Stats and stuff (BC game)...

[gary-7]

...not as much fun as it should've been.

Y'all know why: 0-for-friggin-8 at the FT line to start the game. WTF? Shoulda been a biscuit game.

No doubt the shooting thing has gotten to Marcus --- noticed he went back to his old haircut --- and that sigh of relief on that first 3-point make was both funny and illustrative of what he's been going through, especially after missing his first two FTs.

Justin is still steering his deep shot. He really need to see one go in, as does Kenny Williams.

Positives:
- At least after starting 0-8, we hit 11-14 FTs the rest of the way. And we got back to our over 50% FG shooting ways (53.7%).

- Despite them making too many 3s (or at least they took enough to make 10), we played some damned good defense, and were multiple on traps. Turned em over 5 times to start the second half --- forced 23 TOs for the game.

- Meanwhile we only had 11 TOs (and 9 of those came from our Bigs). Good stuff.

- Welcome back Theo. Still a little out of control at times but did better not getting ahead of himself. 9 pts and 6 Assists in 15 minutes. And good on Nate for finishing on his drives --- maybe he's finally figured out how to use high bankers to compensate for his deficits in vertical and strength.

- 16 true FB pts, 23 SB pts.

- As becoming normal: Brice (soon to be All-American) Johnson 17 and 11.

- And as for the key to this operation, and for the folks who still somehow don't get it, well, I'm just gonna turn it over to Adam Lucas:
"Watching Joel Berry, you get the feeling he could do more if the Tar Heels really needed him to. There are times when the Tar Heels need some offense--like a late shot clock situation in the second half--and Berry simply decides he's going to score. Berry is a good finisher at the rim who can absorb contact, and in that above-mentioned situation in the second half, he created some space and made a 17-foot jumper. If he can do that consistently, he becomes very difficult to defend. Berry finished with 13 points and six assists against zero turnovers."
Joel Berry: 13 pts, 6 dimes (3 more blown), 3 boards, 0 TOs, 3 steals and caused 3 more TOs

That's all I got. Let's just hope that JB didn't sustain a deep thigh bruise when he took that late knee. Monday is gonna come too soon as it is.

 

[toophly1124]

JB has become the most consistent player on the team IMO ... When you absolutely have to have a basket or a stop Berry is there ... It's been my pleasure watching him this year .. Happy for Marcus , Nate, Theo and Brice they all had great games

 

[gary-7]

JB has become the most consistent player on the team IMO ... When you absolutely have to have a basket or a stop Berry is there ... It's been my pleasure watching him this year .. Happy for Marcus , Nate, Theo and Brice they all had great games

I hear ya. Starting Monday we need to see everyone to step up. Now it gets real.

 

[Ozheelfan]

Great work as always Gary.
Any word on Joel B and why he left the game for treatment?
Hoping Marcus has turned the corner. He certainly looked relieved when the first trey went in and his shots looked good.
I reckon that was a bad game by Brice. At times a little undisciplined and he seemed to be searching for too many highlights rather than letting the game come to him..... Funny how a bad game from Brice is 17 and 11 (plus 3 steals, a block and an assist)!!
I have to say I don't like when Marcus and Joel B are out of the line-up for long stretches. I'm hoping Roy is just trying to give Nate et al some experience without those two but the scoring tempo seems to go AWOL when both are sitting.
Monday could be a big time trap game with a stung Louisville squad hunting a signature win.

 

[Grayhead]

I wonder if anfew consecutive games will be what our kids need to get out of the slump. Seems we have been playing lately with longer stretches between games. Seems it would be hard to stay in rhythm that way. Paige is still balling on d as well.

 

[Tom79]

As some of us have mentioned this week between games is as difficult as not playing every 2-3 days...the short turn to "Lewis"ville and Coach Walking Corpse will be tough, little Ricky will have his team prepared after a tough home loss.
Then we go 6 days until ND, looking at the schedule we do have a couple Wed/Sat type sets but we also have a couple with that week between games...weird season given it doesn't feel like we can gain our own impetus or momentum to carry forward.
I love to listen to Roy, he is on it, he knows his personnel, he has his stats down, they know what the kids need to work on...like Dean he can tell you the play sequence or specific series of plays from several games ago or years ago...his staff and team are so very good.
I like this Tar Heel team. Go Heels!

 

[gary-7]

Great work as always Gary.
Any word on Joel B and why he left the game for treatment?
Hoping Marcus has turned the corner. He certainly looked relieved when the first trey went in and his shots looked good.
I reckon that was a bad game by Brice. At times a little undisciplined and he seemed to be searching for too many highlights rather than letting the game come to him..... Funny how a bad game from Brice is 17 and 11 (plus 3 steals, a block and an assist)!!
I have to say I don't like when Marcus and Joel B are out of the line-up for long stretches. I'm hoping Roy is just trying to give Nate et al some experience without those two but the scoring tempo seems to go AWOL when both are sitting.
Monday could be a big time trap game with a stung Louisville squad hunting a signature win.

