University of North Carolina Athletics
Cole Anthony
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
February 8, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from Carolina-Duke.
By Adam Lucas
1. I don't know what to tell you. It was miserable.
2. It was great for about 38 minutes. And then things completely fell apart. Carolina missed free throws, of course. The Tar Heels finished 21-38 from the line and missed numerous key ones. Take out Cole Anthony and the Tar Heels were an abysmal 12-28. The key number came in the second half, when Carolina was 12-21 as a team.
3. Carolina also had key turnovers late, as they failed to secure the ball through contact. Credit Duke also for twice playing good defense as the Tar Heels attempted to get the ball to Anthony--their only reliable free throw shooter at that point--and failed twice, eventually having to throw it to Andrew Platek, who had a collision near the Duke bench as the ball went to the Blue Devils after the officials received the requisite time on television.
4. Duke shot the ball twice as much (14 to 7) as Carolina in the extra period, due largely to Carolina's three turnovers (to none for Duke). It's hard to win when the other team puts it on the rim twice as much as you do.
5. Anthony had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds and was largely fantastic. A couple possessions he may rue later came near the end of regulation, when he initiated the offense too quickly with Carolina holding the lead. The Tar Heels missed both shots, giving Duke the precious seconds they needed to send the game into extra time.
6. Carolina was up 13 with four minutes left in regulation, up ten with 2:18 left, and up five with 20 seconds left in overtime. There will never be another eight points in 17 seconds, but this might have been Duke's version.
7. This is the kind of season it's been. Carolina didn't foul up three against Clemson and managed to lose the game, with Roy Williams absorbing the blame for not telling his team to foul. That prompted Williams to recall the time he saw Carolina under Dean Smith foul Georgia Tech in that same situation, only to watch the Jackets pull off a miraculous win on a Dennis Scott three-pointer in Atlanta. Then we have Saturday night, when Carolina did foul, saw Tre Jones make the first and miss the second in regulation, and Duke to send the game into overtime on a buzzer-beater.Â
8. The first 36 minutes were spectacular. Every single Tar Heel contributed, with unsung players like Justin Pierce outhustling everyone for an offensive rebound or Andrew Platek sliding in to pick up Vernon Carey's fifth foul with four minutes left and a 13-point UNC lead.Â
9. The game was a couple seconds away from being known as the Christian Keeling game. The graduate transfer shot the ball wonderfully, hitting five of his seven shots, including a three-pointer, and finished with 13 points and four rebounds. It was exactly the kind of offensive boost the Tar Heels needed to win the game.Â
10. Garrison Brooks showed a new consistent contribution to the offense, hitting several Brad Daugherty-esque 17-footers in the secondary break. Brooks finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Brooks was also largely responsible for fouling out Carey, as he drew the freshman's third by backing him down under the rim and the fourth by boxing him out and forcing him to go over his back.
11. The Carolina guards were terrific on the boards. Anthony had the aforementioned 11, and Leaky Black--who was very solid before fouling out, had seven rebounds to go with his game-high nine assists. Black was instrumental in early terrific Carolina ball movement, as the Heels had nine assists on the first 12 field goals.
12. Carolina and Duke both wore special uniforms celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the rivalry. There was some confusion about the uniforms, which did not include a number on the front. The NCAA was asked for a waiver on the rule requiring there to be numbers on the front. They denied that waiver--but there is no penalty for that rule, so the jerseys were worn (don't be surprised if there is a penalty beginning next season). The contrasting color jerseys had to be approved by the game officials, which they did.
13. Former Tar Heel players in attendance: Tyler Hansbrough, Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, Phil Ford, and of course Joel Berry, whose jersey was honored at halftime.
14. It was miserable.Â
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1. I don't know what to tell you. It was miserable.
2. It was great for about 38 minutes. And then things completely fell apart. Carolina missed free throws, of course. The Tar Heels finished 21-38 from the line and missed numerous key ones. Take out Cole Anthony and the Tar Heels were an abysmal 12-28. The key number came in the second half, when Carolina was 12-21 as a team.
3. Carolina also had key turnovers late, as they failed to secure the ball through contact. Credit Duke also for twice playing good defense as the Tar Heels attempted to get the ball to Anthony--their only reliable free throw shooter at that point--and failed twice, eventually having to throw it to Andrew Platek, who had a collision near the Duke bench as the ball went to the Blue Devils after the officials received the requisite time on television.
4. Duke shot the ball twice as much (14 to 7) as Carolina in the extra period, due largely to Carolina's three turnovers (to none for Duke). It's hard to win when the other team puts it on the rim twice as much as you do.
5. Anthony had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds and was largely fantastic. A couple possessions he may rue later came near the end of regulation, when he initiated the offense too quickly with Carolina holding the lead. The Tar Heels missed both shots, giving Duke the precious seconds they needed to send the game into extra time.
6. Carolina was up 13 with four minutes left in regulation, up ten with 2:18 left, and up five with 20 seconds left in overtime. There will never be another eight points in 17 seconds, but this might have been Duke's version.
7. This is the kind of season it's been. Carolina didn't foul up three against Clemson and managed to lose the game, with Roy Williams absorbing the blame for not telling his team to foul. That prompted Williams to recall the time he saw Carolina under Dean Smith foul Georgia Tech in that same situation, only to watch the Jackets pull off a miraculous win on a Dennis Scott three-pointer in Atlanta. Then we have Saturday night, when Carolina did foul, saw Tre Jones make the first and miss the second in regulation, and Duke to send the game into overtime on a buzzer-beater.Â
8. The first 36 minutes were spectacular. Every single Tar Heel contributed, with unsung players like Justin Pierce outhustling everyone for an offensive rebound or Andrew Platek sliding in to pick up Vernon Carey's fifth foul with four minutes left and a 13-point UNC lead.Â
9. The game was a couple seconds away from being known as the Christian Keeling game. The graduate transfer shot the ball wonderfully, hitting five of his seven shots, including a three-pointer, and finished with 13 points and four rebounds. It was exactly the kind of offensive boost the Tar Heels needed to win the game.Â
10. Garrison Brooks showed a new consistent contribution to the offense, hitting several Brad Daugherty-esque 17-footers in the secondary break. Brooks finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Brooks was also largely responsible for fouling out Carey, as he drew the freshman's third by backing him down under the rim and the fourth by boxing him out and forcing him to go over his back.
11. The Carolina guards were terrific on the boards. Anthony had the aforementioned 11, and Leaky Black--who was very solid before fouling out, had seven rebounds to go with his game-high nine assists. Black was instrumental in early terrific Carolina ball movement, as the Heels had nine assists on the first 12 field goals.
12. Carolina and Duke both wore special uniforms celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the rivalry. There was some confusion about the uniforms, which did not include a number on the front. The NCAA was asked for a waiver on the rule requiring there to be numbers on the front. They denied that waiver--but there is no penalty for that rule, so the jerseys were worn (don't be surprised if there is a penalty beginning next season). The contrasting color jerseys had to be approved by the game officials, which they did.
13. Former Tar Heel players in attendance: Tyler Hansbrough, Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo, Phil Ford, and of course Joel Berry, whose jersey was honored at halftime.
14. It was miserable.Â
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