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Three Takeaways from North Carolina’s Win over Notre Dame

By Christian Candeloro

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 06: Cole Anthony #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after making a three-point basket against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at the Dean Smith Center on November 06, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 76-65. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 06: Cole Anthony #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after making a three-point basket against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at the Dean Smith Center on November 06, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 76-65. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Cole Anthony dropped 34 and the Tar Heels defeated Notre Dame in the opening game of the season.

in the much-anticipated debut of prized freshman Cole Anthony, the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels took care of business against Notre Dame, defeating the Fighting Irish 76-65. Anthony was sensational for the Tar Heels, scoring 34 points and sparking a key second-half run that allowed the Tar Heels to pull away.

Due to the addition of two more ACC conference games to each squad’s schedule, most ACC teams opened with a conference match-up to start the season. On one hand, it means fans are treated to competitive games rather than cupcake wins. On the other, it ensures the early-season jitters and mistakes are on full display with high stakes.

UNC made its fair share of mistakes against Notre Dame, committing 18 turnovers and 15 fouls. The team struggled early to put away the Fighting Irish, allowing Notre Dame to take the lead into halftime despite looking like the better team for 16 minutes of the first half.

With Anthony’s debut on everyone’s mind, here are three takeaways from opening night.

Anthony Lived Up to the Hype

Holy moly, Anthony is going to be a problem for the entirety of the ACC. After struggling to find his footing early, Anthony turned up the heat in the second half, pouring in 23 points and starting a run that allowed the Tar Heels to grab a 13-point lead.

Anthony finished with a double-double, finishing with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. The 34 points were the most ever for a freshman in their debut at North Carolina. His smooth shooting stroke allowed him to finish 6-11 behind the arc.

Anthony, the No. 4 ranked recruit in the 2019 class, is going to be leaned on heavily by the Tar Heels this season after the team lost so much production from last year. In his debut, he did almost everything well, a good sign for the Tar Heels chances in the ACC and NCAA Tournament.

One downside to the emergence of Anthony: the weird side-by-side camera angle with the game on the left and Anthony’s father, Greg Anthony, on the right. It feels weird to watch the man sitting in the stands and luckily for him, he was too invested in the game to do anything

Defense trending up, the offense got hot when it needed to

The Carolina defense smothered the Fighting Irish all night. Notre Dame shot just 35.3 percent from the field, including 29.3 percent from long range. The Tar Heels denied the Fighting Irish guards from penetrating and forwards Armando Bacot and Garrison Brooks were excellent in defending the rim.

The offense struggled mightily early, allowing the Fighting Irish to hang around and even take a five-point lead in the first half. When it mattered most, it came alive, at one point making 11 of 12 baskets, sparked by Anthony’s long three-pointers.

After scoring just 30 points in the first half, the Tar Heels came alive for 46 in the second half. If the Tar Heels can marry its strong defense with a competent offense, this team can compete. It can’t be either-or.

UNC will need reinforcements to compete

This is a good win for UNC, if only because it came with the team so shorthanded and showed that Anthony is going to be a legit star. The Tar Heels will desperately need guard Brandon Robinson to return and be a contributor down the stretch.

While Anthony proved he can carry this team, the Tar Heels will need much more than its prized freshman to compete with teams like Duke, Virginia, and Louisville in the ACC. The good news is that Robinson will be back for ACC play and Sterling Manley should return to help the frontcourt.

The Tar Heels will also need more from Leaky Black (2-7 shooting, five points) and Christian Keeling (2-4 shooting, five points) down the stretch to help Anthony as well.

The Tar Heels return on Friday against UNC-Wilmington on the road.

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