JB took a knee to the thigh (which can be pretty painful and sometimes serious)... I'm sure it didn't feel too good this morning. And yeah, Roy had the luxury to hold him out with a big lead but the last thing we can afford now is having him less than 100% Monday. This is perfect example of what Roy was complaining about with the goofy TV driven schedule.

 

[DSouthr]

...not as much fun as it should've been.

Y'all know why: 0-for-friggin-8 at the FT line to start the game. WTF? Shoulda been a biscuit game.

No doubt the shooting thing has gotten to Marcus --- noticed he went back to his old haircut --- and that sigh of relief on that first 3-point make was both funny and illustrative of what he's been going through, especially after missing his first two FTs.

Justin is still steering his deep shot. He really need to see one go in, as does Kenny Williams.

Positives:
- At least after starting 0-8, we hit 11-14 FTs the rest of the way. And we got back to our over 50% FG shooting ways (53.7%).

- Despite them making too many 3s (or at least they took enough to make 10), we played some damned good defense, and were multiple on traps. Turned em over 5 times to start the second half --- forced 23 TOs for the game.

- Meanwhile we only had 11 TOs (and 9 of those came from our Bigs). Good stuff.

- Welcome back Theo. Still a little out of control at times but did better not getting ahead of himself. 9 pts and 6 Assists in 15 minutes. And good on Nate for finishing on his drives --- maybe he's finally figured out how to use high bankers to compensate for his deficits in vertical and strength.

- 16 true FB pts, 23 SB pts.

- As becoming normal: Brice (soon to be All-American) Johnson 17 and 11.

- And as for the key to this operation, and for the folks who still somehow don't get it, well, I'm just gonna turn it over to Adam Lucas:
"Watching Joel Berry, you get the feeling he could do more if the Tar Heels really needed him to. There are times when the Tar Heels need some offense--like a late shot clock situation in the second half--and Berry simply decides he's going to score. Berry is a good finisher at the rim who can absorb contact, and in that above-mentioned situation in the second half, he created some space and made a 17-foot jumper. If he can do that consistently, he becomes very difficult to defend. Berry finished with 13 points and six assists against zero turnovers."
Joel Berry: 13 pts, 6 dimes (3 more blown), 3 boards, 0 TOs, 3 steals and caused 3 more TOs

That's all I got. Let's just hope that JB didn't sustain a deep thigh bruise when he took that late knee. Monday is gonna come too soon as it is.

I want to see Justin focus more on driving by his guy and going to that floater more than taking (settlling) for those long jumpers. Don't let the first couple shots you take be long treys, see the ball go in a couple times just so you can settle in more, as well as create a little more room for your jump shot. Justin started off rushing his jump shots and that got him out of his rythem and now he seems to be thinking rather than just shooting, Marcus is doing the same thing, thou Marcus did get a couple nice clean open looks to drop he still is not the uber confident shooter we have seen him be. The difference to me is Marcus is a very good jump shooter from distance< jackson IMO is not as great a catch & shoot guy as maybe many felt him to be, he is more a guy that shoots better on the move, the floaters and the drives to the rim is more his game.

As gary points out, Joel Berry once again rock steady. IDK guys, I know there are other higher rated PGs out there, there are others PGs that get much more hype but is there another PG that is playing as well as Joel when you consider both ends of the court, the total game, not just on the offensive end? You will not see what I am saying looking at stat sheets, you will see some really good stuff but not the real picture of what Joel gives this team. He is having a extremely quiet outstanding season, he is never talked about by the national media, his plays are rarely high lite material and even those that are the feature is to the guy he passes the ball to more than him. He makes the smart play, not the high lite reel flashy play, he makes the clutch shot but few seem to notice. But the one guy Tar Heel fans can count on to be there every game with great effort and solid play is Joel berry. The national media may not appreciate the kid but you can bet the players he has gone against and their coaches darn sure do.

 

[DSouthr]

As some of us have mentioned this week between games is as difficult as not playing every 2-3 days...the short turn to "Lewis"ville and Coach Walking Corpse will be tough, little Ricky will have his team prepared after a tough home loss.
Then we go 6 days until ND, looking at the schedule we do have a couple Wed/Sat type sets but we also have a couple with that week between games...weird season given it doesn't feel like we can gain our own impetus or momentum to carry forward.
I love to listen to Roy, he is on it, he knows his personnel, he has his stats down, they know what the kids need to work on...like Dean he can tell you the play sequence or specific series of plays from several games ago or years ago...his staff and team are so very good.
I like this Tar Heel team. Go Heels!

Yeah, the week between games, I brought that up on another thread, this team plays IMO, a lot better when we play that wed/sat rotation, like any high performance vehicle, it needs to be driven, not parked in the garage.

