GoHeels Exclusive: A Step In The Right Direction

By Pat James, GoHeels.com

There have been times this season, predominantly during practices, when Roy Williams says he's seen his team play and communicate well on the defensive end of the floor.

That certainly wasn't the case throughout North Carolina's 82-60 win over Davidson on Saturday at the Smith Center. But after entering the contest ranked 261st nationally in scoring defense, allowing 75.7 points per game, UNC's defensive performance against the Wildcats might've been a step in the right direction.

The Tar Heels surrendered 60 points against Davidson, the second fewest they've allowed this season. They also held the Wildcats to 29.9 percent shooting (20-for-67) from the floor, the lowest mark by an opponent this season.

"I like the fact that they shot 29.9 percent," Williams said. "The bad news is that they missed some open shots. I don't think we guarded them as well as we wanted to. … But I think at times we were good defensively, and I think at times we did close out on the shooters."

Carolina knew the latter would be key against the typically perimeter-oriented Wildcats, who entered Saturday attempting 47 percent of their shots from behind the arc. That reliance on 3-pointers, Williams said, makes Davidson unique to prepare for in comparison with most teams that UNC faces.

But the work the Tar Heels put in before Saturday showed from the start. They forced a shot-clock violation on the Wildcats' first possession, setting the tone defensively.

"I thought the coaches did a really good job of preparing us for what they wanted to do," Cameron Johnson said. "And I think in that first possession we showed that we knew what they were trying to do. The way they cut, the way they move, it's pretty effective; they do it well, and they play at their pace. So to get that shot-clock violation was big for us."

Still, Davidson didn't give in.

Even without Kellan Grady, their leading scorer who missed his fourth straight game because of a knee injury, the Wildcats seized a 24-19 lead midway through the first half. But Carolina buckled down. It held Davidson to four points for the remainder of the half. It then allowed only seven points in the first 9:01 after halftime, giving the Wildcats 11 points over a span of 18:03.

During that stretch, Davidson went 5-for-26 from the field. And for the most part, Kenny Williams said UNC communicated better on defense than it has in most games this season.

"They do a lot of cutting and screening," Kenny Williams said, "and I think we did a pretty good job of communicating on when we wanted to switch and when we would get through. I think (the communication) got a little bit better today."

Roy Williams said he was unsure if his players improved their defensive communication Saturday, and added that he wants the rest of them talking as much as Luke Maye and Kenny Williams. They also know there's still room to grow.

"Statistically, when you hold a team to under 30 percent, you come out feeling a little all right about it," Johnson said. "But we know it's not always going to be that way with the way we played defense today. We can still get a lot better. We allowed too many straight-line drives; I did myself. And we just have to stay locked and keep getting better."

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Cameron Johnson

Luke Maye

Kenny Williams

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