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Lucas: Virginia Tech Rapid Reactions
March 11, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
By Adam Lucas
1. Intense, gritty win for Carolina over a Virginia Tech team with something to prove. You had to be in the Greensboro Coliseum to fully appreciate how much the Hokies wanted that win to validate a season in which they played just four games against the top eight teams in the league. They played well, but Carolina played even better and got the 81-73 victory.
2. Great stretch by RJ Davis during a momentum-changing span midway through the second half. The freshman guard--who was more than willing to match Virginia Tech's intensity--hit a couple big shots, had a steal, and converted a three-point play. He finished with a career high 19 and also made the backbreaking three-pointer with a minute remaining.
3. In a battle between one of the nation's best defensive rebounding teams (Virginia Tech) and one of the nation's best offensive rebounding clubs (Carolina), the Hokies got the better of it in the first half. Tech limited Carolina to just two offensive rebounds in the first half, which created only two second chance points. Carolina had just a one board advantage overall (16-15) in the first 20 minutes.
4. But things changed in the second half. Carolina outrebounded Virginia Tech by 13 in the final 20 minutes, with 13 of those rebounds coming on the offensive glass. That enabled them to have a 17-5 edge in second chance points. That's what makes the Tar Heels so tough on the backboards--you can slow them down for a half, but it's tough to do it for 40 minutes. Carolina will have another challenge on the glass tomorrow night against Florida State.
5. I think we all knew Leaky Black's perimeter shooting would be one of the decisive factors of the game. Black came into the game having hit just 1 of his last 19 three-point attempts. But he swished two big ones against the Hokies, including one from the right wing that pushed Carolina's lead to eight points with 1:25 left. Black had eight points, three rebounds and three assists with just one turnover, and played a team-high 30 minutes. He also was a big part of Carolina defending Tyrece Radford more effectively in the second half.
6. Roy Williams didn't wait long to remove his starters when they weren't providing the energy he wanted in the opening minutes. Virginia Tech, playing with spark and a predictable chip on their shoulder after having to sit and hear about how they'd dodged most of the top teams in the league, raced to a 7-2 lead. That prompted Williams to insert Day'Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler, Anthony Harris and RJ Davis, who were able to start putting the ball in the basket and put the game on a more even course.
7. A quietly important aspect of Carolina's play: they survived Virginia Tech's intense defense with a minimum of turnovers. The Tar Heels committed just 11 miscues, and had only three in the decisive second half.
8. Wise choice by Armando Bacot to change his shoes late in the first half. Bacot did not have a field goal attempt and had three rebounds in seven minutes in the original kicks. Once he made the move to the bright pink Jordans, he accumulated 17 points and ten rebounds in 18 minutes.
9. Quirky note and a bit of trivia: as you would expect, Thursday was the first time Carolina has ever faced an opponent in the ACC Tournament that it didn't play during the regular season. But it's not the first time in league history it has happened. Duke and South Carolina played in the 1967 ACC Tournament without playing during the regular season.
10. If you're thinking about NCAA Tournament credentials, Virginia Tech on a neutral floor was indeed a Quadrant 1 game. The Tar Heels are now 3-8 in Q1 games. Carolina's 11 combined Quadrant 1 and 2 wins are the most in the ACC.
11. The traditionally friendly Greensboro environment was a bit more so on Thursday night. When the evening's first quarterfinal was canceled this morning, The Rams Club was able to obtain a block of tickets earmarked for one of those schools. That enabled more Carolina fans to see the Heels in person. Reminder that it's always a good time to join The Rams Club if you're not already a member.
12. The win was the 903rd of Roy Williams' career. That moves him past Bob Knight into third place all-time on the career victories list. Only Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim are ahead of him.
13. Friday's semifinals will be a challenge. A rested FSU club that hasn't played a game yet will face a Carolina squad that had to fight the full 40 minutes to beat Virginia Tech.
1. Intense, gritty win for Carolina over a Virginia Tech team with something to prove. You had to be in the Greensboro Coliseum to fully appreciate how much the Hokies wanted that win to validate a season in which they played just four games against the top eight teams in the league. They played well, but Carolina played even better and got the 81-73 victory.
2. Great stretch by RJ Davis during a momentum-changing span midway through the second half. The freshman guard--who was more than willing to match Virginia Tech's intensity--hit a couple big shots, had a steal, and converted a three-point play. He finished with a career high 19 and also made the backbreaking three-pointer with a minute remaining.
3. In a battle between one of the nation's best defensive rebounding teams (Virginia Tech) and one of the nation's best offensive rebounding clubs (Carolina), the Hokies got the better of it in the first half. Tech limited Carolina to just two offensive rebounds in the first half, which created only two second chance points. Carolina had just a one board advantage overall (16-15) in the first 20 minutes.
4. But things changed in the second half. Carolina outrebounded Virginia Tech by 13 in the final 20 minutes, with 13 of those rebounds coming on the offensive glass. That enabled them to have a 17-5 edge in second chance points. That's what makes the Tar Heels so tough on the backboards--you can slow them down for a half, but it's tough to do it for 40 minutes. Carolina will have another challenge on the glass tomorrow night against Florida State.
5. I think we all knew Leaky Black's perimeter shooting would be one of the decisive factors of the game. Black came into the game having hit just 1 of his last 19 three-point attempts. But he swished two big ones against the Hokies, including one from the right wing that pushed Carolina's lead to eight points with 1:25 left. Black had eight points, three rebounds and three assists with just one turnover, and played a team-high 30 minutes. He also was a big part of Carolina defending Tyrece Radford more effectively in the second half.
6. Roy Williams didn't wait long to remove his starters when they weren't providing the energy he wanted in the opening minutes. Virginia Tech, playing with spark and a predictable chip on their shoulder after having to sit and hear about how they'd dodged most of the top teams in the league, raced to a 7-2 lead. That prompted Williams to insert Day'Ron Sharpe, Walker Kessler, Anthony Harris and RJ Davis, who were able to start putting the ball in the basket and put the game on a more even course.
7. A quietly important aspect of Carolina's play: they survived Virginia Tech's intense defense with a minimum of turnovers. The Tar Heels committed just 11 miscues, and had only three in the decisive second half.
8. Wise choice by Armando Bacot to change his shoes late in the first half. Bacot did not have a field goal attempt and had three rebounds in seven minutes in the original kicks. Once he made the move to the bright pink Jordans, he accumulated 17 points and ten rebounds in 18 minutes.
9. Quirky note and a bit of trivia: as you would expect, Thursday was the first time Carolina has ever faced an opponent in the ACC Tournament that it didn't play during the regular season. But it's not the first time in league history it has happened. Duke and South Carolina played in the 1967 ACC Tournament without playing during the regular season.
10. If you're thinking about NCAA Tournament credentials, Virginia Tech on a neutral floor was indeed a Quadrant 1 game. The Tar Heels are now 3-8 in Q1 games. Carolina's 11 combined Quadrant 1 and 2 wins are the most in the ACC.
11. The traditionally friendly Greensboro environment was a bit more so on Thursday night. When the evening's first quarterfinal was canceled this morning, The Rams Club was able to obtain a block of tickets earmarked for one of those schools. That enabled more Carolina fans to see the Heels in person. Reminder that it's always a good time to join The Rams Club if you're not already a member.
12. The win was the 903rd of Roy Williams' career. That moves him past Bob Knight into third place all-time on the career victories list. Only Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim are ahead of him.
13. Friday's semifinals will be a challenge. A rested FSU club that hasn't played a game yet will face a Carolina squad that had to fight the full 40 minutes to beat Virginia Tech.
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