The Carolina-Boston College game last Saturday was another brick-fest, as the Tar Heels shot 37% from the field, 18% from 3, and 50% from the line. A spectacular UNC defense won yet another game for the 20-6 (10-2 ACC) Heels, as they limited the Eagles to 14-52 shooting (27%) and held on for an extremely ugly 48-46 win. So far Carolina is squeaking by in the very weak ACC by dominating inside and on defense, and this game was more of the same. Tyler Zeller was once again UNC's best player on offense, scoring time and time again off his patented baby hook and on run outs in transition. He runs the court as well as any big man in the country, and Kendall Marshall is great at finding him with the full court pass. Marshall was a little sloppy in this one, but still played a solid game and finished with 10 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.
John Henson once again had a huge impact on the game inside, effectively discouraging BC from even bringing the ball in the paint. Henson has to be considered for not only ACC defensive player of the year, but also for the national award as well. He's grabbing double-digit boards in almost every game (12 against BC), blocking over 3 shots a game, and completely demoralizing the opponents' big men in the post.
Harrison Barnes had another off shooting day, but still contributed in every facet of the game with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Barnes always plays extremely hard, and whenever he decides to start taking it to the basket more, his shooting percentage will begin to climb. He's staying in the same bad habit of gunning 3-pointers right out of the gate, and if he would just try to get an easy bucket early off a drive or a free throw, I think the 3's would start to fall a little more often.
Dexter Strickland was once again irrelevant on the offensive end of the floor, finishing 0-1 from the floor for 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers in 25 minutes. He did a great job matched up against Reggie Jackson on defense for a large part of the game, but Carolina needs a scoring punch from the shooting guard position, and Strickland just isn't capable of providing it. McDonald and Bullock both struggled again from the field in their standard ~15 minutes a game, but I would still love to see them get more time and see what happens. If the Tar Heels are going to make a run in the tournament, one of those two is going to have to play more and keep the defense honest by knocking down some outside shots.
Carolina travels to Raleigh tonight at 9pm to take on the Wolfpack. A few weeks ago I was certain UNC would take care of business in this one, but the way we've been playing lately has me a little worried. N.C. State is 14-12 (4-8 ACC) and has been playing much better of late, getting a win over Clemson and playing Maryland tough in College Park before ultimately falling just short. Freshman C.J. Leslie is finally starting to play like the guy everyone thought he was going to be, putting up 18 points and 8 rebounds against Maryland and 18 and 10 against Clemson. He will need another similar performance for the Wolfpack to take down the Heels, and he will need the help of a few teammates as well. Senior forward Tracy Smith is always consistent and will probably play well, but N.C. State will need to find a 3rd contributor to pull off the upset. Lorenzo Brown is the leading candidate for that role, as he put up 20 points and 7 assists in the first meeting between these teams. This is the biggest game of the year for the Pack, and I expect an intense environment and a closely contested battle throughout.
John Henson once again had a huge impact on the game inside, effectively discouraging BC from even bringing the ball in the paint. Henson has to be considered for not only ACC defensive player of the year, but also for the national award as well. He's grabbing double-digit boards in almost every game (12 against BC), blocking over 3 shots a game, and completely demoralizing the opponents' big men in the post.
Dexter Strickland was once again irrelevant on the offensive end of the floor, finishing 0-1 from the floor for 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers in 25 minutes. He did a great job matched up against Reggie Jackson on defense for a large part of the game, but Carolina needs a scoring punch from the shooting guard position, and Strickland just isn't capable of providing it. McDonald and Bullock both struggled again from the field in their standard ~15 minutes a game, but I would still love to see them get more time and see what happens. If the Tar Heels are going to make a run in the tournament, one of those two is going to have to play more and keep the defense honest by knocking down some outside shots.
Carolina travels to Raleigh tonight at 9pm to take on the Wolfpack. A few weeks ago I was certain UNC would take care of business in this one, but the way we've been playing lately has me a little worried. N.C. State is 14-12 (4-8 ACC) and has been playing much better of late, getting a win over Clemson and playing Maryland tough in College Park before ultimately falling just short. Freshman C.J. Leslie is finally starting to play like the guy everyone thought he was going to be, putting up 18 points and 8 rebounds against Maryland and 18 and 10 against Clemson. He will need another similar performance for the Wolfpack to take down the Heels, and he will need the help of a few teammates as well. Senior forward Tracy Smith is always consistent and will probably play well, but N.C. State will need to find a 3rd contributor to pull off the upset. Lorenzo Brown is the leading candidate for that role, as he put up 20 points and 7 assists in the first meeting between these teams. This is the biggest game of the year for the Pack, and I expect an intense environment and a closely contested battle throughout.
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