Quick stuff (OK game)...

[gary-7]

...and another undefeated goes down.

It's late so I'll make this brief:

- The positive that was pretty consistent was way better 20 defense. We switched less and more importantly, we did so more judiciously, avoiding the fatal up-downs that were so damaging last time out.

- with only a few exceptions, the TEAM footwork was WAY better -- help and active hands followed moving feet. On an individual level, Cormac had his best defensive game as a Heel, which means his ankles must be intact. We did however get some guys gassed with resulting lapses due to some odd sub patterns.

- the down side was foolishess of fouling 3-pt shooters at a time when they were otherwise cold

- Moment: Early second half, they're in 2-on-2 spread break and us with no help in sight. EC does what I've yelled so many times --- stopped the ball in open court, forcing an early lateral pass and then Cormac stoned his guy for several dribbles as the cavalry arrived and we get the rock back with no blood. That's how it's done.

- the active feet and hands fueled the transition game, at least early on

- #10 for OK sure as hell got his money's worth. He set more illegal screens than the 5 fouls he picked up for sure...

- Another key moment: only up 6 late and yet another half-court set breaks down and Ingram banks an 18 ft leaner. Dagger

- speaking of sets breaking down, we are just disjointed when Cadeau is on the bench for any length of time (which he was tonight) and we run out of slick set plays and it falls on RJ for hero-ball. That is just not sustainable.

- Finally, we seem SO close to really clicking at times --- a fumble here, not finishing an Assist there, not rolling to the rack when yer supposed to (um, JWash, c'mon, but hey, ya got it right on the second try). After xmas we need to keep up this defensive effort while getting into a conference rhythm with a hopefully less clunky rotation. There's a lotta ceiling left if we can...

Anyway, great way to guard our second home, and cap off a REALLY tough pre-conf schedule!...

 

[gauchoheel]

I have no idea how you watch that game and come away with two praiseworthy comments for Cadeau and nothing positive for RJ. RJ has 23 points with 5 assists and no turnovers. Cadeau didn't do all that much offensively and had two bad turnovers despite the low usage. RJ was our lead point guard, not Cadeau. And if you truly want to dispute that (your comment that the offense is "disjointed" without Cadeau in), I'm happy to rewatch the game and chart each offensive possession. I'll bet we scored at least as much per possession when Cadeau was out as when he was in. And btw RJ also had 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

You praised some random defensive possession where Cadeau made a good play. Why not point out any number of plays where he got beat defensively? That's why he didn't play more, and he's looked bad on D in every game we've played against high major guards. Totally mystifying to me why that would be one of your "insights" from the game.

One of these guys is playing like an All-American (at least offensively) and I'm not sure you've made a positive remark about him in a single recap this season. The other has been exceedingly average, yet I'm positive he's been by far the #1 recipient of your praise. Why?

Yes, Cadeau is a truly gifted passer. There's more to the game than that. He can't shoot (not even free throws), defend, or rebound at all. Anyone watching the game with a close eye should see numerous instances where this hurts the team. His defender plays way off him off-ball, his guy always shoots over him in the lane, he gets abused despite decent box outs for rebounds, etc.

He should be one of the last guys to note from this game. He got outplayed by Trimble, which has been true of several games. I don't care for how some people criticize you personally, but I think this seeming obsession with pumping Cadeau takes away from the quality of your other observations.

 

[heelmanwilm]

 

[FlaTarHeel]

- The positive that was pretty consistent was way better 20 defense.

- with only a few exceptions, the TEAM footwork was WAY better -- help and active hands followed moving feet. On an individual level, Cormac had his best defensive game as a Heel, which means his ankles must be intact.

- the down side was foolishess of fouling 3-pt shooters at a time when they were otherwise cold

- the active feet and hands fueled the transition game, at least early on


- speaking of sets breaking down, we are just disjointed when Cadeau is on the bench for any length of time (which he was tonight) and we run out of slick set plays and it falls on RJ for hero-ball. That is just not sustainable.

- Finally, we seem SO close to really clicking at times --- a fumble here, not finishing an Assist there, not rolling to the rack when yer supposed to (um, JWash, c'mon, but hey, ya got it right on the second try).

