New & Improved Tar Heels
North Carolina has changed since its loss at home to Duke on Feb. 17. The Tar Heels have changed a lot.
Whether it’s by design or just the players as individuals doing certain things at a higher level, thus the team is doing those things at a higher level, or just some new wrinkles and additions, Carolina is better and different.
Since that loss, the Heels have gone 7-1 with wins over Miami by 25 (led by 38), at N.C. State (outscored the Pack by 32 in one stretch), Syracuse, at Duke, versus Pitt by 17, versus Notre Dame by 31, and versus Virginia 61-57 beating the Cavaliers at their own game. The loss was 79-74 at UVa.
That’s pretty impressive. Six wins over teams currently in the NCAA Tournament by an average of 14.3 points. Five of the wins were over teams seeded 6th or better in their respective regions.
With UNC’s opener Thursday at 7:20 versus the winner of Tuesday’s Florida Gulf Coast-Fairleigh Dickinson game, this seemed like a good time to note one specific improvement for each of the Tar Heels that has played any important minutes during this stretch:
Marcus Paige – There are many, but the most notable are two things that are tied, so lets go ahead and note them both: Management and defense, and if you want to add a third, playing with a clear head fits, as well. Paige was sensational defending this past weekend. He limited 6-foot-6 Notre Dame wing Steve Vasturia to 0-6 shooting and was key in sending Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon, the ACC Player of the Year, into a 6-22 shooting night, including 2-9 from 3-point range. Paige brings so many little things to the floor, but thee new and improved attributes suggests that Paige can be a cornerstone to a national title.
Brice Johnson – Prior to the ACC Tournament, there is no way any UNC fan would have been confident the team would win the title with Johnson combining for just 24 points and 16 rebounds combined in the semifinals and title game given his performances over the previous two months and the Heels’ need for him to have big games versus high level teams. But the Heels did win because Johnson has learned to do other things well that contribute aside from rebounding, dunking, and scoring with a flare. His 5 assists in the title game win over UVa is a great example of his growth as a player, something we started seeing in the win at Syracuse in January. But that Johnson didn’t get frustrated Saturday night, saw the floor and made other winning plays is a fantastic sign moving forward. UNC can win when he doesn’t go for 25 and 15, and that’s very big.
Joel Berry – No, he’s not the 2016 version of Donald Williams circa 1993, or is he? Berry won the ACC Tournament MVP award by scoring 20, 12, and 19 points, respectively, in UNC’s wins this past weekend and shooting 7-10 from 3-point range. In fact, in his last six games, dating back to UNC’s loss at Virginia when he tallied a career-high 21 and hit 5 of 9 3s, Berry has averaged 16.2 points, converted 41.1 percent of his 3s, and has made at least 2 3-pointers in each game. There’s no guarantee he will continue to shoot well, but the odds are he won’t fall into a terrible slump, either, as many of his 3s are shots he’s stepping in to. Kick outs from the interior either through the offense or after offensive rebounds – the bigs are now looking for Berry – make the 3s more “like practice shots,” Berry says.
Justin Jackson – Jackson wasn’t very productive in the first halves of games in D.C., but he was very much so after the intermissions, totaling 27 second-half points, with three buckets dunks. This is important because Jackson proved this past weekend he has finally learned how to lose himself in games, to not worry about what he wasn’t doing, and just going out there and playing. And when opportunities came, everyone reading this will agree he was assertive in trying to make things happen. The shots will fall, and as long as Jackson plays with that motor and added toughness, he will be fine, and at some point a couple of big games, or more, will come.
Kennedy Meeks – Meeks has actually been quite productive and active early in games and he’s appeared a tad quicker than in the six weeks following his return from an injury. He gets after it early on, and by doing so forces teams to recognize and sometimes adjust to his beefy ways. Notre Dame and Virginia worked hard early trying to nudge the big Meeks out from the lower blocks, consuming them more than they probably anticipated given recent film. And the brilliant thing about Roy Williams sticking with Meeks is that he A: didn’t lose his junior big man’ mind; and B: teams adjust to Meeks’ ways and then have to make the dramatic adjustment of dealing with the qualities Isiah Hicks brings to the floor. It’s like putting in a fireballing pitcher after a crafty hurler works the corners for several innings with off speed stuff in baseball. That’s an effective combination for the Heels.
Isaiah Hicks – Speaking of Hicks, has anyone noticed how he’s going straight up on the lower blocks more recently, making quicker, more decisive moves to the rim? It was quite noticeable this weekend in D.C. He’s using the dribble more economically and making direct, strong moves to the rim. As a result, Hicks is getting a better lift off, and going a tad higher giving the illusion he has more hang time. Thus, he’s getting off more quality stuff around the rim.
Theo Pinson – Pinson’s game has come under control over the last month. He’s not driving into traffic in halfcourt sets like he used to, he’s not attempting as many 3s, and he’s looking more to use his greatest offensive attribute, which is that of being a passer. In fact, Pinson is the team’s best passer moving toward the basket, and he’s been doing a terrific job of seeing teammates and getting the ball to them of late. This change began after the loss at Louisville. To that point in the ACC season, Pinson had just 13 assists in 9 games, an average of only 1.4 per contest. Since, however, he has 43 assists in 12 ACC games, an average of 3.6. His minutes haven’t really gone up, as he averaged 16.8 minutes in the 9-game stretch and is at 17.2 in the current 12-game run. Furthermore, Pinson was 4-17 from 3-point range in the first 9 conference games but is 2-12 in the last 12. The number of makes aren’t important here, it’s the number of attempts, which signify a player whose game has been reeled in some. This is a positive development, and one the coaching staff also deserves credit for.
Nate Britt – There isn’t much that’s distinctive about Britt’s play over the last month than previously other than that he has played more 2 guard, especially with Marcus Paige on the floor. As part of the team’s fabric, Britt has adapted to whatever changes have been implemented and he continues to play pretty much the same on either end of the floor. He’s handled a couple of unfortunate defensive situations well, not letting anything affect his mindset and determination to help the Heels win any way he can.
Joel James – Much like Britt, James has not allowed the changes to affect his attitude even if it means fewer minutes in games. In fact, the senior didn’t play at Duke but gave the Heels 8 rebounds in 21 minutes in D.C. He also had an impressive blocked shot that generated plenty of reaction among the 18,000 fans in attendance. There’s probably going to be a game in the NCAA Tournament when the Heels will need James to play extended minutes, and with his team-first attitude, which was on full display here in the last two weeks, Carolina will be in good hands if and when it has to go to its fourth big.
Luke Maye – Maye is still learning how to play against bigs at the ACC level, and it’s definitely been a work-in-progress, but he has played with more confidence and has been better defensively of late. He won’t be asked to do much, so this is an important distinction.
Kenny Williams – The Stopper! Okay, lets not get carried away, but nobody saw coming what Williams did in the ACC Tournament. He drained his first 3 of the season and then played 6 excellent minutes of defense on Malcolm Brogdon triggering a decisive UNC run in the second half Saturday night. Williams has obviously improved, and his confidence is at an all-time high right now.