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Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lucas: Syracuse Rapid Reactions
January 12, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the home matchup with Syracuse.
By Adam Lucas
1. Is every game going to be like this? It looks like maybe it is. As long as Carolina is winning, though--as they did on Tuesday night with an 81-75 win over Syracuse--Tar Heel fans will take it. All five ACC games have been decided by six points or fewer, and the Heels are now 3-2 and have won three in a row.
2. Carolina won that game the way they often do against Syracuse: by pounding the ball inside and recovering missed shots. The Tar Heels didn't shoot the ball well from the three-point line, but were beastly on the backboards, where they had a 48-31 margin. They also did it at the very end, as Armando Bacot's recovery of a missed RJ Davis shot provided some breathing room and a five-point lead with under a minute to go.
3. Leaky Black's defense has been occasionally terrific but not consistent this season. He was very important in the second half against Syracuse's Buddy Boeheim, who had scored 18 first half points and provided a running commentary throughout most of his points in the first period. But Black swatted Boeheim's first jumper of the second half and never relented. At halftime it looked like Boeheim was on the way to a big-time scoring performance, but he finished with that same eighteen. Black also had one of the key assists of the game--he had a game-high seven--when he found Armando Bacot with 1:22 remaining for a basket in a one-point game. He essentially finished off the game by ripping the ball away from Boeheim with under a minute left. Black might have had the best 1-for-7 game in the Roy Williams era.
4. Carolina struggled mightily in the half court offense late in the game. The Tar Heels remain unsettled at point guard, with RJ Davis and Caleb Love alternating and trying to find some rhythm creating the offense. That's a tough situation for freshmen to be in against the Syracuse zone. Davis and Love combined for two assists and two turnovers.
5. Welcome back, Garrison Brooks. After three straight games coming off the bench, Brooks returned to the starting lineup against the Orange and responded by putting up 14 first half points. He finished with a team-high 16 and for the second straight game made a pair of clutch free throws late in the second half.
6. As is traditionally the case against Syracuse, one of Carolina's best offensive options was rebounding missed shots. The Tar Heels had a whopping 24-4 edge in second chance points, and grabbed 24 offensive rebounds on 44 missed shots.
7. Great to see Davis play through his struggles and make a momentum-turning run midway through the second half. The freshman hit a three-pointer, made a pair of huge steals, converted a pair of three-pointers and a layup. That stretch helped take Carolina from down five to up six with nine minutes left in the game. He also made a pair of game-sealing free throws with seconds remaining.
8. Nice to be able to watch the development of Kerwin Walton as the season progresses. The freshman came into the game having taken just four two-point shots all season. But with the league catching on to the idea that he's clearly Carolina's best three-point shooter, he showed off a new element on Tuesday: a pump fake, one-dribble, long two-point jumper. He made a pair of those shots in the first half and another one in the second half. The ability to put that shot on the scouting report will force opponents to play him a little more honestly.
9. The fast break points, which are sometimes deceptive, don't really show it, but Carolina played at a better tempo, especially in the first half. Even better, they did it largely under control. Turnovers have been a problem this season, but the Tar Heels committed just nine miscues against Syracuse, and just four in the crucial second half.
10. Anthony Harris was in uniform during warmups for the first time this season. The redshirt freshman tore his ACL against Yale on Dec. 30, 2019. His rehab was made more challenging because of being away from Chapel Hill--and the watchful eye of Jonas Sahratian and Doug Halverson--but he has gradually been working his way into more activity at recent practices. When he's able to play in games, which seems close, Harris brings toughness, the ability to guard the ball, and a team-first mindset that will be a major asset.
11. Carolina has now won ten of the last 11 games against Syracuse. The only outlier is last year's ACC Tournament defeat.
1. Is every game going to be like this? It looks like maybe it is. As long as Carolina is winning, though--as they did on Tuesday night with an 81-75 win over Syracuse--Tar Heel fans will take it. All five ACC games have been decided by six points or fewer, and the Heels are now 3-2 and have won three in a row.
2. Carolina won that game the way they often do against Syracuse: by pounding the ball inside and recovering missed shots. The Tar Heels didn't shoot the ball well from the three-point line, but were beastly on the backboards, where they had a 48-31 margin. They also did it at the very end, as Armando Bacot's recovery of a missed RJ Davis shot provided some breathing room and a five-point lead with under a minute to go.
3. Leaky Black's defense has been occasionally terrific but not consistent this season. He was very important in the second half against Syracuse's Buddy Boeheim, who had scored 18 first half points and provided a running commentary throughout most of his points in the first period. But Black swatted Boeheim's first jumper of the second half and never relented. At halftime it looked like Boeheim was on the way to a big-time scoring performance, but he finished with that same eighteen. Black also had one of the key assists of the game--he had a game-high seven--when he found Armando Bacot with 1:22 remaining for a basket in a one-point game. He essentially finished off the game by ripping the ball away from Boeheim with under a minute left. Black might have had the best 1-for-7 game in the Roy Williams era.
4. Carolina struggled mightily in the half court offense late in the game. The Tar Heels remain unsettled at point guard, with RJ Davis and Caleb Love alternating and trying to find some rhythm creating the offense. That's a tough situation for freshmen to be in against the Syracuse zone. Davis and Love combined for two assists and two turnovers.
5. Welcome back, Garrison Brooks. After three straight games coming off the bench, Brooks returned to the starting lineup against the Orange and responded by putting up 14 first half points. He finished with a team-high 16 and for the second straight game made a pair of clutch free throws late in the second half.
6. As is traditionally the case against Syracuse, one of Carolina's best offensive options was rebounding missed shots. The Tar Heels had a whopping 24-4 edge in second chance points, and grabbed 24 offensive rebounds on 44 missed shots.
7. Great to see Davis play through his struggles and make a momentum-turning run midway through the second half. The freshman hit a three-pointer, made a pair of huge steals, converted a pair of three-pointers and a layup. That stretch helped take Carolina from down five to up six with nine minutes left in the game. He also made a pair of game-sealing free throws with seconds remaining.
8. Nice to be able to watch the development of Kerwin Walton as the season progresses. The freshman came into the game having taken just four two-point shots all season. But with the league catching on to the idea that he's clearly Carolina's best three-point shooter, he showed off a new element on Tuesday: a pump fake, one-dribble, long two-point jumper. He made a pair of those shots in the first half and another one in the second half. The ability to put that shot on the scouting report will force opponents to play him a little more honestly.
9. The fast break points, which are sometimes deceptive, don't really show it, but Carolina played at a better tempo, especially in the first half. Even better, they did it largely under control. Turnovers have been a problem this season, but the Tar Heels committed just nine miscues against Syracuse, and just four in the crucial second half.
10. Anthony Harris was in uniform during warmups for the first time this season. The redshirt freshman tore his ACL against Yale on Dec. 30, 2019. His rehab was made more challenging because of being away from Chapel Hill--and the watchful eye of Jonas Sahratian and Doug Halverson--but he has gradually been working his way into more activity at recent practices. When he's able to play in games, which seems close, Harris brings toughness, the ability to guard the ball, and a team-first mindset that will be a major asset.
11. Carolina has now won ten of the last 11 games against Syracuse. The only outlier is last year's ACC Tournament defeat.
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