Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. A late rally wasn't enough to overcome a poor first 25 minutes, as Carolina fell 74-57 at Wake Forest.

2. Another struggling first half for Carolina, which allowed Wake Forest to score on 14 straight possessions on which the Deacs didn't turn the ball over. That run encompassed the final 10:06 of the first half and saw it go from a two-point game to an 18-point halftime bulge. Last season, Carolina led Wake 49-21 at half. That's a 46-point turnaround in halftime score from year to year.

3. Yet more evidence of Garrison Brooks' toughness on Tuesday, as he played despite a scratched cornea that limited his vision. Brooks was only cleared to play after the Tar Heels secured some racquetball goggles that would protect his eye, which was injured in Saturday night's game against Duke. That's the third time this year he has suffered a similar injury, including once during the Atlantis tournament and once earlier this season in practice. Brooks was clearly bothered by the injury and then sustained a bloody upper lip that needed two stitches in a collision under the basket in the first half. Brooks didn't have a great statistical night, as he was 0-for-5 from the field and finished with seven points and five rebounds, but he played 29 minutes on a night when many other players wouldn't have played at all.

4. Christian Keeling is starting to understand where he fits in the Tar Heel offense, as he's developed a knack for knocking down midrange jumpers (credit him for understanding he's shooting 24 percent from the three-point line and finding another way to score). He was also the only Tar Heel to make a field goal for the first 10:50 of the second half, and he finished with a team-high 15 points, tying with Anthony in that category. But he needs to play with more savvy defensively. He fouled another three-point shooter in the first half, handing Wake a four-point play while the Deacs were stretching their lead.

5. If Tuesday felt a little unfamiliar, it's because it was only the second time in history that Carolina and Wake Forest met when both teams were under .500. The other? February 8, 1919, when Carolina came into the game 1-2 while Wake was 2-3. Carolina won that game, 30-17, so no one received any biscuits.

6. If you're desperate for some good news: Brooks looks to be back on track at the free throw line. After going four for his last 20 at the charity stripe, the junior was 7 for 8 against the Deacs.

7. Even with the horrendous first half, Carolina made a late push and had a couple of what felt like momentum-turning three-pointers rim out in the final five minutes. Had Carolina not fallen behind by 26 points early in the second half, that late run might have made things very interesting. Wake tried to cooperate by going nearly eight minutes without a field goal, and the Tar Heels eventually got it to single digits with 2:37 to go, but it wasn't enough. One of the hallmarks of this team has been an inability to play 40 full minutes of good basketball. Had they played the full game the way they played the last ten minutes or so, it might have been different. But that's been a problem for Carolina throughout the season. Was there a hangover from Saturday night's loss to Duke? Sure. But Wake also lost a tough one to Syracuse that same evening.

8. Cole Anthony's rough night (5-for-19 from the field, 0-for-6 from three, and seven turnovers) got worse in the final minutes when he took a hard fall near midcourt going for a loose ball. Hopefully, he's nothing more than shaken up from hitting the hardwood.

9. A big problem: Wake's Brandon Childress had ten assists. Carolina as a team had nine assists.

10. Carolina was a rough 1-for-16 from the three-point line in the game. That means Wake Forest (9-for-23) outscored Carolina by 24 points from the three-point line. The Deacs also held a five-point advantage at the free throw line (19-for-22 to Carolina's 14-for-16). It's very hard to win in the ACC if you get outscored both from the three-point line and the free throw line.

11. Walker Miller saw nearly 15 minutes of action in a backup post role. He had two points and four rebounds.

12. Years from now when we're looking back on this season--and at some point we might have to--hopefully someone remembers how much the loss of Anthony Harris meant to the 2020 Tar Heels. It won't look like much in the box score, as he was only averaging 12.2 minutes and about six points a game, but Harris brought a defensive tenacity and toughness that has been sorely missed.

13. Roy Williams has never had a losing season in his coaching career. Carolina needs to make a major push beginning Saturday at home against Virginia to have any chance to continue that streak.

Players Mentioned

Cole Anthony

Garrison Brooks

Anthony Harris

Christian Keeling

Walker Miller

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