University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
March 28, 2016 | Men's Basketball
By Adam Lucas
1. Maybe you didn't love this team in January. Maybe you didn't love them in February. Maybe you're one of the few who hasn't loved them in March. But you absolutely had to love them after watching them respond following Brice Johnson's ill-timed technical foul midway through the second half on Sunday night. The ensuing free throws and possession gave Notre Dame a 52-51 lead and sent Johnson and his 15 points to the bench. The Tar Heels promptly reacted with a 12-0 run to seize control of the game and eventually propel them on to the Final Four.
2. The second half featured a fairly incredible UNC offensive display. Carolina missed just three two-point shots in the first 17 minutes of the half and at one point scored on 13 straight possessions, with eight of those points coming on second chance opportunities.
3. Theo Pinson quietly played a big role in Carolina's big spurt, in one stretch either scoring or assisting on three straight baskets. Really, though, he's just one of several Tar Heels who quietly were essential in what truly was a team effort. What about Joel Berry's eight assists and zero turnovers? How about Justin Jackson scoring 11 points to go with four rebounds, a couple of them offensive? How about Kennedy Meeks scoring six straight points to open the second half? And then there was Johnson, who set the single-season UNC record for double-doubles with his 23rd of the season, a record that had stood (Billy Cunningham) for 42 years.
4. There's never been a better case for bringing back the five-second closely guarded call than Sunday night's game. Notre Dame squeezed every bit of air out of the basketball--somewhat surprisingly, since the Irish have some offensive weapons--to try and limit the game's possessions. In the first half, the Irish ran the shot clock under 10 seconds on 26 of their 27 trips down the court, and under five seconds on 20 of their 27 trips. Mike Brey made a pretty simple gamble: he had one of the nation's most efficient offenses for the entire season. So why not limit the game's possessions and take the chance that his team could out-efficient the Tar Heels?
Looking forward, it would be nice to see the NCAA bring back the five second closely guarded whistle. It's fine if teams want to stand near midcourt and pound the basketball, but defenses should have the opportunity to try and push the tempo if they're willing to make the effort.
5. Great to once again see Philadelphia native Rasheed Wallace at the game. Other Tar Heel basketball alums on hand included King Rice (whose name is likely to get some buzz in coaching circles over the next couple of weeks), Makhtar Ndiaye, Bobby Frasor and Dewey Burke. Wayne Ellington attended Friday night's game but had NBA commitments on Sunday.
6. What a satisfying, incredible, wonderful win for Carolina basketball, the program, and this particular team. Notre Dame played well enough to defeat numerous other teams. But the Tar Heels never gave in, and now are headed to Houston--an NCAA-record 19th Final Four--because of it.
