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University of North Carolina Athletics
Cole Anthony
Photo by: J.D. Lyon Jr.
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
November 27, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the Battle 4 Atlantis opener.
By Adam Lucas
1. Carolina's inside attack was too much for Alabama in a 76-67 win in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
2. That was Leaky Black's most impressive game of his sophomore campaign. The versatile guard was more decisive offensively and finished with nine points and eight rebounds. Even a couple of shots that didn't go in were impressive moves against an athletic defensive team. His headlong dive for a loose ball in the game's closing minute was a prototypical example of the effort Roy Williams is searching for.
3. Some very impressive work by Garrison Brooks in the paint provided Carolina's biggest first half edge against a perimeter-oriented Alabama team. While the Crimson Tide continued to hoist three-pointers, Brooks plugged away near the rim. The junior had 16 points in his 18 first half minutes, his biggest offensive output in a half in his UNC career. The rest of the Tar Heels combined had 21 points in that stanza, but Carolina still managed a 37-31 lead at the break. The Tide had no answer for the combination of Brooks--who tied his career high of 20 on a rim-shaking inbounds lob in the second half--and Armando Bacot.
4. With the return of Brandon Robinson, there were a couple different possibilities for the Tar Heel starting lineup. One theory held that it might be Leaky Black going to the bench to allow him to spell Cole Anthony at point guard. Instead, it was Christian Keeling who went to the bench. Black repaid the confidence with a couple early deflections defensively, a valuable asset on a day the offense needed any possible easy jumpstart.
5. Robinson quickly showed why he was missed, drilling a three-pointer for Carolina's first basket of the game. The senior finished with 12Â points, and although he may not yet be 100 percent--his ankle received regular treatment on the bench from Tar Heel athletic trainer Madison Corona--his presence made a difference. Something that won't show up in the boxscore: on a frustrating day for Cole Anthony, it was Robinson who settled him down in the game's closing minutes.
6. Roy Williams now has 876 career victories, tying him with Adolph Rupp for fifth place all-time.
7. The Tar Heels are showing more productivity on the offensive backboard, always a positive sign for a Roy Williams-coached team. The Tar Heels posted nearly a 50 percent offensive rebounding rate in the first half. The next step: turn those offensive rebounds into points, or as Williams always says, "Make them pay." Carolina managed just six second chance points on those 12 first half offensive rebounds. And although they weren't as productive on the glass in the second half, they were much more efficient, posting 17Â second chance points on nine offensive rebounds.
8. Williams tossed in a couple possessions of halfcourt trap, including one right out of halftime. Both were nice changes of pace and one forced the Tide to burn a timeout.
9. How important is Cole Anthony to Carolina's fortunes? The freshman point guard picked up his third foul with 18:30 left in the game and Williams never even seemed to consider taking him out of the game. Alabama was unable to draw Anthony's fourth during the decisive part of the game, which would have been a game-changing play.
10. The Tar Heels must be more careful with the ball. Of the team's 20 turnovers, several were simply careless throwaways. Alabama turned those miscues into 17 points.
11. Solid effort from Armando Bacot, who quietly put up his third straight double-double, finishing with 12 points and a game-high 15 boards. This game probably goes in the Williams time capsule as the textbook example of why the head coach prefers an inside-oriented attack. Carolina dominated on the glass (60-31) and in the paint (40-28 scoring advantage).
12. This is the eighth time Carolina has started 5-0 under Williams, with the most recent examples coming in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. Less typically, Carolina still hasn't broken 80 points this season.
13. Thursday's game against Michigan (1:30 p.m. Eastern)Â will be a significantly tougher test. The Wolverines have good size and athleticism and were impressive in a win over Iowa State.
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1. Carolina's inside attack was too much for Alabama in a 76-67 win in the quarterfinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
2. That was Leaky Black's most impressive game of his sophomore campaign. The versatile guard was more decisive offensively and finished with nine points and eight rebounds. Even a couple of shots that didn't go in were impressive moves against an athletic defensive team. His headlong dive for a loose ball in the game's closing minute was a prototypical example of the effort Roy Williams is searching for.
3. Some very impressive work by Garrison Brooks in the paint provided Carolina's biggest first half edge against a perimeter-oriented Alabama team. While the Crimson Tide continued to hoist three-pointers, Brooks plugged away near the rim. The junior had 16 points in his 18 first half minutes, his biggest offensive output in a half in his UNC career. The rest of the Tar Heels combined had 21 points in that stanza, but Carolina still managed a 37-31 lead at the break. The Tide had no answer for the combination of Brooks--who tied his career high of 20 on a rim-shaking inbounds lob in the second half--and Armando Bacot.
4. With the return of Brandon Robinson, there were a couple different possibilities for the Tar Heel starting lineup. One theory held that it might be Leaky Black going to the bench to allow him to spell Cole Anthony at point guard. Instead, it was Christian Keeling who went to the bench. Black repaid the confidence with a couple early deflections defensively, a valuable asset on a day the offense needed any possible easy jumpstart.
5. Robinson quickly showed why he was missed, drilling a three-pointer for Carolina's first basket of the game. The senior finished with 12Â points, and although he may not yet be 100 percent--his ankle received regular treatment on the bench from Tar Heel athletic trainer Madison Corona--his presence made a difference. Something that won't show up in the boxscore: on a frustrating day for Cole Anthony, it was Robinson who settled him down in the game's closing minutes.
6. Roy Williams now has 876 career victories, tying him with Adolph Rupp for fifth place all-time.
7. The Tar Heels are showing more productivity on the offensive backboard, always a positive sign for a Roy Williams-coached team. The Tar Heels posted nearly a 50 percent offensive rebounding rate in the first half. The next step: turn those offensive rebounds into points, or as Williams always says, "Make them pay." Carolina managed just six second chance points on those 12 first half offensive rebounds. And although they weren't as productive on the glass in the second half, they were much more efficient, posting 17Â second chance points on nine offensive rebounds.
8. Williams tossed in a couple possessions of halfcourt trap, including one right out of halftime. Both were nice changes of pace and one forced the Tide to burn a timeout.
9. How important is Cole Anthony to Carolina's fortunes? The freshman point guard picked up his third foul with 18:30 left in the game and Williams never even seemed to consider taking him out of the game. Alabama was unable to draw Anthony's fourth during the decisive part of the game, which would have been a game-changing play.
10. The Tar Heels must be more careful with the ball. Of the team's 20 turnovers, several were simply careless throwaways. Alabama turned those miscues into 17 points.
11. Solid effort from Armando Bacot, who quietly put up his third straight double-double, finishing with 12 points and a game-high 15 boards. This game probably goes in the Williams time capsule as the textbook example of why the head coach prefers an inside-oriented attack. Carolina dominated on the glass (60-31) and in the paint (40-28 scoring advantage).
12. This is the eighth time Carolina has started 5-0 under Williams, with the most recent examples coming in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons. Less typically, Carolina still hasn't broken 80 points this season.
13. Thursday's game against Michigan (1:30 p.m. Eastern)Â will be a significantly tougher test. The Wolverines have good size and athleticism and were impressive in a win over Iowa State.
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