1. Best effort of the season so far
2. See #1
3. Withers is not with us mentally right now but that 2nd 3-point foul call was B.S when Oklahoma guard clearly did the 'ol dook leg kick and the anti-UNC criminal Lee Cassell made the call.
4. His scoring looks great now but the heat checks, dribbling into no mans land and TOs would be talked about more if it were a "former" UNC guard.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

Thanks for writing your analysis, Gary. Peeps on this board like myself learn a lot by reading them.
And Gauchoheel, what the hell is your problem? We get a very nice victory and you have to jump
in G7’s face about his observations with such critical snark?
There are other ways to make your points without that kind of attitude.

 

[Kool1234567]

I have no idea how you watch that game and come away with two praiseworthy comments for Cadeau and nothing positive for RJ. RJ has 23 points with 5 assists and no turnovers. Cadeau didn't do all that much offensively and had two bad turnovers despite the low usage. RJ was our lead point guard, not Cadeau. And if you truly want to dispute that (your comment that the offense is "disjointed" without Cadeau in), I'm happy to rewatch the game and chart each offensive possession. I'll bet we scored at least as much per possession when Cadeau was out as when he was in. And btw RJ also had 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

You praised some random defensive possession where Cadeau made a good play. Why not point out any number of plays where he got beat defensively? That's why he didn't play more, and he's looked bad on D in every game we've played against high major guards. Totally mystifying to me why that would be one of your "insights" from the game.

One of these guys is playing like an All-American (at least offensively) and I'm not sure you've made a positive remark about him in a single recap this season. The other has been exceedingly average, yet I'm positive he's been by far the #1 recipient of your praise. Why?

Yes, Cadeau is a truly gifted passer. There's more to the game than that. He can't shoot (not even free throws), defend, or rebound at all. Anyone watching the game with a close eye should see numerous instances where this hurts the team. His defender plays way off him off-ball, his guy always shoots over him in the lane, he gets abused despite decent box outs for rebounds, etc.

He should be one of the last guys to note from this game. He got outplayed by Trimble, which has been true of several games. I don't care for how some people criticize you personally, but I think this seeming obsession with pumping Cadeau takes away from the quality of your other observations.

You have to keep in mind you are talking about someone that said Andrew Platek should have been starting over Coby White..

 

[dtodd4475]

Nice win, badly needed with the struggles of the ACC non conference, getting a quality (neutral court, wink wink) win is important, as many in conference matchups will not be highly thought of.

Overall I felt it was a "meh" performance. Defense was sound. Oklahoma made tons of live ball turnovers, they thankfully struggled at the line, and not much from 3. Kept our turnovers to an acceptable level, and split the rebounds.

Withers had to sit after repeating just mind numbing fouls on 3 point shots. High got minutes and although full of energy he seems a bit spastic at times. Maybe he can corral that high engine a bit. Mando just does not have the inate feel to kick quickly and correctly on doubles, always an adventure.

Cadeau is still trying to find himself at this level. His ability to do so will be key in my opinion to how good we may be by tourney time.

 

[strummingram]

Nice win, badly needed with the struggles of the ACC non conference, getting a quality (neutral court, wink wink) win is important, as many in conference matchups will not be highly thought of.

Overall I felt it was a "meh" performance. Defense was sound. Oklahoma made tons of live ball turnovers, they thankfully struggled at the line, and not much from 3. Kept our turnovers to an acceptable level, and split the rebounds.

Withers had to sit after repeating just mind numbing fouls on 3 point shots. High got minutes and although full of energy he seems a bit spastic at times. Maybe he can corral that high engine a bit. Mando just does not have the inate feel to kick quickly and correctly on doubles, always an adventure.

Cadeau is still trying to find himself at this level. His ability to do so will be key in my opinion to how good we may be by tourney time.

Oklahoma helped the Tar Heels in many ways. The 18 turnovers being the biggest one, then the missed free throws. But, UNC looked pretty good, overall... They played better than they did against Kentucky.


I'm not sure the Sooners are all that great. They were undefeated, but they havent beaten any really good teams. Arkansas is 6-5 now. I saw a lot of cupcakes on their record.

 

[imajericho]

RJ is on fire.

 

[RP12]

Really needed that win and got it on 3pt shooting, guts and good enough defense against an opponent who struggled most of the game.

That said, I feel like the opportunity for this team to reach its peak is slipping away. EC has had some struggles but it seems like we’ve reverted to a no-PG offense and as good as RJ is that is not sustainable as others have said. He’s a great scorer and seems to be a great kid but we don’t run offense when he’s in the PG position. The hopeful signs of movement and sharing the ball from early in the season are disappearing, not to mention any pitch ahead or break to speak of. Seems like Hubert’s feel approach is trapped in the moment like so many of the fans.

