University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
February 3, 2015 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. What a second half defensive clinic from Virginia, as the Cavaliers absolutely dominated the first 15 minutes of the final period. Carolina scored 15 points in the first 16 minutes of the second half, with Tony Bennett's club showing great team defense, communication, and rotation. Virginia is good, really good.
2. That being said, the Tar Heels need to beat the really good teams at the Smith Center. Carolina now has three losses at home already this year. An area of concern from Monday night is play in the post, as Brice Johnson turned in a workmanlike 14 points and eight rebounds in his 26 minutes, but Kennedy Meeks struggled to 11 points to go with his six turnovers on a day when he had a 101 fever and had to get fluids during the day. The Cavaliers outscored Carolina in the paint, 40-34. Virginia's hard post double teams forced most of those miscues, as Carolina simply wasn't able to move the ball fast enough to locate the open man.
3. Bennett emphasized transition defense in his pregame talk with the Tar Heel Sports Network, and his team performed well in that category. The Cavaliers allowed just two UNC fast break points.
4. There's going to be panic in and around Chapel Hill in the coming days, as Carolina is now on a two-game losing streak and sitting at 7-3 in the ACC. But the Tar Heels lost on the road against a top-10 Louisville club and then fell at home to what may be a top-3 Virginia squad (it's looking like a good break in the league schedule that Carolina doesn't have to go to Charlottesville). That doesn't mean the program is in shambles.
If anything, Monday night's loss probably makes Saturday hurt worse (if it's possible to make losing an 18-point second half lead hurt worse).
5. Two big hustle plays by Tar Heel post men at the end of the first half. First, Brice Johnson drew a charge to force a Virginia turnover with 7.5 seconds remaining in a one-point game. Then, after Roy Williams used the first half timeout that doesn't carry over, the Tar Heels got three chances and eventually converted on a Kennedy Meeks tip-in to provide a 33-32 lead at the break.
6. Great to see Carolina legend Billy Cunningham at the game. Cunningham was honored on the arena PA at the first media timeout and drew a huge ovation from the crowd. Even Roy Williams went down to shake Cunningham's hand after the Tar Heels broke the huddle.
