Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Well, it's a win. Carolina won't win any beauty contests for that one, but that's why they invented 9 p.m. Friday night games against Gardner-Webb.

2. The most encouraging aspect of the 77-61 win might have been that after a lackluster first half, the Tar Heels came out and played an inspired beginning to the second half, going on an 11-0 run that provided a cushion they would use throughout the rest of the evening.

3. Bacot had his first Carolina double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He has the potential to be an essential piece on this year's team--the baby hook he tossed in during the second half is virtually unblockable--and will make rapid progress over the next two months. He's also a nice luxury to have on defense, where he erased one Gardner-Webb shot and altered a couple others.

4. Carolina will have an advantage over numerous teams this season by virtue of having two legitimate post players in Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot. At the moment--and remember, it's November--the chemistry between the two is still a work in progress. Carolina tried three high-low passes in the first couple minutes of Friday's game. One worked well, one was a poor pass, and one was swiped away when Bacot brought the ball down to waist level (a point Roy Williams consistently emphasized to the freshman big man, and earned him a trip to the bench after repeating the error in the second half).

5. You might get tired of hearing this, but remember, it's November. Want more evidence? Carolina botched the end of half defensive assignments, as Roy Williams wanted the Tar Heels to doubleteam the Gardner-Webb ballhandler. But Garrison Brooks and Leaky Black miscommunicated, and it ended in an open Bulldog three-pointer. Those are plays that will be second nature in a month or so.

6. How good is Cole Anthony? He had an OK game, not terrific, and still finished with 28 points. But also a good sign for the Tar Heels was that Williams was able to rest Anthony for over three minutes in the second half and Carolina lost just two points off its lead.

7. That was largely due to two players who quietly played an important role in the win--Leaky Black and Andrew Platek. The former saw extended minutes at point guard and handed out six assists against just one turnover. Black's shooting isn't fully to where he wants it to be just yet, but the way he moves the ball, pushes the tempo and tries to find the nearest open man--not the most spectacular open man--is important to the offense. And Platek did a little bit of everything in his 20 minutes, scoring nine points to go with three rebounds and two assists.

8. The concerns about free throws after the win at UNC-Wilmington were somewhat alleviated in Friday's win. The Tar Heels went 17-for-23 from the stripe, including a welcome 11-for-13 from Anthony.

9. Carolina did exactly what they needed to do on the glass, which might have been the one area where they were the most consistently good throughout the night. The Tar Heels nearly doubled up the Bulldogs, and finished with a 44-23 rebounding advantage. Gardner-Webb got just four offensive rebounds.

10. Very nice hustle play from Christian Keeling near the end of the game, as he mirrored some of the first three games of his UNC career with a miscue followed by a solid play. Keeling missed an open three-pointer on one end, but instead of pouting, raced downcourt to record a blocked shot on what looked like an easy breakout.

11. Expect Williams to express frustration with turnovers. The Tar Heels committed 16 of them in a fairly low-possession game, several of which were unforced.

12. One of the quietest big plays of the game was Garrison Brooks' steal in the backcourt midway through the second half. Gardner-Webb had closed to 51-47 after a Keeling turnover, but Brooks took it right back.

13. Nice move by Brandon Robinson, who has initiated the idea of asking fans to bring non-perishable items to the Carolina-Elon game on Wednesday night at the Smith Center. The items will be donated to hurricane relief programs in both the North Carolina coast and the Bahamas (the Tar Heels play in the Bahamas Nov. 27-29). Items that can be donated include baby and toddler supplies such as wipes, diapers and baby food; non-perishable grocery items such as rice, grits, mashed potatoes, oatmeal and bread; cleaning items such as hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, bleach and air fresheners; personal items and toiletries such as hand lotion, tissues, cotton balls, bath towels, twin bed sheets, blankets and socks. Collection bins will be located on the Smith Center concourse at the Carolina-Elon game next Wednesday.

14. An early-season close win over Gardner-Webb isn't the worst news in the world. Remember, it's happened before (and was much closer), and that season turned out to be one of the most fun in the Williams era.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Cole Anthony

Armando Bacot

Leaky Black

Garrison Brooks

Christian Keeling

Andrew Platek

Brandon Robinson

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