Quick stuff (Cal game)...

[gary-7]

...and it was nice to take a breath and not have to rely on buzzer heroics, so, I'll give this thing one more try:

- We showed a refreshing commitment to get into transition, and Drake's coast-to-coast forced an early Cal timeout. In general we were looking to run as a default and Eliot's pitch-aheads kept constant pressure on Cal's retreating defenders.

- Bad news about that was Cal has size inside and is notorious for offensive rebounding and they hurt us there when we either neglected to block out, or we fought our own guys for rebounds that were then lost --- happened like 4 times --- somebody needs to be yelling "SAME!". Good news was, after allowing 7 ORs in the first half, we tightened down in the 2nd half, allowing only 4 more, and cleaning the defensive glass with the chances afforded by our defense for a big final margin

- Back to transition, there were SO many times that pointed up the negative impact of not running the Secondary correctly, where a rim-run or block-dive would've given us easy ops. I just don't get not doing that.

- Really good to see JWash shoot the face-up. Now, take some of those open 3s! Lubin also was much more aggressive tonight, I suppose he was inspired going up against his old teammate (and there was some talking going on between them). Withers also gave good energy off the bench and Brown got a little run.

- We looked a bit clunky in half-court sets for a couple of reasons that I could see: First, Cal had clearly scouted the NCState film (especially in two-man game stuff) and committed to anticipating the pass, and second, our guys were not at all crisp or decisive in cuts and/or rolls. As a result of these factors, on a few occasions both EC and RJ ended passing to where they thought someone was gonna be, or forced to guys who were covered.

- I liked the 2nd half intensity and effort to extend the lead without any long lull. That showed itself early in the half when Eliot's dumbass frustration foul sent him to the bench with 3. After we let them pull it to 6, we stayed aggressive and guys started hitting shots. Speaking of that, Ian has assumed the get-us-a-bucket role that RJ was always counted on for --- kid has an uncanny knack for willing that ball into the basket.

- On a night with few whistles, good to see us get back to good FT shooting --- 12/13

- Seth is starting to look more like himself and Lubin had probably his best game here,

- OK... as I've been trying to get across, (despite tired narratives to the contrary) we are becoming a much-improved defensive team. We showed it tonight, and particularly the number we did on the ACC's leading scorer. And if you watched, it wasn't any one defender --- he had to deal with being passed off and confronted with a phalanx of our guys 1-thru-4. As we know, we're still vulnerable to bruisers in the post, but the best way to deal with them is snap-help to force dribble pickups outside the block (note going forward...)

- One last head-scratcher is about what we're doing with Tyson. So, he gets in a few minutes the first half, gets wide open in the corner in transition but RJ has his head down and misses him, then he breaks open for a run-out but Ian tries to dribble behind his back instead of looking ahead. Then just like that, Cade gets taken out. My point is, we're never gonna see what the kid can contribute without opportunities.

- Finally, this is a team that still has room and potential for quick growth. If everything starts clicking, we are capable of making a night like this a biscuit game. One thing that can still improve is guys recognizing on the fly how we're being played. Example tonight was that it was pretty obvious early that Eliot was Item #1 on their scouting sheet after what he did to State, and if they decide to overplay the pass, well then, take it to the rack. JWash still needs to get even more aggressive offensively. At some point, RJ will find his stroke, so meanwhile, keep playing within the flow and don't force... etc etc...

Anyway, this was a TCB game, and we did just that and got another conference W. The same and more needs to be our goal Saturday. We've found the right starting lineup and our 6th man, but also a lot of guys who can be a part of this. Most impressively, the team is developing an identity on the defensive end, and that is becoming obvious to commentators (if not to all of our fans ), as well as on the stat sheets. And that starts with the perimeter guys meshing. RJ has quickness and experience, both freshmen are improving by the game in the crucial off-ball phase, Seth has returned as a holy terror, and EC has turned himself into an actual plus-defender. Moreover, we are getting better at fundamental 4-man shell force-and-help principles, while getting some rim-protection on the back end. The key moving forward is to, well, keep moving forward...

 

[gkss]

...and it was nice to take a breath and not have to rely on buzzer heroics, so, I'll give this thing one more try:

- We showed a refreshing commitment to get into transition, and Drake's coast-to-coast forced an early Cal timeout. In general we were looking to run as a default and Eliot's pitch-aheads kept constant pressure on Cal's retreating defenders.

