Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. A game Miami squad didn't make it easy, but Carolina got an important road win over the Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon. The 85-76 final didn't necessarily indicate how close the game was.

2. Carolina is now 3-0 on the road in the ACC, the first time they've reached that road mark since the 2015-16 season. Only three Roy Williams Carolina teams have previously made it to 3-0 on the road in the league--the 2007-08 club, the 2014-15 squad, and the 2015-16 team.

3. Being forced to guard Miami's quicksilver Chris Lykes is basically like defending an And1 mix tape. Lykes definitely got his offense on Saturday (20 points on 15 shots), but during the key stretch of the game, it was Lykes who was guarding Cameron Johnson and then Kenny Williams when that UNC duo teamed up for four backbreaking three-pointers. Johnson led the Tar Heels with 22 points, one of five Carolina players in double figures along with Coby White, Nassir Little, Williams and Luke Maye.

4. With only one real inside presence, Miami has been vulnerable to teams operating inside the three-point line offensively. Carolina took advantage of that early, racking up a dozen points in the paint in the first eight minutes of the game, but then committed too many turnovers and settled for too many jumpers for the rest of the half and earned just six points in the paint over the final 12 minutes of the half.

5. It was hidden slightly by the fact that he was saddled with three first half fouls and quickly picked up a fourth foul in the second half, but Nassir Little had another solid performance. The freshman got his first points after crashing the offensive boards hard, turned down an open three-pointer to drive to the basket, and generally looked to have a better idea of where he could create some offense. Little also passed up a wide open three pointer in the second half to create a better shot for Kenny Williams on the baseline. The emergence of Little may have begun (now he needs to play defense without fouling--a tough challenge against a driving Miami team). Keep in mind that Little has the highest shooting percentage on the team on two-point field goals. Once he starts taking more of those, watch his offense begin to get in a rhythm. The Miami game was the second straight contest when Little hasn't attempted a three-pointer--the only two games this year in which he hasn't taken a three.

6. Miami is committed to playing a slower-paced game. Even still, Carolina committed nine first half turnovers. And while the Tar Heels have been prone to chucking the ball out of bounds at times this year, Saturday it felt like most of the early turnovers came off the dribble. We've passed the point in the season where it's a "trend" that Carolina is committing turnovers. It looks like that is what this team will be--which means they'll have to be even more efficient offensively on the possessions on which they keep the ball. The Tar Heels finished the game with 15 turnovers, meaning they committed a more manageable six in the second half.

7. Interesting development in the second half. After Seventh Woods committed two turnovers in four minutes in his first half action, Roy Williams turned to freshman Leaky Black as his first point guard substitute off the bench. With Miami not putting much pressure on Carolina's offense, the Tar Heels essentially just needed someone to be a caretaker of the ball in White's absence.

8. As you would expect against a Miami team without much size--the Canes thought even as late as Friday afternoon they might get an NCAA ruling on Dewan Hernandez, who would be a big boost for them--the Tar Heels dominated the glass. Carolina held a 38-21 rebounding advantage. Luke Maye had a team-high nine boards, while Garrison Brooks and Cameron Johnson each had seven.

9. Carolina handed out 26 assists on the team's 33 field goals. The Tar Heels came into the game seventh in the nation in assists, averaging 19.1 per game, the highest such figure since the 1990-91 team handed out 20.0 per game. The 26 assists were the second-most this year, trailing only 29 against Tennessee Tech.

10. The Tar Heels' 60 percent field goal shooting in the second half left them at 55 percent for the game, a welcome change after a couple of rough shooting outings. Carolina was also 9-20 from three-point range and 10-14 at the free throw line.

Players Mentioned

Leaky Black

Garrison Brooks

Cameron Johnson

Nassir Little

Luke Maye

Coby White

Kenny Williams

Seventh Woods

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