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Quick stuff (FSU game 2)...

gary-7

gary-7

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...and congratulations to Roy for #900 and being the fastest to get there.

Look, this win happened for two reasons --- FTs and Walker Kessler --- and I'll throw in whatever blistering happened at halftime, but these factors enabled us to stage a classic "Here comes Carolina" run to start the second half, and then overcome some self-inflicted lineup stuff that just needs to stop.

- The first half was just disgusting on all levels --- unforced TOs from loose passes, failing to finish inside yet again and lazy backside defense, all of which was compounded by a near-fatal late first-half stretch when a dysfunctional perimeter lineup damn near got us blown out.

- The second half was an exact opposite as everyone started busting ass and we (mostly) took care of the rock better. The formula was simple --- just do your jobs and play Carolina basketball. After scoring what?... only 4 2-pt buckets in the first half, we started converting in the paint and playing defense thru the shot-clock. And then there was my boy, Walker Kessler. I can't say enough for his defensive impact, blocking and altering shot after shot and thwarting what they did to us last time. But we needed every one of those 20 points from the big fella, especially on a night when Bacot got himself in foul trouble and Sharpe was too revved up to finish.

- Lemme add that we did a much better job on #1 from FSU. Our gap help on his drive attempts was much stronger and especially when Kessler mirrored his dribbles down low to discourage drives

- In the ultimate irony, we won that one at the line --- best UNC FT performance I can remember, and thankfully we got the calls to get there. Teddy & co made some odd ones, but they mostly got it right. In contrast, thank heaven we didn't get the crew calling the dook game right now. Phew...

- So yeah, whatever Roy did to spark our guys at halftime did the trick, as did starting Kessler while he was cooking. Kudos to Roy also for coming out of the locker room with 4 consecutive called plays (plus a well-executed OB). Freelance is not this team's strength at this stage. Sigh.... with all that said, I swear I wonder sometimes if Roy has a self-destruct button that gets stuck in the "on" position with his determination to force Caleb and RJ onto the floor together. I mean, it not only flunks the results-test, it flunks the eye-test as well. The ball gets stuck and spacing disappears. This ain't Joel Berry and Marcus Paige --- who knows?... maybe in a couple of years, but now? Yikes. And playing them together with Walton at the 3 becomes a defensive sieve to boot. That latter formula dug us a hole in the first half and damn near undid our good work in the second.

Anyway, I tried to keep y'all up to date before the season on Walker's private workout/training regimen down here in College Park. It paid off and now as he's getting his legs and wind we're seeing some tantalizing results! And I ain't gonna lie --- feels damn good to actually win one from the FT line for a change --- and this was a huge win for the season and for Ol' Roy. Hopefully the guys will cherish how that feels... :cool:
 
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gary-7 said:
...and congratulations to Roy for #900 and being the fastest to get there.

Look, this win happened for two reasons --- FTs and Walker Kessler --- and I'll throw in whatever blistering happened at halftime, but these factors enabled us to stage a classic "Here comes Carolina" run to start the second half, and then overcome some self-inflicted lineup stuff that just needs to stop.

- The first half was just disgusting on all levels --- unforced TOs from loose passes, failing to finish inside yet again and lazy backside defense, all of which was compounded by a near-fatal late first-half stretch when a dysfunctional perimeter lineup damn near got us blown out.

- The second half was an exact opposite as everyone started busting ass and we (mostly) took care of the rock better. The formula was simple --- just do your jobs and play Carolina basketball. After scoring what?... only 4 2-pt buckets in the first half, we started converting in the paint and playing defense thru the shot-clock. And then there was my boy, Walker Kessler. I can't say enough for his defensive impact, blocking and altering shot after shot and thwarting what they did to us last time. But we needed every one of those 22 points from the big fella, especially on a night when Bacot got himself in foul trouble and Sharpe was too revved up to finish.

- Lemme add that we did a much better job on #1 from FSU. Our gap help on his drive attempts was much stronger and especially when Kessler mirrored his dribbles down low to discourage drives

- In the ultimate irony, we won that one at the line --- best UNC FT performance I can remember, and thankfully we got the calls to get there. Teddy & co made some odd ones, but they mostly got it right. In contrast, thank heaven we didn't get the crew calling the dook game right now. Phew...