- Bad news about that was Cal has size inside and is notorious for offensive rebounding and they hurt us there when we either neglected to block out, or we fought our own guys for rebounds that were then lost --- happened like 4 times --- somebody needs to be yelling "SAME!". Good news was, after allowing 7 ORs in the first half, we tightened down in the 2nd half, allowing only 4 more, and cleaning the defensive glass with the chances afforded by our defense for a big final margin

- Back to transition, there were SO many times that pointed up the negative impact of not running the Secondary correctly, where a rim-run or block-dive would've given us easy ops. I just don't get not doing that.

- Really good to see JWash shoot the face-up. Now, take some of those open 3s! Lubin also was much more aggressive tonight, I suppose he was inspired going up against his old teammate (and there was some talking going on between them). Withers also gave good energy off the bench and Brown got a little run.

- We looked a bit clunky in half-court sets for a couple of reasons that I could see: First, Cal had clearly scouted the NCState film (especially in two-man game stuff) and committed to anticipating the pass, and second, our guys were not at all crisp or decisive in cuts and/or rolls. As a result of these factors, on a few occasions both EC and RJ ended passing to where they thought someone was gonna be, or forced to guys who were covered.

- I liked the 2nd half intensity and effort to extend the lead without any long lull. That showed itself early in the half when Eliot's dumbass frustration foul sent him to the bench with 3. After we let them pull it to 6, we stayed aggressive and guys started hitting shots. Speaking of that, Ian has assumed the get-us-a-bucket role that RJ was always counted on for --- kid has an uncanny knack for willing that ball into the basket.

- On a night with few whistles, good to see us get back to good FT shooting --- 12/13

- Seth is starting to look more like himself and Lubin had probably his best game here,

- OK... as I've been trying to get across, (despite tired narratives to the contrary) we are becoming a much-improved defensive team. We showed it tonight, and particularly the number we did on the ACC's leading scorer. And if you watched, it wasn't any one defender --- he had to deal with being passed off and confronted with a phalanx of our guys 1-thru-4. As we know, we're still vulnerable to bruisers in the post, but the best way to deal with them is snap-help to force dribble pickups outside the block (note going forward...)

- One last head-scratcher is about what we're doing with Tyson. So, he gets in a few minutes the first half, gets wide open in the corner in transition but RJ has his head down and misses him, then he breaks open for a run-out but Ian tries to dribble behind his back instead of looking ahead. Then just like that, Cade gets taken out. My point is, we're never gonna see what the kid can contribute without opportunities.

- Finally, this is a team that still has room and potential for quick growth. If everything starts clicking, we are capable of making a night like this a biscuit game. One thing that can still improve is guys recognizing on the fly how we're being played. Example tonight was that it was pretty obvious early that Eliot was Item #1 on their scouting sheet after what he did to State, and if they decide to overplay the pass, well then, take it to the rack. JWash still needs to get even more aggressive offensively. At some point, RJ will find his stroke, so meanwhile, keep playing within the flow and don't force... etc etc...

Anyway, this was a TCB game, and we did just that and got another conference W. The same and more needs to be our goal Saturday. We've found the right starting lineup and our 6th man, but also a lot of guys who can be a part of this. Most impressively, the team is developing an identity on the defensive end, and that is becoming obvious to commentators (if not to all of our fans ), as well as on the stat sheets. And that starts with the perimeter guys meshing. RJ has quickness and experience, both freshmen are improving by the game in the crucial off-ball phase, Seth has returned as a holy terror, and EC has turned himself into an actual plus-defender. Moreover, we are getting better at fundamental 4-man shell force-and-help principles, while getting some rim-protection on the back end. The key moving forward is to, well, keep moving forward...

Spot on gary-7, and thanks for the breakdown! I don’t get deal with Tyson either. The staff had to have scouted him and saw enough to get him on board here. It appears that he lacks confidence, and the staff and players lack confidence in him as well. I hope in film that the staff will correct RJ and Ian as you noted in detail in your breakdown with regards to missing him wide open. Good win and let’s continue to get better and trend upward! As always, Go Heels!

 

[sdingeldein]

Hubert agreed with a lot you said in his post game comments. I see the confidence of JWash growing and was also yelling for him to take the three. If he starts hitting those, that would change our game dramatically. (He needs 10-15 lbs of muscle between this year and next if possible.) Seth looked like himself. Ian, well, the kid is just amazing. Eliott still does some dumb things but the kid is a pure PG. He is showing signs of growth which we expect of a kid so young. Lubin had a great game. And, as you said, our rotation is settling into a pattern. One of your best, among many, write ups.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

👍🏾 Gary, great observations and write-up. Nice to win without toying with the cardiac health of Carolina fans
everywhere. We are demonstrating improvement, especially on defense; quicker lateral feet, switch decisions,
and a higher level of aggression dogging good shooters. When we can effectively turn that defense into
quick points, we’re going to stack up some nice wins in a very weak conference.

