Quick stuff (Miss game - NCAAT)...

[gary-7]

...and why couldn't we do these things sooner?

But then... that's sorta been the theme to the whole season, huh? I'll save more of that for a wrap-up post and keep this short...

- I gave y'all a scouting report a couple days ago on Miss, and damned if it didn't play out to the tee. Their defensive philosophy is foul, and foul some more, because as Beard like to say, "they can't call them all". On that note, I also posted a warning earlier today about the zebra crapshoot in 1st weekend NCAAT games, and when you see Brian Dorsey wearing a striped shirt at a Carolina game, well... we just rolled boxcars. So, that means it's up to the things we CAN control --- coming outta the gate with effort, intensity and execution --- and hoo boy, was that a big ol' fat FAIL... 😖

- After the way we played Tuesday and knowing we were facing an uber-"physical" opponent, I was stunned at how friggin SLUGGISH we were on both ends, and that we were half-assing things on BOTH ends --- lazy cuts and screens and not finishing thru (what should've been expected) contact, and passivity, late rotations, and late (or no) close-outs on defense. We let them move the ball with little challenge like we were a fat guy in a HORSE game. And wouldn't ya know, they started off shooting outta their minds, which happens more often when you make it too easy.

- We actually got 22 and 10 out of the 5 position today. That's nice, EXCEPT it should've been more. For those here who criticize Hubert's game-planning (and I include myself in that from time to time), this was a case-in-point. They switch everything so it's easy to create up/down mismatches, yet it took us forever to start running Hi-Lo actions (which worked great), or use actual post entries. Not coincidentally, both of those were big parts of our comeback. It's great that we adjusted, but why not do that from the tip?

- Moments:
*Washington gets an actual straight post entry on the baseline 10 ft out and drains a picture-book turn-around jumper. That shot is unblockable and damn near automatic (mismatch or not), yet have we even seen us try to get him the rock there all season?
*Then later, in the teeth of the comeback coming out of a timeout, we call another straight post entry to Lubin above the block for an easy lay-in. Everything doesn't hafta be PnR to score inside.
*Early 2nd half, Eliot pops the ball loose and dives on it, while their guy dives on top of him, administering not one, but two elbows to the head in the melee. The call? Ole Miss ball...

- And finally, speaking of comeback, even down 20 I knew in my soul that we would (I was counting down out loud as we cut the lead). And it was chill-inducing at times, with the effort, the steals, the snap-ahead passes into transition and long-range dimes... but when you spot a team that much, every missed finish, every loose ball not grabbed, every time a guy puts his head down instead of dishing on a break, it delays the goal ---- and (arghh), after we nonetheless cut it to 2. Seth (of all people) inexplicably goes under a screen for Pedula (I winced as soon as I saw it, as I'm sure many of you did), and... It was tough seeing the look on his face afterward --- a kid who has defended so hard and so well --- as he knew he'd made a mistake.

But yeah, it ALL has to come together, and we came up short... but again, we should have never allowed ourselves to be in that position (yet again) in the first place...

Anyway, watching the recording as I type, during our late run, Van Gundy queried as to what would have happened if we had played with that sort of effort in the first 20 minutes? I'll answer that --- we'd be talking about Sunday's 2nd round game instead...

 

[NathanFielder]

The lack of defensive and offensive intensity to start the game was disappointing. Ole Miss operated so comfortably offensively. I didn’t think the whistle was lopsided in the first half. I thought UNC was real passive all half.

So big defensive mistakes in the first half. And too many little mistakes that compound throughout the game. I think RJ missed a front end in the 1H. That plus a few other missed FTs. Then Cadeau throwing that wtf in bound pass that leads to a pick 6. Not good enough.

For me, Ole Miss looked really prepared and had answers in the first half. And I thought Beard had them well schooled for situational moments. UNC threw one of their first pressed and Ole Miss patiently broke it and it led to an and-1. Beard went 1-3-1 after he called a TO after a score, and it destroyed whatever set UNC had called. Apparently Hubert didn’t tell his guys what to do if Ole Miss went zone.

Plenty of missed opportunities. RJ probably missed 3 premium looks. Ian missed a premium look. And UNC left maybe 8 points on the floor missing close shots.

I thought UNC got an unfavorable whistle in the 2nd half. But hey, don’t fall behind 20+. At that point, you need everything to go your way.

