...and I had a page full of notes, but in the final analysis, the points all came down to stuff I've previously covered.
So... stepping away from any one game in particular, a nearly pure dichotomy has shown itself thru this point of the season, i.e., when the team plays with the right apporoach we are hard to handle --- capable of beating anybody out there. But when that gets abandoned, as we've seen, we are capable of losing to anybody this side of a D2 team --- and getting embarrased when we roll out half-assery on the road vs a good team. Witnesseth...
So, why are we not used to enduring such dramatic dichotomies at UNC? The answer (being fully aware that it will fly past some folks) comes down to our default. Dean Smith invented this thing we know as Carolina basketball, and while players and teams will have bad nights, that particular default built a high basement for those off-nights (and a soaring ceiling on the good ones). There's a reason Dean went so many consecutive seasons not finishing lower than second in the ACC, personnel and talent fluctuations notwithstanding.
It's also the default that made Roy immediately successful at KU and then back home here. Sure, Roy had his tactical preferences and quirks, but the foundation was built on instilling Dean's system and culture of how fundamental things were taught and done on and off the court. Truth be known though, after the last Natty, even Roy started to let some things gradually stray from the default (and no, I'm not gonna go into much detail, lest certain heads explode), whether from expedience or his own ol' seat-of-the-pants instincts --- and to his credit, he finally realized it. The most obvious manifestation was in how players were rewarded (or not) for doing things the right way (or not).
Anyway, bottom line is that there are both system and cultural issues that have to be repaired. Task 1, 2 & 3 for Hubert and staff is to rebuild our default --- and there have been some positives there, but there's a long way to go. Thus, I would gently suggest to the staff that they make a full commitment to making these guys live and breath Carolina basketball, put the "NBA stuff" aside (save for the odd set play), and go all-in on aggressive, multiple-defense, fast/secondary break basketball, with accountability for doing things the right way. Hubert's success or lack thereof will come down to his success at restoring the Carolina default.
So... stepping away from any one game in particular, a nearly pure dichotomy has shown itself thru this point of the season, i.e., when the team plays with the right apporoach we are hard to handle --- capable of beating anybody out there. But when that gets abandoned, as we've seen, we are capable of losing to anybody this side of a D2 team --- and getting embarrased when we roll out half-assery on the road vs a good team. Witnesseth...
So, why are we not used to enduring such dramatic dichotomies at UNC? The answer (being fully aware that it will fly past some folks) comes down to our default. Dean Smith invented this thing we know as Carolina basketball, and while players and teams will have bad nights, that particular default built a high basement for those off-nights (and a soaring ceiling on the good ones). There's a reason Dean went so many consecutive seasons not finishing lower than second in the ACC, personnel and talent fluctuations notwithstanding.
It's also the default that made Roy immediately successful at KU and then back home here. Sure, Roy had his tactical preferences and quirks, but the foundation was built on instilling Dean's system and culture of how fundamental things were taught and done on and off the court. Truth be known though, after the last Natty, even Roy started to let some things gradually stray from the default (and no, I'm not gonna go into much detail, lest certain heads explode), whether from expedience or his own ol' seat-of-the-pants instincts --- and to his credit, he finally realized it. The most obvious manifestation was in how players were rewarded (or not) for doing things the right way (or not).
Anyway, bottom line is that there are both system and cultural issues that have to be repaired. Task 1, 2 & 3 for Hubert and staff is to rebuild our default --- and there have been some positives there, but there's a long way to go. Thus, I would gently suggest to the staff that they make a full commitment to making these guys live and breath Carolina basketball, put the "NBA stuff" aside (save for the odd set play), and go all-in on aggressive, multiple-defense, fast/secondary break basketball, with accountability for doing things the right way. Hubert's success or lack thereof will come down to his success at restoring the Carolina default.
