Very little stuff (Pitt game)...

[sctarheel30]

I still go with my comment after the last game. Hubert has lost this team and when that happens a coach is screwed. They seem to quit and lay down real easy. No fight!!

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I still go with my comment after the last game. Hubert has lost this team and when that happens a coach is screwed. They seem to quit and lay down real easy. No fight!!

Saturday will be an interesting test. Has there ever been a UNC team that didn't get charged up for the rivalry game?

If they don't show exemplary fire against Duke, then the problem is pretty bad.

If they do, maybe there's still hope for this team and maybe for Hubert, as well.

Not saying we have to win. But we need to see superior effort and commitment.

 

[Kool1234567]

Let’s stop blaming the refs…This team is poorly coached and the Roster was poorly constructed…The refs are not the reason we will miss the NCAA tournament for the 2nd time in 4 years…

 

[dtodd4475]

I still go with my comment after the last game. Hubert has lost this team and when that happens a coach is screwed. They seem to quit and lay down real easy. No fight!!

I think they fight plenty hard in my opinion, they just don't execute, and have a hard time finding scorers or any easy buckets, especially in the lane. Losing games by 1, 2, or 3 possessions, to me isn't laying down and just taking an "L" in a blowout, easy night for the opponent. With the undersized lineup "laying down" would get ugly really quick in these games.

Saturday, fighting hard may not be enough to keep it competitive, they better execute along with the playing hard.

 

[DSouthr]

I think they fight plenty hard in my opinion, they just don't execute, and have a hard time finding scorers or any easy buckets, especially in the lane. Losing games by 1, 2, or 3 possessions, to me isn't laying down and just taking an "L" in a blowout, easy night for the opponent. With the undersized lineup "laying down" would get ugly really quick in these games.

Saturday, fighting hard may not be enough to keep it competitive, they better execute along with the playing hard.

Agree, solid post!

 

[DSouthr]

Knowing your personnel is a huge part of being a PG. A real floor general is the guy that accentuates a player’s strengths and is aware of and makes decisions based on, his teammates’s weaknesses. EC has played with Lubin long enough to know that he can’t catch that pass. No amount of trining and practice at this point is going to help Lubin catch that pass. It’s not to say that Lubin can’t catch any pass. But EC has to know he can’t catch that pass.

Dude, YOU BETTER STOP COPING OFF MY PAPER! LOL

I was about to reply to the same post and see you beat me to it, spot on BTW. It is one of the primary jobs of a PG, to know his team mates, that doesn't mean knowing what their favorite video game is or their favorite cookie! It means knowing your team mates strengths and weakness, it absolutely includes knowing their sweet spot for catching a pass and not having to fumble it.

Nate referred to a pass from Cadeau to Lubin, I recall that pass and screamed when I saw it. You pass the ball to a big man, on the run, deep under the basket with multiple defenders around him and you expect him to successfully complete the play? I think they even called it a TO for Lubin, that was a Cadeau TO absolutely. Cadeau is an amazing talent, gifted from the man above with great ability. But his decision making is so far why he isn't mentioned in the same breathe as Ty, Phil, Raymond, Kendal, Jet, Joel, or Eddy.

 

[DSouthr]

Let’s stop blaming the refs…This team is poorly coached and the Roster was poorly constructed…The refs are not the reason we will miss the NCAA tournament for the 2nd time in 4 years…

I hate blaming the refs, especially after a loss because it just feels cheap. How do you take it when the dukies or the Raleigh flea infested do pound crowd cry about the refs after we beat them? Man, you just have to adjust the how the refs call a game, all I ever ask is the refs call it down the middle and call it the same way 1 half to another.

 

[al would]

Saturday, fighting hard may not be enough to keep it competitive, they better execute along with the playing hard.

Execution is a coaching thing .. you do it over and over and over until it's natural. This team does very few good things well. They do a lot of bad things instinctively. jmo

 

[tarwhiz]

I don't disagree, but if you blame the passer for not knowing his target can't catch a pass, then how many guys do we have that Elliot is allowed to pass to?

Rather than tell Elliot not to make the highlight pass, I'd work on getting our bigs to catch and control the ball better. Are there elements of practice that focus on that? If so, Lubin and some others need to spend more time on that.

If Roberto Duran Lubin doesn't muff that pass with his hands of stone, it bounces right to his belt line.
A PERFECT BOUNCE PASS.
EC is supposed to make that split second decision with less than 3 minutes to go in the game that I can't pass to the guy out in front of everyone because he is a freaking buffoon?

 

[tarwhiz]

The point guard has the ball in his hands. He is the decision maker. He made a bad decision.

