University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
January 15, 2015 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. The stat sheet might not fully show it because of multiple late trips to the free throw line, but J.P. Tokoto turned in a clinic of a defensive performance on NC State standout Trevor Lacey. Tokoto was all over the floor, to the point that Lacey was visibly frustrated in the first half and spent a sizable amount of time at halftime talking to official Tim Lestor. For the game, Lacey made just two field goals when Tokoto was guarding him. Lacey finished 4-of-13 from the field.
2. That might have been Isaiah Hicks' best scoring performance as a Tar Heel. The sophomore never ventured more than six or so feet from the basket, but every one of his field goals was in some traffic or through some kind of contact. Hicks was 6-of-7 from the field for his 12 points. One thing Roy Williams is certain to emphasize with the Oxford native: Carolina needs more than two rebounds from him.
3. NC State's offense has been reliant on multiple free throw trips this year. Roy Williams has been talking all year about getting his team to play defense without fouling; Carolina did a reasonably good job of keeping the Wolfpack off the free throw line until late in the game. Cat Barber, whose offense is almost entirely dependent on getting penetration and drawing fouls, attempted just two free throws.
4. Credit for two solid screens to Hicks and Kennedy Meeks on a key in-bound play under the Carolina basket with under five minutes to play. With just nine seconds on the shot clock, the Tar Heels ran a quick play for Marcus Paige. Solid contact from Meeks and Hicks freed Paige, and he knocked down the three-pointer to give the Tar Heels an eleven point edge.
5. Williams said earlier this week that his team's "want-to" would have to exceed NC State's want-to. Nowhere was that better exemplified than two huge plays by Paige diving on loose balls. One came with 6:31 left, when he threw himself on a ball near midcourt to beat Lacey to a 50-50 ball, and another came with 1:20 remaining, when he pounced on a ball trickling free under the Carolina basket.
6. The Tar Heels had NC State very, very well scouted. On multiple defense possessions, UNC defenders were calling out the plays the Wolfpack was trying to run, including on a key State possession with under 45 seconds remaining and the Tar Heels holding just a three-point lead. Meeks provided help on a Ralston Turner three-pointer, Turner missed, and Paige knocked down a pair of free throws. Assistant coach C.B. McGrath was responsible for the scouting report.
7. Some interesting late-game back and forth strategy, as Nate Britt appeared to foul Cat Barber intentionally with Carolina up three and 3.9 seconds left. That kept the Pack from attempting a potentially game-tying three-pointer. But Barber knocked down both free throws--not missing the second one intentionally, as some might have thought--which led to Britt making a pair of charity tosses with 3.1 seconds left. That led to State's final timeout of the game, leaving Williams with the question of whether he wanted to foul intentionally again to try and prevent another game-tying three but running the risk of fouling the Pack in the act of shooting a three (Theo Pinson had already fouled a three-point shooter a couple minutes earlier). After watching the Wolfpack set up the play, Williams called another timeout to substitute in Desmond Hubert. The senior harassed in-bounds passer Cody Martin. Martin completed the pass to Lacey, who came very close to stepping out of bounds before Hicks fouled him. Lacey made the first and tried to miss the second intentionally with 1.7 seconds remaining, but he made it. Paige converted a pair of free throws (the Tar Heels made five of six down the stretch in some very big shots) to seal the win.
That's a lot of action for 3.9 seconds.
