UNC 74-UCLA 64
It wasn’t pretty, but Carolina stopped a four-game losing streak and beat UCLA 74-64 just over a week ago in Las Vegas.
Leaky Black came out aggressive and set the tone early before once again disappearing for the rest of the game. Jeremiah Francis came in off the bench for an ineffective K.J. Smith and made it obvious that he should be the point guard for this UNC team as long as Cole Anthony is in street clothes.
Brandon Robinson shot it well from deep in the first half and helped stake the Tar Heels to a 36-23 halftime lead. Armando Bacot had a good first half as well as Carolina dominated inside and looked on its way to an easy win. UCLA had other ideas.
The Bruins opened the second half on a 12-0 run in the first three minutes to cut the deficit to one. Carolina showed some resilience by righting the ship and keeping the lead, but if it hadn’t been for freshman Anthony Harris the Tar Heels might not have won this game.
Harris got his opportunity in the second half and took full advantage. He played with confidence and showed why he’s now the best scoring option on this team. Harris is one of the only Carolina players who can consistently create his own shot, and he’s shown an ability to put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor. He’s got a scorer’s mentality, and he stays on the attack both offensively and defensively.
This UNC team has really struggled to score, and it will be absolutely essential for Anthony Harris to be on the court for the majority of every game going forward. He’ll likely need to be the leading scorer while Cole Anthony is out if Carolina is going to make the NCAA Tournament, something that will be tough to do without playing 30+ minutes each game.
Game 13-Yale
The Tar Heels host Yale in their last game before ACC play gets fully underway, and UNC will need to play well to come out on top. Yale is coming off a big win at Clemson, and while the Bulldogs don’t have much size, speed, or athleticism, they share the ball extremely well and generally make good decisions.
Jordan Bruner is Yale’s best athlete and most versatile player. Bruner is extremely skilled, and at 6’9” he’s usually able to impose his will on the game.
He’s a very good rebounder who can grab the ball off the glass and lead the fast break. He’s a solid ball-handler, a good shooter, and an extremely good passer who can create shots for himself and his teammates.
The Tar Heels will need to get the ball out of his hands as much as possible, but he’s a great passer out of double teams so Carolina will have to be careful not to leave shooters open for easy looks. Yale doesn’t have a lot of great shooters or playmakers on the perimeter, but most of them are capable of making the defense pay for leaving them wide open.
Paul Atkinson is Yale’s leading scorer and their top option inside. He’s got good size, strength, and footwork in the post, but he lacks the elite length and athleticism of Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot.
The Tar Heel bigs will need to keep Atkinson in check and dominate the boards for Carolina to win, and the Heels must use their superior speed and athleticism to force turnovers and get out in transition.
Yale doesn’t have a lot of great ball-handlers, so the Tar Heels would be wise to throw a full-court press and other trapping defenses at the Bulldogs for most of the game. Speeding Yale up and making them play at an uncomfortably fast pace will maximize Carolina’s advantages, and if done correctly UNC’s speed, length, and athleticism SHOULD be too much for Yale to overcome.
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