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University of North Carolina Athletics
Jeremiah Francis
Photo by: J.D. Lyon Jr.
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
December 21, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the game against UCLA.
By Adam Lucas
1. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. Carolina needed a victory after four straight losses and got it against UCLA in Las Vegas.
2. Carolina doesn't win that game without Anthony Harris. The Tar Heels summoned Harris early in the second half when they were struggling to control the ball. Harris instantly provided some intensity and defense. He provides what this Carolina team needs. He isn't always going to score 14 points, as he did Saturday--including a pair of huge three-pointers and a big bucket off his own offensive rebound--but he makes the team more dynamic on the court. Harris' defense on Prince Ali in the closing seconds of the first half--which eventually forced another turnover--was the single play that got the Tar Heel bench the most excited in the first 20 minutes.
3. Welcome back, Armando Bacot. The freshman recovered from making just three of his last 20 field goals and recorded another double-double, this time with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Bacot was essential against a UCLA team that prides itself on rebounding (and the Bruins did narrowly win the overall rebounding battle).
4. Some sloppy Bruins ballhandling was key in helping Carolina build a 13-point halftime advantage. UCLA had a whopping 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Carolina got 13 points--their exact lead--off those miscues. The Bruins finished with 23 turnovers in the game.
5. UCLA may have provided a blueprint for future opponents with the personnel to employ full-court or 3/4 court pressure. The Tar Heels were ragged during most of the second half when Mick Cronin's team increased their defensive pressure.
6. The point guard rotation continues to evolve. KJ Smith started for the third straight game, as he has in Cole Anthony's absence. But Jeremiah Francis received the overwhelming majority of the minutes at that spot and continued to play well. Francis had four assists and generally managed the game well. He occasionally falls victim to some overexuberance--he's playing in his third basketball game in the last two years--and made a poor time-and-score choice with under two minutes to play. In general, though, he makes the Carolina offense move more north-south and less east-west, which it needs. At one point in the decisive stretch of the second half, Francis and Harris combined to score 14 straight points.
7. Francis was also 9-for-10 at the free throw line, which was important in a game where much of the offense came from the charity stripe. The coaching staff selected Francis to shoot the technical foul free throws when Mick Cronin picked up a technical late in the second half--the rookie is earning the trust of the staff.
8. The win continues Carolina's mastery over UCLA and the Pac-12. The Tar Heels are now 8-3 against the Bruins, the best winning percentage against them of any opponent that has faced them at least ten times. Roy Williams is now 8-2 against UCLA, and Carolina has won 15 in a row against the Pac-12 and is 16-1 against the league in the Williams era.
9. Williams now has 878 career victories and has a chance to tie and potentially pass Dean Smith's 879 victories in a four-game Smith Center home stretch that begins Dec. 30 against Yale. Less-known is the fact that Williams now has 460 wins as an ACC head coach. His next victory will tie him with Maryland's Gary Williams for third place in that category. Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith are at the top of that list.
10. Great to see a strong turnout from Carolina basketball alumni in Las Vegas. David Noel, Luke Maye, Kenny Williams, Mitch Kupchak, Antawn Jamison and Sam Perkins were all in town for various reasons (Noel, Maye and Williams were all part of a G League showcase that was in town over the weekend) and watched the game from courtside.
11. That felt like an essential win going into the holiday break. The Tar Heels are trying to tread water without Cole Anthony, and the game against UCLA felt like it could go either way. Getting the win enables Carolina to go into the break feeling good, with some personnel falling into place, and they can then reassemble for three days of practice before Yale.
1. It wasn't pretty, but it was a win. Carolina needed a victory after four straight losses and got it against UCLA in Las Vegas.
2. Carolina doesn't win that game without Anthony Harris. The Tar Heels summoned Harris early in the second half when they were struggling to control the ball. Harris instantly provided some intensity and defense. He provides what this Carolina team needs. He isn't always going to score 14 points, as he did Saturday--including a pair of huge three-pointers and a big bucket off his own offensive rebound--but he makes the team more dynamic on the court. Harris' defense on Prince Ali in the closing seconds of the first half--which eventually forced another turnover--was the single play that got the Tar Heel bench the most excited in the first 20 minutes.
3. Welcome back, Armando Bacot. The freshman recovered from making just three of his last 20 field goals and recorded another double-double, this time with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Bacot was essential against a UCLA team that prides itself on rebounding (and the Bruins did narrowly win the overall rebounding battle).
4. Some sloppy Bruins ballhandling was key in helping Carolina build a 13-point halftime advantage. UCLA had a whopping 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and Carolina got 13 points--their exact lead--off those miscues. The Bruins finished with 23 turnovers in the game.
5. UCLA may have provided a blueprint for future opponents with the personnel to employ full-court or 3/4 court pressure. The Tar Heels were ragged during most of the second half when Mick Cronin's team increased their defensive pressure.
6. The point guard rotation continues to evolve. KJ Smith started for the third straight game, as he has in Cole Anthony's absence. But Jeremiah Francis received the overwhelming majority of the minutes at that spot and continued to play well. Francis had four assists and generally managed the game well. He occasionally falls victim to some overexuberance--he's playing in his third basketball game in the last two years--and made a poor time-and-score choice with under two minutes to play. In general, though, he makes the Carolina offense move more north-south and less east-west, which it needs. At one point in the decisive stretch of the second half, Francis and Harris combined to score 14 straight points.
7. Francis was also 9-for-10 at the free throw line, which was important in a game where much of the offense came from the charity stripe. The coaching staff selected Francis to shoot the technical foul free throws when Mick Cronin picked up a technical late in the second half--the rookie is earning the trust of the staff.
8. The win continues Carolina's mastery over UCLA and the Pac-12. The Tar Heels are now 8-3 against the Bruins, the best winning percentage against them of any opponent that has faced them at least ten times. Roy Williams is now 8-2 against UCLA, and Carolina has won 15 in a row against the Pac-12 and is 16-1 against the league in the Williams era.
9. Williams now has 878 career victories and has a chance to tie and potentially pass Dean Smith's 879 victories in a four-game Smith Center home stretch that begins Dec. 30 against Yale. Less-known is the fact that Williams now has 460 wins as an ACC head coach. His next victory will tie him with Maryland's Gary Williams for third place in that category. Mike Krzyzewski and Dean Smith are at the top of that list.
10. Great to see a strong turnout from Carolina basketball alumni in Las Vegas. David Noel, Luke Maye, Kenny Williams, Mitch Kupchak, Antawn Jamison and Sam Perkins were all in town for various reasons (Noel, Maye and Williams were all part of a G League showcase that was in town over the weekend) and watched the game from courtside.
11. That felt like an essential win going into the holiday break. The Tar Heels are trying to tread water without Cole Anthony, and the game against UCLA felt like it could go either way. Getting the win enables Carolina to go into the break feeling good, with some personnel falling into place, and they can then reassemble for three days of practice before Yale.
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