University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Rapid Reactions
March 11, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the ACC Tournament matchup with Syracuse.
By Adam Lucas
1. On an unusual night at the ACC Tournament, the outcome was just another part of the surreal feeling, as Syracuse posted an 81-53 victory over Carolina.
2. It's hard to even know what to say about that performance. There were numerous factors that went into Carolina's poor season. But the primary problem on Wednesday night was very simple: the Tar Heels didn't play very well. The 28-point defeat was Carolina's biggest in ACC Tournament history.
3. Carolina shot 20-60 from the field and 2-16 from the three-point line. Part of that was poor offensive execution, but Syracuse--perhaps tired of hearing about Carolina's success against them--also played a much more aggressive zone than they did in the first meeting. The Orange made more free throws (18 in 28 attempts) than Carolina attempted (the Tar Heels were 11-13), another measure of how much more energy Syracuse possessed.
4. The Tar Heels committed 18 turnovers, some of the careless variety. Cole Anthony led the team in that category with six, part of a very frustrating night for the freshman point guard, who finished 2-for-10 from the floor. The Orange turned those miscues into 27 points. Those turnovers are largely responsible for the very unusual 15-2 edge that Syracuse held in fast break points. Think about that again: Carolina was outscored 15-2 in fast break points by a Jim Boeheim-coached team. The Cuse had a whopping 11 steals as compared to zero for the Tar Heels.
5. The rotation was out of balance from the very beginning when both Brandon Robinson and Leaky Black were whistled for two fouls apiece before the first media timeout. Black would eventually pick up his third foul before the end of the first half but was one of two Tar Heels (Garrison Brooks with 18) in double figures, as he finished with 14 points.
6. A measure of the intensity and effort with which Carolina played defense on Wednesday night: they fouled a three-point shooter three times in the first 26 minutes of the game. That's been a pet peeve of Roy Williams all season.
7. If you need a bright spot from a dismal night, Jeremiah Francis was one of the very few Tar Heels who played with consistent energy. Francis' defensive effort was noticeable and he was also one of the few UNC guards able to pierce the zone with a pass.
8. Very tough way for senior Brandon Robinson to go out--on a night most everyone in blue had a tough evening. Robinson was 1-for-4 from the field and did not make a three-pointer.
9. I don't begin to claim to have the information necessary to make a judgment on what should or shouldn't happen with the coronavirus. But from an on-site perspective, it has definitely created a different environment at the ACC Tournament. The most popular person in every section of the Greensboro Coliseum was the mom who remembered to bring wipes. Handshakes are virtually non-existent. One step further behind the scenes, locker rooms are closed to the media. The basketball went on for Wednesday night, but there was most definitely a sense of concern in the building. It felt like there may have been a smaller crowd Wednesday than there was Tuesday despite the announced attendance, and many of those in attendance spent the timeouts checking their phones for news updates.
10. So ends a difficult season. It's just the 11th losing season in Carolina basketball history, and just the fourth losing season in the ACC era (a fairly amazing stat). As has been well documented, it is also the first losing season in Roy Williams' head coaching career.
1. On an unusual night at the ACC Tournament, the outcome was just another part of the surreal feeling, as Syracuse posted an 81-53 victory over Carolina.
2. It's hard to even know what to say about that performance. There were numerous factors that went into Carolina's poor season. But the primary problem on Wednesday night was very simple: the Tar Heels didn't play very well. The 28-point defeat was Carolina's biggest in ACC Tournament history.
3. Carolina shot 20-60 from the field and 2-16 from the three-point line. Part of that was poor offensive execution, but Syracuse--perhaps tired of hearing about Carolina's success against them--also played a much more aggressive zone than they did in the first meeting. The Orange made more free throws (18 in 28 attempts) than Carolina attempted (the Tar Heels were 11-13), another measure of how much more energy Syracuse possessed.
4. The Tar Heels committed 18 turnovers, some of the careless variety. Cole Anthony led the team in that category with six, part of a very frustrating night for the freshman point guard, who finished 2-for-10 from the floor. The Orange turned those miscues into 27 points. Those turnovers are largely responsible for the very unusual 15-2 edge that Syracuse held in fast break points. Think about that again: Carolina was outscored 15-2 in fast break points by a Jim Boeheim-coached team. The Cuse had a whopping 11 steals as compared to zero for the Tar Heels.
5. The rotation was out of balance from the very beginning when both Brandon Robinson and Leaky Black were whistled for two fouls apiece before the first media timeout. Black would eventually pick up his third foul before the end of the first half but was one of two Tar Heels (Garrison Brooks with 18) in double figures, as he finished with 14 points.
6. A measure of the intensity and effort with which Carolina played defense on Wednesday night: they fouled a three-point shooter three times in the first 26 minutes of the game. That's been a pet peeve of Roy Williams all season.
7. If you need a bright spot from a dismal night, Jeremiah Francis was one of the very few Tar Heels who played with consistent energy. Francis' defensive effort was noticeable and he was also one of the few UNC guards able to pierce the zone with a pass.
8. Very tough way for senior Brandon Robinson to go out--on a night most everyone in blue had a tough evening. Robinson was 1-for-4 from the field and did not make a three-pointer.
9. I don't begin to claim to have the information necessary to make a judgment on what should or shouldn't happen with the coronavirus. But from an on-site perspective, it has definitely created a different environment at the ACC Tournament. The most popular person in every section of the Greensboro Coliseum was the mom who remembered to bring wipes. Handshakes are virtually non-existent. One step further behind the scenes, locker rooms are closed to the media. The basketball went on for Wednesday night, but there was most definitely a sense of concern in the building. It felt like there may have been a smaller crowd Wednesday than there was Tuesday despite the announced attendance, and many of those in attendance spent the timeouts checking their phones for news updates.
10. So ends a difficult season. It's just the 11th losing season in Carolina basketball history, and just the fourth losing season in the ACC era (a fairly amazing stat). As has been well documented, it is also the first losing season in Roy Williams' head coaching career.
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