Agree with G-77 and gkss about Cade; if there was ever a game to get the guy some minutes, last night
was the one- why not put him in for the last five-seven minutes to try to get him the confidence
he lacks? 🤔

Onward and upward, Carolina! GDTBATH ❤️⛹🏾‍♂️🏀

 

[tcb22]

It was great to watch a game and ENJOY it! Like many previous comments, I was yelling at JWash to shoot! He had several open 3 opportunities at the top of the key and didn't take them. I hope the coaches have not told him to not shoot. Still can't figure out Cade. Everyone, not just our coaches, thought he would be a great shooter. Have no idea why this has not worked out. He had lots of chances in earlier games and did have one good game that didn't carry over. That, along with RJ's shooting problems, has forced the coaches to make adjustments i'm sure.

 

[notashelbyfan]

We were really good last night both ends of the floor, now we need to see if it correlates when the opponents get better.

We have work do to and it's not going to happen over night but last night is what every Carolina team should always do to an 8-8 team at home.

Ian is really good at basketball.

RJ i think seen last night he don't have to be the only scorer for us to win.

EC was very good only one bone head foul.

I have seen huge steps in Jwash over the last 3 games.

Trimble is back to before injury form.


As far as Tyson goes he's just not Carolina basketball material. Our margin for error is so small we don't have time for on the job training in the heart of the ACC regular season while dangerously close to the bubble. This is what November and December is for but unlike most blue blood programs we hired a coach that needs November and December to do his own on the job training.

 

[DSouthr]

One of if not our best full 40min games this season, notable growth for each of the last 3 games. We are not there yet but finally we are moving in the right direction, it is about time. The huge thing is our 2 starting freshmen are growing up, they are much better on the defensive end and I think in large part because we have simplified things on the defensive end, premium is now more on staying with your man and switching when it is needed, finally they are talking to each other, finally we are getting help when it is needed and rotating. Had we been able to snag the boards that we actually got hands on but couldn't secure this would have been an even larger win. There were times we had 4 guys around the ball and their 1 guy ended up with the rebound?

Was good to see Seth getting his game back, most seem to be saying he is all the way back, I suspect from what I watched he is 85-90% back, I do see just a little bit of intensity, just a touch of explosion still not there from before the injury. I suspect we see the full 100% back game from him next time out. But a 85% Seth is still one of the best defenders in the country.

JWash, solid game, did get bodied some by their bigs, have to accept that is just going to happen to him and Lubin at times. IT was good to see them get some help, saw more guard stripping their bigs when they put the ball on the floor. Cal is a team that plays more 1 on one on offense, lack a dynamic PG to set the table. I did feel JWit was playing well last night, would not have been mad to see him get a few more minutes. I like us with any pairing of JWash, Lubin, or JWit when we move Drake to the 3.

Cadeau for me had a very good game outside of some glaring bone headed decisions, that foul (his 2nd) late int he first half, come on son, as much as we need you picking up your 2nd with a tick over a minute left in the half, got to be smarter than that. Then he compounded it by picking up his 3rd with over 17mins left in the second half? Some of those passes, in a crowd, to a big man's feet, just have to realize that is way to high risk to make sense. But got to tell ya, when he was in this team ran at a different speed, we cooked and our athleticism, especially of our freshmen finished it off.

Cappy FREAKIN JACK! Goodness, I get the feeling that other UNC freshmen hit that freshman wall, Jack got to that wall with a ladder! Kid said something that defies his being a freshman after our last game, when asked about how much pressure he feels and his confidence he replied that he just was ballin! What that means is he was just letting himself get lost in the game, rather than lost in his own head, that is a mindset you ant from your seniors, to see a freshman say that is beyond impressive. Another 20point game and he is giving us those being very efficient, letting the game come to him and being ready when it does, it is really special to watch. And Drake, even playing as much out of position as he is has quietly become our second best defender outside of Seth.

RJ, I really like that he has taken a step back in the volume shooting, last night I felt he played even more in a way to fit in with his mates rather than over and above them. I want RJ taking opportunistic good looks rather than the heat check step backs we have seen. It is concerning that he missed 3 wide open mid range jumpers. Being honest with ya I do think we are better with RJ coming off the bench for multiple reasons but maybe the largest reason is that it makes us longer in our back court as well as more athletic.

