CHAPEL HILL, N.C.– The University of North Carolina is no longer one of college basketball’s biggest early season surprises.
The ACC Tar Heels, playing short handed because of suspensions to leading returning scorer P.J. Hairston and lone proven shooter Lesley McDonald due to unresolved NCAA eligibility concerns, deserves credit for finding a way to defeat Louisville, Michigan State and Kentucky– the top three teams in the preseason AP poll. The 18th-ranked Tar Heels (7-2) put the finishing touches on the unlikely sweep with an 82-77 victory over Big Blue here at a sold out Smith Center on a rainy Saturday.
The win over Kentucky might not have been an artistic triumph, with Carolina making it hard on itself by missing 19 of 45 free throw attempts and getting seven of its shots blocked. But it speaks volumes for the way Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams is restructuring and improving what looked like it was an average ACC team at best when this season started.
“People wrote us off,” Carolina’s blossoming sophomore guard Marcus Paige said. “But Coach Williams is a resilient guy. He doesn’t care what other people think. He coaches us through adversity.”
Carolina fans and analysts alike had their moments of doubt after their team squeaked by Holy Cross, then lost to Belmont at home and followed the Louisville win up with a loss to UAB. They still have no idea when and if Hairston and McDonald will return.
“With P.J. and Leslie back, we’d be a lot better,” Carolina sophomore guard J.P. Tokoto said, “but without them, right now, we have a great team. And that’s what kind of ticked us off. People were trying to write us off just because we don’t have our scorers. We can still do a lot of things without them.”
This verson of the Tar Heels may not look intimidating. They are no Tyler Hansbroughs on the roster. But despite being out rebounded by the future pros from Kentucky, Carolina outscored the Cats, 38-34, in the paint and left a suitable impression on both Kentucky coach John Calipari and some members of the media with their physicality. “They came at us physically,” Calipari said. “We couldn’t get open on the wings. They fought us in the post. We couldn’t even throw post passes. They took us out of stuff just by being physical and denying. They’re short-handed, but Roy had them ready to play.”
One Kentucky writer even went as far as to suggest to Williams it looked like the Heels “bullied” the young Wildcats.
“We barely look good going through an airport,” Williams replied. “I don’t want a street fight, my gosh.”
“We’re not going to scare or intimidate anybody,” Tokoto added. “But we’re going to outplay you.”
Paige, who finished with 21 of his 23 points in the second half, had three steals and made all 10 of his free throws against the Cats, had the type of break out game on national TV that can do wonders for his profile and his team’s confidence.
“This team is more mentally tough than last year,” he said. “Part of that comes from myself and James Michael (a junior) playing a bunch of minutes, having a lot of experience and helping these young guys get through it. We’re staying together through adversity better than last year’s group. As a team, we don’t fold.”
Paige, who was a McDonald’s All American at Linn-Mar High in Cedar Rapids, Ia. and led his team to the Iowa 4A state championship as a junior, committed to the Tar Heels in January of his 11th grade season. He may not have had the profile of Hairston or McAdoo prior to the season, but he has the makings of a future All American, playing his best against the best competition. Paige had 32 points against Louisville’s pressing defense, shooting 9 for 12 and a perfect 11 for 11 from the line in a neutral site game against the defending national champions. He contributed 13 poitns, had 5 assists, grabbed 5 rebounds and picked off two steals with just one turnover in a road win at then top-ranked Michigan State..
The young Tar Heels have gone through their share of growing pains. Paige is their only consistent shooter and they have been dreadful from the line, as evidenced by the game against Belmont when they missed 26– count them– 26 free throws. They still need to find stability at the center position. But at least they are starting to learn who they are, especially Paige, who was a distributor as a freshman but has been more effective ever since Williams encouraged him to look for his shot and he has transformed himself into the team’s leading scorer.
Tokoto, who finished with 15 points, is settling in at the two guard spot and Williams has been able to go with a bigger look, shifting 6-8 junior James Michael MaAdoo from power forward to small forward to give exciting 6-8 sophomore forward Brice Johnson and promising 6-9 freshman Kennedy Meeks more time down low.
McAdoo struggled at first, going through one four game stretch where he failed to score in double figures. But he played his best game of the season with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, benefiting from the fact Williams was able to get him the ball at the wing so he could drive it aggressively to the basket. McAdoo got the line 19 times. “If we would have won and I had zero points, zero rebounds, I’d still be happy, but as a human being I want to be able to contribute to the team,” he said.
Carolina will find out more about itself Wednesday when it plays Texas.
“I don’t know if we’ve figured it out like we’re clicking like no other right now, but guys do understand their roles better,” Paige claimed.
It is never a good idea to write off a Roy Williams’ coached team.
