...and it really couldn't be more obvious.

So... question for the board (don't bother answering -- it's rhetorical):
Q. What'd we do different to suddenly get back into the game?
A. Just started doing Carolina basketball things.
- Specifically? Playing aggressively --- scrambling on defense (42/32/34) and finally attacking on offense.
Trouble is, we spent more than 3/4 of the game doing just the opposite.

So... to that last sentence, the next (obvious) question is, why? And I'll go ahead and tell ya, there is no acceptable answer.

Thus, the rest of this post is directed to the staff:
Hubert, Jeff, Sean, Brad?... meet me at Camera 3...
- Guys... watch the first-half film --- that was the most NON-offense display of offense I've ever witnessed. I actually tracked possessions today in lieu of some of the normal stuff, and welp, we actually passed the ball more than usual, BUT TO WHAT PURPOSE? There were possessions in which we passed as many as 7 TIMES and NOT A SINGLE GUY in blue so much as put a foot in the lane(!!!). I think Dean would remind y'all of this basic fact --- y'see that painted area?... that's where the basket is.

- Moreover, on several possessions nobody in blue ever SQUARED THEIR SHOULDERS to the hoop. Remember that "triple-threat" position y'all and every coach teaches? Being an actual threat from the perimeter starts there. Now, some of that is on the players, but the rest here is for the staff:

1. Starting a half-court offense with a Big above the arc is NOT a high post, it's just tits on a boar-hog, and mostly gets in the damn way. And I don't care if it's Mando or Pete, if he screens they're just gonna attack our Guards, and if we try to use him as a pivot that far out, then it's a TO waiting to happen. Please just STOP that, once and for all.

2. This whole 5-out notion is NOT a winning proposition. So. today we have our most mobile guys out there and it's still a merry-go-round cluster-f***. PLEASE guys, use the down-time to go back to the Carolina drawing board. No UNC fan, player or coach should ever be subjected to watching us get dominated in the paint like that.

3. And for the love if all that's sacred, PLEASE STOP OUT-THINKING YOURSELVES WITH OUR SECONDARY BREAK!!! It is the essence of the Carolina system's advantages, and having the first Big peel off and screen intead of sprinting to the block is ABSOLUTELY SMOTHERING it. We got nothing good on those possessions. In fact. the few time we got something out of the Secondary, a 4/5 man actually got into the paint.

4. And on defense, guys... this roster was MADE TO SCRAMBLE. It plays to our collective skills and covers up some areas of weakness. Plus, it ENERGIZES the team and leads to transition. And I'm gonna tell ya, without transition, this team ain't gonna make the Dance.

Anyway, there it is. And this ain't just coming from me --- this is the stuff I'm hearing from every coach I know. The staff and team needs a collective "come-to-Jesus" in Decemeber. We saw glaring reminders today of what NOT to do, but also a glimpse of the needed direction... and again, much of that frankl;y couldn't be more obvious...

I put together this graph to get a feel for where UNC falls this season both against itself historically and against the national average (dotted line). The red and green lines are the national maximums and minimums, respectively, per year.

I'm kind of surprised that we haven't been farther from the average in recent years. Qualitatively we know that what we have been seeing is very poor, but quantitatively it's just a bit below average. So maybe this brings some of us in from the ledge?

Stated after the loss that Indiana wanted to be relevant again, after beating us at Assembly Hall they lay an egg at Rutgers, losing 63 to 48. With that being said hope this does not turn out to be one of the bad losses which will haunt us at the end of the year. Putting that aside if we find ourselves it will not matter over the course of the season. First we must handle VT on Sunday, and build on it.

Posted Dec 6, 2022
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams is progressing well in his recovery from an ACL injury. "I'm off crutches; just continuing to rehab and trying to get back on the field as quickly as I can," Williams said on Monday at the launch event for his charitable foundation. Williams can put weight on his knee now and has been able to ramp up his rehab. (Denver Broncos)

Point made by most that it allow players who are down on the depth chart to find a school which playing time will be available. Do not fault them for that, it's an experience that will follow them for the rest of their lives. Even if they do not make it to the NFL. But the issue which could harm college football is that with the players entering the portal, and who are opting out of bowl games, will team be able to field enough players to even play in a bowl? Realize that some will say who cares about the bowls unless it's for the college football championship. But it's an honor to lots of kids who worked hard throughout the season to earn this privilege.

Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse was promptly ejected during the second half of Wednesday's 70-65 loss to VCU, blowing such a gasket that it required restraint from both his coaching staff and police on hand as frustrations boiled over on the court. Stackhouse was irate after big man Liam Robbins of Vanderbilt earned a technical on the court. (CBS Sports)

ESPNU radio and CBS are reporting someone has offered Drake $5mil to play elsewhere, wouldn't say who

I said after last season and I believe Hubert will be in Chapel Hill 3 more years max. I don’t think he will be able to recruit or coach. I would guess someone with either NBA experience, a Chris Holtman or Tommy Lloyd type. Brad Stevens isn’t coming back to coach college ball. Unfortunately there is not a UNC pipeline of coaches. You just can’t go from Hubert to Sean May unless he became an uber successful interim coach. And I have no idea if he’s even a good coach. I do think Kenny Smith would be great.

"The cold hard truth is that North Carolina starts practically every game at a coaching disadvantage."

"Getting out-coached in losses has been a constant. The difference in the wins and the losses is that Drake Maye’s performances couldn’t bail them out."

Time for everybody to face what I knew all along. But again, we will have idiots just disappear rather than admit they started multiplethre4ads tomattack me for predicting what we wopiuld se with mack and how awful it was to hire Bly.

AJ, will our relatively shallow NIL kitty hurt us more in recruiting or in drawing top talent to UNC through the portal?

We in trouble.

I always envision our Star/ Jack playing differently...creating confusion and chaos. I also saw the Jack defending TEs more than WRs or RBs and then only within 5-10 yards of the LoS.

Boykins seems like a solid fit for Star. Taylor seemed like a solid fit for Jack. At the same time, I don't think we ever used them in a way to create chaos for the offense.

Something like blitzing Boykins and dropping the Jack in coverage.

Moving guys around pre-snap..disguising their role on a particular play.

Regardless..we need to freak athletes at these spots

Anyone here, who may be a little better at evaluating O-line guys, have any thoughts? May need a transfer or 2?