 

[notashelbyfan]

1. Best effort of the season so far
2. See #1
3. Withers is not with us mentally right now but that 2nd 3-point foul call was B.S when Oklahoma guard clearly did the 'ol dook leg kick and the anti-UNC criminal Lee Cassell made the call.
4. His scoring looks great now but the heat checks, dribbling into no mans land and TOs would be talked about more if it were a "former" UNC guard.

Right on que hype man to the rescue.

 

[39 Feet Above Sea Level]

RJ is on fire.

He is playing great basketball and providing solid leadership for a team with lots of new players.
lf our chemistry seems better this season, you can point at him for all he does on the floor
and behind the scenes. He is determined to get us where we should be.

 

[strummingram]

He is playing great basketball and providing solid leadership for a team with lots of new players.
lf our chemistry seems better this season, you can point at him for all he does on the floor
and behind the scenes. He is determined to get us where we should be.

I agree there...the team seems to be more cohesive and enthusiastic about each other.

 

[notashelbyfan]

Oklahoma helped the Tar Heels in many ways. The 18 turnovers being the biggest one, then the missed free throws. But, UNC looked pretty good, overall... They played better than they did against Kentucky.


I'm not sure the Sooners are all that great. They were undefeated, but they havent beaten any really good teams. Arkansas is 6-5 now. I saw a lot of cupcakes on their record.

We still got smoked on the glass!

 

[imajericho]

I also don't see the disjointed with RJ at the lead. RJ is making good passes to open shooters a lot. Cadeau doesn't get respect from the defense with his shooting so it tends to make the offense not run as smoothly. Not saying he won't get there, but his abysmal jump shooting and free throw shooting leave much to be desired, before we point out that head scratching turnovers.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Withers got called for fouls on what should have been flop calls. Especially the 2nd one, where we got a clear replay. Just my opinion.

OTOH, if that's the way they're going to call them he needs to learn to give more room.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

3. Withers is not with us mentally right now but that 2nd 3-point foul call was B.S when Oklahoma guard clearly did the 'ol dook leg kick and the anti-UNC criminal Lee Cassell made the call.

That's what I saw, too.

 

[ChiShankCity]

We want to see teams like Oklahoma and Tennessee in our bracket. Teams that are more limited offensively, but better defensively. We don't want to see teams that can score and don't defend as well.

I thought it was the best defensive game we probably played all year. It wasn't perfect but it isn't going to be for this team.

Oklahoma ranks 26th on BartTorvik after the loss, so the metrics aren't favorable to them. Btw, Arkansas is 65th... Ouch.

Have to say... After Cadeau's 2nd half turnover, I hated how he did a homerun trot back on defense. The ball was like 3 feet in front of him the entire time. Second time this year that I recall that he homerun trotted back on defense and the hustle/care wasn't there. Didn't like that. Didn't like that it's happened more than once. Because.... you know.... Cadeau never makes the same mistake twice!

Loved his 3 aggressive drives to the hoop in the second half though. Might need to play him without Bacot to open the lane. There might be something there with a Bacot-less lineup for Cadeau.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Interesting that Zayden got more PT than Washington. How should we read that?

I notice that Washington has played less in recent games. He averaged 10 min in the first 6 games; 7 min since then and no double-digit games.

Withers has also played fewer minutes recently.

At least one of those guys needs to step up. Preferably two. I wonder who will rise to the challenge?

Fortunately we now have 2 Quad 1 wins under our belt. Whew! That's good news since the ACC currently looks like a weak conference . . . Again. Pomeroy ranks the ACC 6th, with 3 creampuffs dragging us down. But that's better than last year, when the ACC ranked 7th, with 6 creampuffs.

Hopefully Hubert will give Withers, Washington and High more opportunities in early league play so we can sort them out.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

RJ is currently 3rd on Pomeroy's ACC-POY list. Well deserved!

Kyle Filipowski
PJ Hall
RJ Davis
Armando Bacot
Judah Mintz

 

[Bubspub88]

I think last night's W did more for the team's confidence than it will do for any NET rankings. UNC just finished a pretty brutal 8 game stretch with a 5-3 record. That included 5 games against ranked teams plus Villanova who will have some opportunities for quality wins in the big east. One loss was in OT and another ended with a a boneheaded TO - of those 8 there was only one game (UConn) where it seemed UNC never really had a chance to win.

