‘Peaking at the right time,’ UNC basketball begins ACC tournament with Virginia Cavs
The haters say North Carolina acted like it won a national championship by beating Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the final home game for legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. That they’re going to make a quick exit from the ACC tournament because the Tar Heels put too much into Saturday’s win.
UNC coach Hubert Davis believes the high that they enter the tournament on has nothing to do with their upset in Durham. He said the camaraderie of the team has never been better as the Heels have won 11 of their last 13, including the last five, heading into Thursday’s quarterfinal game against Virginia.
“The confidence and the joy that I think our players are feeling is because of that, it’s not directed on this past Saturday,” Davis said. “I think it’s based upon the last month and a half and just just how well we’re playing.”
There is good reason to wonder if Carolina will have any hangover from its biggest win of the season. The Heels have sometimes followed games when they played at a high level, by having a collapse.
After double-digit wins against Virginia and Georgia Tech, they had a 28-point loss at Miami. After scoring 62 points in the first half in their win over Florida State, they scored 67 total points in a home loss to Pittsburgh.
“In terms of identity, I think we’re a tough team, a resilient team,” Davis said. “And I think that’s been proven by the way that this team has continued to persevere and bounce back through ups and downs in the season to put themselves in a position where they are right now. And I can’t be any happier.”
Here’s a look at the matchup:
The regular season game
Carolina snapped a seven game losing streak to the Cavaliers with its 74-58 win on Jan. 8 in Chapel Hill. Both teams are considerably different than when they played on that date.
UNC forward Dawson Garcia had not yet left the team for the season, but he did not play due to concussion protocol. Guard Anthony Harris did play 16 minutes, in what was his final game of the season too.
Forward Armando Bacot played one of his best games of the season scoring a career-high 29 points and grabbing a career-high 22 rebounds.
Forward Brady Manek proved to be a difference maker as well with five 3-pointers as part of a 19-point outing.
Keep up the pace
Keep in mind when playing Virginia, the pace of the game slows down and there aren’t as many possessions in the game as UNC typically averages. The Heels will have to stay disciplined and not try to play fast when there’s not a play to be made. Miami is UVA’s only opponent that scored 70 points in the past 10 games.
Carolina was able to do that in the first game mainly because it shared the ball so well on offense. The Heels had 19 assists on 28 made baskets. UVA coach Tony Bennett said Carolina has elevated its play as shown by their win over Duke.
“They’re playing good basketball, they’re very talented and seems like they’re peaking at the right time,” Bennett said. “It’s a great opportunity for us, a great challenge to be as good as we can be in our way and try and get it done.”
Who are Carolina’s best bets for a big game?
Davis’ vision of recruiting post players who could shoot from the perimeter just happens to be especially effective against the Cavs’ pack line defense. That’s why Manek could again be a major factor in the game.
Virginia likes to double the post with its frontcourt players instead of using its guards. If Bacot can anticipate and pass out of the doubles, chances are, Manek will be open for 3s.
During the Heels’ five game winning streak, Manek is shooting 44 percent (15 of 34) from 3-point range.
Which Virginia players should UNC focus on?
UVA’s leading scorer Jayden Gardner has nearly 60 more made baskets than Armaan Franklin, who is second on the team. Gardner is from Wake Forest, and as UNC fans have become accustomed to, North Carolina natives tend to find an added level of motivation to play well against the Heels.
Sophomore guard Reece Beekman is a master at anticipating skip passes on defense and coming away with steals. He was named to the All-ACC defensive team and led the league with 2.07 steals per game.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 5:54 AM with the headline "‘Peaking at the right time,’ UNC basketball begins ACC tournament with Virginia Cavs."