Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. That was the March version of Carolina, not the January version, and that led to a 22-point victory over Virginia Tech.

2. The Hokies are a unique team to defend because they are completely committed to the three-point shot. Virginia Tech hoisted 36 three-pointers (out of 62 field goals) and made just ten.

3. As you would expect, Carolina dominated the rebounding battle (45-30) and outscored Tech 32-12 in the paint. Mike Young's team simply doesn't have the personnel to match Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks. Bacot had another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Brooks scored 20.

4. Leaky Black's length seemed to disrupt the sharpshooting Jalen Cone, who hit just 3-for-11 from the field after nailing six three-pointers in the first meeting in Blacksburg. Cone was just 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. Black was 2-for-4 from the field, but he also had six rebounds and four assists against zero turnovers.

5. Remember that Carolina didn't have Cole Anthony and Brandon Robinson in the first meeting. Anthony had a near double-double with ten points and eight rebounds to go with his four assists, and continued to show progress learning when to push the tempo. And Robinson made the game's backbreaking shots with a pair of back-to-back three-pointers in the second half, including one that shook a defender and had the partisan crowd roaring. The senior finished with 17 points and hit five of his six three-pointers.

6. Speaking of the crowd, it was very reminiscent of the game against Notre Dame in Greensboro due to the Chapel Hill water issues in 2017. The general admission crowd was announced at 13,310, and at least 10,000 of those were cheering for the Tar Heels. The other teams in tomorrow's session that includes Carolina are Notre Dame, Syracuse and Boston College. You would expect Carolina would probably have the majority of fans in the stands in that four-team group, and might benefit from a home-type atmosphere.

7. It looked like the Tar Heels might have dodged another injury bullet when Christian Keeling was able to reenter the game in the second half. Keeling had suffered a sprained ankle in the first half and limped off, but got a huge cheer when he was able to come back in. Carolina will need Keeling's offense if they are to have a long stay in Greensboro.

8. Now an interesting matchup with Syracuse in the late game on Wednesday. Coaches consistently talk about the difficulty in preparing for Syracuse's zone defense; Carolina just prepared for it about ten days ago and executed very well at the Carrier Dome. As Roy Williams noted after the game, both teams will benefit from having just prepared for the next opponent.

Players Mentioned

Cole Anthony

Armando Bacot

Leaky Black

Garrison Brooks

Christian Keeling

Brandon Robinson

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