2-0: UNC Game 2, Hofstra

Hofstra came into the game at 1-0, but it was clear from the start they were outmatched against a much bigger UNC team.  Hofstra guard Charles Jenkins was great and will almost certainly play at the next level, but he didn't get much help as this one was over after the first few minutes.  It was an incredibly good shooting day for the Heels, especially in the first half, as they shot 56% from the field for the game and 70% from 3-point range.  While I was very encouraged to see everyone shooting so well from the outside, I certainly don't expect that kind of performance regularly.

The much-heralded Freshman Harrison Barnes came out on fire with 19 first half points, and seemingly took the 2nd half off with the game clearly in hand.  John Henson had another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyler Zeller also pitched in 11 points and 8 rebounds down low.

Leslie McDonald and Justin Watts had monster games off the bench.  McDonald scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers that touched nothing but net.  While I don't expect the team to shoot 70% from three all season, McDonald is proving that he has drastically improved his long range shooting and may be able to knock down open shots all year long.  Justin Watts scored 13 points on 6-6 shooting, and was flying around the court during his 15 minutes of game action.  I believe Watts' performance was more a result of the lack of size for Hofstra than anything else, but he does play hard and is very athletic.  He definitely got better in the offseason, but he still seems a little out of control to me despite the great game and I'm not sure he can play this way consistently against higher level competition.

Justin Knox was very effective in the low post once again with 8 points and 8 rebounds, and he's looking like a great last-second find for Roy Williams and the Tar Heels.  Kendall Marshall showed great leadership and tremendous passing skills for the 2nd straight game in a 9-assist performance, but his unwillingness to even consider a look at the basket for a shot concerns me just a little bit.  He doesn't need to be a big time scorer, but when he has an open look from 7 feet I would like to see him knock that down.

Dexter Strickland had one of his best games as a Tar Heel, with 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting and 4 assists.  This was a great performance for Dex, but I still think Reggie Bullock is a better player, and it concerns me that Reggie only played 13 minutes in the game.  Given UNC was up by a large margin from the beginning, but Bullock scored 6 points right away, and I really believe he's one of the top 2 or 3 players on this team.  Roy Williams has made critical mistakes with the lineup in the past, and I just hope he isn't doing it again with Reggie Bullock.  We're going to need him against higher level teams, and I'm not sure Roy understands just how good this kid is yet.  Hopefully it won't take him all season to give him some minutes like he did with John Henson last year.

Game 3 is tonight against Minnesota, who played very well in a 95-77 victory against Western Kentucky.  All 5 starters for the Gophers scored in double figures, led by 6'11" center Ralph Sampson III (yeah that Ralph Sampson), who had 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 blocks.  This team coached by Tubby Smith should provide a much stiffer test for the Heels, and we will get a chance to see how the UNC front line does against people its own size.  Junior Trevor Mbakwe has been a double-double machine inside as well for Minnesota, so the big guys for the Heels will definitely have their hands full in this one.