attempt of the half came when Deon Thompson toed the stripe with 3:51 remaining.
"Their big guys were physical with us, and they pushed us off the position where we wanted to catch the ball," Thompson said. "Their guards did a great job too. That first 20 minutes, they imposed their will on us."
That imposition of will fueled a Rupp Arena record crowd of 24,468 that had been in their seats since 15 minutes before tipoff. By the time Wall converted a three-point play to make it 28-11, it was as loud as any road arena Carolina has seen in the Roy Williams era. The environment clearly rattled a group of Tar Heels who have now been on the wrong end of 22-1 (Syracuse) and 28-2 (UK) runs in hostile settings.
"I don't know if guys got intimidated or froze up," Drew II said. "We have to keep our poise. When 24,000 fans are cheering against us we have to keep our confidence level."
What was impressive, though, was that Carolina eventually battled back. Helped by an injury that limited Wall, the Tar Heels crept back into the game. But on several key late-game possessions, the inexperience showed again. With the ball and a chance to tie, Drew launched a three-pointer less than 10 seconds into the shot clock. Marcus Ginyard also missed a three-pointer that would've tied the game, Drew overpassed when he had a good look at the hoop, and then Ed Davis and Will Graves fumbled a defensive rebound out of bounds with the deficit just four points. That play didn't result in Kentucky points, but it did force the Tar Heels to play a full minute of defense at a time when seconds were precious.
"I really thought if we could just get over the hump, we'd have a chance," Williams said.
Carolina, for the first time in a couple of seasons, looked rushed. Williams instructed his team that even though the clock was ticking, they should take an extra second if it meant the difference between a good shot and a great shot. Instead, things just seemed to move too quickly.
"It's about focus and experience," said freshman Dexter Strickland. "At times like that, late in the game, we want a good shot, not just any shot. We have to make sure we're getting a good shot that we want."
These are the games that have regularly been head-shaking, "How did they do that?" victories in recent seasons. They're also the types that are perfect practice for March and April. Going through it once doesn't ensure better results next time. But it's one more new experience that can be checked off the list for a young team.
Even once it was over, the education wasn't finished. Walking to the locker room, there was the temptation to think that keeping it close had been an achievement. After all, Kentucky was about two possessions from turning it into a whipping. Hostile crowd, talented opponent...hey, it could've been worse. Only one problem: that's not Carolina. To make sure his team wasn't satisfied with simply making a comeback and keeping the game close, Williams delivered this postgame message when he gathered his team:
"This is North Carolina. We're supposed to come back. There are no moral victories in this."
He wanted to make sure his team knew the trip to Lexington hadn't been a good experience--but that the opportunity remained to make it into a valuable one.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of five books on Carolina basketball, including the just-released book on the 2009 national title, One Fantastic Ride. Get real-time UNC sports updates from the THM staff on Twitter.
