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University of North Carolina Athletics
Caleb Love
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Back In
March 8, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Wednesday's win had just enough encouraging moments to make you consider the possibilities.
By Adam Lucas
GREENSBORO—Fine, I'm back in.
Go ahead and admit it—you are, too.
Maybe you didn't want to be. Maybe you promised you wouldn't watch Wednesday night's ACC Tournament second round game against Boston College. Maybe you're too cool to keep up with bubble possibilities. Maybe the Duke game broke you.
But I hope you at least snuck a peek at the 85-61 win over the Eagles. Because that version of the Tar Heels, well, that version of the Tar Heels could do some damage. That version of the Tar Heels would have beaten Iowa State and Virginia Tech and Pitt at least once and probably even the stinking Blue Devils and then we wouldn't even be having this conversation…
But we are. I know that we are. And we are having this conversation because on too many nights, the Tar Heels didn't play…like this.
That inconsistency led to two extremely intense practices at the Smith Center on Monday and Tuesday. Everyone who erroneously claims Davis is "too nice" really should have seen those sessions. He fumed for most of both practices, demanding complete focus and near perfection from his team at every possible moment. "Good, spirited and competitive," is how the head coach described the practices.
What we've learned about Hubert Davis in almost two seasons is this: Davis in game mode is a very different person than the congenial, perpetually positive individual you hear on the radio or see off the court.
This week, the Tar Heel head coach has been in game mode since more than 48 hours before the game. He was in game mode at practice on Monday. He was in game mode at practice on Tuesday. And he was still in game mode two hours before the game on Wednesday when he met with Jones Angell for his pregame Tar Heel Sports Network interview.
"You seem very intense…" the Voice of the Tar Heels began his question.
"Oh, I'm there," Davis said.
His team was there, too.
Three minutes into the game, Caleb Love found Armando Bacot inside. Bacot scored and was fouled, which Love celebrated by leaping high into the air and skipping around the midcourt line. It was so noticeably jubilant—for someone else's basket—and it was exactly what Davis has been begging his team to do all season. Find some joy in each other's success, he has told them, and the game will get much easier.
Wednesday night did indeed seem to come relatively easy. Not coincidentally, the Tar Heels had 16 assists, the second-most in a game in the past month. You know, I think we might have stumbled on something here: proficient passing leads to easier shots which creates a higher shooting percentage which many times produces wins. I'm not saying we're rewriting Multiple Offense and Defense, but this seems like a pretty solid strategy to follow.
Love's celebration was an early indication that this game, indeed, was going to be one of the most quintessentially Tar Heel efforts this season. Carolina defended with intensity and shot with accuracy, two qualities that haven't always been present in some other games. The Tar Heels established such a healthy lead that they could even weather another turned ankle from Bacot (who told Davis after the game he felt "good" and that the injury wasn't as bad as last season's Final Four or even earlier this season at Virginia) with only very minor turbulence.
Love thanked the passer after one of his three three-pointers. Dontrez Styles threw a gorgeous assist to Pete Nance. Ten different players scored, and it was darn near 11 after Rob Landry hoisted a three-pointer with seconds left, a shot the Gate City native explained later on Wednesday evening very simply and understandably: "If we hadn't been in Greensboro, I probably wouldn't have shot it. But we are, so…"
Rob: let it fly. For one, because you've worked all season, practice after practice after practice, to earn the right to take that shot (and there's also a decent chance you'll be President someday).
But also, because it led to a completely nasty follow dunk by Justin McKoy. The slam itself was highlight-worthy. But it was also the perfect bookend to the early-game celebration. Because as McKoy slammed it through, the entire Carolina roster was losing their collective mind on the bench. And there was Love, who had skipped across the length of the bench in anticipation of acknowledging Landry's swish, and then turned it into a leaping, soaring, spinning celebration of McKoy's slam.
Watching that, it didn't matter that this team has burned you multiple times already this season and you promised yourself you wouldn't get swept up in Greensboro bracket possibilities and four games in four days would really be a very difficult challenge and your brain very rationally understands this.
But.
None of that mattered. Maybe this doesn't make sense and maybe it's just going to get us hurt. But I'd rather have a little bit of irrational hope than a whole lot of pessimistic realism. Because Wednesday was fun, and it was Carolina basketball. And it was just enough to bring us all back in.
