Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Carolina is 4-0, and that's the best news to come out of Wednesday night's 75-61 win over Elon.

2. The Tar Heels knew coming into the game they'd have a significant size advantage, and they used it well, rolling up a big advantage in points in the paint (46-14) and in the rebounding category (53-25).

3. Wednesday night brought one of the ultimate Carolina basketball rarities: a Roy Williams timeout just 2:09 into the game. It came after one of the seven Carolina turnovers in the first half, and led to a very spirited timeout huddle. Unfortunately, that particular stoppage didn't seem to light much of a fire, as the Tar Heels still trailed 33-32 at the break. An 8-0 run to open the second half changed the momentum and gave the Tar Heels a lead they would not relinquish.

4. The Tar Heels just weren't very sharp in any aspect of the game in those first 20 minutes. They committed careless turnovers, they failed to make easy post entry passes, and they shot 42 percent from the field (and 22 percent from the three-point line). Of course, it didn't help that the Phoenix--one of the worst shooting teams in the country in its first four games--picked that exact moment to start hot from the three-point line.

5. It's remarkable how much Carolina misses Brandon Robinson. The senior isn't going to be the leading scorer, he isn't going to be the leading rebounder, but he knows what Roy Williams expects and how to play. Those are elements the Tar Heels need right now. The goal had been for Robinson to get a few minutes against Elon, but limited work in practice this week made it clear he wasn't quite ready yet.

6. Even as Armando Bacot is still developing, it's a major luxury to have his defensive presence around the rim. He had three blocks against the Phoenix, including one in which he chased the Elon offense down the court to swat the shot. Bacot finished with another double-double, this time putting up 22 points to go with 14 rebounds. This double-double, it's a safe guess, Roy Williams will be a little more pleased with than his last one, when the head coach didn't think he played particularly well.

7. The Tar Heels came into the game riding a first-ever streak in the Roy Williams era of having not broken 80 points in any of the first three games. Unfortunately, that streak continued. Carolina also shot 43.3 percent from the field, marking the fourth straight game Carolina hasn't made 50 percent of its field goals.

8. That slower tempo, though, means this is also the first time since the 2012-13 that Carolina has held the opponent to 65 points or fewer in the first four games of the season.

9. The game was a reminder of how difficult it is to get a triple-double. Cole Anthony was in the neighborhood at halftime, and then had seven points, seven rebounds and seven assists with 12 minutes left in the game. But a couple of his would-be assists turned into missed shots, and his 4-for-14 shooting performance left him with just nine points. He still hauled in ten rebounds and had eight assists. Brendan Haywood and Jason Capel (within two weeks of each other) remain the only Tar Heels to ever post a triple-double.

10. The game won't do much to ease Williams' concerns about his team's shooting. The Tar Heels shot an anemic 3-for-19 from the three-point line (15.8%).

11. Now the schedule gets very difficult. Carolina's next games are against Alabama, Iowa State/Michigan, and another solid opponent in the Bahamas. Then Carolina returns home to face a good Ohio State team, travels to Virginia, gets a home date with Wofford, and then has to travel to Gonzaga and face UCLA in Las Vegas. The head coach will want to see plenty of improvement over the next week in practice to be ready for that stretch.

Players Mentioned

Cole Anthony

Armando Bacot

Brandon Robinson

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