RJ has been playing fantastic and can win any game for the Heels but it is not realistic for him to play 35 minutes and score a third of the points for an entire season. In my opinion for this team to hit its ceiling they need to play fast and spread the court - that means Cadeau needs to be at point, perimeter shooters need to be consistent and interior depth must be developed. Right now Cadeau cannot stay on the court due to fouls and for a high-IQ point that is not good. He has to play smarter. Withers needs some couch time with a sports therapist, an exorcism or someone to just kick him in the butt.

I have never liked when UNC was playing at a very high level in November and December, give me some inconsistencies/brain farts that can used to coach them so those mistakes are not happening in March.

I am still not convinced Davis is the best man for that seat, only because he has not shown me the X's and O's skillset that others in that HC role showed (granted two of the best ever sat there so the bar is pretty high) or has really proven he can identify and develop a player from frosh to senior (and I do realize that the transfer scene has completely changed that progression but you cannot sustain a program bringing in 5 to 7 new guys every year).

The ACC is weak this season and the Heels can play themselves into a nice seed, but they have to start being more consistent on defense and playing stronger on the boards.

 

[FlaTarHeel]

EC has had some struggles but it seems like we’ve reverted to a no-PG offense and as good as RJ is that is not sustainable as others have said. He’s a great scorer and seems to be a great kid but we don’t run offense when he’s in the PG position. The hopeful signs of movement and sharing the ball from early in the season are disappearing, not to mention any pitch ahead or break to speak of.

Game, set, match!

 

[RP12]

I also don't see the disjointed with RJ at the lead. RJ is making good passes to open shooters a lot. Cadeau doesn't get respect from the defense with his shooting so it tends to make the offense not run as smoothly. Not saying he won't get there, but his abysmal jump shooting and free throw shooting leave much to be desired, before we point out that head scratching turnovers.

We look like the last two years when it’s just RJ is the thing. So if the shots go in everyone feels good but it isn’t the kind of motion and sharing of the ball that we saw earlier in the season, understanding that it was against weaker competition. I disagree about the passing, his decision making isn’t as bad as it once was but he rarely hits shooters in an ideal way or at the ideal time; and obviously just dribbles up the court without pushing via the pass the vast majority of the time.

ETA: I don’t think this is RJs fault but the staff’s…and the biggest problem is the rest of the team doesn’t know how to play when EC is in now and trying to do Carolina PG things.

 

[2DDIMOND]

I think last night's W did more for the team's confidence than it will do for any NET rankings. UNC just finished a pretty brutal 8 game stretch with a 5-3 record. That included 5 games against ranked teams plus Villanova who will have some opportunities for quality wins in the big east. One loss was in OT and another ended with a a boneheaded TO - of those 8 there was only one game (UConn) where it seemed UNC never really had a chance to win.

RJ has been playing fantastic and can win any game for the Heels but it is not realistic for him to play 35 minutes and score a third of the points for an entire season. In my opinion for this team to hit its ceiling they need to play fast and spread the court - that means Cadeau needs to be at point, perimeter shooters need to be consistent and interior depth must be developed. Right now Cadeau cannot stay on the court due to fouls and for a high-IQ point that is not good. He has to play smarter. Withers needs some couch time with a sports therapist, an exorcism or someone to just kick him in the butt.

I have never liked when UNC was playing at a very high level in November and December, give me some inconsistencies/brain farts that can used to coach them so those mistakes are not happening in March.

I am still not convinced Davis is the best man for that seat, only because he has not shown me the X's and O's skillset that others in that HC role showed (granted two of the best ever sat there so the bar is pretty high) or has really proven he can identify and develop a player from frosh to senior (and I do realize that the transfer scene has completely changed that progression but you cannot sustain a program bringing in 5 to 7 new guys every year).

The ACC is weak this season and the Heels can play themselves into a nice seed, but they have to start being more consistent on defense and playing stronger on the boards.

This post absolutely crushed it!

 

[DSouthr]

Interesting that Zayden got more PT than Washington. How should we read that?

I notice that Washington has played less in recent games. He averaged 10 min in the first 6 games; 7 min since then and no double-digit games.

Withers has also played fewer minutes recently.

At least one of those guys needs to step up. Preferably two. I wonder who will rise to the challenge?

