2022-23 DO OVER - What would you do differently if we could restart this season from the beginning?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

That's the question I'd love to hear Hubert answer. Since that's not going to happen, the next best thing is to ask you guys what you would do differently?

I'm guessing most of us would say that Hubert should have developed his bench more aggressively, and gone to it more in most games throughout the season.

It's also pretty clear to me that HD never figured out how to use Pete Nance.

After watching RJ run out of gas on offense late in games, I wonder if the decision to make him the primary ball handler was the right choice?

I'm sure there will be a lot better suggestions coming from our gurus, take it away....

 

[CrazyHeel]

Push the ball up the floor.

 

[pratt2g]

Hubert should've taken a play out of Roy's book and got the bench players more time on the floor early in the year. Roy didn't mind losing games early because it benefited them at the end of the season. Also, get back to pushing the ball up the floor and letting the bigs dominate the boards like in the past. That would lessen the team relying on three point shots. And definitely study the offenses of team like Arizona, Baylor, and UConn to see what type of sets they are running to get their guys so open for uncontested shots. Lastly he should've hired a defensive specialist to teach the team, because I don't understand how teams that are less talented or at the same talent level can play much better defense.

 

[heels05champs]

Use the bench more early on.

Press more and more half court traps.

Less court time for Love with appropriate use of the bench when he played in a way detriment to the team.

Speed up the tempo. More fast break action. Less walking the ball up the court and dribbling the air out of it until 10 seconds on the shot clock.

Run the back door alley oop play that has been a Carolina staple for years.

Use Nance more at the 5 and more as a point forward making entry passes into Bacot. Less floating around on the perimeter asking Nance to create off the dribble.

Point to the passer or get subbed out.

 

[jah420]

Figured out how to get GG Jackson on campus instead of Pete Nance.

 

[ChiShankCity]

The strength of this team ended up being their defense so probably more full court pressures and traps. That's tied to developing a bench. There's no way our starters could play 35 min + with that kind of defensive strategy all game. Also, mix in some zone to give guys a rest on defense. Fatigue clearly became a problem late game.

And knowing what we know now, absolutely paramount that we developed Dunn or Trimble into something reliable and an option to play over Caleb in important stretches of the game. Being stuck with Caleb really hurt us IMO.

Having Caleb and Leaky play as many minutes as they did, maybe out of neccissity, really hurt us. Maybe there was a more creative option than to develop Dunn and Trimble? But since Cam was hurt all the time, I'm not sure if there was.

 

[strummingram]

Never agree to do that facsimile of the 1982 sports illustrated cover. That was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen.

 

[tarheel0910]

Find something else to do when the games were on.

 

[NCAAUCoach]

1) I would have Nance as the back-up Center and not have Bacot and Nance on the court much at the same time.
2) I would adjust my offense and defense to the personnel that we actually have.
3) Not do the Sports Illustrated Cover and send the message that it's us against the world and everyone will have a bullseye on us having gone to the title last year
4) Remind them of how it felt at the end of the 2022 National Title game as my only motivation
5) Play the bench a lot early on and develop a consistent rotation by ACC
6) Adjust the offense and defense in the game
7) Keep the starters to 30 mins max each

 

[DSouthr]

First I would be completely settled on what I want the identity of my team to be, defensive or offensive, my preference would be to be offensive minded. If it is offensive I am going back to the UNC running game, rip it and run! Off missed shots, off steals, yes even off made shots, rip it and run!

Now if the break is not there and we have to settle in to a half court offense, it is motion free lance, featuring lot of screening, more than Roy used. Common misconception about free lance is that folks don't often realize, free lance is motion offense with very solid principles, it isn't play ground ball at all, it is very structured. I would insist these guys understand, in half court, on the catch you do not waste your dribble, unless it is a catch and drive maintain your triple threat. I have 1 big at the high post and the other on the short corner. If you pass the ball you immediately MOVE, you cut to a spot within the second pass passing lane or to set a screen and then pop to the ball side passing lane. My tweek would be pass, cut, screen, replace.

Personal wise, I am starting Leaky at the 4, Bacot at the 5, Trimble at the point, RJ at the 2, and Love at the 3. I am small ball but keep in mind, I am pushing tempo. Now I have 3 ball handles on the floor, with Trimble at the point I have 2 deadly shooters that can flare to either side and Bacot off the short corner if his defender has to help on Trimble's drive, so he has options in addition to finishing if he has the lane. Now we will tweek based on how our guys are able to handle their roles but we don't do a major re-tool and we don't get set play happy, we need to develop GOOD DECISION MAKING off free lance. That comes off of the reps from practice 1 to practice last, comes off developed experience in games, comes off understanding the strengths and weaknesses of my individual player, and is not re-tooled. I am dedicated to an offensive attack that features 5 guys in position to score within their individual skill set.

 

[superstar57]

Would have brought in a physical big man to replace Bacot instead of Nance. We had no one except Bacot that had skills down low.

Really held Caleb responsible for bad shots (we probably still lose if we send him to bench), it became apparent his streaky shooting, and the volume he shoots, is a direct reflection of our season. I will say the past three seasons have all been on Love's shoulders. He simply did not progress this year, and that is just reality.

 

[DSouthr]

The strength of this team ended up being their defense so probably more full court pressures and traps. That's tied to developing a bench. There's no way our starters could play 35 min + with that kind of defensive strategy all game. Also, mix in some zone to give guys a rest on defense. Fatigue clearly became a problem late game.

