Gonzaga 94-UNC 81
Carolina competed hard but ultimately fell to a superior Gonzaga team 94-81. Armando Bacot picked up two fouls in the first minute and stayed in foul trouble all night. With Bacot a non-factor and Cole Anthony out again after knee surgery, the Tar Heels just weren’t talented enough to hang with a team like Gonzaga.
Gonzaga’s guards got in the lane and to the rim at will, breaking down Carolina’s defense and creating good looks at the basket from all over the floor. While Joel Ayayi and Ryan Woolridge controlled the game and set up most of Gonzaga’s baskets, Corey Kispert was often on the receiving end of their passes. Kispert was on fire all game, finishing with 26 points on 10-12 shooting and 5-6 from three-point range. He scored in every way imaginable, and in the process made a really good argument that he can play at the NBA level.
Filip Petrusev was great inside, showing off his footwork, hands, and touch around the basket on his way to 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks. His battle with Garrison Brooks was about the only interesting matchup in this one, as Brooks held his own with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Unfortunately Brooks got almost no help from his fellow starters. Brandon Robinson missed the second half with an illness after doing next to nothing in the first half, and K.J. Smith struggled early and only ended up playing 15 minutes.
Leaky Black came out aggressive and had a few nice plays, then promptly disappeared for the rest of the game. UNC has to get more from Black if they’re going to win games this season. He can be a major impact player when he’s attacking off the dribble and looking to make plays, but so far this season he’s been very tentative with the ball in his hands.
Christian Keeling had probably his best game in a Carolina uniform. He looked much more confident and knocked down several tough mid-range jumpers, and hopefully this will be a sign of things to come. Keeling has all the skills, he just has to be more aggressive and play with the kind of confidence he had in this one.
Justin Pierce and Andrew Platek made some nice contributions as well, but how well this team fares the rest of the season will largely depend on the development of freshmen Jeremiah Francis and Anthony Harris.
Francis displayed a lot of toughness and showed he’s capable of being the point guard for this team while Cole Anthony is out. He did a great job attacking the rim, finding teammates, and putting points on the board, all while playing solid defense on Gonzaga’s talented guards.
Anthony Harris contributed eight points in 14 minutes, and right now he’s probably this team’s most talented scorer. He seems to be playing a little too fast and out of control, but he’s got a scorer’s mentality and the confidence to let it fly. He’s able to create his own shot off the dribble, and the Tar Heels are going to need him to make plays and bring consistent scoring to a team that is really struggling to make shots.
UCLA and Yale are the next two games on the schedule, and the Tar Heels really need to win them both before the ACC season gets into full swing.
Game 12: UCLA
This isn’t your grandfather’s UCLA. This version of the Bruins is an extremely sloppy and turnover-prone bunch, and if Carolina can’t come away with a win the Tar Heels will likely finish this season with a losing record.
UCLA has great size and a bunch of good athletes, but they’re pretty bad on both ends of the floor. They often play a weak zone defense and give up a lot of good looks. They don’t have many good ball handlers or shooters on the offensive end, so the Tar Heels would be wise to pack in the defense and make the Bruins beat them from the outside.
UCLA has been hesitant and has often looked confused offensively. They’ve struggled to put passes together and move the ball with fluidity, and without many good ball handlers they’ve had a hard time creating good shots. Keeping UCLA out of the lane and off the offensive glass will be a huge key to coming out of this one with a win.
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