Fortunately we now have 2 Quad 1 wins under our belt. Whew! That's good news since the ACC currently looks like a weak conference . . . Again. Pomeroy ranks the ACC 6th, with 3 creampuffs dragging us down. But that's better than last year, when the ACC ranked 7th, with 6 creampuffs.

Hopefully Hubert will give Withers, Washington and High more opportunities in early league play so we can sort them out.

Clearly Zayden is in for his motor, for his activity, and because he does what the staff tells him to do, example boxing out. It is as well pretty clear as to why Jalen's PT is down to around 7mins a game, Hubert has him as strictly Bacot's back up so he is not getting floor time with Bacot, I think that is a mistake.

Withers fouling the 3pt shooter, LOL, I was shocked that he got back in the game after the first one but for him to turn around and do it again? And both times we were making a nice little push as well as both times were desperation bad shots, all he had to do was get a hand in the shooters face but he tried to block the jump shot out in space, in front of everyone. I don't care if the shooter kicked a leg out or not, it was just not smart, back to basketball IQ... What makes this so disappointing is that Withers has all the ability with all that athletism in that big strong frame, it isn't lack of ability, it is lack of decision making, it is between the ears. I don't know that you can fix that. JWash played 5min last night, scored 4pts and snagged 2 boards?

Yet again, some what quietly, Ingram turned in a really nice box score, 30mins, hit 4-6 from the field for 11pts, hit his 2 free throws, 7 boards (2 were offensive), 4 steals, 2 assists, a block vs 2 TOs and 4 fouls. That is just rock solid folks and he is consistent.

We are slipping back to more of what we have seen for the last couple seasons and that should concern us, love that RJ is producing, especially at key moments but we are focusing to much on RJ, we really need more balance there. But you have RJ being told, go get your shot with Cadeau at the point but when Cadeau sits is still remains RJ go get your shot. Don't want to see his mates not being overly active waiting to see what RJ does. Not sure if I have said this before (LOL) but have I mentioned that I do not like RJ as our PG? LOL

Cadeau seems to be hitting the wall and I think it is coming from his being told to tone things down a bit, take some of the mustard off, those things you got away with in high school don't work the same now. So I think he has tried to correct that but in doing so maybe over corrected to much, you can't take this kid's swagger from him and I think he has lost some of it. Thus we have the well known UNC wall that they all splat up against and it is now Cadeau's turn. He will figure it out, they all do, I suspect his time on the wall may be less than most. Kid has to very quickly STOP picking up those cheap fouls from getting to far in to the opponents body or getting his hand caught in the cookie jar (reaching for a steal rather than moving his feet). This is all teachable stuff, he will be fine.

I said before this game, this was a gut check game to see how this team responds to a tough couple losses, that they had to bring the fight to Okey from the very beginning and I felt they did that. Hubert had them tone down the switching, really glad to see that. Felt like we were on the cusp of blowing that game wide open until Withers decided to foul a 3pt shooter again and give them yet another breath of life.

 

[DSouthr]

Withers got called for fouls on what should have been flop calls. Especially the 2nd one, where we got a clear replay. Just my opinion.

OTOH, if that's the way they're going to call them he needs to learn to give more room.

But flop or not, you (Withers) just have to understand that is going to be called a foul nearly every time. You flying out to the guy, you get a hand in his face to obstruct his vision and not risk the foul on a block attempt, you just do not do that. It is just a kid trying to do to much and ending up doing something out of control dumb.

 

[imajericho]

We look like the last two years when it’s just RJ is the thing. So if the shots go in everyone feels good but it isn’t the kind of motion and sharing of the ball that we saw earlier in the season, understanding that it was against weaker competition. I disagree about the passing, his decision making isn’t as bad as it once was but he rarely hits shooters in an ideal way or at the ideal time; and obviously just dribbles up the court without pushing via the pass the vast majority of the time.

ETA: I don’t think this is RJs fault but the staff’s…and the biggest problem is the rest of the team doesn’t know how to play when EC is in now and trying to do Carolina PG things.

I disagree and think you are missing it a lot because the pass recipients haven't always been finishing. The problem in the past was Caleb was a ball stopper and bacot was a black hole that never passed once the ball touched his hands. Now that we have people who pass more, this hasn't been like the past. RJ is not good at pressure on his dribble from a capable defender and that's likely where Cadeau is much more capable.

I don't think at this moment that Cadeau is an upgrade, but I do think he will at some point be one. But, defense wise I don't think the two can coexist. Both are simply just too small.

