University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 28, 2014 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. Butler was very good at preventing Carolina's transition opportunities. UCLA was more willing to run with the Tar Heels, and it allowed Carolina to look much more comfortable in the offense. The Bruins also contributed to the offense by coughing up 23 turnovers. UNC led the points off turnovers category by a whopping margin of 31-6.
2. It's been fun to watch Isaiah Hicks blossom through the first five games of the year. Hicks got the start on Thursday night and was once again extremely impressive. The sophomore finished with 10 points and three rebounds.
Another benefit of Hicks' improved play: it pushes Brice Johnson and, in theory, makes him a better player. If Hicks continues to play well, it's going to be interesting to see how Johnson responds. The junior had a frustrating night against UCLA and was pretty clearly upset by his performance, and spent a minute with his head in his hands on the bench after making a late error. It's not a matter of whether UNC would be better with either Hicks or Johnson. It's that they need both of them.
3. UCLA played a home game in Los Angeles on Sunday night and then had to travel all day on Monday to get to the Bahamas. They looked like a tired team on Thanksgiving. The best illustration came with about six minutes left, when the Bruins played a solid 20 seconds of defense, got to the late-shot clock portion of the possession, and then allowed J.P. Tokoto to slice straight through the heart of the defense for an easy basket. Assuming UCLA draws Jerod Haase and UAB on Friday night, it might be a chance for the Blazers to grab an impressive win.
4. Nothing spectacular, but a solid performance on Thursday for all three UNC freshmen. Joel Berry II gave the Tar Heels a couple good minutes in the first half when Marcus Paige was nursing an injured hand. Justin Jackson had a rough night from the field, but never seemed particularly concerned about it, and still had 10 points and five rebounds. And Theo Pinson pulled down five rebounds in limited playing time and seemed to have a hand on every loose ball. So far, Pinson doesn't make a lot of plays that show up in the box score, but he's active when he's on the court. He was involved in several of the loose balls that turned into turnovers.
5. Carolina and UCLA will meet again next season at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as part of the CBS Sports Classic. That game will be on Dec. 19, 2015, and the event will also include Kentucky and Ohio State (it's not a tournament, but rather a one-game event).
6. How Carolina feels about the appearance in the Bahamas probably depends on Friday's outcome against--probably--Florida. Win that game and go home with victories over the Bruins and the Gators, and it feels like a positive experience. A loss, though, would send the Tar Heels home 1-2. Expect an intense battle on Friday night at 8 p.m. (the game will again be on AXS TV).