- So yeah, whatever Roy did to spark our guys at halftime did the trick, as did starting Kessler while he was cooking. Kudos to Roy also for coming out of the locker room with 4 consecutive called plays (plus a well-executed OB). Freelance is not this team's strength at this stage. Sigh.... with all that said, I swear I wonder sometimes if Roy has a self-destruct button that gets stuck in the "on" position with his determination to force Caleb and RJ onto the floor together. I mean, it not only flunks the results-test, it flunks the eye-test as well. The ball gets stuck and spacing disappears. This ain't Joel Berry and Marcus Paige --- who knows?... maybe in a couple of years, but now? Yikes. And playing them together with Walton at the 3 becomes a defensive sieve to boot. That latter formula dug us a hole in the first half and damn near undid our good work in the second.

Anyway, I tried to keep y'all up to date before the season on Walker's private workout/training regimen down here in College Park. It paid off and now as he's getting his legs and wind we're seeing some tantalizing results! And I ain't gonna lie --- feels damn good to actually win one from the FT line for a change --- and this was a huge win for the season and for Ol' Roy. Hopefully the guys will cherish how that feels... :cool:
Click to expand...

Many will talk about Walker’s 20 points but you’re right to focus on his defense because that was the real difference maker. When we have a dynamic shot blocker/alterer it frees up the entire defense to not over help and it keeps the rebound away from the weak side where you’re prone to allowing offensive boards.

Walker certainly gives us a new dynamic and he deserves the same amount of minutes he got today moving forward.
 
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Thanks Gary, you've covered most all of the points I had thought I would mention.

This was a great win, no doubt about it. We are in the NCAAT with this win. We can hopefully play to our strengths against the Cuse on Monday and I would love to maul Duke on Saturday. I have harped over and over about the Jekyll-Hyde performances from game to game and I mentioned that I would not be surprised if we won this game after such a poor performance against Marquette. To be honest with all of you, I did not have any belief that we would win and the first half performance gave credence to my belief.

As Gary correctly stated, this game was won with FT's and Walker Kessler's emergence as a bonified inside post man and I am so proud of his performance, and you could see it coming from about 3 games ago until today.

If you could only look at a stat sheet from this game and see the following:

38% shooting for the game--21.7% from the 3 point line
21 TO's
Gave up 16 steals
Outscored in the paint 38-30
Give up 25 points off TO's committed
Outscored 22-9 on fast break points

Could you honestly think that we won this game? That's mind boggling and a real headscratcher. Our win, while we can certainly give the nod to our FT shooting and Walker's play, we also have to give credence to the tenacity to which these players ascend to. They have fought tooth and nail all season long to stay in games, albeit with limited success though. If ever, when all of these guys get harmonious with their play, we can be extremely difficult to handle. It has not happened yet, and we may not see it, due to the same individuals making the same mistakes and miscues, but the hope is, or at least my hope is, that we put it all together and play like they are capable.

Today, I breathe a little easier.
 
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Y’all...what about that mean look Walker was giving during that TO. I LOL and loved it. These guys have to start having fun and what I saw out of him and leaky today was great. I know some may disagree but we are a diff team when leaky is aggressive. He’s so dang long and gets fouled when he drives!!! I just wish he could hit the switch and it stay ON.
 
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dadika13 said:
Transfer lol??? If he’s unhappy here then he deserves an Academy Award for how he acts both on the court and on the bench.
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Exactly!! Even before this game he's the first person you always see jumping up and down for his teammates. Obviously I know nothing at all if any of that transfer stuff was legit but his body language sure says "I'm a tar heel"
 
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Thanks for the observations, and it's funny how much nicer the rest of the day is after a win!

Agree wholeheartedly regarding Caleb and RJ. They are simply not ready to share the backcourt and should not again this season unless under extreme circumstances. With all the bodies he has, Roy has to be able to go to other players and combinations by now.

Very happy to see the development of Kessler and I dearly hope he and Sharpe decide to come back for a sophomore season before earning squillions. They would be unstoppable together in 21-22 and maybe then Roy can play Caleb and RJ together!

Lastly, agree with '75. FSU is ranked and this win bolsters the resume enormously. Win the next two and there's no question the Heels are dancing.
 
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gary-7 said:
...and congratulations to Roy for #900 and being the fastest to get there.
"Here comes Carolina" run to start the second half, and then overcome some self-inflicted lineup stuff that just needs to stop.
- In the ultimate irony, we won that one at the line --- best UNC FT performance I can remember, and thankfully we got the calls to get there. Teddy & co made some odd ones, but they mostly got it right. In contrast, thank heaven we didn't get the crew calling the dook game right now. Phew...
Click to expand...
1. When we made the mini-run before the half that cut the deficit from 39-23 to 39-29 I told my friend we would do the same and maybe more in the 2nd half. We were able to keep from being completely blown out despite playing so bad and I actually felt good as the half ended.
And yeah 'ol TTv didn't actually kill us today, and Pat Driscoll usually gives us a decent game, nothing great and nothing awful.