 

[Heelicious]

I want to see Justin focus more on driving by his guy and going to that floater more than taking (settlling) for those long jumpers. Don't let the first couple shots you take be long treys, see the ball go in a couple times just so you can settle in more, as well as create a little more room for your jump shot. Justin started off rushing his jump shots and that got him out of his rythem and now he seems to be thinking rather than just shooting, Marcus is doing the same thing, thou Marcus did get a couple nice clean open looks to drop he still is not the uber confident shooter we have seen him be. The difference to me is Marcus is a very good jump shooter from distance< jackson IMO is not as great a catch & shoot guy as maybe many felt him to be, he is more a guy that shoots better on the move, the floaters and the drives to the rim is more his game.

As gary points out, Joel Berry once again rock steady. IDK guys, I know there are other higher rated PGs out there, there are others PGs that get much more hype but is there another PG that is playing as well as Joel when you consider both ends of the court, the total game, not just on the offensive end? You will not see what I am saying looking at stat sheets, you will see some really good stuff but not the real picture of what Joel gives this team. He is having a extremely quiet outstanding season, he is never talked about by the national media, his plays are rarely high lite material and even those that are the feature is to the guy he passes the ball to more than him. He makes the smart play, not the high lite reel flashy play, he makes the clutch shot but few seem to notice. But the one guy Tar Heel fans can count on to be there every game with great effort and solid play is Joel berry. The national media may not appreciate the kid but you can bet the players he has gone against and their coaches darn sure do.

Excellent post.

I think Berry is the best player, or at least is playing the best right now, on this team, considering all the things you mentioned re: both ends of the floor and being a smart coach / leader of this team on the court.

I also agree that he doesn't get enough national attention. You can tell he doesn't mind that. Roy and the team, and Heels fans know what we have in him, and that is all that matters. That he is the best kept secret great PG is just fine. Its easy / lazy for media to just go on and on about the flashy stat stuffing (scoring) guys..... but hearing the same things about the same guys frankly gets kind of old

 

[gary-7]

Excellent post.

I think Berry is the best player, or at least is playing the best right now, on this team, considering all the things you mentioned re: both ends of the floor and being a smart coach / leader of this team on the court.

I also agree that he doesn't get enough national attention. You can tell he doesn't mind that. Roy and the team, and Heels fans know what we have in him, and that is all that matters. That he is the best kept secret great PG is just fine. Its easy / lazy for media to just go on and on about the flashy stat stuffing (scoring) guys..... but hearing the same things about the same guys frankly gets kind of old

Yep. And I'll say without hesitation he has become the soul of this team, and the team has taken on his personality. Even if your senior leader is struggling or a couple of cylinders ain't firing he keeps the machine running, and this goes back to his HS/AAU days --- if his team needs a bucket or a steal he makes it happen.

I lmao when some jabronie says he can't do this or struggles with that. Last season I said often that we were watching the next great Carolina PG --- now I will happily say we are watching the current great Carolina PG.

 

[Ozheelfan]

Jumping on the JB love.....
Watching the BC game it struck me how much soph JB is playing like soph Marcus:

• Hitting big-time 3's often from waaaay down town
• Driving hard and fast to the lane when needed
• Super consistent throughout the season

The only difference being, JB has a much better 'team' around him than what Marcus had as a soph - more options to pass to, better finishers all around the court and a solid, imposing front line.
Because he's got a little more luxury, JB doesn't HAVE to be the man. But like Lucas wrote, you just feel he could take over a game if he really, really had to.

 

[HeelFan58]

I was working on a project yesterday and stopped to turn on the game in the couple of minutes I watched Berry had a shot blocked , Jackson had a shot blocked , Meeks had a pass blocked , Brice dribbled the length of the court and turned it over (I personally thought he was fouled) and James turned it over so I cut the TV off and went back to my project. Everything turned out fine though.

 

[Ozheelfan]

I was working on a project yesterday and stopped to turn on the game in the couple of minutes I watched Berry had a shot blocked , Jackson had a shot blocked , Meeks had a pass blocked , Brice dribbled the length of the court and turned it over (I personally thought he was fouled) and James turned it over so I cut the TV off and went back to my project. Everything turned out fine though.

Yep, there were long ugly sections of play. I'd recommend catching a replay, there were some nice moments.
As for the Brice length of the court craziness, after Roy's reaction I doubt that'll happen again soon.

 

[gary-7]

Yep, there were long ugly sections of play. I'd recommend catching a replay, there were some nice moments.
As for the Brice length of the court craziness, after Roy's reaction I doubt that'll happen again soon.

Roy's reaction was comic gold. I think he knew Brice was PISSED about the no-calls when he was getting mugged. On one hand you don't want to suppress Brice's anger --- an angry Brice is usually a good Brice --- but he sure got carried away on that 1-on-3 foray and he got the predictable grief for it in the locker room.

 

[Archer2]

How about when Coach asked Kennedy "was Brice wide open there"? He knows this can be a special team.

 

[Ozheelfan]

.......and he got the predictable grief for it in the locker room.

Yup, and I'm sure it'll end up on an end-of-year hazing blooper reel for the big guy!