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December 21, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the CBS Sports Classic.
By Adam Lucas
1. Somehow, they did it. Carolina battled all the way back to win a game they absolutely had to have, surviving UCLA 76-74.
2. Ian Jackson had 24 points playing in front of the home folks at Madison Square Garden, doing it on an efficient 8-for-13 from the field. Combined with RJ Davis's 17 points, Carolina's two New Yorkers put up 41 of the 76 points in the game.
3. UCLA is a very good defensive team that forces a lot of turnovers. But the Tar Heels were still too generous in the first half, coughing up 11 miscues that led to too many easy UCLA points. Carolina did take better care of the ball in the second half, committing just seven.
4. But the key play of the game was a UCLA turnover--and they had 15 in the game. With Mick Cronin's team inbounding with 22.2 seconds left, a Seth Trimble-Drake Powell trap led to the Bruins kicking the ball out of bounds. Carolina used the possession to draw a foul for RJ Davis--he made both to give the Heels their first lead since 2-0.
5. Carolina was so much better defensively in the closing minutes. They allowed just one field goal in the final 8:57. Incredible play on the defensive end to win the game.
6. Turnovers are becoming an issue for Elliot Cadeau. The sophomore had five on Saturday. That's the sixth time in the last seven games he has committed at least four.
7. Interesting move by Hubert Davis coming out of the halftime locker room after a frustrating first half. The Tar Heels started the key final 20 minutes with a quintet of RJ Davis, Cadeau, Jackson, Trimble and Ty Claude. That's two changes to the starting lineup and a four-guard set. The move emphasized the frustration the Heels have felt with their production in the post--Claude earned the opening assignment for the second half despite not attempting a field goal and not getting a rebound in seven first half minutes. Davis has consistently said, however, that Claude plays hard and sets the best screens on the team. That would have been a somewhat unexpected move, but a lengthy delay in beginning the second half after a courtside patron got sick allowed UCLA to gameplan for it. It ended up being just a temporary change, as Claude played only six minutes in the second half.
8. That first half was not artistically pleasing. Carolina shot 37.5 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the free throw line while turning it over 11 times. The shooting numbers would have been even worse without Jackson, who made 4-of-7 from the field 2-for-3 at the line for his 13 first half points. The rest of the Tar Heels combined to go 5-for-17 in the first 20 minutes. Only 10 made free throws kept the halftime deficit to within 40-32.Â
9. Carolina struggled to defend Sebastian Mack in that first half, as he posted 16 points in 13 minutes and scored or assisted on seven of UCLA's final eight field goals.Â
10. The Heels continue to rebound by committee. Five different players had at least four rebounds in the game as UNC edged UCLA on the glass, 34-28. They also limited the Bruins to just two second chance points while Carolina scored 13.
11. For the first time, the Tar Heels wore the blue version of their 1980s throwback jerseys on Saturday, and this is the truth: they looked really good. Carolina doesn't have a bad looking uniform, but there's just something about these.Â
12. The destination for next year's CBS Sports Classic has not yet been officially announced. The Tar Heels are now 7-4 in the event overall and 3-0 against UCLA in those meetings (in what is supposed to be a regular rotation, the Heels have faced Kentucky five times in this event and then Ohio State and UCLA three times each).
13. Depending on flight availability, some Tar Heels will now leave from New York for a quick break at home for the holidays. The Tar Heels will reassemble in Chapel Hill on the night of Dec. 26 to begin preparations for Campbell on Dec. 29, and then the full ACC slate starting Jan. 1 in Louisville.
1. Somehow, they did it. Carolina battled all the way back to win a game they absolutely had to have, surviving UCLA 76-74.
2. Ian Jackson had 24 points playing in front of the home folks at Madison Square Garden, doing it on an efficient 8-for-13 from the field. Combined with RJ Davis's 17 points, Carolina's two New Yorkers put up 41 of the 76 points in the game.
3. UCLA is a very good defensive team that forces a lot of turnovers. But the Tar Heels were still too generous in the first half, coughing up 11 miscues that led to too many easy UCLA points. Carolina did take better care of the ball in the second half, committing just seven.
4. But the key play of the game was a UCLA turnover--and they had 15 in the game. With Mick Cronin's team inbounding with 22.2 seconds left, a Seth Trimble-Drake Powell trap led to the Bruins kicking the ball out of bounds. Carolina used the possession to draw a foul for RJ Davis--he made both to give the Heels their first lead since 2-0.
5. Carolina was so much better defensively in the closing minutes. They allowed just one field goal in the final 8:57. Incredible play on the defensive end to win the game.
6. Turnovers are becoming an issue for Elliot Cadeau. The sophomore had five on Saturday. That's the sixth time in the last seven games he has committed at least four.
7. Interesting move by Hubert Davis coming out of the halftime locker room after a frustrating first half. The Tar Heels started the key final 20 minutes with a quintet of RJ Davis, Cadeau, Jackson, Trimble and Ty Claude. That's two changes to the starting lineup and a four-guard set. The move emphasized the frustration the Heels have felt with their production in the post--Claude earned the opening assignment for the second half despite not attempting a field goal and not getting a rebound in seven first half minutes. Davis has consistently said, however, that Claude plays hard and sets the best screens on the team. That would have been a somewhat unexpected move, but a lengthy delay in beginning the second half after a courtside patron got sick allowed UCLA to gameplan for it. It ended up being just a temporary change, as Claude played only six minutes in the second half.
8. That first half was not artistically pleasing. Carolina shot 37.5 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the free throw line while turning it over 11 times. The shooting numbers would have been even worse without Jackson, who made 4-of-7 from the field 2-for-3 at the line for his 13 first half points. The rest of the Tar Heels combined to go 5-for-17 in the first 20 minutes. Only 10 made free throws kept the halftime deficit to within 40-32.Â
9. Carolina struggled to defend Sebastian Mack in that first half, as he posted 16 points in 13 minutes and scored or assisted on seven of UCLA's final eight field goals.Â
10. The Heels continue to rebound by committee. Five different players had at least four rebounds in the game as UNC edged UCLA on the glass, 34-28. They also limited the Bruins to just two second chance points while Carolina scored 13.
11. For the first time, the Tar Heels wore the blue version of their 1980s throwback jerseys on Saturday, and this is the truth: they looked really good. Carolina doesn't have a bad looking uniform, but there's just something about these.Â
12. The destination for next year's CBS Sports Classic has not yet been officially announced. The Tar Heels are now 7-4 in the event overall and 3-0 against UCLA in those meetings (in what is supposed to be a regular rotation, the Heels have faced Kentucky five times in this event and then Ohio State and UCLA three times each).
13. Depending on flight availability, some Tar Heels will now leave from New York for a quick break at home for the holidays. The Tar Heels will reassemble in Chapel Hill on the night of Dec. 26 to begin preparations for Campbell on Dec. 29, and then the full ACC slate starting Jan. 1 in Louisville.
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