And knowing what we know now, absolutely paramount that we developed Dunn or Trimble into something reliable and an option to play over Caleb in important stretches of the game. Being stuck with Caleb really hurt us IMO.

Having Caleb and Leaky play as many minutes as they did, maybe out of neccissity, really hurt us. Maybe there was a more creative option than to develop Dunn and Trimble? But since Cam was hurt all the time, I'm not sure if there was.

I would not hard press all game, teams adjust to that and when they do they can get really easy looks. I would give token pressure mostly and pick up hard at the 3/4 court mark but yeah, mix in the occasional full court hard press with the traps. I want the opposing teams PG to have to work on getting the ball past the time line and I want him focused on that rather than where his team mates are. My 1 standing rule would be no team is allowed to just walk the ball up court, NO TEAM!

In half court, that high screen that has killed us basically for 2 seasons and that we have really not been good with for longer than that, I put Leaky on the big man setting the high screen, then have Leaky hard hedge it, divert the ball handler at least 2 steps up, when the chaser comes, at times go in to a trap but your team mates have to realize they have to get in to the passing lanes, UVa was really good at this last night, created at least 2 Caleb TOs off of it.

 

[ChiShankCity]

Personal wise, I am starting Leaky at the 4, Bacot at the 5, Trimble at the point, RJ at the 2, and Love at the 3. I am small ball but keep in mind, I am pushing tempo. Now I have 3 ball handles on the floor, with Trimble at the point I have 2 deadly shooters that can flare to either side and Bacot off the short corner if his defender has to help on Trimble's drive, so he has options in addition to finishing if he has the lane. Now we will tweek based on how our guys are able to handle their roles but we don't do a major re-tool and we don't get set play happy, we need to develop GOOD DECISION MAKING off free lance. That comes off of the reps from practice 1 to practice last, comes off developed experience in games, comes off understanding the strengths and weaknesses of my individual player, and is not re-tooled. I am dedicated to an offensive attack that features 5 guys in position to score within their individual skill set.

Who's the deadly shooter?

 

[DSouthr]

Who's the deadly shooter?

I will be glad to call RJ and Caleb deadly wide open jump shooters, rare that either get open looks in the way we played offense this season.

 

[TarHeelMark]

Absolutely utilize the bench more, especially early in the season. Caleb averaged 36 min; RJ 35. Leaky, Armando, Pete were more reasonable at 32, 30, 30 respectively.

The Heels lost 6 games (ISU, Bama, both pitt, both dook) where they had the lead (or were tied) at some point in the last 4 minutes (or less) but couldn't finish. And lost about 4 others were we had 2nd half leads. If Caleb, and especially RJ were a little fresher down the stretch, Heels win 3 or 4 of those games and are easily in the dance.

 

[IDUNK4HEELS]

Forget the spread offense and play two bigs in the paint like the team did successfully for 60 years…

 

[pratt2g]

Would have brought in a physical big man to replace Bacot instead of Nance. We had no one except Bacot that had skills down low.

Really held Caleb responsible for bad shots (we probably still lose if we send him to bench), it became apparent his streaky shooting, and the volume he shoots, is a direct reflection of our season. I will say the past three seasons have all been on Love's shoulders. He simply did not progress this year, and that is just reality.

I totally disagree with this take. I would agree that Caleb does take some heat check shots that he shouldn't, but in no way is he to blame for the losses this team has. It's a shame how he's the whipping boy on this team, but it's also true that he has the highest ceiling of anyone on the team right now. The whole team suffered from a lack of adjustments made by coaches, and a lack of a real offensive philosophy. When other teams are saying they know the plays that Hubert is calling, that's very telling. No team is going to be successful when they only have three of five starters that are scoring threats. This team wins at least 5 or 6 of those losses if Roy was still the coach. He knew when to make adjustments and wasn't afraid to play his bench early on.

 

[Oak ridger]

Bring is an experienced Assistant coach, like a Steve Robinson-Oh UNC let him go.

 

[superstar57]

I totally disagree with this take. I would agree that Caleb does take some heat check shots that he shouldn't, but in no way is he to blame for the losses this team has. It's a shame how he's the whipping boy on this team, but it's also true that he has the highest ceiling of anyone on the team right now. The whole team suffered from a lack of adjustments made by coaches, and a lack of a real offensive philosophy. When other teams are saying they know the plays that Hubert is calling, that's very telling. No team is going to be successful when they only have three of five starters that are scoring threats. This team wins at least 5 or 6 of those losses if Roy was still the coach. He knew when to make adjustments and wasn't afraid to play his bench early on.

I am team Caleb although it sounded like I am not. For the past three seasons every time I see the Tar Heels playing well it is usually because Caleb is playing well. He is so streaky that at some point he does get hot, and those hot moments generally makes us look good for a moment, because we think it will last, but step back 30 footers are hard to make and you have to stay in a flow to pull those off, I love Caleb, but he might shoot a step back 30 footers after he has missed his first three shots.

I blame coach for the players not progressing (Dunn and Davis showed more). This team never got 'mature" to me if that makes sense. No real leadership that was consistent. Start of the year at least I just wanted to see Caleb, then it seemed like Leaky might really be ready to ball and be the leader, then RJ started to emerge, and finally Bacot became Amondo Bacot after a slow start to season. Team lacked identity, and for this many returners is hard to imagine that happening, but it did.