GREAT SHOWING in Greensboro--now on to the dance

[IDUNK4HEELS]

Tremendous showing by the Tar Heels especially the last three nights against nationally ranked opponents. Playing such a strong out of conference schedule and against all of the elite ACC teams have shown that Carolina can play and compete against anybody.

Good things that came out of the four nights other than their showing against three strong teams were: Jackson and Berry although just freshman proved they are not scared to shoot threes which takes some needed pressure of Paige.

Speaking of Paige it definitely looks like he has found his shot again from the outside.
Brice Johnson showed he cannot be stopped from getting a shot off down low. The rotation is working pretty well with just 8 bodies mostly and 9 when Britt gets a few minutes. These are all positives heading to the dance.

With the 5 days before they play again the HEELS must use that time to slow down the other teams dribble pentration which leads to layups or free throws. And unlike every team including the last Duke game our guards need to go to the hole hoping for a layup or free throws.

I really hate the free throw difference in all of these games but to be honest the other teams are living at the line because of the guard pentration.

Finally I will say it again UNC was great these last 4 nights which I think will serve them well in the next couple of weeks..

 

[bleeduncblue]

If we're honest with each other, MOST of us assumed we'd be watching Puke beat someone in the final last night, especially after they destroyed NCSU on Thursday. It was a fun weekend and I'm excited to see how we finish out this season -- and EXTREMELY excited about the 2015-2016 season!!

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Originally posted by bleeduncblue:

If we're honest with each other, MOST of us assumed we'd be watching Puke beat someone in the final last night, especially after they destroyed NCSU on Thursday. It was a fun weekend and I'm excited to see how we finish out this season -- and EXTREMELY excited about the 2015-2016 season!!

That makes two of us!

 

[berens007]

Three wins in the tourney with two against UVA and Louisville is a great result for us. Duke losing earlier definitely adds some satisfaction as well. Hopefully the legs will be rested for round 1, esp if we get a 5 seed. Hoping for a Friday start - and we always seem to get those!

 

[keysersosay#1]

I was very disappointed in the game last night chiefly because of the officiating which as I pointed out I Do NOT normally comment on or care about .It was atrocious IMO

BUT the sun came up this am and we certainly are proud of the effort that our brave Tar heel lads put forth despite the zebras.

I look forward to the NCAA, I think this group can surprise a LOT of the naysayers on THIS board and of course the ABC crowd ( the doochies at DI, the woofies and anyone else)who can all take their poisonous venom and hate and simply shove it

 

[DSouthr]

I guess my only comment on the refs would be that it seemed to me that they called the game differently from first half to the second half, seemed to me they allowed more of a physical game in that first half and began blowing the whistle on several questionable drive penatrations we were defending against. But I don't like to put blame on a game on the refs just pointing out that struke me as un-fortunate.

But the real problem was IMO fatigue in that second half, the fatigue of playing 4 tuff games in 4 days. I am not talking as much about physical fatigue thou several of our players that have nagging injuries did no doubt struggle with the physical side of 4 games in 4 days. But where it really at some point is going to take its toll on you is the mental fatigue of having to play 4 very high pressurized games, the last 3 being against top 20 teams that will all be in the NCAAT as solid seeds, maybe all seeded above us. Intensity like that, the stakes being that high, especially considering this team was faltering prior to the ACCT, it isn't hard to understand that their wilting at some point was very likely to happen. Not to mention the fact that ND and its ability to put 4 & at times 5 jump shooters on the floor that can all hit treys, and did, well the out come is not really shocking. The #2 & 3 teams in the country could not withstand that intensity playing 2 games in a row and only 1 of which being against a top 20 team, we had 4 games in a row and those last 3 vs the top 20.

I am proud of what I saw this team do in this tourney, I HOPE we can carry forward that same level of intensity in the NCAAT where at most you play 2 games a week with a day off in between. We have not always had that intensity in the NCAAT in the last few years.

 

[scoutsupreme]

Agree....marked improvement. Anyone who converts 11 3s is gonna be tough to beat but IMO that's not what beat us. Can anyone explain why we can't stop dribble penetration all the way to the rim? Vs ND it was Grant but seems anyone on any team can do it...somebody explain?

 

[IDUNK4HEELS]

Nice to see that Paige and Johnson made the all ACC tournament first team and that Jackson made the second team. What no Duke players?

 

[Heelicious]

Originally posted by bleeduncblue:

If we're honest with each other, MOST of us assumed we'd be watching Puke beat someone in the final last night, especially after they destroyed NCSU on Thursday. It was a fun weekend and I'm excited to see how we finish out this season -- and EXTREMELY excited about the 2015-2016 season!!

I agree. Its a lot easier to step back the day after, and get a clear view. The fact that Justin Jackson had an off night shooting, and that ND shot it really well, ended up hurting us. We just have to hope within the tourney we also get more consistent officiating (ie - not so many fouls called against us for soft / no contact on drives to the hoop)... and that we play better defense on other teams' guards. I wonder what the status of Theo Pinson is. We really need another defensive presence, but at this point he may be out of game shape.

Regarding next year, I am very excited too. I feel like ever since the one year in college rule was instated, teams that had the best chance of winning the tourney were ones who could thread the needle or walk a fine line..... a collection of enough guys who play together, who are very good, but not good enough yet to go to the NBA. ie - if you have great guys as underclassmen, they are one-and-dones before they can help you work toward the title. Even recruiting giants like current Kentucky and Dook, can't get it done with only freshman as their primary leaders and contributors on their team.

Next year's Heels team will be about as much as we can ask for in this regard. I think there is a decent chance Brice will go, and his offensive skills seem NBA worthy now. I think his NBA stock will rise with his recent play. But let's say he does come back......

We have a great, solid, upper class core of SENIOR LEADERS in Marcus, Brice, JP; with strong supporting juniors in Meeks and Hicks (and Stillman White possibly contributing more as a shooter) - and an expected giant leap up in the contributions of the upcoming sophs - Pinson, Jackson, and Berry. Because of injuries, etc. we probably got only about 1/3 or less out of the freshmen as what we could've, had things gone our way.

Everyone will be back (with MAYBE the exception of Brice - which I'm not understating - that is a huge loss), and you couldn't usually say that, for team's we've had that are borderline top 10 / Elite 8 if we had all our guys healthy. Usually if you're at that level, you're losing some key seniors, and/or losing underclassmen to the NBA.

Having a fully healthy senior Paige will be huge, too. He has the mental makeup where I could see him being on a mission (Brice too, if back) to rectify some of the disappointments this year.

And this is all assuming that we don't get any other '15 recruits. Maybe we get lucky and get Ingram and/or Brown.