I'm not going to defend a PG for making a bounce pass through traffic at the feet of a big man running the floor. Terrible execution number one. Even worse decision number 2.

And I will tell Elliot... In that game situation where possessions are precious and important... Do not make the highlight pass.

You need to rewatch that play. I did a half dozen times. Belt high pass if he doesn't muff it all up.

 

[tarwhiz]

They also have limited offensive players.

Cadeau is an inconsistent limited offensive player and he doesn’t have enough offensively gifted players around him for the “he makes everyone around him better” to make that big of a difference with this team.

Seth’s efficiency has tanked post concussion. He isn’t scoring unless he gets to the FT line. Fortunately he’s getting there but late game but he’s entering liability range from 3PT territory. And he was always a limited offensive player.

Pitt made a good defensive adjustment. You can freely switch ball screens against UNC and simply help off of Cadeau and Seth, whichever is on the strongside wing.

It’s a difficult route to effective offense if Cadeau and Seth are 0 shooters. The only other option is for this team to get a ton of offensive rebounds but that clearly isn’t going to happen this season.

It’s a limited team to begin with. Then add that some players are struggling. And a HC who doesn’t look like he has solutions.

A team problem and no one should be excused.

This problem will likely not be eliminated next year u less a very difficult decision is made.
Let's say EC, Trimble and Drake all return to play with Caleb Wilson.
The 5 spot aside, who in the world makes jump shots of the 4 players I just listed?
The 5 spot is the most pressing need, but a stud wing shooter that can start, or play starter minutes is need 1a at the very least.
Right now our two best projected shooters in 2025-26 are Dixon and Denis.
We gotta add more shooting.

 

[RP12]

Execution is a coaching thing .. you do it over and over and over until it's natural. This team does very few good things well. They do a lot of bad things instinctively. jmo

Also execute what? It’s pretty hard to tell what they’re even trying to do in the half court and particularly down the stretch.

 

[NathanFielder]

You need to rewatch that play. I did a half dozen times. Belt high pass if he doesn't muff it all up.

You're right. It was a really good pass.

I still don't like the decision to make that pass, to that player, at that time and score. But it certainly was a dime.

 

[NathanFielder]

This problem will likely not be eliminated next year u less a very difficult decision is made.
Let's say EC, Trimble and Drake all return to play with Caleb Wilson.
The 5 spot aside, who in the world makes jump shots of the 4 players I just listed?
The 5 spot is the most pressing need, but a stud wing shooter that can start, or play starter minutes is need 1a at the very least.
Right now our two best projected shooters in 2025-26 are Dixon and Denis.
We gotta add more shooting.

An EC/Trimble backcourt cannot co-exist next season if you want to be a good team IMO. Both players are unwilling shooters. I can't say for sure whether they'll be good or bad shooters next season, but I'm pretty sure they'll be unwilling shooters because that's what they've been throughout their careers. If you want EC as the PG, you need to upgrade the offensive skill plus get bigger around him.

I would have Seth be the odd man out if I'm being honest. Cadeau is limited, but at least in theory he can be really good if he's surrounded by the right skill around him. You'll need a bigger 2-guard who can score. Drake Powell IMO doesn't project to be a big time scorer at the college level. You absolutely cannot run this back with Cadeau/Trimble/Powell. That's 3 players who have limited offensive skills in major parts of their offensive arsenal right now. You have a limited 4 offensively in Wilson who will probably make most of his college offensive production on the offensive glass. But honestly, if you told me Cadeau and Trimble aren't going to be here... Depending who comes in for them, I would be more than open to it. It's just a really weird fit with that backcourt.

I really don't get the interest in running this thing back. Are all these extremely limited players going to suddenly become unlimited offensive skilled players over an offseason? I'm still waiting for the "unrecognizable" Cadeau that Hubert promised this season.

Get bigger and more skilled everywhere.

And Hubert needs to clearly re-think the type of player he needs to bring in to fill out his depth on his roster. Wojcik = flop. Withers = flop. Tyson = flop. Whatever his concept is when it comes to depth pieces might be his biggest weakness in terms of his talent evaluation. That will obviously be a key going forward.

 

[tarwhiz]

You're right. It was a really good pass.

I still don't like the decision to make that pass, to that player, at that time and score. But it certainly was a dime.

Fair enough.
Asking EC to run all the what ifs through his head in a nanosecond before choosing to pass or not pass to an open streaking player seems a lot to ask.
We can all agree Zeller or Henson on receiving end and it is a dunk and EC is a hero.