I swear, this team is the best team I’ve ever seen when trailing by 20+, lol.

But this is what they’ve shown to be all season. Against quality opponents, they usually fell behind by 20+ then made furious comebacks against everyone except for healthy 1 seeds.

This is unfortunately who they proved to be all season. Which is disappointing.

I would’ve liked to have seen more high-low with Washington at the 5. But maybe they werent confident that Powell could make the pass over the top from that elbow area.

 

[Deezheelz]

I agree with ya 100% on this one Gary. This game was 100% a microcosm of our entire season and it was only fitting that it ended exactly the way it did with an enormous 2nd half comeback after a shit 1st half only to fall just short. This game had me thinking of the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day!

 

[gary-7]

I agree with ya 100% on this one Gary. This game was 100% a microcosm of our entire season and it was only fitting that it ended exactly the way it did with an enormous 2nd half comeback after a shit 1st half only to fall just short. This game had me thinking of the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day!

Great reference... except we didn't come out the winner in the end...

 

[gberry78]

I just don’t understand how as a player at UNC you can be ok with yourself giving that level of effort defensively..in the first half there was no anticipating the screen and no one trying to fight over the screen ..its like the players were ok with being punched in the mouth

 

[JovialMuse]

Fitting that the team reverted back to it's old ways with the sluggish first half followed by a great comeback that fell short. I'm sure some of these slow starts are related to (lack of) effort and/or intensity, but so many times this season it felt like the opponent out-scouted us...and then it took too long to make adjustments. I know the roster lacked a bruiser, but Houston and Baylor, just to name a few, seem to scheme and win plenty with smaller lineups. I'm glad UNC is giving Hubert another season and making some changes, but this turnaround needs to happen very quickly. Hubert's love for the program is likely unmatched, but I really hope there are some big leaps forward in schemes to maximize the effectiveness of whatever roster we have next year because if he needs a very specific roster makeup (like 2024 for example) to have success that's not going to translate to consistent success

 

[Bubspub88]

To me the outcome was disappointing but not surprising. Inconsistency has become the norm for UNC basketball. I understand that an opponent may be bigger or more talented and the other coach be more savvy, I don’t understand lack of effort. I’m almost 60 and I could have hit some of those 3’s they were so open.
I hope Withers ankle is okay but he is one the most frustrating players I can recall, still making freshman mistakes after this many years. Washington does not realize he is 6’10”.
Carolina had a great bracket to shut up the “experts” and they blew it. Time to work on the yard now, gotta get it looking good for when I tell the kids to get off it.

 

[Archer2]

As stated, that game was a microcosm of our season, and really of our program under Hubert. We’ve been wildly inconsistent in terms of effort and execution. Our offensive schemes(if you can call them that) are so simplistic and repetitive that we are easily defended. We are fundamentally unsound in so many areas(boxing out, help defense, closing out on shooters, ball security, shot selection, etc…). We literally don’t seem prepared at the beginning of games and come out somnambulant.

Hubert will be back at least one more year. I have to say my confidence that he can coach UNC at the level they deserve is waning every game.

 

[CrazyHeel]

The Rebs started off hot, when they came back to earth, we came back. Not getting rebounds was a major factor as well.

 

[dtodd4475]

The dominance of Ole Miss on the boards was very disappointing. The ease at which Ole Miss got uncontested 3 point looks in the first half was very disappointing. They punked UNC early and often. Digging a massive hole, once again, just a tad too big to dig out of.

The lane violation against dook, and Seth going under, inexplicably, when he had chased Pedula all game is all it takes when you have so little room for error clawing back from 20 plus down.

Shot poorly all night, that happens, ok, but the boards, and the lethargic 1st half dee should not have.

 

[heels05champs]

I won’t post it since it’s on TOS, but y’all should check out some of George Lynch comments about the team in the podcast he came on. He says a lot of what many of us have observed.

 

[gary-7]

Fitting that the team reverted back to it's old ways with the sluggish first half followed by a great comeback that fell short. I'm sure some of these slow starts are related to (lack of) effort and/or intensity, but so many times this season it felt like the opponent out-scouted us...and then it took too long to make adjustments. I know the roster lacked a bruiser, but Houston and Baylor, just to name a few, seem to scheme and win plenty with smaller lineups. I'm glad UNC is giving Hubert another season and making some changes, but this turnaround needs to happen very quickly. Hubert's love for the program is likely unmatched, but I really hope there are some big leaps forward in schemes to maximize the effectiveness of whatever roster we have next year because if he needs a very specific roster makeup (like 2024 for example) to have success that's not going to translate to consistent success

Nuanced and astute.