2. I never watch dook unless they are playing our Heels, but I saw the box score and all I needed to see(Jamie Luckie and Roger Ayers):mad:

But at the end of the day our post-season was solidified, and dook's is officially OVER!🙌
 
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dadika13 said:
Many will talk about Walker’s 20 points but you’re right to focus on his defense because that was the real difference maker. When we have a dynamic shot blocker/alterer it frees up the entire defense to not over help and it keeps the rebound away from the weak side where you’re prone to allowing offensive boards.

Walker certainly gives us a new dynamic and he deserves the same amount of minutes he got today moving forward.
Click to expand...

We agree, but you know Roy.

Interesting comment by Roy regarding Kessler during his post game PC. He mentioned that Walker is having some issues with his knees and in the same breath mentioned that it may be the result of more growing pains.

Being a big myself, and speaking in general mind you all, at his age 99.9% of knee pain issues are from either tendonitis of the knee, which is common among us taller individuals or he is still growing and the CO2 between the growth plates in the knees creates pressure that induces mild to sometimes chronic pain which goes away eventually and is not debilitating. I think it's the latter and he is still growing, as he moves much too swiftly and nimbly and makes really sharp cuts to be suffering a bout of tendinitis of the knees. Have to wait and see I guess.

Just an FYI
 
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Tarheel75 said:
We agree, but you know Roy.

Interesting comment by Roy regarding Kessler during his post game PC. He mentioned that Walker is having some issues with his knees and in the same breath mentioned that it may be the result of more growing pains.

Being a big myself, and speaking in general mind you all, at his age 99.9% of knee pain issues are from either tendonitis of the knee, which is common among us taller individuals or he is still growing and the CO2 between the growth plates in the knees creates pressure that induces mild to sometimes chronic pain which goes away eventually and is not debilitating. I think it's the latter and he is still growing, as he moves much too swiftly and nimbly and makes really sharp cuts to be suffering a bout of tendinitis of the knees. Have to wait and see I guess.

Just an FYI
Click to expand...
How big a boy are ya 75?
 
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dadika13 said:
Many will talk about Walker’s 20 points but you’re right to focus on his defense because that was the real difference maker. When we have a dynamic shot blocker/alterer it frees up the entire defense to not over help and it keeps the rebound away from the weak side where you’re prone to allowing offensive boards.

Walker certainly gives us a new dynamic and he deserves the same amount of minutes he got today moving forward.
Click to expand...
Yessir. The private big-man coach he worked with down here put Walker thru a Rocky IV boot camp, pounding on the skinny HS white boy with some grown-ass men... and did a LOT of 2-man-game work.

It shows. You may have noticed even amid his early struggles, that he ALREADY plays the best PnR defense amongst our Bigs, and his recoveries and shadows are advanced --- all he's been missing is strength, wind and confidence.

And on that later note, on that sweet no-look bullet Leaky hit him with on the rim-run? A month ago he would've most likely dropped or fumbled it. Kid is starting to get his (physical and mental) "legs".
 
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FlaTarHeel said:
1. When we made the mini-run before the half that cut the deficit from 39-23 to 39-29 I told my friend we would do the same and maybe more in the 2nd half. We were able to keep from being completely blown out despite playing so bad and I actually felt good as the half ended.
And yeah 'ol TTv didn't actually kill us today, and Pat Driscoll usually gives us a decent game, nothing great and nothing awful.

2. I never watch dook unless they are playing our Heels, but I saw the box score and all I needed to see(Jamie Luckie and Roger Ayers):mad:

But at the end of the day our post-season was solidified, and dook's is officially OVER!🙌
Click to expand...
And Teddy even gave us a make-up call, calling a "travel" right after Covington flat missed their guy being OB when he recovered a loose ball. Looked like he even went over to Leonard and told him as much afterward ;)
 
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For all of us who ever debate whether Roy 900 Williams isn't reaching these kids or that his coaching decisions are questionable; this bipolar performance demonstrates the reality of this team of players. When they execute what they are coached to do in practice, and make free throws (which is always on the player, never the coach), they are capable of a 49-29 second half against the best team in the ACC. Congratulations Roy, 900 victories is a helluva coaching accomplishment. Thanks players, for paying attention and executing the game plan developed by your coaches. Keep the focus game by game and keep stripping those free throws.
 