 

[ChiShankCity]

Interesting that Zayden got more PT than Washington. How should we read that?

I notice that Washington has played less in recent games. He averaged 10 min in the first 6 games; 7 min since then and no double-digit games.

Withers has also played fewer minutes recently.

At least one of those guys needs to step up. Preferably two. I wonder who will rise to the challenge?

Fortunately we now have 2 Quad 1 wins under our belt. Whew! That's good news since the ACC currently looks like a weak conference . . . Again. Pomeroy ranks the ACC 6th, with 3 creampuffs dragging us down. But that's better than last year, when the ACC ranked 7th, with 6 creampuffs.

Hopefully Hubert will give Withers, Washington and High more opportunities in early league play so we can sort them out.

Idk about Withers man... Everyone criticized Hubert for playing Caleb Love and not benching him after negative plays. I'm genuinely curious what Withers has done to earn more playing time.

If this is purely about playing the bench for as many minutes as possible, I don't understand what's the difference between Caleb Love playing too much last year (according to some) and Withers playing more despite not playing well.

People aren't going to want to hear this, but I think RJ has earned the right to play all 40 minutes. I wouldn't do that myself, but he's earned the right to stay on the court. I don't think Withers has earned more PT. I'd be ok with him playing less.

It's a weird thing for me to hear people wanting more minutes for him even though his play is negatively hurting UNC just like Caleb's play last year.

 

[Heels5150]

Great and important win by the Tar Heels against an undefeated Oklahoma team who is ranked #7 in the country. A few things that I noticed was that this was the very best defensive effort by Cormac this season. Ingram had some very aggressive rebounds and he made some very important plays down the stretch. Ingram does everything and it shows. Bacot had a good game overall but there are a few things that I wish he would stop doing in games. Number one after a very impressive block he goes over to the Oklahoma player that is on the ground and walks over to him and he almost got T’d up for taunting. Second thing was the unnecessary offensive foul by pushing the smaller Oklahoma player. As a graduate senior these are things that he knows better as it only hurts the team. Third is reacting to double teams quicker. It was good to see EC finally start to be aggressive and drive to the basket in the second half. It looks like EC has struggled in the last 2 games with his confidence. He made some key shots and passes but you can tell that he is learning and he is very hard on himself. EC needs to stay aggressive while staying under control. He has so much talentband try to make a difference in other aspects of the game. I do give Hubert credit in regards to Withers. He sat him in a game playing in his hometown on his birthday. Withers fouling 2 three point shooters in the first half is inexcusable. Hubert didn’t put him back in the game allowing High some PT. That was a very good coaching decision by Hubert. We need Withers going forward but he is struggling with his BB IQ. I do not know the refs name but there were 2 consecutive plays late in the second half where Oklahoma was trying to make a move in the paint and traveled and each time the baseline ref called fouls. Those were not his only questionable calls either. High has a lot to learn but he sure gives maximum effort on every single play. This team is still learning and they are still ascending imo. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of Tar Heel Nation! Losing Eric Montross to this despicable disease cancer is heartbreaking. I hope and pray the Montross Family can find some peace during this terrible time. 00 Tar Heel Forever

 

[TarHeelFanWV]

The one thing I wish Bacot would quit doing is trying to fade away from the basket when doing his hook shot. Those are always terrible shots and far off from the rim.

 

[gary-7]

I have no idea how you watch that game and come away with two praiseworthy comments for Cadeau and nothing positive for RJ. RJ has 23 points with 5 assists and no turnovers. Cadeau didn't do all that much offensively and had two bad turnovers despite the low usage. RJ was our lead point guard, not Cadeau. And if you truly want to dispute that (your comment that the offense is "disjointed" without Cadeau in), I'm happy to rewatch the game and chart each offensive possession. I'll bet we scored at least as much per possession when Cadeau was out as when he was in. And btw RJ also had 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

You praised some random defensive possession where Cadeau made a good play. Why not point out any number of plays where he got beat defensively? That's why he didn't play more, and he's looked bad on D in every game we've played against high major guards. Totally mystifying to me why that would be one of your "insights" from the game.

One of these guys is playing like an All-American (at least offensively) and I'm not sure you've made a positive remark about him in a single recap this season. The other has been exceedingly average, yet I'm positive he's been by far the #1 recipient of your praise. Why?