 

[NathanFielder]

@gary-7 I also thought UNC did some really stupid individual action.

In the first half, I think Powell got a big switched onto him and decided to iso and shoot a mid range jumper. Like an NBA level isolation mid ranger. Has he ever made that move and jumper at UNC? He may have done this twice.

While Withers should’ve done better when he posted up and had a guard switched to him, you can tell from a mile away he was going to lower his shoulder and get a charge (the guard sold it).

In the second half, Lubin got a guard switched to him and Cadeau threw a bounce pass entry that I think led to a turnover or a deflected pass OOB. That’s the one pass you can’t throw there. The ball must be thrown high, towards the backboard.

The Powell isolation was galaxy brain stuff. I was legitimately shocked when I saw that.

 

[DSouthr]

I just don’t understand how as a player at UNC you can be ok with yourself giving that level of effort defensively..in the first half there was no anticipating the screen and no one trying to fight over the screen ..its like the players were ok with being punched in the mouth

I think the auto switching we do makes us lazy a bit, you don't need to fight thru that screen, just switch it. Some times energy has to be jump started, mixing in presses off made baskets can do that for you, it has for this team several times this season. Now as the smaller team we always had to over play on defense and that burned us a lot, it allowed way to many shooters clean looks but we simply had no rim protection to erase mistakes made in the back court.

The truth is this was all set in place when we whiffed in the portal and didn't bring in a couple of 6'10" plus 235lbs + big men. From that point on we were fighting from behind, one of the smallest back courts in all of D-1 ball also had maybe the smallest front court in D-1 ball. We were the Liliput team that lost to the durham Gulliver all stars 3 times, that die was cast in pre-season when the portal closed.

 

[gary-7]

@gary-7 I also thought UNC did some really stupid individual action.

In the first half, I think Powell got a big switched onto him and decided to iso and shoot a mid range jumper. Like an NBA level isolation mid ranger. Has he ever made that move and jumper at UNC? He may have done this twice.

While Withers should’ve done better when he posted up and had a guard switched to him, you can tell from a mile away he was going to lower his shoulder and get a charge (the guard sold it).

In the second half, Lubin got a guard switched to him and Cadeau threw a bounce pass entry that I think led to a turnover or a deflected pass OOB. That’s the one pass you can’t throw there. The ball must be thrown high, towards the backboard.

The Powell isolation was galaxy brain stuff. I was legitimately shocked when I saw that.

Drake has not yet learned how and when to use his athletic superiority in those situations, and his on-the-spot decision-making is still a bit slow. Both of those will improve, and hopefully we'll get to see it here next season.

Withers has the ability to do so many things with that athleticism, but maddeningly, post moves and footwork aren't part of that skillset, even on a mismatch. That was a straight-up flop by Pedula, but still, Withers made it easy to sell.

Speaking of Pedula, OMFG that little bastard traveled like a salsa dancer (I mean, a pivot-foot slide plus 3 steps) on his last paint basket, and got an entirely invented foul call on the one before that. Good news was he got his ass stripped on his other drives.

As for the pass, I'm watching the recording right now, and TBH there wasn't anything wrong with that pass to Lubin. Drake missed him on the original post-up and EC came in to clean it up. Yes, it would've been safer to throw it in high, but that bounce-pass was right in Lubin's pocket. Sorry, but you have to catch that. The one that was errant was a few sequences earlier when Seth bounced one behind JWash on an open roll --- and I still would've liked to have seen that one caught.

Rewatching the 2nd half is testimony to the remarkable level of the comeback, but painful as to what we left on the floor. During that run we still missed 5 WIDE OPEN 3 looks, and Lordy at the short-armed rim chances. Yeah, there shoulda been calls on some of those, but still... just damn.

 

[sdingeldein]

In the first half I was amazed by the obvious push offs by Miss on moves to the basket from outside the arc.

 

[gary-7]

In the first half I was amazed by the obvious push offs by Miss on moves to the basket from outside the arc.

#dorsey #hartness

 

[UNC-75]

Anyone have info on Withers ankle? Hopefully for the young man it’s only a sprain.