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Roy "Fastest Coach to win 900" Williams just might still be a good coach, huh? Seems that he is in the Top 5 in every single coaching success metric but idiots think the game passed him by.......is there something stronger than LOL! Anyone who wants Roy gone is either a troll (B. Crane) or a complete moron (too numerous to name)

I see what peeps mean when they say Roy stubbornly sticks to his plans despite what we knowledgeable fans see, and I specifically mean playing RJ and Caleb together; but he has a plan and will sacrifice periods of time in a game in order to develop his peeps!~ More often than not this eventually pays off! (RJ, Caleb, and Kerwin together are hard to watch, however) Congrats to the Family for a great win! The youngsters once again proved that their toughness and potential should never be questioned!
 
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gary-7 said:
And Teddy even gave us a make-up call, calling a "travel" right after Covington flat missed their guy being OB when he recovered a loose ball. Looked like he even went over to Leonard and told him as much afterward ;)
Click to expand...

I said out loud to myself “appreciate the make up Teddy” as it happened.

It was the right move after you miss an obvious one.
 
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Kessler sure seemed to give a spark that the team sorely needed. Obviously his playing time will increase. Who will be the odd man out that loses playing time amongst the bigs? And Walton is also a key. When he is hitting from three everything runs a lot smoother. Love and Davis are still in audition mode dribbling side to side, as noted by Roy in his post-game presser, looking for any option they may try to create before passing. But yesterday's tale of two halves perfectly captured this team. The first half loses to mast anyone. Second half beat anyone not named Baylor or Gonzaga. So we will see. Has this team found themselves? There have been times we thought they had turned that corner before. I thought for sure the Louisville game marked that certain point. Then the Marquette debacle happened.
 
Kessler literally has all the pieces to be a lottery pick once he puts it all together. He should be a stud on next years team and then he will be off to the NBA.
 
TarHeelMark said:
Bacot has only played 28 total minutes in the last 2 games.

He started the season as our most reliable player, but is seeing the court less lately. What gives?
Click to expand...
Full house and not a lot of room at the table would be my two cents. Kesslers length is a problem for a lot of peeps.
Plus, he fouls as soon as he hits the court because he’s overachieving, trying to make up for time. IMO
 
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midline said:
Kessler sure seemed to give a spark that the team sorely needed. Obviously his playing time will increase. Who will be the odd man out that loses playing time amongst the bigs? And Walton is also a key. When he is hitting from three everything runs a lot smoother. Love and Davis are still in audition mode dribbling side to side, as noted by Roy in his post-game presser, looking for any option they may try to create before passing. But yesterday's tale of two halves perfectly captured this team. The first half loses to mast anyone. Second half beat anyone not named Baylor or Gonzaga. So we will see. Has this team found themselves? There have been times we thought they had turned that corner before. I thought for sure the Louisville game marked that certain point. Then the Marquette debacle happened.
Click to expand...
Perhaps there is no need to have an "odd man out".
 
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midline said:
Kessler sure seemed to give a spark that the team sorely needed. Obviously his playing time will increase. Who will be the odd man out that loses playing time amongst the bigs? And Walton is also a key. When he is hitting from three everything runs a lot smoother. Love and Davis are still in audition mode dribbling side to side, as noted by Roy in his post-game presser, looking for any option they may try to create before passing. But yesterday's tale of two halves perfectly captured this team. The first half loses to mast anyone. Second half beat anyone not named Baylor or Gonzaga. So we will see. Has this team found themselves? There have been times we thought they had turned that corner before. I thought for sure the Louisville game marked that certain point. Then the Marquette debacle happened.
Click to expand...
As good as we looked yesterday we also have to remember that this sport, as well as most, is all about matchups. There are teams that Roy’s coaching just struggles against. Btw that’s not a knock on Roy. There can be adjustments made sometimes but sometimes it’s just a bad matchup.
 
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heels05champs said:
Kessler literally has all the pieces to be a lottery pick once he puts it all together. He should be a stud on next years team and then he will be off to the NBA.
Click to expand...
From what I've been told Walker is in no hurry. Education is a big priority, as it has been with his family that played before him. He'll be here next year at a minimum, and it wouldn't be a surprise for him to make it 3.
 
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