Not a close game, just a good ole fashion butt kicking. Turnovers killed the Heels. Nothing really can be said about this game that is positive...for the Heels. Sure Strickland and McDonald played well, but everyone else that played for the blue were unimpressive.
This is a long season, and hopefully the ship will sail thru the choppy waters better against the Yellow Jackets.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
UNC 78, VT 64
I listened to the game last night as opposed to watching the game on TV. I enjoy listening to the game and feeling the action as opposed to watching the game and being distracted by the flow of the game. This was a great game to listen to!
First off, the Heels depth is a problem. We may have too much depth without any proven players coming off the bench. Ginyard was rusty, having missed the last 3 games, Tyler Zeller is still somewhat unproven, the Wear twins are shaky, and Henson plays erratically. McDonald is showing signs of improvement, but not enough for my liking. Justin Watts has improved, but experience-wise he's not much more than a Freshman.
Ed Davis and Deon Thompson are our biggest scoring option. They can play well within the paint. They are fine defensively, although Thompson fouled out on only 20 minutes of action. Tyler Zeller seems tentative at times, out of control at other times. He's got game, but his game hasn't reached the next level.
Will Graves is our biggest outside threat. When he's on, he's on. He also played one of the best Defensive games in his college career, pulling down 6 rebounds and contested several shots. Larry Drew II may not be Ty Lawson, but he showed his willingness to play team ball, and that's all I want. He really turned up his game in the 2nd half. He had 8 assists and 2 TO's, which is a great ratio.
Our biggest problem? Turning the ball over inside and out. Drew can handle the rock, and so can Strickland. Ginyard turned the ball over 3 times, and he probably was lucky it wasn't more. Ed Davis has problems turning the ball over, and so does Zeller.
We play a hungry Clemson team on Wednesday night. Clemson is (a) a better team than the Hokies, and (b) the game is played at Littlejohn. We can't have another 1st half like we had against the Hokies and win. Stay tuned.
First off, the Heels depth is a problem. We may have too much depth without any proven players coming off the bench. Ginyard was rusty, having missed the last 3 games, Tyler Zeller is still somewhat unproven, the Wear twins are shaky, and Henson plays erratically. McDonald is showing signs of improvement, but not enough for my liking. Justin Watts has improved, but experience-wise he's not much more than a Freshman.
Ed Davis and Deon Thompson are our biggest scoring option. They can play well within the paint. They are fine defensively, although Thompson fouled out on only 20 minutes of action. Tyler Zeller seems tentative at times, out of control at other times. He's got game, but his game hasn't reached the next level.
Will Graves is our biggest outside threat. When he's on, he's on. He also played one of the best Defensive games in his college career, pulling down 6 rebounds and contested several shots. Larry Drew II may not be Ty Lawson, but he showed his willingness to play team ball, and that's all I want. He really turned up his game in the 2nd half. He had 8 assists and 2 TO's, which is a great ratio.
Our biggest problem? Turning the ball over inside and out. Drew can handle the rock, and so can Strickland. Ginyard turned the ball over 3 times, and he probably was lucky it wasn't more. Ed Davis has problems turning the ball over, and so does Zeller.
We play a hungry Clemson team on Wednesday night. Clemson is (a) a better team than the Hokies, and (b) the game is played at Littlejohn. We can't have another 1st half like we had against the Hokies and win. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
College of Charleston 82, UNC 79
Congrats to Bobby C and the College of Charleston Cougars. They deserved to win, and win they did. The refs didn't blow it, and injuries are no excuse...or are they?
Truthfully, injuries are part of the game. Ginyard may be our leader, and Graves may be a 3-point assassin, but we can't blame injuries for losing this game. We need to look within and see what went wrong.
First thing, we stopped shooting the 3 pointer last night. That was our biggest problem. We only shot it a handful of times, making only 1 late in the game. We are too good of a team to become 1 dimensional on offense. Our offense is STAGNANT. There is too much standing around, trying to find the most desirable position to shoot the ball. Guess what? A smart team with a solid coach can exploit it. The Cougars did just that.
I think the one injury that is hurting us the most is with Coach Roy. With his arm in a sling, he has been unable to exert the emotions that have, in the past, elevated our team to greatness. We need a healthy coach again. Sure, he still has all the knowledge and coaching ability he had before the injury, but he's not the type of coach who can sit and not be emotional. We need him to jump around, pound his fist on his seat, yell uncontrollably, and get in his players' faces. Not happening right now.
BTW, this loss may be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Heels. This was a learning experience for our freshmen and sophomores. Drew, Strickland, McDonald, Henson, the Wear twins and Watts will benefit from last nights' debacle.
In conclusion, we will be a better team because of this loss. We should have put away the Cougars last night when we had the chance, but we slipped up. Concentration will lapse with a young team, so don't fret about it. Turn the page.
Truthfully, injuries are part of the game. Ginyard may be our leader, and Graves may be a 3-point assassin, but we can't blame injuries for losing this game. We need to look within and see what went wrong.
First thing, we stopped shooting the 3 pointer last night. That was our biggest problem. We only shot it a handful of times, making only 1 late in the game. We are too good of a team to become 1 dimensional on offense. Our offense is STAGNANT. There is too much standing around, trying to find the most desirable position to shoot the ball. Guess what? A smart team with a solid coach can exploit it. The Cougars did just that.
I think the one injury that is hurting us the most is with Coach Roy. With his arm in a sling, he has been unable to exert the emotions that have, in the past, elevated our team to greatness. We need a healthy coach again. Sure, he still has all the knowledge and coaching ability he had before the injury, but he's not the type of coach who can sit and not be emotional. We need him to jump around, pound his fist on his seat, yell uncontrollably, and get in his players' faces. Not happening right now.
BTW, this loss may be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Heels. This was a learning experience for our freshmen and sophomores. Drew, Strickland, McDonald, Henson, the Wear twins and Watts will benefit from last nights' debacle.
In conclusion, we will be a better team because of this loss. We should have put away the Cougars last night when we had the chance, but we slipped up. Concentration will lapse with a young team, so don't fret about it. Turn the page.