Yes, Cadeau is a truly gifted passer. There's more to the game than that. He can't shoot (not even free throws), defend, or rebound at all. Anyone watching the game with a close eye should see numerous instances where this hurts the team. His defender plays way off him off-ball, his guy always shoots over him in the lane, he gets abused despite decent box outs for rebounds, etc.

He should be one of the last guys to note from this game. He got outplayed by Trimble, which has been true of several games. I don't care for how some people criticize you personally, but I think this seeming obsession with pumping Cadeau takes away from the quality of your other observations.

Dude. This wasn't about individual praise or not. It was about a quick team analysis and a few notes Sorry if I don't cover everybody to suit you in a late night post. I don't get paid for this sh**.

And BTW, I know what I see and I know wtf I'm talking about, but hey, if you'd like me to stop doing these, I have a lot on my plate these days, so trust me,,I'll be MORE than happy to oblige.

 

[notashelbyfan]

Like it or not we will lose games this year that we normally win if we don't start rebounding.

Everyone talks about getting back to "Carolina Basketball" but if we continue to get smoked on the glass we are missing one of the main "Carolina Basketball" staples.

We lost the Kentucky game because of it and we lost our chances to keep Uconn close to give ourselves a chance to win late because of it.

 

[DSouthr]

Idk about Withers man... Everyone criticized Hubert for playing Caleb Love and not benching him after negative plays. I'm genuinely curious what Withers has done to earn more playing time.

If this is purely about playing the bench for as many minutes as possible, I don't understand what's the difference between Caleb Love playing too much last year (according to some) and Withers playing more despite not playing well.

People aren't going to want to hear this, but I think RJ has earned the right to play all 40 minutes. I wouldn't do that myself, but he's earned the right to stay on the court. I don't think Withers has earned more PT. I'd be ok with him playing less.

It's a weird thing for me to hear people wanting more minutes for him even though his play is negatively hurting UNC just like Caleb's play last year.

As gary loves to say, SMDH ! 🙄

"

"Everyone criticized Hubert for playing Caleb Love and not benching him after negative plays." Yet what does Hubert do to Withers, he took him out after each of those fouls of 3pt shooters, what did Hubert not do when Caleb made a bone headed decision, he didn't take Caleb out.

"If this is purely about playing the bench for as many minutes as possible, I don't understand what's the difference between Caleb Love playing too much last year (according to some) and Withers playing more despite not playing well." Well it has a lot to do with the fact that Withers gets around 5mins a game and Caleb was playing 38mins a game.

"

"but I think RJ has earned the right to play all 40 minutes." Do you not understand that RJ is human, that he does wear down, that it is important that we have RJ as fresh as we can have him for late game situations as well as late season? Think maybe Tar Heel fans collectively want to see us pushing tempo and running our break early and often? And yet you advocate for RJ to play 40mins a game?

 

[DSouthr]

Like it or not we will lose games this year that we normally win if we don't start rebounding.

Everyone talks about getting back to "Carolina Basketball" but if we continue to get smoked on the glass we are missing one of the main "Carolina Basketball" staples.

We lost the Kentucky game because of it and we lost our chances to keep Uconn close to give ourselves a chance to win late because of it.

Thank you for saying that, you used the proper wording in that you attributed style of play, term you correctly used was "Carolina Basketball" and you did not confuse Carolina Basketball with the Carolina Way, they are not the same thing. Carolina basketball is more about the approach you as a coach want to utilize to help your team win games. Things like running our breaks, owning the boards, not wasting time outs, ect. The Carolina Way is more a moral compass, play hard, play smart, play together and it does not just apply to current players. The former players coming back in the off season and working with current players is an example, our coaches that don't just bring you in and use your talent and work to win games but coaches staying in contact with players well after their playing days are over, it is a life time commitment because you care about the young man more than about what he can do for you. The Carolina Way is not as much about a player helping win a game, it is about that young man winning in life. It is about being a part of something much bigger than a game, it is about true family, not this fake brotherhood nonsense that other programs have tried to sell. You can't fake the Carolina Way, you have to live it.

 

[montana_heel]

We need Cadeau. In order for him to play, he needs to be better defensively. No arguing that.

I don't need him to shoot outside. (Would be nice though). His pinpoint passing into the post and shooting pockets has great value. Driving to the hole is also a nice threat. Laying off of him kind of helps him in a weird way because he can see the floor better. Granted makes the pass more difficult. He will get it. He has a high level of what I call "I give a sh!t". That goes a long way.

