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University of North Carolina Athletics
Harrison Ingram
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Villanova Rapid Reactions
November 23, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal.
By Adam Lucas
1. Frustrating overtime loss, as Carolina falls 83-81.
2. That was a very physical, very intense, NCAA Tournament-type game. The whistles seemed to tighten after a near second half dust-up that resulted in dual technical fouls, and tighter whistles are always going to favor Villanova, a team that is incredibly potent at the free throw line. Fourteen of the final 19 fouls in the game were called on Carolina, and the Wildcats went 9-for-10 from the line in overtime while Carolina was going 3-for-4. For the game, the Wildcats made 32 of 36 from the free throw line, doubling Carolina's 16-for-23 output.
3. Many of those charity tosses were created by simply backing down a Tar Heel one-on-one, most often by Eric Dixon (34 points) or Justin Moore (16 points, all after halftime).
4. Carolina did push the game into overtime by sending a double-team at either Dixon or Moore in the final minutes, which allowed the Tar Heels to close the gap and--somewhat unexpectedly--have the ball with a chance to win and 3.3 seconds remaining.
5. That final play of regulation was designed for a backdoor layup to take advantage of constant Villanova switching. But the Tar Heels decided the pass wasn't available, and it ended with RJ Davis missing a jumper. Davis made some big plays but also struggled through an 8-for-22 shooting day.
6. Davis' occasional struggles were coupled with a rough afternoon for Armando Bacot. The Tar Heel big man did grab a game-high 18 rebounds, but he went 4-for-10 from the field and--somehow, in a game where 52 fouls (30 on UNC) were called--did not attempt a free throw. In a game played almost entirely in the halfcourt, the Heels needed a big game from their most important post presence.
7. Fouling the three-point shooter has to stop. The Tar Heels did it multiple times yesterday and again today, with one of the offenses coming from the most experienced player (Bacot) and the other coming from the least experienced player (Elliot Cadeau). But Cadeau's mistake was magnified because it came in overtime, giving Villanova their first three points of the period.
8. Carolina didn't turn the ball over much, but some of the ones they did were frustratingly unforced. The Tar Heels committed 13 turnovers and Villanova turned them into 16 points. Those types of unforced turnovers--and the fouls against jump shooters, and a couple missed box outs that were important--are the type of details that Hubert Davis has been talking about that are important in games like these.
9. Harrison Ingram showed some feistiness when he stood up for RJ Davis after Davis was clocked to the ground on a layup attempt. But Ingram's aggression resulted in a double technical foul with TJ Bamba. The play hurt when Ingram fouled out, leaving Carolina without its most versatile offensive option at a time when they needed to create some offense. Jae'Lyn Withers also fouled out, as did the well-known physical presence of Cadeau. No Wildcats were disqualified.
10. Carolina now must turn around very quickly and play the loser of the Arkansas-Memphis game tomorrow at 1 p.m. The status of Cormac Ryan--who rolled his ankle late in the game--is uncertain for that contest.
11. Informal survey of the most represented schools here at Atlantis would have Arkansas at the top. Villanova and Carolina are probably similarly represented in second place. As always, the folks putting on the event run it like a top-notch NCAA Tournament venue, and while the venue has its quirks, it's one of those experiences you can't replicate as a fan.
1. Frustrating overtime loss, as Carolina falls 83-81.
2. That was a very physical, very intense, NCAA Tournament-type game. The whistles seemed to tighten after a near second half dust-up that resulted in dual technical fouls, and tighter whistles are always going to favor Villanova, a team that is incredibly potent at the free throw line. Fourteen of the final 19 fouls in the game were called on Carolina, and the Wildcats went 9-for-10 from the line in overtime while Carolina was going 3-for-4. For the game, the Wildcats made 32 of 36 from the free throw line, doubling Carolina's 16-for-23 output.
3. Many of those charity tosses were created by simply backing down a Tar Heel one-on-one, most often by Eric Dixon (34 points) or Justin Moore (16 points, all after halftime).
4. Carolina did push the game into overtime by sending a double-team at either Dixon or Moore in the final minutes, which allowed the Tar Heels to close the gap and--somewhat unexpectedly--have the ball with a chance to win and 3.3 seconds remaining.
5. That final play of regulation was designed for a backdoor layup to take advantage of constant Villanova switching. But the Tar Heels decided the pass wasn't available, and it ended with RJ Davis missing a jumper. Davis made some big plays but also struggled through an 8-for-22 shooting day.
6. Davis' occasional struggles were coupled with a rough afternoon for Armando Bacot. The Tar Heel big man did grab a game-high 18 rebounds, but he went 4-for-10 from the field and--somehow, in a game where 52 fouls (30 on UNC) were called--did not attempt a free throw. In a game played almost entirely in the halfcourt, the Heels needed a big game from their most important post presence.
7. Fouling the three-point shooter has to stop. The Tar Heels did it multiple times yesterday and again today, with one of the offenses coming from the most experienced player (Bacot) and the other coming from the least experienced player (Elliot Cadeau). But Cadeau's mistake was magnified because it came in overtime, giving Villanova their first three points of the period.
8. Carolina didn't turn the ball over much, but some of the ones they did were frustratingly unforced. The Tar Heels committed 13 turnovers and Villanova turned them into 16 points. Those types of unforced turnovers--and the fouls against jump shooters, and a couple missed box outs that were important--are the type of details that Hubert Davis has been talking about that are important in games like these.
9. Harrison Ingram showed some feistiness when he stood up for RJ Davis after Davis was clocked to the ground on a layup attempt. But Ingram's aggression resulted in a double technical foul with TJ Bamba. The play hurt when Ingram fouled out, leaving Carolina without its most versatile offensive option at a time when they needed to create some offense. Jae'Lyn Withers also fouled out, as did the well-known physical presence of Cadeau. No Wildcats were disqualified.
10. Carolina now must turn around very quickly and play the loser of the Arkansas-Memphis game tomorrow at 1 p.m. The status of Cormac Ryan--who rolled his ankle late in the game--is uncertain for that contest.
11. Informal survey of the most represented schools here at Atlantis would have Arkansas at the top. Villanova and Carolina are probably similarly represented in second place. As always, the folks putting on the event run it like a top-notch NCAA Tournament venue, and while the venue has its quirks, it's one of those experiences you can't replicate as a fan.
Players Mentioned
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