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University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 19, 2016 | Men's Basketball
1. Carolina didn't win Friday night's (or Saturday morning's, depending on where you're located) game by playing that much better than the University of Hawaii. Instead, the Tar Heels did it by being relentless on the glass and chasing down just enough misses to turn them into points. Carolina held a whopping 17-4 edge in second chance points in a game they won by 15 points.
2. The game featured an outcome-turning spurt from the Carolina freshmen. The trio entered en masse less than four minutes into the second half, with Hawaii having closed the deficit to three points. Freshmen scored seven of the next nine UNC points; add a three-pointer from Kenny Williams and underclassmen had 10 of the next 12 for Roy Williams. The Carolina lead was never again fewer than nine points.
3. It's true that the Tar Heels didn't play particularly well. But it's also true that Joel Berry didn't make his first basket until 5:08 remained in the game and Carolina still won a true road game by a comfortable margin.
4. Nice minutes again from Brandon Robinson, who scored five quick points after Hawaii closed to a one-point deficit midway through the first half. Robinson hit a three-pointer and a two to stretch the lead back out. Of course, he also then hoisted a too-eager shot on the next Carolina possession, but that was a moment of freshman enthusiasm that will fade as he gains more experience.
5. Kennedy Meeks had a frustrating first half, both on the stat sheet and energy-wise. His play eventually drew the ire of Williams, who gave the senior a stern lecture on the bench. But Meeks walked off the court at halftime with his arm around his head coach, and came back and played a solid second half on the way to a 13-point, seven-rebound performance.
6. Berry was not his usual self offensively (shooting 1-for-9 and committing four of Carolina's 16 turnovers), but still played extremely hard. You know that scene in Hoosiers when Gene Hackman asks his players to defend until they know what flavor gum the opposing player is chewing? Berry defended Sheriff Drammeh so hard in the first half that Drammeh's gum literally came flying out of his mouth near midcourt.
7. This game sort of slipped into the schedule in a very sneaky way, but it was clearly a big deal in Honolulu and for the University of Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors packed a near-sellout crowd into the Stan Sheriff Center and had a terrific crowd for the nation's fifth-ranked team. Although Carolina didn't play particularly well, competing in that environment will be a benefit later in the season.
8. First career double-double of what is likely to be many for Tony Bradley, who finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. The freshman simply imposed his will on a couple of occasions in the second half. As he learns more about how to use his size and how good he is, he's going to be a force by the time ACC games arrive.
9. "Tomorrow's practice is not going to be an easy one," Roy Williams promised after the game. Remember, these games on the way to Maui have been tricky before. In some ways, the Tar Heel coaches got exactly what they needed to get the team's attention before three games in three days starting Monday.
