University of North Carolina Athletics
Coby White
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
January 2, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the home win over Harvard.
By Adam Lucas
1. Solid but not spectacular win with a 77-57 victory (Roy Williams would probably be less charitable than that).
2. Carolina played without Sterling Manley, who was out due to "soreness in his left knee." According to the official release, Manley's return is unknown as he will undergo further medical evaluation this week. The post depth issue was then complicated when Garrison Brooks picked up two quick fouls in the first 4:30 (for the second game in a row). Roy Williams mostly elected to play small the rest of the way, with varying degrees of success.
3. Carolina outrebounded Harvard just 38-34. Luke Maye and Nassir Little led the team with seven boards apiece, and the Tar Heels grabbed just eight offensive rebounds. That's going to continue to be an area to watch as it appears Carolina is leaning more towards a smaller rotation.
4. The box score didn't necessarily reflect it, but Coby White was very good in the first half. The freshman showed a maturing grasp of when to push the ball himself and when to find others, and finished with four points, three assists and two steals against just one turnover in 12 minutes. White is an element opponents don't have--even in the ACC--and if Carolina consistently gets that version of him, they're going to be hard to beat. White finished with 13 points, four assists and two steals against just one turnover.
5. The Tar Heels did a better job taking care of the basketball against a Harvard defense that has been poor at forcing turnovers this year. They finished the game with just 11 turnovers even after making some headshaking miscues in the second half.
6. As ACC play approaches on Saturday, this team remains the victim of too many lulls. The Tar Heels started the second half almost completely asleep, and those types of four- or five-minute lapses can bury you on the road in the league.
7. Carolina quietly did a very good job of getting to the free throw line (22 attempts) and converting when they got there (19 makes). The Tar Heels still aren't shooting the ball from the perimeter the way you might expect them to (6-for-21 from three) but have the makings of a good shooting team.
8. Leaky Black continues to do enough in limited minutes to stay in the rotation. The freshman nailed a three-pointer and a midrange jumper, played good defense, and had two steals and two assists with no turnovers in 12 minutes. Black is right on the edge of the rotation as ACC play is imminent; he's going to be valuable at some juncture later this season.
9. Wednesday's victory leaves Carolina with a 10-3 record during a very difficult nonconference schedule. That's a respectable result, but probably not strong enough to be an overwhelming plus on Selection Sunday. The schedule was formidable enough that an impressive mark would have been an asset for seeding; instead, Carolina has the home win over Gonzaga, a win over UCLA that looks less impressive as time elapses, an understandable road loss to Michigan, and woulda-coulda-shoulda losses to Texas and Kentucky. Most of the Tar Heels' seeding work, then, will have to be done in the always-loaded ACC. With that in mind, some single-game tickets for what should be a terrific conference season are still available.
10. Unique situation on Wednesday, as Harvard's coach is former Duke guard Tommy Amaker, who also played in the first game in Smith Center history in 1986. When asked before the game, Amaker immediately recalled the score (a 95-92 Carolina win) and the buzz that surrounded that game. "It's a little piece of history that I was a part of the first game that was played in an historic arena in a facility named after the legendary Coach Smith," Amaker said. "We all have an amazing amount of respect for him."
11. If you're not quite ready to turn the page on 2018 just yet, here are my ten favorite Carolina basketball stories I wrote last year.
1. Solid but not spectacular win with a 77-57 victory (Roy Williams would probably be less charitable than that).
2. Carolina played without Sterling Manley, who was out due to "soreness in his left knee." According to the official release, Manley's return is unknown as he will undergo further medical evaluation this week. The post depth issue was then complicated when Garrison Brooks picked up two quick fouls in the first 4:30 (for the second game in a row). Roy Williams mostly elected to play small the rest of the way, with varying degrees of success.
3. Carolina outrebounded Harvard just 38-34. Luke Maye and Nassir Little led the team with seven boards apiece, and the Tar Heels grabbed just eight offensive rebounds. That's going to continue to be an area to watch as it appears Carolina is leaning more towards a smaller rotation.
4. The box score didn't necessarily reflect it, but Coby White was very good in the first half. The freshman showed a maturing grasp of when to push the ball himself and when to find others, and finished with four points, three assists and two steals against just one turnover in 12 minutes. White is an element opponents don't have--even in the ACC--and if Carolina consistently gets that version of him, they're going to be hard to beat. White finished with 13 points, four assists and two steals against just one turnover.
5. The Tar Heels did a better job taking care of the basketball against a Harvard defense that has been poor at forcing turnovers this year. They finished the game with just 11 turnovers even after making some headshaking miscues in the second half.
6. As ACC play approaches on Saturday, this team remains the victim of too many lulls. The Tar Heels started the second half almost completely asleep, and those types of four- or five-minute lapses can bury you on the road in the league.
7. Carolina quietly did a very good job of getting to the free throw line (22 attempts) and converting when they got there (19 makes). The Tar Heels still aren't shooting the ball from the perimeter the way you might expect them to (6-for-21 from three) but have the makings of a good shooting team.
8. Leaky Black continues to do enough in limited minutes to stay in the rotation. The freshman nailed a three-pointer and a midrange jumper, played good defense, and had two steals and two assists with no turnovers in 12 minutes. Black is right on the edge of the rotation as ACC play is imminent; he's going to be valuable at some juncture later this season.
9. Wednesday's victory leaves Carolina with a 10-3 record during a very difficult nonconference schedule. That's a respectable result, but probably not strong enough to be an overwhelming plus on Selection Sunday. The schedule was formidable enough that an impressive mark would have been an asset for seeding; instead, Carolina has the home win over Gonzaga, a win over UCLA that looks less impressive as time elapses, an understandable road loss to Michigan, and woulda-coulda-shoulda losses to Texas and Kentucky. Most of the Tar Heels' seeding work, then, will have to be done in the always-loaded ACC. With that in mind, some single-game tickets for what should be a terrific conference season are still available.
10. Unique situation on Wednesday, as Harvard's coach is former Duke guard Tommy Amaker, who also played in the first game in Smith Center history in 1986. When asked before the game, Amaker immediately recalled the score (a 95-92 Carolina win) and the buzz that surrounded that game. "It's a little piece of history that I was a part of the first game that was played in an historic arena in a facility named after the legendary Coach Smith," Amaker said. "We all have an amazing amount of respect for him."
11. If you're not quite ready to turn the page on 2018 just yet, here are my ten favorite Carolina basketball stories I wrote last year.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballHead Coach Bill Belichick Pre-Duke Press Conference
Wednesday, November 19
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions pres. by Modelo – Men’s Basketball vs. Navy – November 18, 2025
Wednesday, November 19
Hubert Davis Post-Navy Press Conference
Wednesday, November 19
UNC Men's Basketball: Wilson, Tar Heels Soar Over Navy, 73-61
Wednesday, November 19