JWash, had a rough 2nd half, struggled with the bulk of their front court guys, missed a couple bunnies, I think he rushed them a touch. But got to tell ya, I am very happy to finally see him putting up those mid range jumpers. I do notice him trying to guide the ball more than relax and taking a solid jump shot, he is not yet as comfortable jump shooting as he needs to be, as he was last season at times, just keep putting shots up in practice and relax, slow down about half a count, and have confidence you will make it. He missed a couple and starting passing up open jumpers, get out of your own head son!

Tyson, sorry but I just am not going to agree that he needs more minutes because his more minutes takes away from guys I feel really have earned them, especially JWit. To me the kid is Justin Pierce 2.0, I think the ACC is above his level, sorry but just my opinion.

IN all, we not only needed this win but we needed to win it like we did, more as a team than hero ball centered and we needed to win it big to send that message to the post season selection folk. We need to stack wins, not win 3 in a row and then play a clunker, need to keep moving upward, no step backs now.

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

I need EC to take wide open 15 ft jumpers.

WTH is he working on during the summer. Doesn't seem like much other just playing the position.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Seth is starting to look more like himself

This was a highlight for me. 97%

 

[alabamaheel]

Seth must have really taken a knock but he’s definitely back. I know they weren’t very good but he and EC showed some great scoring chops last night. Not many times you see RJ shy away from shooting lol but he did a few times after he realized it wasn’t there. Played the point well when needed in the second half but they need him hitting shots and EC directing traffic. Ian equals dog and our bigs were better.
Wash needs to let it fly from deep again but I really liked his confidence on short turnarounds and showing some aggression. Still some head scratching passes and lapses on easy help defense but considering the changes on lineups they are still learning each others tendencies. I don’t get Tyson’s lack of play, especially against the team we just played. With that said I also am not in practice. Hd and the coaching staff see something or don’t see something there. I guess it would be different if he was automatic from deep or a great defender. At this level you get, or don’t get playing time based on ability that’s known and shown, not because you’re a good guy(get) or we don’t like you(don’t). The caliber of player he’s facing now is better but hard to watch a kid not even get to shoot that’s hit them before. I think he’ll be better and a better fit next year if he stays of course.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

One last head-scratcher is about what we're doing with Tyson. So, he gets in a few minutes the first half, gets wide open in the corner in transition but RJ has his head down and misses him, then he breaks open for a run-out but Ian tries to dribble behind his back instead of looking ahead. Then just like that, Cade gets taken out. My point is, we're never gonna see what the kid can contribute without opportunities.

I agree. He went 1-1 and, iirc, that was entirely his own hard work. When he was on the floor, he looked like he knew what he was doing and did it well. That wasn't true earlier but is now.

Could Tyson become a reliable threat if we played him more? Who knows? I hope I'm wrong but it doesn't look like we're going to try to make that work.

I expect him to transfer somewhere that's a better fit.

I wonder how Cade feels about it? He isn't showing any signs of being a disgruntled player; but I might in his shoes.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Thanks for the thorough write up G-7!

That was a fun game and I loved the defensive adjustment to quickly double their Big when he tried to dribble. I think they allowed him to back JWash and Lubin down a few times, but mostly attacked by his second/third dribble! I cannot figure out three things though. 1. What is the deal with Lubin's hands? He works hard to get in position and gets his hands on rebounds only to lose out to opponents. He also either isn't ready for some passes or simply can't make tough catches in traffic. 2. EC continues to make some very difficult passes and while I applaud his vision, he has to realize situations ( IE-Lubin and JWash are not going to catch those low offerings in traffic) and see who he is passing to and where they are. 3. Tyson in general. I watched him warmup and he hit almost all of his shots. Once the lights turn on he seems to be thinking too much and not playing. He gets lost on D at times and isn't ready to shoot on the catch at times. I think it is focus/confidence more than level. But who knows what is shown in practice. Seth clearly still needs some work to get in maximum game shape and he still doesn't have all of his explosiveness but he is very close! I need EC to realize that he isn't going to get calls from Refs AND peeps are going to attempt to bully him! Frustration is a killer in a PG so.....man up and show peeps they cannot rattle you youngun!

Great win by the coaches and players! Tar Heels are on the rise and I hope Saturday is another step forward!

 

[TPFKAPFS]

I agree. He went 1-1 and, iirc, that was entirely his own hard work. When he was on the floor, he looked like he knew what he was doing and did it well. That wasn't true earlier but is now.