Really like the selective switching on screens. I don't mind switching but you can't do something all the time. It just makes you to predictable and easy to gameplay.

Man, have to keep improving on rebounding.

Cormac keeps making plays even while struggling with shot.

What a great inbounds play when Cormac pushed out and then rubbed off Bacot for the bunny. Good job by the staff.

I agree with Dsouthr, why is Jalen not getting more time? I know he is a bit of a liability guarding 4's but he is making positive plays. Withers must be showing coach Davis something in practice that hasn't quite translated to the games yet.

So I think
1. better rebounding
2. less predictable on defense so the other team can't get into a comfortable rhythm.
3. Cadeau breaking the the wall and keeping his guy in front of him.
4. Cormac making 3's.

And we are as good as anybody on a given night.

 

[gauchoheel]

Interesting that Zayden got more PT than Washington. How should we read that?

I notice that Washington has played less in recent games. He averaged 10 min in the first 6 games; 7 min since then and no double-digit games.

Withers has also played fewer minutes recently.

At least one of those guys needs to step up. Preferably two. I wonder who will rise to the challenge?

Fortunately we now have 2 Quad 1 wins under our belt. Whew! That's good news since the ACC currently looks like a weak conference . . . Again. Pomeroy ranks the ACC 6th, with 3 creampuffs dragging us down. But that's better than last year, when the ACC ranked 7th, with 6 creampuffs.

Hopefully Hubert will give Withers, Washington and High more opportunities in early league play so we can sort them out.

High got more minutes than Washington because the staff clearly doesn't think Washington can play the 4. Bacot played 35 minutes last night, so there were only 5 center minutes available.

 

[gauchoheel]

Dude. This wasn't about individual praise or not. It was about a quick team analysis and a few notes Sorry if I don't cover everybody to suit you in a late night post. I don't get paid for this sh**.

And BTW, I know what I see and I know wtf I'm talking about, but hey, if you'd like me to stop doing these, I have a lot on my plate these days, so trust me,,I'll be MORE than happy to oblige.

I didn't ask you to stop posting, nor to cover everybody. It's a public forum, so idk why you'd bother to post unless you want debate.

You've had this intense focus on highlighting the positive aspects of Cadeau's play. I've nothing against the guy, but he's probably been the 4th best Heel so far this year. Not really all that big an upgrade over sophomore Trimble so far (albeit they bring different skills). Meanwhile, you have seemingly nothing positive to say about RJ or Ingram, probably our two best guys so far. Not just in this recap but in any of your recaps. RJ is doing some incredible things the last 5-6 games. Very odd.

 

[Kool1234567]

I really don’t know how good OU is…Saying that RJ is playing outstanding right now…

Also EC needs to shoot more not the 3 but the mid range game he looks better IMO on that shot…

As others have said we have got to get better on the Boards…

Ingram is a Stud and does everything…Washington is not a 4…Play him at the 5 and deal with it…Also High needs more minutes and man I love the improvement of Seth…

Conference Play is ahead to start the New Year….Let’s see what happens….

 

[tarwhiz]

High got more minutes than Washington because the staff clearly doesn't think Washington can play the 4. Bacot played 35 minutes last night, so there were only 5 center minutes available.

Not really sure why after 11 games there is still conversation about Washington getting more min " at the 4" when he hasn't gotten one solitary min at the 4 all year.
How bout playing Cadeau at the 5?
We are like 50-55 practices and 11 games deep into the season, and JWash has not sniffed the 4 spot. Do we need to broach this subject in every thread on the board?

 

[notashelbyfan]

I didn't ask you to stop posting, nor to cover everybody. It's a public forum, so idk why you'd bother to post unless you want debate.

You've had this intense focus on highlighting the positive aspects of Cadeau's play. I've nothing against the guy, but he's probably been the 4th best Heel so far this year. Not really all that big an upgrade over sophomore Trimble so far (albeit they bring different skills). Meanwhile, you have seemingly nothing positive to say about RJ or Ingram, probably our two best guys so far. Not just in this recap but in any of your recaps. RJ is doing some incredible things the last 5-6 games. Very odd.

The problem is he preached that EC was the savior of the program and was going to take this staff and team to the next level and it's just not happening, I'm not sure anyone reasonably expected him to just plug and play and all would be right.

I wonder often what would we look like if Roy was still coaching!

RJ is our best player and I don't see that changing, if he didnt do what he does we would stink bad!