University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
December 31, 2015 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. Carolina doesn't win that game without Isaiah Hicks. The Oxford native played 24 minutes off the bench and was terrific, shooting 5-for-6, making a team-high five trips to the free throw line, grabbing six rebounds. Hicks' contributions are always important, but with Kennedy Meeks still sidelined and Brice Johnson having an off night, Hicks was an essential part of the Tar Heel attack.
Hicks, of course, also collected an assist on the night's signature play, a dunk from Marcus Paige.
2. Overall, against a Clemson team fully committed to working the shot clock and trying to allow the Tar Heels to make a defensive mistake, that was a very solid defensive effort. Nate Britt mentioned after Monday's win that the Tar Heels still need some improvement in communication and defensive rotations. Those, for the most part, were very good against the Tigers. Brad Brownell's team finished at 39.6 percent from the field, and that included the benefit of multiple circus shots that were attempted with defenders draped all over them.
3. The Tar Heels maybe aren't the best three-point shooting team, or the one with the largest amount of dangerous shooters. But this year's bunch sure does have a way of making them when they matter, don't they? Marcus Paige drilled a big one early in the second half, and Theo Pinson and Justin Jackson each swished one later when Carolina was making a push to finally put away the pesky Tigers. For the game, the Heels hit 5-of-13 from the arc--but that figure also included 4-of-8 in the second half.
Pinson made all three of his three-point attempts on the way to a career-high 13 points.
4. Sometimes you do (almost) everything right and it just doesn't work out. That was Carolina's end of first half execution, as the Tar Heels worked a 2-for-1 when Brice Johnson was fouled with 37 seconds remaining and made one of two free throws. Clemson still scored, but that left time for a Joel Berry floater, which missed. Then, to make matters worse, Johnson committed a foul on the rebound, allowing the Tigers to sink a couple of free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining, completely neutralizing the 2-for-1.
5. There are moments you just know a play is going on the end-of-season highlight reel. So it was with Marcus Paige's acrobatic and-one play near the end of the first half, as he floated the ball high off the backboard, dropped it through the net, and went flat to the floor all in the same motion. Paige has made some ridiculous shots in his Tar Heel career, and that one goes high on the list.
6. Against UNCG on Monday it was a 2005 reunion, and on Wednesday two members of the 1982 team were on hand. Sam Perkins and Matt Doherty caught up during halftime, and Perkins did an interview at halftime on the Tar Heel Sports Network.
7. Just a thought: this really is a likable team. Who knows what's going to happen in March or beyond, but this is a group that's fun to watch play, from the signature stars to the very end of the bench reserves and everyone in-between.
8. Last reminder: don't forget that Carolina's annual holiday clinic for kids is tomorrow morning (Thursday). More details can be found here, and it's a lot of fun for the children.