Could Tyson become a reliable threat if we played him more? Who knows? I hope I'm wrong but it doesn't look like we're going to try to make that work.

I expect him to transfer somewhere that's a better fit.

I wonder how Cade feels about it? He isn't showing any signs of being a disgruntled player; but I might in his shoes.

He hit the short shot but hesitated on the perimeter and lost his focus on D a few times. He was in his preferred spot near the right baseline, caught the ontime pass and simply wasn't ready to shoot. The next time he ran around to his spot but drifted out of the sight line of the driver. I like the kid and want the best but he needs to get out of his own head. Is that because he doesn't feel trusted or is it because he fears the limelight? I think he will figure it out but I'm no longer sure it will be this year!

BTW: JWash MUST step into that wide open 3 at the top of the key ! As soon as he starts taking this and making a few, our O will become exponentially better!

 

[NathanFielder]

Nice performance by the team. Cal came as advertised and they don't really bring any level of defense but it was good to see play efficient basketball on both ends. Good stuff that they made Stojakovic a non-factor because he has some high level skills.

They blew out a team they should've blown out. And good to see some carryover on positive things from the last few games.

Stanford is better, but I think the travel is a pretty significant advantage to play those west coast teams at home. Stanford lost by double digits at Clemson, Pitt, and Wake. They won by double digits at home to Virginia and Virginia Tech. I think it's important to jump on these west coast teams early. I don't think the west coast teams have as much energy to make comebacks in the second half off travel.

I like that Cadeau hunted for his offense in a relatively controlled way. I think this team is better off if he's aggressively looking to score rather than just facilitating.

But I like the offensive identity that the team has formed. It's more Jackson team on that end and more of the offense flows through him. Also, as much as I may downplay Cal... Cal did have a pretty efficient offense coming into the game and UNC's solid defense maintained itself against a pretty good offense (like SMU). So hopefully that continues to have staying power for that Pitt/Duke/Pitt/Clemson stretch.

They're definitely getting better. Good for them.

I do think for this team to maximize its potential this season, they need to get another perimeter threat. It clearly won't be Tyson. He isn't an ACC caliber player right now and whether that's because of his actual game or his mentality, it just isn't good enough right now. And I think someone needs to give them some perimeter punch that they probably expected out of Tyson. Everyone seems to think Washington can. Hopefully he believes that himself. Looks a little reluctant to shoot. "Scared money won't make no money" as a famous philosopher once said. (I don't think he's actually scared, I just wanted to use that lyric)

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

I know people like the games but scheduling all these highly ranked teams early is poor seasonal management.

I understand tournaments but outside of that it doesn't benefit you that much in the long run.

Maybe 2 games max and a tournament as benchmarks.

Otherwise work on finding out what your team really is before conference time. Its more important.

 

[gunslingerdick]

I know people like the games but scheduling all these highly ranked teams early is poor seasonal management.

I understand tournaments but outside of that it doesn't benefit you that much in the long run.

Maybe 2 games max and a tournament as benchmarks.

Otherwise work on finding out what your team really is before conference time. Its more important.

When you win them, it benefits you. Especially now that the ACC is a garbage conference. We have 2 chances at quality wins the rest of the season and those are the two games against duke. Beating any other ACC team is “ho-hum”.

But you may be on to something. Now that programs don’t build teams over the course of 2-4 years and every year’s team is drastically different than the previous year, there’s a lot more figuring out that needs to happen these days. It may be wise for us to do that figuring out against lesser competition for the sake of our record. But not having quality wins will be an issue under that method. So it’s a pick your poison situation.

 

[alabamaheel]

Nice performance by the team. Cal came as advertised and they don't really bring any level of defense but it was good to see play efficient basketball on both ends. Good stuff that they made Stojakovic a non-factor because he has some high level skills.

They blew out a team they should've blown out. And good to see some carryover on positive things from the last few games.

Stanford is better, but I think the travel is a pretty significant advantage to play those west coast teams at home. Stanford lost by double digits at Clemson, Pitt, and Wake. They won by double digits at home to Virginia and Virginia Tech. I think it's important to jump on these west coast teams early. I don't think the west coast teams have as much energy to make comebacks in the second half off travel.

I like that Cadeau hunted for his offense in a relatively controlled way. I think this team is better off if he's aggressively looking to score rather than just facilitating.

But I like the offensive identity that the team has formed. It's more Jackson team on that end and more of the offense flows through him. Also, as much as I may downplay Cal... Cal did have a pretty efficient offense coming into the game and UNC's solid defense maintained itself against a pretty good offense (like SMU). So hopefully that continues to have staying power for that Pitt/Duke/Pitt/Clemson stretch.