GREENSBORO—Fine, I'm back in.
Go ahead and admit it—you are, too.
Maybe you didn't want to be. Maybe you promised you wouldn't watch Wednesday night's ACC Tournament second round game against Boston College. Maybe you're too cool to keep up with bubble possibilities. Maybe the Duke game broke you.
But I hope you at least snuck a peek at the 85-61 win over the Eagles. Because that version of the Tar Heels, well, that version of the Tar Heels could do some damage. That version of the Tar Heels would have beaten Iowa State and Virginia Tech and Pitt at least once and probably even the stinking Blue Devils and then we wouldn't even be having this conversation…
But we are. I know that we are. And we are having this conversation because on too many nights, the Tar Heels didn't play…like this.
That inconsistency led to two extremely intense practices at the Smith Center on Monday and Tuesday. Everyone who erroneously claims Davis is "too nice" really should have seen those sessions. He fumed for most of both practices, demanding complete focus and near perfection from his team at every possible moment. "Good, spirited and competitive," is how the head coach described the practices.
What we've learned about Hubert Davis in almost two seasons is this: Davis in game mode is a very different person than the congenial, perpetually positive individual you hear on the radio or see off the court.
This week, the Tar Heel head coach has been in game mode since more than 48 hours before the game. He was in game mode at practice on Monday. He was in game mode at practice on Tuesday. And he was still in game mode two hours before the game on Wednesday when he met with Jones Angell for his pregame Tar Heel Sports Network interview.
"You seem very intense…" the Voice of the Tar Heels began his question.
"Oh, I'm there," Davis said.
His team was there, too.
Three minutes into the game, Caleb Love found Armando Bacot inside. Bacot scored and was fouled, which Love celebrated by leaping high into the air and skipping around the midcourt line. It was so noticeably jubilant—for someone else's basket—and it was exactly what Davis has been begging his team to do all season. Find some joy in each other's success, he has told them, and the game will get much easier.
Wednesday night did indeed seem to come relatively easy. Not coincidentally, the Tar Heels had 16 assists, the second-most in a game in the past month. You know, I think we might have stumbled on something here: proficient passing leads to easier shots which creates a higher shooting percentage which many times produces wins. I'm not saying we're rewriting Multiple Offense and Defense, but this seems like a pretty solid strategy to follow.
Love's celebration was an early indication that this game, indeed, was going to be one of the most quintessentially Tar Heel efforts this season. Carolina defended with intensity and shot with accuracy, two qualities that haven't always been present in some other games. The Tar Heels established such a healthy lead that they could even weather another turned ankle from Bacot (who told Davis after the game he felt "good" and that the injury wasn't as bad as last season's Final Four or even earlier this season at Virginia) with only very minor turbulence.
Love thanked the passer after one of his three three-pointers. Dontrez Styles threw a gorgeous assist to Pete Nance. Ten different players scored, and it was darn near 11 after Rob Landry hoisted a three-pointer with seconds left, a shot the Gate City native explained later on Wednesday evening very simply and understandably: "If we hadn't been in Greensboro, I probably wouldn't have shot it. But we are, so…"
Rob: let it fly. For one, because you've worked all season, practice after practice after practice, to earn the right to take that shot (and there's also a decent chance you'll be President someday).
But also, because it led to a completely nasty follow dunk by Justin McKoy. The slam itself was highlight-worthy. But it was also the perfect bookend to the early-game celebration. Because as McKoy slammed it through, the entire Carolina roster was losing their collective mind on the bench. And there was Love, who had skipped across the length of the bench in anticipation of acknowledging Landry's swish, and then turned it into a leaping, soaring, spinning celebration of McKoy's slam.
Watching that, it didn't matter that this team has burned you multiple times already this season and you promised yourself you wouldn't get swept up in Greensboro bracket possibilities and four games in four days would really be a very difficult challenge and your brain very rationally understands this.
But.
None of that mattered. Maybe this doesn't make sense and maybe it's just going to get us hurt. But I'd rather have a little bit of irrational hope than a whole lot of pessimistic realism. Because Wednesday was fun, and it was Carolina basketball. And it was just enough to bring us all back in.
Players Mentioned
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
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