University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 15, 2014 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. It was fun watching Kennedy Meeks' hard work in the offseason pay dividends. The big man went airborne early near the Carolina bench to try and swipe a steal, got out in a passing lane at the top of the key to get a steal and dunk, and showed off some new and improved lift under the hoop on a quick move to the basket later in the first half. He even got some elevation to block a second-half drive to the hoop, and generally looked like a player poised to play more minutes at a higher level of consistency. The sophomore finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
2. Meeks has essentially been the buzz of the summer, so his improved performance was somewhat expected. The second-half spurt from Joel James was more of a surprise, as he dropped in a couple of baseline jumpers and showed a smooth stroke at the free throw line, making all three of his charity tosses.
3. Credit North Carolina Central with being the first of what is likely to be a frequent defensive adjustment against the Tar Heels this year. After starting the game in man-to-man, the Eagles went zone midway through the first half and watched the Carolina offense grind to a halt. The zone stymied the offense, and the Tar Heels hit just 1-of-7 three-point attempts in the first 20 minutes.
The percentage didn't get much better in the second half, but the shot selection was, and Carolina finished 2-for-11 from the arc.
4. In addition to an effective halfcourt defense, Central also did a good job against the Tar Heel fast break. Carolina finished with just six fast break points.
5. Theo Pinson and Justin Jackson became the tenth and eleventh freshmen under Roy Williams to start the first game of the season. Jackson had a quietly efficient nine-point, five-rebound night, shooting 4-of-7 from the field. Pinson, who started in place of J.P. Tokoto, finished with four points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
