North Carolina Tar Heels: Dominate Irish, On to Virginia
The North Carolina Tar Heels built on their Quarterfinal performance by blowing out Notre Dame in the Semifinals of the ACC Tournament.
The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 78-47 to punch their ticket to the ACC Championship Game against Virginia. It was a game that built on the things that were learned in the Pitt game. It was also a game that saw some oddities that the Tar Heels still overcame.
The first story has be the defensive effort. Joel Berry handled Demetrius Jackson as well as he played James Robinson in the previous game. Jackson had been a big contributor in the recent rash of Notre Dame victories versus the Tar Heels.
Berry was not the only story. Team defense was much improved despite long stretches without senior Brice Johnson due to foul trouble. Kennedy Meeks had two steals. Isaiah Hicks had two blocks. The effort was a consistent one. Fresh off an 18-0 run to end the first half, the Heels defense did not go away in the second half. That 19 point halftime lead would remain intact and grow to the thirty one point winning margin.
Notre Dame was not able to enact the gameplan they used last game against the Tar Heels. That plan was Jackson attacking and finding open shooters. Bonzie Colson finished with fifteen points, but he had to work for them against different matchups. Zach Auguste got into foul trouble, and that limited his impact.
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Notre Dame might also have been feeling the effects of their marathon comeback against Duke the night before. Yet when the team could have come back, Tar Heel defense stopped it.
In a game where Brice Johnson (12 points) had limited play time, the Tar Heel offense saw a couple of welcome sparks. Isaiah Hicks (11 points, 15 rebounds) had his first career double-double. Team rebounding and hustle was another advantage for the Heels like Hicks.
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Most important for the future was the game put together by Marcus Paige. The senior dished out seven assists, but he also scored sixteen points. That included four three pointers including a couple taken in the teeth of opposition. It was a Paige performance that had been looked for a long time.
The final test comes today against the Cavaliers. To grab a number 1 seed, the Tar Heels need to beat Virginia. That will not be easy as Virginia runs its offense through Malcolm Brogdon and he will tower over Joel Berry. Look for Theo Pinson to spend some time at two guard for a better matchup. Paige or Berry will need to shadow London Perrantes.
To beat Virginia, mistakes must be at a minimum. No silly fouls from Johnson. No throwaway balls from Nate Britt. The Heels should use Justin Jackson to attack the interior and set up Meeks, Hicks, or Johnson down low. If at all possible the Heels need turnovers to boost tempo and avoid playing the Virginia way like Miami did yesterday when they lost.
That showdown is mere hours away, at 9:00 PM.