A Jekyll & Hyde like UNC beats Rutgers
In the end it was a win for the Tar Heels, one that was done without fifth year senior Marcus Ginyard, out due to a sprained right ankle. But this victory by tenth ranked North Carolina (10-3) over Rutgers (9-3) got so bad that someone else almost risked an injury: head coach Roy Williams, who with three minutes left in the game he hurt his operated shoulder when he punched his seat with his good hand after calling timeout. The Heels just defeated the Knights 81 to 67, but once again looking at the final score tells nothing of the game. On offense UNC was sloppy to say the least, giving up the ball way too many times with unforced turnovers, while on defense the combination of Rutgers making play after play and Carolina not being able to make a stop made it so that with a few minutes to go this game was a 4 point diffential. All of this after the Heels had gotten a 17 point lead on their opponents half way through the half.
This is what the head coach said to sum up this game:
“I’m so ticked off, it’s unbelievable,” Williams said.
That say it all, especially when you think that his team did well against the Scarlet Knights’ two major weapons. Sophomore guard Mike Rosario did score 22, but that is still four points less than last year and had Ginyard been available the total could have been less. Big time shot blocker Ndiaye just had two of them, along with seven points, as UNC put him (and his back up) into foul trouble early on. Yet, with that said, the Tar Heels could not find the offensive flow to take control of this game and put it away after getting a 17 point lead. It almost felt that instead of the killer instict that should come out UNC let the opponent get up off the ground and ignored the fact it could still strike. And strike is just what Rutgers did, over and over and over, helped by silly turnovers (16 of them) and bad shots by Carolina.
We can say that the good news for UNC is that six players were in double digit scoring led by Dexter Strickland’s 18 points and Ed Davis double double (11 pts/15 boards). But the two handling guards (Strickland and Larry Drew) had seven turnovers, while the big men just don’t seem to go up as strong as they could inside. I haven’t watched the game again but I would say that ten/twelve points were left on the hardwoods last night because Davis, Deon Thompson and Tyler Zeller seemed a bit shy on their shot. While for the guards it seems that they try to push the ball up and then find themselves not on the same page as the rest of the team, forcing them to make an ill advised pass, that if it works it’s a great play and when it doesn’t they are going the other way. In yesterday’s game a lot of times they went the other way.
But above everything else the play that showed what coach Williams wants out of this team is one that all of the Dean Dome loved and he hated. Strickland got the ball beyond the arc and no Rutgers player came too close to marking him. The freshman seemed to pump fake the shot, then took a 3-pointer that went in. Len Elmore said it was a great shot, the fans went off in a cheer and all seemed exstatic about the play, well everyone except for head coach Roy Williams.
“I hated the shot,” the Hall of Fame coach said, “but it went in and talent took over above coaching and intelligence.”
When asked about it Strickland said the following:
“I absolutely understand why he’s mad,” Strickland said. “Like the 3, I think it would have been a better decision if I had given it to Deon (inside). It’s little stuff like that, where you can make the play better, that he’s mad at.”
Along with what the freshman guard said about the shot, this is what senior forward Deon Thompson said about this team:
“We have the talent to be a very, very good team and have all the pieces to be a very, very good team,” Thompson said. “What we do in practice, we just have to do in games. We do everything perfect in practice and then we get in the games and then it seems like we just forget everything.”
All of this, for as little consolation it can be, seems to show that the team might not be following the game plan that their coach has laid out, but does seem to get it. By that I mean is that they know what they are supposed to do and just aren’t doing it for some reason. Be it that the inexperience comes out at game time, be it that no one has truly push forward to say “lean on me”, be it that Ginyard going down again might be in the back of their minds. From what I read, Larry Drew also seems to get what is about to happen at the next practice:
“We’re going to see what happens (at practice Tuesday),” Tar Heels point guard Larry Drew II said. “I don’t think it’s going to look too good. But we deserve whatever (Williams) throws at us.”
With Albany coming up shortly you have to wonder how hard coach Williams is going to go at this team that has shown time and again the sparks of a top ten squad but also finds the way to turn into bottom of the barrel performer. Deep inside the locker room is the answer, and I am certain that with the ACC coming up we will soon find out what it is. But I want to end with this, it can’t be easy being this squad. The team after a national championship team (past), the 100th season squad (present), and with a nice core of players coming in next season again (future). In my opinion the only way this team can be themselves is to forget about the fact that a year ago they were the best team in the land and that next season there are other players coming in to Chapel Hill looking for playing time. Play for yourself, for today, and do not worry about the rest!
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