University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
February 7, 2016 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. That one hurts much more than Monday's loss at Louisville. Carolina should've won Saturday night's game at Notre Dame, and had a 15-point lead late in the first half and nine points at halftime. But the Irish fought back and won an 80-76 decision.
2. Here is some analysis: Carolina is better when they make three-point shots. Marcus Paige had made four three-pointers in his previous 154 minutes of game action. He made four in his first 15 minutes against Notre Dame on the way to five three-pointers and 21 for the game.
3. Carolina is a good rebounding team. But they haven't been in the past two games, and they've been especially exploited on the opposing team's offensive glass. Notre Dame pushed Carolina around under the backboard, and eventually hauled in 20 offensive rebounds that led to a 23-13 advantage in second chance points. What hurt even more is how and when the Irish did it. On their final eight possessions that included a missed first field goal, they got the offensive rebound on seven of them. The evening was summed up when Zach Auguste somehow managed to rebound his final missed free throw even though he was the only member of the Fighting Irish on the line in the game's closing seconds. Notre Dame only made two of their final 10 field goals, but still found a way to get many of those errant shots and win the game.
4. Give Brice Johnson credit for battling through some adversity in the second half. Roy Williams removed him from the game early in the second half after some defensive struggles, and Johnson slapped the scorer's table loudly on his way off the floor, drawing Williams' ire. But Johnson played solidly once he returned to the court (Carolina was outscored 15-5 in his absence) and finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
5. There are a couple different ways to put this. Let's do it this way: Notre Dame certainly has figured out how to get to the free throw line against Carolina. The Irish shot 32 free throws to Carolina's seven in last year's ACC championship game, and tried 38 to Carolina's 21 on Saturday night. But that also means the Tar Heels haven't figured out how to defend them without fouling, and most importantly, the Irish have converted their charity opportunities. They've made 59 of their 70 attempts in those two games. Overall in the last two meetings, the Irish have taken 70 free throws to Carolina's 28.
5. Carolina desperately needs Justin Jackson to finish stronger at the rim. The sophomore has had trouble finishing at the iron, sometimes at costly moments. It happened again on Saturday, as Paige fed Jackson for a wide-open layup in a one-point game with six minutes left, but it rolled off the cup.
6. The absence of Nate Britt (he tweaked his back late in the loss at Louisville and did not play against the Irish) impacted Carolina's rotation. Paige spent some minutes at point guard and Paige (36) and Berry (34) both played heavy minutes.
7. The Tar Heels walked into a very tough, ESPN-fueled environment in South Bend. The Irish sold the game out well in advance and had a rowdy crowd of 9,149 inside the Joyce Center. That's the kind of atmosphere that has resulted in Carolina losing seven of its last eight appearances on ESPN College Gameday. But those are also the types of games that a veteran, talented team needs to find a way to win.
8. As part of his big return, Marcus Paige scored 21 points and moved into the top 20 all-time on the Carolina scoring list. That elbowed aside Tar Heel Sports Network analyst Eric Montross, and Paige is now tied with Kenny Smith at 19th on that list.
9. You're welcome:
