University of North Carolina Athletics
Andrew Platek
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: UNLV Rapid Reactions
November 30, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from Carolina's Maui Invitational opener.
By Adam Lucas
1. A quietly dominant performance by Carolina in the Maui Invitational opener. After the game was tied at 27 in the first half, the Tar Heels obliterated UNLV, going on a 45-14 run until the bench was emptied at the four minute media timeout. Carolina won, 78-51.
2. Nervous first few minutes in Asheville, but Carolina methodically began to do exactly what it should do to a smaller UNLV squad--punish them on the backboards, continue to pound the ball into the paint, and grab roughly half the offensive rebound opportunities. The Tar Heels rebounded just three of their first ten misses. They finished with 19 offensive rebounds on 35 missed shots.
3. Thank goodness Andrew Platek is on the trip. Carolina began the game ice cold in virtually every possible way, and it was Platek who finally uncorked the basket with a three-pointer six minutes into the game. The senior contributed eight first half points as the Tar Heels climbed back into the game. He finished with 11 in the game, just one off his career high.
4. Carolina's improved depth paid major dividends in the game. Roy Williams told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network before the game that he might play ten players in the first half. He ended up playing nine before the first media timeout, as he subbed in four fresh bodies with UNLV holding a 13-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. Carolina has options this season, and it's not just warm bodies--it's productive options who can contribute. Eight of the nine players who played in the first half scored, and all nine grabbed at least one rebound, helping the Tar Heels to a 22-15 advantage on the glass in the first 20 minutes.
5. Day'Ron Sharpe was frustrated early, as he essentially just tried to overpower a smaller UNLV squad, leading to four turnovers. The Rebels blanketed Sharpe every time he got the ball, and he did not attempt a shot. It was just one of those days.
6. Fortunately, though, Carolina has plenty of post depth. Armando Bacot made all four of his shots, Garrison Brooks had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Walker Kessler was impressive. It's hard to imagine another team in the country with that kind of legitimate depth in the paint.
7. Kessler is raw and is still figuring out where he fits for Carolina. But because of his length, he's problematic for opponents every time he's on the court. It's a major luxury to be able to bring Kessler off the bench and let him learn in short spurts right now rather than being overwhelmed in extended freshman minutes. He had a terrific stretch in the second half that he punctuated by diving on the floor for a loose ball, earning some boisterous praise from Roy Williams.
8. All those big men meant Carolina completely dominated the backboards, holding a 54-35 rebounding advantage. UNLV's leading rebounder had six boards. Carolina had five different players with at least that many rebounds.
9. Keep in mind that wasn't even a particularly efficient offensive performance. Carolina shot just 42 percent from the floor and 66 percent from the free throw line, and still won by 27 points. There's plenty of room for improvement, but the Tar Heels showed how beneficial a relentless attack around the rim can be. The Tar Heels also still aren't close to playing at the tempo Williams would prefer.
10. By the way, a team-high ten of those rebounds came from Leaky Black. Most of the attention will go to Black's 1-for-9 shooting game, and he needs to improve those numbers, but he was important on the glass. He also played some very solid defense on UNLV's Bryce Hamilton, who made his first three field goals and then made just four of his next 16. Like Platek in the opener, Black brings important qualitites to the team. He just needs to figure out in what quantities they need some of his assets.
11. It's a nice luxury when you have a freshman score 16 points on just nine shots, as RJ Davis did, and it's the third or fourth biggest story from the game. Davis also had the ball in his hands frequently and committed just one turnover.
12. Like Sharpe, Puff Johnson had one of those educational days that every freshman has at some point for Carolina. Johnson was the tenth Tar Heel to earn playing time, and immediately ran into some issues, making a couple offensive and defensive errors. He then capped it by being cited for a flop warning, which led to Williams reminding Johnson on the bench that the Tar Heels don't play that way. At some point, every freshman has been where Johnson was during those moments.
13. Strong in-game music selection here at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. The songs were one of two options: techno remixes of current hits, or mid-80s Top 40 tunes ("Kickstart My Heart" and "Nothing's Going To Stop Us Now" were among those selections).
14. There are some good teams here in Asheville. These next two days will be hugely beneficial for a Carolina team that also faces a road trip to Iowa next week.
1. A quietly dominant performance by Carolina in the Maui Invitational opener. After the game was tied at 27 in the first half, the Tar Heels obliterated UNLV, going on a 45-14 run until the bench was emptied at the four minute media timeout. Carolina won, 78-51.
2. Nervous first few minutes in Asheville, but Carolina methodically began to do exactly what it should do to a smaller UNLV squad--punish them on the backboards, continue to pound the ball into the paint, and grab roughly half the offensive rebound opportunities. The Tar Heels rebounded just three of their first ten misses. They finished with 19 offensive rebounds on 35 missed shots.
3. Thank goodness Andrew Platek is on the trip. Carolina began the game ice cold in virtually every possible way, and it was Platek who finally uncorked the basket with a three-pointer six minutes into the game. The senior contributed eight first half points as the Tar Heels climbed back into the game. He finished with 11 in the game, just one off his career high.
4. Carolina's improved depth paid major dividends in the game. Roy Williams told Jones Angell on the Tar Heel Sports Network before the game that he might play ten players in the first half. He ended up playing nine before the first media timeout, as he subbed in four fresh bodies with UNLV holding a 13-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. Carolina has options this season, and it's not just warm bodies--it's productive options who can contribute. Eight of the nine players who played in the first half scored, and all nine grabbed at least one rebound, helping the Tar Heels to a 22-15 advantage on the glass in the first 20 minutes.
5. Day'Ron Sharpe was frustrated early, as he essentially just tried to overpower a smaller UNLV squad, leading to four turnovers. The Rebels blanketed Sharpe every time he got the ball, and he did not attempt a shot. It was just one of those days.
6. Fortunately, though, Carolina has plenty of post depth. Armando Bacot made all four of his shots, Garrison Brooks had 14 points and seven rebounds, and Walker Kessler was impressive. It's hard to imagine another team in the country with that kind of legitimate depth in the paint.
7. Kessler is raw and is still figuring out where he fits for Carolina. But because of his length, he's problematic for opponents every time he's on the court. It's a major luxury to be able to bring Kessler off the bench and let him learn in short spurts right now rather than being overwhelmed in extended freshman minutes. He had a terrific stretch in the second half that he punctuated by diving on the floor for a loose ball, earning some boisterous praise from Roy Williams.
8. All those big men meant Carolina completely dominated the backboards, holding a 54-35 rebounding advantage. UNLV's leading rebounder had six boards. Carolina had five different players with at least that many rebounds.
9. Keep in mind that wasn't even a particularly efficient offensive performance. Carolina shot just 42 percent from the floor and 66 percent from the free throw line, and still won by 27 points. There's plenty of room for improvement, but the Tar Heels showed how beneficial a relentless attack around the rim can be. The Tar Heels also still aren't close to playing at the tempo Williams would prefer.
10. By the way, a team-high ten of those rebounds came from Leaky Black. Most of the attention will go to Black's 1-for-9 shooting game, and he needs to improve those numbers, but he was important on the glass. He also played some very solid defense on UNLV's Bryce Hamilton, who made his first three field goals and then made just four of his next 16. Like Platek in the opener, Black brings important qualitites to the team. He just needs to figure out in what quantities they need some of his assets.
11. It's a nice luxury when you have a freshman score 16 points on just nine shots, as RJ Davis did, and it's the third or fourth biggest story from the game. Davis also had the ball in his hands frequently and committed just one turnover.
12. Like Sharpe, Puff Johnson had one of those educational days that every freshman has at some point for Carolina. Johnson was the tenth Tar Heel to earn playing time, and immediately ran into some issues, making a couple offensive and defensive errors. He then capped it by being cited for a flop warning, which led to Williams reminding Johnson on the bench that the Tar Heels don't play that way. At some point, every freshman has been where Johnson was during those moments.
13. Strong in-game music selection here at the Harrah's Cherokee Center. The songs were one of two options: techno remixes of current hits, or mid-80s Top 40 tunes ("Kickstart My Heart" and "Nothing's Going To Stop Us Now" were among those selections).
14. There are some good teams here in Asheville. These next two days will be hugely beneficial for a Carolina team that also faces a road trip to Iowa next week.
Players Mentioned
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