University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
Lucas: Boston College Rapid Reactions
January 20, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the lone meeting of the regular season with the Eagles.
By Adam Lucas
1. Not pretty, but it worked. Carolina beat Boston College 76-66 on Saturday afternoon in a sold-out Conte Forum.
2. The Tar Heels didn't shoot well from the outside (5-for-17 from three), but they made enough big plays when it mattered. Many of those ran through Harrison Ingram, who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. In the final 6:30 of the game, he had an offensive rebound, sank a three-pointer, and converted a basket through contact.
3. On a day when you don't shoot great, you have to defend. The Tar Heels had held the previous seven opponents below 42 percent from the field prior to a hiccup against Louisville. They were back to the old standard on Saturday, limiting Boston College to just 34.5 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from the three-point line. The one aspect of the defensive game that didn't go well was defending without fouling, as a BC team that doesn't take many free throws went 25-for-29 from the stripe. That's the most free throws they have attempted in a game this year.
4. Put it on the season highlight reel: Elliot Cadeau fed Harrison Ingram for a very impressive one-handed lob dunk early in the second half. It first appeared the pass was going to be too far behind Ingram for him to grab it, but he went back and got it and threw it down. Cadeau, who had five assists, continues to have stretches when he dominates the game. Eventually this year, he's going to have a full 40 minutes when he does it.
5. Carolina was forced to display its depth in the post in a first half that saw Armando Bacot (who didn't take a shot in 11 first half minutes), Jalen Washington, and Jae'Lyn Withers all hit with two fouls. That put some unusual lineups on the floor in the final minutes of the first half. The combination overall did a good job on the boards, as Carolina won the rebounding battle, 43-28. Ingram had 12 boards and Bacot contributed eight.
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6. But that juggled first half lineup paid dividends on the final possession when Cadeau drove to the rim—as he'd shown an ability to do all half—and then lofted a pass to James Okonkwo for a dunk at the buzzer. That was one of the few times this year the Tar Heels haven't used a timeout in that situation, but they knew exactly what they wanted to get and converted it.
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7. Hubert Davis talked on a recent radio show about his belief in "changing speeds" defensively, using the comparison to a baseball pitcher to explain his reliance on occasionally switching up defenses at unexpected times. It worked in the first half, as the Tar Heels deployed some full court pressure after a made free throw and forced the Eagles to use a timeout. That ability to throw in an unexpected wrinkle has some definite Dean Smith roots.
8. Give Bacot credit. He was ineffective in the first half and did not take a shot. But in what sometimes appeared to be hand-to-hand combat, he came back and contributed ten points and six rebounds in the final 20 minutes. He also recorded a key assist to Cadeau in the game's final minutes.
9. That assist was one of 15 on the day, which came on 25 field goals. When the jumpers aren't falling, you have to share the ball to create offense, and Carolina did that.
10. As Hubert Davis is fond of saying, the opportunity will come, he just can't guarantee when it might arrive. For James Okonkwo, it was Saturday. The West Virginia transfer got minutes in the first and second half as a combination of foul trouble and Jalen Washington being banged up created a spot in the rotation. Okonkwo took advantage with his first half basket, and then grabbing an offensive rebound in the second half.
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11. As always, great showing by Tar Heel fans in Boston. It wasn't quite a 50-50 split in a sold out Conte Forum, but it wasn't far from that, either.Â
12. Carolina has quietly dominated this series. The Tar Heels have won 17 of the last 18 and have a 10-1 record at the Conte Forum.
13. Carolina's eight-game win streak is the longest since also winning eight during the 2018-19 season, and they've led every ACC game by double figures at some point in the game. They'll have a chance to improve on that mark Monday night in a key home game against Wake Forest at the Smith Center.
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1. Not pretty, but it worked. Carolina beat Boston College 76-66 on Saturday afternoon in a sold-out Conte Forum.
2. The Tar Heels didn't shoot well from the outside (5-for-17 from three), but they made enough big plays when it mattered. Many of those ran through Harrison Ingram, who finished with a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. In the final 6:30 of the game, he had an offensive rebound, sank a three-pointer, and converted a basket through contact.
3. On a day when you don't shoot great, you have to defend. The Tar Heels had held the previous seven opponents below 42 percent from the field prior to a hiccup against Louisville. They were back to the old standard on Saturday, limiting Boston College to just 34.5 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from the three-point line. The one aspect of the defensive game that didn't go well was defending without fouling, as a BC team that doesn't take many free throws went 25-for-29 from the stripe. That's the most free throws they have attempted in a game this year.
4. Put it on the season highlight reel: Elliot Cadeau fed Harrison Ingram for a very impressive one-handed lob dunk early in the second half. It first appeared the pass was going to be too far behind Ingram for him to grab it, but he went back and got it and threw it down. Cadeau, who had five assists, continues to have stretches when he dominates the game. Eventually this year, he's going to have a full 40 minutes when he does it.
5. Carolina was forced to display its depth in the post in a first half that saw Armando Bacot (who didn't take a shot in 11 first half minutes), Jalen Washington, and Jae'Lyn Withers all hit with two fouls. That put some unusual lineups on the floor in the final minutes of the first half. The combination overall did a good job on the boards, as Carolina won the rebounding battle, 43-28. Ingram had 12 boards and Bacot contributed eight.
Â
6. But that juggled first half lineup paid dividends on the final possession when Cadeau drove to the rim—as he'd shown an ability to do all half—and then lofted a pass to James Okonkwo for a dunk at the buzzer. That was one of the few times this year the Tar Heels haven't used a timeout in that situation, but they knew exactly what they wanted to get and converted it.
Â
7. Hubert Davis talked on a recent radio show about his belief in "changing speeds" defensively, using the comparison to a baseball pitcher to explain his reliance on occasionally switching up defenses at unexpected times. It worked in the first half, as the Tar Heels deployed some full court pressure after a made free throw and forced the Eagles to use a timeout. That ability to throw in an unexpected wrinkle has some definite Dean Smith roots.
8. Give Bacot credit. He was ineffective in the first half and did not take a shot. But in what sometimes appeared to be hand-to-hand combat, he came back and contributed ten points and six rebounds in the final 20 minutes. He also recorded a key assist to Cadeau in the game's final minutes.
9. That assist was one of 15 on the day, which came on 25 field goals. When the jumpers aren't falling, you have to share the ball to create offense, and Carolina did that.
10. As Hubert Davis is fond of saying, the opportunity will come, he just can't guarantee when it might arrive. For James Okonkwo, it was Saturday. The West Virginia transfer got minutes in the first and second half as a combination of foul trouble and Jalen Washington being banged up created a spot in the rotation. Okonkwo took advantage with his first half basket, and then grabbing an offensive rebound in the second half.
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11. As always, great showing by Tar Heel fans in Boston. It wasn't quite a 50-50 split in a sold out Conte Forum, but it wasn't far from that, either.Â
12. Carolina has quietly dominated this series. The Tar Heels have won 17 of the last 18 and have a 10-1 record at the Conte Forum.
13. Carolina's eight-game win streak is the longest since also winning eight during the 2018-19 season, and they've led every ACC game by double figures at some point in the game. They'll have a chance to improve on that mark Monday night in a key home game against Wake Forest at the Smith Center.
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