University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Oxford Everywhere
February 8, 2015 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
By Adam Lucas
CHESTNUT HILL—Luke Davis couldn't say exactly why he'd had the premonition. He just knew that he had it.
In the minutes before Saturday's game at Boston College, Davis proclaimed to Carolina's suit brigade—a group that lost Joel Berry II, who returned after a seven-game absence due to a groin injury, but gained Desmond Hubert, who was injured in practice this week—“I think Isaiah is going to score 20.”
This was a fairly bold proclamation considering that Hicks had never scored more than 12 points in his Tar Heel career, had reached double figures exactly one time in 29 career games against Atlantic Coast Conference competition, and had 19 points in his last five games combined.
You sure about that, Luke?
“I just knew,” Davis said after the game with a grin.
Davis could smile because Hicks put up a career-high 21-point performance in Carolina's 79-68 victory over the Eagles. The sophomore's totals were even more impressive considering that he started the game looking completely overwhelmed. After telling Hicks he liked his constant effort, Roy Williams put him in the starting lineup for the first time in a conference game.
Hicks' response: a turnover, a foul and a missed layup in the first two minutes and ten seconds, and a seat on the bench 4:14 into the game.
“I had some nerves,” the Oxford native said. “I'm not used to starting. I'm used to coming off the bench and seeing what the team needs and what you can provide. But when you start, you have to come right out of the gate, and I had to make that adjustment.”
Consider the adjustment made, as Hicks posted his 21 points and five rebounds over his final 24 minutes of playing time. Part of his success was caused by Boston College's personnel and inability to match up with Carolina's imposing front line. But a healthy dose of the credit for his stellar outing goes to the fact that Hicks, in most cases, simply plays harder than his opponent.
After Carolina fell behind 23-17 in the first half, Hicks proceeded to score eight of his team's 11 points during an 11-2 Tar Heel run. He did it again early in the second half; by the time eight minutes had elapsed in that stanza, the second half score was Boston College 9, Isaiah Hicks 7.
What Hicks has figured out is that there are multiple ways to score at the college level. You can simply outrun your man, as he did several times over the course of Saturday afternoon. Or you can establish a go-to move that makes you a weapon in the halfcourt.
“He's done a good job lately of showing us both hands and both shoulders when he posts up,” said Marcus Paige. “When he goes to that right-handed jump hook, he's tough. He was great for us tonight. He kind of carried us for a stretch of the game.”
That's not to say that Hicks has completely figured it out. He had those iffy early minutes, and Paige later had to remind him to post up closer to the block, because Hicks was allowing himself to be pushed outside the lane when he tried to establish position. Suitably reminded, he proceeded to make seven of his final nine field goal attempts.
That was what Carolina needed in front of a largely pro-UNC crowd in Boston, a throng that started a “Tar! Heels!” chant late in the game and then swarmed the Carolina bus after the game even on a bone-chilling day when there was still a sizable snowfall on the ground and even more in the imminent forecast.
As Hicks has carved out a place for himself in the rotation—and, perhaps, after Saturday, in the starting lineup—he has remained very much the same person off the court. He's still the kid who made numerous trips home to Oxford as a freshman, still the guy who barely talks loudly enough for it to be heard on a reporter's voice recorder.
After he did the on-court postgame interview with Raycom's Dan Bonner following the win, roughly a dozen Tar Heel fans surrounded Hicks as he ran towards the tunnel. He dutifully stopped and signed autographs and posed for pictures for everyone who requested them. One mother jabbed a finger at her young daughter and said, “It's her birthday,” which apparently seemed like a reasonable fact to tell a 20-year-old who had just scored a career-high 21 points.
“Happy birthday,” Hicks told the birthday girl. Then he ran off the court to the sound of another UNC fan chanting, “Oxford, Oxford!”
"I guess Oxford is everywhere,” Hicks said a few minutes later.
On this day, it was.