 

[tarwhiz]

An EC/Trimble backcourt cannot co-exist next season if you want to be a good team IMO. Both players are unwilling shooters. I can't say for sure whether they'll be good or bad shooters next season, but I'm pretty sure they'll be unwilling shooters because that's what they've been throughout their careers. If you want EC as the PG, you need to upgrade the offensive skill plus get bigger around him.

I would have Seth be the odd man out if I'm being honest. Cadeau is limited, but at least in theory he can be really good if he's surrounded by the right skill around him. You'll need a bigger 2-guard who can score. Drake Powell IMO doesn't project to be a big time scorer at the college level. You absolutely cannot run this back with Cadeau/Trimble/Powell. That's 3 players who have limited offensive skills in major parts of their offensive arsenal right now. You have a limited 4 offensively in Wilson who will probably make most of his college offensive production on the offensive glass. But honestly, if you told me Cadeau and Trimble aren't going to be here... Depending who comes in for them, I would be more than open to it. It's just a really weird fit with that backcourt.

I really don't get the interest in running this thing back. Are all these extremely limited players going to suddenly become unlimited offensive skilled players over an offseason? I'm still waiting for the "unrecognizable" Cadeau that Hubert promised this season.

Get bigger and more skilled everywhere.

And Hubert needs to clearly re-think the type of player he needs to bring in to fill out his depth on his roster. Wojcik = flop. Withers = flop. Tyson = flop. Whatever his concept is when it comes to depth pieces might be his biggest weakness in terms of his talent evaluation. That will obviously be a key going forward.

I am right there with you in this opinion.
I think Drake will continue to evolve as an offensive player with his shooting and ability to attack. Also Drake playing the 3 should give Next years team an obvious strength getting offensive rebounds and a 3rd guy protecting the rim.
I agree that Trimble is probably the odd man out because that starting 2 guy must be a high level scorer. Trimble will never be a knock down shooter, and most of his buckets come in transition or broken plays it seems.
That wing scorer becomes a huge hole to fill once Davis and Jackson move on.
As for Wilson, I again agree with you in that he will not be a great offensive player in year one. If he is the best frontcourt option next year, we should expect much of what we are seeing this year.
Carolina needs a dawg or two up front so that Wilson can just be a piece like Marvin Williams was in 2005.
Caleb Wilson is not Dybansta, in my mind he is closer to Jarin Stephenson in year one.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

An EC/Trimble backcourt cannot co-exist next season if you want to be a good team IMO. Both players are unwilling shooters. I can't say for sure whether they'll be good or bad shooters next season, but I'm pretty sure they'll be unwilling shooters because that's what they've been throughout their careers. If you want EC as the PG, you need to upgrade the offensive skill plus get bigger around him.

I would have Seth be the odd man out if I'm being honest. Cadeau is limited, but at least in theory he can be really good if he's surrounded by the right skill around him. You'll need a bigger 2-guard who can score. Drake Powell IMO doesn't project to be a big time scorer at the college level. You absolutely cannot run this back with Cadeau/Trimble/Powell. That's 3 players who have limited offensive skills in major parts of their offensive arsenal right now. You have a limited 4 offensively in Wilson who will probably make most of his college offensive production on the offensive glass. But honestly, if you told me Cadeau and Trimble aren't going to be here... Depending who comes in for them, I would be more than open to it. It's just a really weird fit with that backcourt.

I really don't get the interest in running this thing back. Are all these extremely limited players going to suddenly become unlimited offensive skilled players over an offseason? I'm still waiting for the "unrecognizable" Cadeau that Hubert promised this season.

Get bigger and more skilled everywhere.

And Hubert needs to clearly re-think the type of player he needs to bring in to fill out his depth on his roster. Wojcik = flop. Withers = flop. Tyson = flop. Whatever his concept is when it comes to depth pieces might be his biggest weakness in terms of his talent evaluation. That will obviously be a key going forward.

Really good post, but I'm going to quibble a little about part of it.

To my eye, both EC and ST started the year much improved over the previous season. But when I look at them now, neither of them looks much improved over last season. And while ST's injury may be a factor, his fade probably began before the injury.

What does that signify? It might mean that what they focused on and learned during the off-season worked well; whereas what they've been coached to do during the season has added little if anything to their development.

I'm not saying this is necessarily Hubert's fault. Even great coaches aren't usually good at everything. But if player and team development is a weakness of this program - and I think that's becoming more obvious with every game - then in-season development is a hole in our coaching staff that needs to be filled. If Hubert can't do it, he needs to bring in someone who can.

Even a great developer may not be able to right the ship this late. But if we don't have one next season, we're never going to be as good as we look on paper.