They're definitely getting better. Good for them.

I do think for this team to maximize its potential this season, they need to get another perimeter threat. It clearly won't be Tyson. He isn't an ACC caliber player right now and whether that's because of his actual game or his mentality, it just isn't good enough right now. And I think someone needs to give them some perimeter punch that they probably expected out of Tyson. Everyone seems to think Washington can. Hopefully he believes that himself. Looks a little reluctant to shoot. "Scared money won't make no money" as a famous philosopher once said. (I don't think he's actually scared, I just wanted to use that lyric)

It’s true though

 

[al would]

Being honest with ya I do think we are better with RJ coming off the bench for multiple reasons but maybe the largest reason is that it makes us longer in our back court as well as more athletic.

Where have I heard that before? Watch it D, thoust poking the sacred ram 😉

 

[adwood81]

I know people like the games but scheduling all these highly ranked teams early is poor seasonal management.

I understand tournaments but outside of that it doesn't benefit you that much in the long run.

Maybe 2 games max and a tournament as benchmarks.

Otherwise work on finding out what your team really is before conference time. Its more important.

Was thinking the same thing. I understand testing yourself but 5 of the top teams in the country and only 1 at home? We have less home games than every other team in ACC, I think. Jump Man is off the schedule so maybe that can become a home slot.

 

[dtodd4475]

After the rock fight in Raleigh, this one was a picnic. Cal was very passive defensively, tried to stay home with Ian and RJ by daring Elliot and Jalen to shoot even 10-12 footers, or Elliot just keep for a nearly uncontested layup. Problem is they didn't hound Ian and RJ especially well either, plenty of good looks for each. I will also take the free looks for Elliot and Jalen in the paint or elbow all day everyday.

The big unathletic centers were a frustration, they just muscled and hustled extra looks, to keep Cal within miracle range for awhile. I don't know what the Cal game plan was, they did shoot like 3 for 25 or something from three, so maybe that skewed it? Looked focus less.

Stayed on Stojakovich and grinded with multiple bodies chasing him. Hey, if they are going to give a free picnic, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, eat up. They did.

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

When you win them, it benefits you. Especially now that the ACC is a garbage conference. We have 2 chances at quality wins the rest of the season and those are the two games against duke. Beating any other ACC team is “ho-hum”.

But you may be on to something. Now that programs don’t build teams over the course of 2-4 years and every year’s team is drastically different than the previous year, there’s a lot more figuring out that needs to happen these days. It may be wise for us to do that figuring out against lesser competition for the sake of our record. But not having quality wins will be an issue under that method. So it’s a pick your poison situation.

That's all I was saying. With all this year to year rebuilding

The 2nd game at Kansas tells us nothing other than we can compete. That doesn't count in the win column....lol

Maybe it was just the luck of the schedule but that was a brutal start to the year

 

[gary-7]

I agree. He went 1-1 and, iirc, that was entirely his own hard work. When he was on the floor, he looked like he knew what he was doing and did it well. That wasn't true earlier but is now.

Could Tyson become a reliable threat if we played him more? Who knows? I hope I'm wrong but it doesn't look like we're going to try to make that work.

I expect him to transfer somewhere that's a better fit.

I wonder how Cade feels about it? He isn't showing any signs of being a disgruntled player; but I might in his shoes.

I'm gonna use this for a general reply.

First, congrats to everyone ITT so far for a thoughtful discussion, because trust me, I was ready to put an end to these "stuff" threads after the last one.

As to the Tyson question, there are some different takes here. Now, I completely and respectfully disagree with some posters (for example, @DSouthr) as to Cade's abilities, but ultimately it is an "academic question". For those who aren't familiar with that term, an academic question is one we can't really answer because it hasn't actually happened --- and that pretty much describes Cade's season, no?. Personally, I want to see what he can do.

But with all that notwithstanding, I just want folks here to understand that this team is, in fact, progressing defensively. Now, I may not be 100% on board with Hubert's approach on that end, but the team IS objectively getting way better in executing what they are being asked to do.

The question remaining is, thus, where are we OFFENSIVELY?

As a buddy (and current coach) texted me after the Cal game, "just think if RJ was converting even his normal percentage of only the dimes Eliot is giving him --- these games wouldn't be close." And ya know what? He was right.

So, think about it --- imagine a scenario where Ian is still doing what he's doing, and RJ is back on track, with EC running the show... Yeah, just wow at the potential fire-power, and then add the other guys into the mix. I believe in RJ --- he's simply too good to remain in this shooting slump --- and if he "gets well", well, watch out...

