UNC Basketball: Game 3 Gardner-Webb

I’m still shocked and disappointed that UNC’s last game against UNC-Wilmington wasn’t televised here in the state of North Carolina.  After being spoiled with access to nearly every Tar Heel game for as long as I can remember, it’s hard to understand how a game between the two in-state teams couldn’t find its way on to one of my many channels.


Since I wasn’t able to watch it I’m not gonna say a whole lot about it, but after looking at the box score I’m not so upset I missed it.  Both teams shot the ball extremely poorly, and Armando Bacot left the game almost immediately with concussion symptoms.  Bacot’s injury made an already banged-up UNC roster even thinner, but fortunately UNCW just didn’t have the weapons to take advantage.


As will probably be the case until Carolina gets some players back from injury, Cole Anthony and Garrison Brooks carried most of the load and led the Heels to a 78-62 victory over the Seahawks.  Leaky Black and Andrew Platek played their usual supporting roles doing a little bit of everything, but it was Justin Pierce’s big game that enabled UNC to cruise to a relatively easy win.  


After looking nervous and out of place in his first game in a Carolina jersey in their exhibition against Winston-Salem State, Pierce obviously found some comfort on Wilmington’s home floor, finishing the game with 18 point and 12 rebounds.  It certainly helped that Pierce had a significant size advantage in this one, but hopefully that performance will give him lasting confidence for the rest of the season.  The Tar Heels are clearly going to need him to play a big role at least until they get some of those players back from injury.




Gardner-Webb comes to Chapel Hill tonight after dropping its first two games to Furman and Western Carolina.  The Bulldogs are a much smaller team than UNC, and it will take an incredible shooting performance from three-point range for Gardner-Webb to have a chance to win.  


Lance Terry is the deadliest shooter Gardner-Webb has, but fortunately for UNC he hasn’t been getting many minutes.  The Bulldogs would be smart to give him lots of playing time in this one, as a miracle game from him may be the only chance they have.  Jose Perez, Nate Johnson, and Jaheam Cornwell have all shown the ability to knock down threes as well, so defending those guys on the perimeter should be the main emphasis for the Tar Heel defense.


Gardner-Webb has several good ball handlers and solid ball movement, but their lack of size makes it difficult for them to finish around the rim.  With UNC being a much bigger opponent than either of their first two, Gardner-Webb will almost certainly struggle to score in the paint.  Ludovic Dufeal is really their only true post presence, but at only 6’8” he’ll likely have a tough time against Brooks and Bacot.  Dufeal is a great help defender and does a good job protecting the rim, but again this is just an extremely difficult matchup for him.


Jose Perez is Gardner Webb’s best player and emotional leader.  He loves the mid-post area, preferring to catch it there and shoot the mid-range jumper or bully his way to the basket with his thick frame.  He’s not very quick and doesn’t jump particularly high, but he’s a good passer and playmaker who can score in a variety of ways and has been the Bulldogs clear #1 option this season.


Senior Eric Jamison Jr. is the one Gardner-Webb player that is on UNC’s level athletically.  He’s extremely quick with a flashy handle, but he’s most dangerous cutting towards the basket without the ball.  He often tries to do too much with his fancy dribbling, resulting in more careless turnovers than highlight plays.  From what I’ve seen he loves going left and spinning back right, so keeping that in mind should make him a little easier to guard.

Gardner-Webb is a decent defensive team with a lot of fight, but the Tar Heels will almost certainly be too much for them to handle.  Brooks and Bacot should get plenty of easy buckets around the rim, and Cole Anthony should have his way inside and out with this overmatched Bulldogs squad.  The Heels will only have one more tune-up after this one before the schedule gets much tougher.