Lucas: Louisville Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Carolina has now won five in a row against Louisville, the latest a 86-70 victory on Wednesday night.

2. That's one of those you won't remember at the end of the season, but it still counts. The Tar Heels weren't spectacular, but everyone did just enough of what you've grown accustomed to--RJ Davis scoring, Armando Bacot scoring and rebounding, Harrison Ingram doing some of all of it, etc. Louisville appears to be improved over last season after a disastrous 2022-23 season.

3. It's been fun to watch the progress of Louisville transfer Jae'Lyn Withers. It wasn't too long ago that he looked a little lost on the court; on Wednesday, he looked indispensable. Getting extended second half minutes thanks to Cormac Ryan's (dubious) foul trouble, Withers was a force around the rim, both scoring and rebounding. Withers finished with 15 points and ten rebounds, a satisfying showing against his former club.That's his first double-double at UNC (he did it five times at Louisville).

4. Ryan had made four three-point shots in his last four games. He made four in 17 first half minutes on Wednesday night. Scientists attribute this directly to his appearance on the Carolina Insider podcast this week, when he had a terrific extended interview.

5. After swiping 13 steals against Syracuse, the Tar Heels grabbed seven more of them in the first half. The intensity turned down a little in the second half, as the Heels didn't get a steal in the final 20 minutes (and Louisville took better care of the ball). Elliot Cadeau had three of them.

6. It's impressive the way Cadeau can control a game without posting a huge stat line. His numbers weren't fantastic on Wednesday, as he had five points and three assists. But it always felt like the Carolina offense ran through him, and he looks so much more comfortable creating offense on his own without waiting for direction from the bench. Raymond Felton once said he felt he'd arrived when he knew what to call without looking at Roy Williams. Cadeau isn't there yet, but he's making progress.

7. During a laborious second half stretch when Louisville closed it to single digits, it was Seth Trimble's defense that helped turn the game around. He hawked the Cardinals in the halfcourt, forcing a highly contested errant jumper. Carolina then turned the play into an RJ Davis three-pointer on the other end, and the game was never much in doubt again.

8. The ball movement the first eight or nine minutes of the game was spectacular. The Tar Heels had eight assists against just one turnover during that stretch, and they were coming from all over the place--Harrison Ingram had multiple, Armando Bacot had multiple, and the Carolina guards were pushing the tempo. Ingram set the tone early with an assist in transition for the first points of the game and then found Bacot with deep post position for the second hoop. The Tar Heels had 12 first half assists on 17 field goals and it could have been more--a couple passes led to free throws or missed shots near the rim. They finished with 19 assists on 29 field goals.

9. Cadeau is quietly growing into an ACC point guard right in front of us. The latest addition to his arsenal: the confidence to stare down a Cardinal who made the mistake of jumping with him on a fast break in the first half. Cadeau completed the one-hand dunk, then gave a little grin--he's figuring out he can play the way he wants at this level, which makes the Heels that much better. He was also part of Carolina holding a 9-0 edge in fast break points.

10. Never seen a player shhh a crowd over cookies until Wednesday night. That was something new. The Smith Center crowd still got their cookies later in the half, though.

11. The next one could be a tough one. Saturday's visit to Boston College is listed as a sellout and the Eagles have been a capable team in Chestnut Hill. Right now, though, the Heels sit alone in first place in the ACC.

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Elliot Cadeau

RJ Davis

Harrison Ingram

Cormac Ryan

Seth Trimble

Jae'Lyn Withers

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