 

[Tarheel75]

When you win them, it benefits you. Especially now that the ACC is a garbage conference. We have 2 chances at quality wins the rest of the season and those are the two games against duke. Beating any other ACC team is “ho-hum”.

But you may be on to something. Now that programs don’t build teams over the course of 2-4 years and every year’s team is drastically different than the previous year, there’s a lot more figuring out that needs to happen these days. It may be wise for us to do that figuring out against lesser competition for the sake of our record. But not having quality wins will be an issue under that method. So it’s a pick your poison situation.

Wanted to jump back in this discussion to correct your statement about quality wins.
As it currently stands, we have 6 quad 1 opportunities. Duke (2), Pitt (2), @ Clemson (1), & @ FSU (1).
These are subject to change of course, we just have to win the majority of these 6 games.

 

[notashelbyfan]

Wanted to jump back in this discussion to correct your statement about quality wins.
As it currently stands, we have 6 quad 1 opportunities. Duke (2), Pitt (2), @ Clemson (1), & @ FSU (1).
These are subject to change of course, we just have to win the majority of these 6 games.

I think we will be extremely lucky to go 3-3 in those 6 games.

 

[Bubspub88]

Wanted to jump back in this discussion to correct your statement about quality wins.
As it currently stands, we have 6 quad 1 opportunities. Duke (2), Pitt (2), @ Clemson (1), & @ FSU (1).
These are subject to change of course, we just have to win the majority of these 6 games.

We have a two week stretch coming up that will likely determine the bubble fate. Beginning 1/28 the Heels play at Pitt, at dook, Pitt at home and at Clemson. That is 4 of those quad 1 games lumped together. I thing 2-2 is the most optimistic outcome but 0-4 is a real possibility.

Carolina has been playing better of late but against the bottom half of conference, except SMU.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Wanted to jump back in this discussion to correct your statement about quality wins.
As it currently stands, we have 6 quad 1 opportunities. Duke (2), Pitt (2), @ Clemson (1), & @ FSU (1).
These are subject to change of course, we just have to win the majority of these 6 games.

“As it currently stands”

I’ll be back to correct your correction when those games roll around.

 

[notashelbyfan]

Carolina has been playing better of late but against the bottom half of conference, except SMU

Bottom half of a bad conference, not like the world is going to take notice if we beat a Pitt at Pitt.

 

[DSouthr]

I'm gonna use this for a general reply.

First, congrats to everyone ITT so far for a thoughtful discussion, because trust me, I was ready to put an end to these "stuff" threads after the last one.

As to the Tyson question, there are some different takes here. Now, I completely and respectfully disagree with some posters (for example, @DSouthr) as to Cade's abilities, but ultimately it is an "academic question". For those who aren't familiar with that term, an academic question is one we can't really answer because it hasn't actually happened --- and that pretty much describes Cade's season, no?. Personally, I want to see what he can do.

But with all that notwithstanding, I just want folks here to understand that this team is, in fact, progressing defensively. Now, I may not be 100% on board with Hubert's approach on that end, but the team IS objectively getting way better in executing what they are being asked to do.

The question remaining is, thus, where are we OFFENSIVELY?

As a buddy (and current coach) texted me after the Cal game, "just think if RJ was converting even his normal percentage of only the dimes Eliot is giving him --- these games wouldn't be close." And ya know what? He was right.

So, think about it --- imagine a scenario where Ian is still doing what he's doing, and RJ is back on track, with EC running the show... Yeah, just wow at the potential fire-power, and then add the other guys into the mix. I believe in RJ --- he's simply too good to remain in this shooting slump --- and if he "gets well", well, watch out...

I agree and yes, we do not agree on Tyson but yes it is a academic question that means very little because it really doesn't matter what you and I think, we do not have the ability to do anything about it. There is simply no reason to hold anything but a respectful discussion on what we as individual fans think or believe. I am here for the discussion, that is the only reason I am here, I am not trying to impress anyone, I simply want to share what I see, others can see things differently.

On Tyson, just to clearly share my opinion, on my list of priority, of guys that really bring something to this team it needs to consistently win games, I have Tyson in a tie with James Brown for this season and both more a priority than Claude. This is just the time of the season that top grading has to happen, have to now really hone in on those guys that not only can but have helped us win games. I see a real player down the road in James Brown, he is no where close to that today or this season.

I shared when Tyson committed to UNC, I was not sure if he was Manek or Paxon, I felt maybe some place in between. I( have since watching him play to this point modified that, I see him now as some place between Paxon and Justin Pierce and that doesn't thrill me with potential. I feel like I have seen enough of Tyson to justify what I have shared. I have seen this team make "special effort" to feed Tyson opportunity to crank his game up, saw him have a couple of good point total games, didn't miss the fact that those games did not come against major programs but more Belmont level teams. I believe his shooting has been way over hyped, I see him as a decent shooter but not a knock down shooter and he simply has to have his ops created for him. I do very strongly feel our NIL spent on him could have been better spent elsewhere. I sometimes wonder, had Tyson come to us without all the great shooter hype, would so many folks still be as invested in him as they are now? I see our 5 starters and Seth/Lubin/JWit, as all very important guys for us for the rest of this season and I see a rather large gap between them and Tyson/Brown and Brown is more an area of need guy than Tyson. Just my opinion and the cool thing is you can agree or not and as long as it is respectful we can discuss it and I will remain just as respectful. Please take note, you do not see me saying you are wrong if your opinion does not agree with my own, opinions are not facts, the only opinion that really matters in any of this is Hubert's, isn't that true? LOL

 

[DSouthr]

Bottom half of a bad conference, not like the world is going to take notice if we beat a Pitt at Pitt.

I do agree, this string of games we have won as of late should be tempered by the fact that we have not played the top part of the league yet, been drinking from the bottom shelf so far, the in league comp is about to get harder. NOW is absolutely NOT the time for this team to start reading their own head lines, NOW is the time to buckle down and get better each game, we can not afford any back steps now.

 

[gary-7]

NOW is the time to buckle down and get better each game, we can not afford any back steps now.

Yeah D, that's exactly what it's about, and hell, if we swept the rest of the schedule some here would still be riding a disclaimer. Part of growing into a good team is realizing that EVERY game means something, and that there's no such thing as an easy conference game.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

The games we played were a great idea because young teams need to learn about themselves and they need to experience rowdy, NCAA level crowds and they need to measure themselves against the best. Learning to compete IS extremely important as well! Some of them just happened due to tourneys. This team is growing right in front of our eyes and peeps are being developed very quickly, even if peeps don't want to credit the staff.

Peeps believe we will lose to all the good teams and only win against lesser comp BUT I tend to think these are ACC wins + top 3 in the ACC just might be favorable to us! I firmly believe we will continue to improve and reach a point that we can beat anybody in the ACC, I expect that if this scenario plays out, we will roar into the Tourney and put peeps on notice. JWash is one of the keys to an explosion. Confidence, strong lower body, and determinations is all he needs. Tyson could be an X factor but he isn't make or break to our season. RJ getting his swag back + learning to stay within the O flow would be the catalyst for a deep run IMO! 100% Seth will soon be a monster on both ends and hopefully it starts tomorrow.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

After the Louisville loss we were facing a 7-game stretch of winnable games. Some tough ones, to be sure - especially the road games against ND, NCSU and Wake - but all possible wins.

I didn't expect us to go 7-0, but thought 6-1 was feasible and would be a good outcome. As of this moment, 6-1 looks assured and 7-0 is looking quite plausible.

My hope was that this stretch would allow the team to grow, gel, toughen up, and get used to winning. I also hoped RJ would be back on track before we face Pitt-Duke-Pitt-Clemson.

That hope is still alive.

 

[DSouthr]

Yeah D, that's exactly what it's about, and hell, if we swept the rest of the schedule some here would still be riding a disclaimer. Part of growing into a good team is realizing that EVERY game means something, and that there's no such thing as an easy conference game.

Yeah and when you say "EVERY game means something, and that there's no such thing as an easy conference game." that is a MAJOR point! One of, if not the most difficult things to do in NCAA basketball is to beat a team in your conference 3 times in a single season. For a UNC fan like me, I consider it harder for UNC to beat duke 3 times in the same season than winning a natty, manyg duke fans I think would say to beating UNC 3 times in the same season is harder than getting a natty !

The conference teams simply know the other conference teams better than what you can learn from film. Take even little BC, we go to their place and that is not going to often be a "easy" game for us, beating any ACC team on their floor is never an easy thing but there is hate that builds up for conference foes that you rarely see against non-conference foes. There are special circumstances, like both UNC and duke hate Ky, Clemson fans hate the gamecocks (so do we old timer UNC fans), that ACC tourney that the gamecocks last were involved in is something that will never be forgotten or forgiven. When you have history with a team it is just rarely going to be anything short of nail biting!