UNC Basketball Moments After – UNC vs. Michigan State 74-58 Loss
UNC Tar Heels Basketball Struggles to Hit Shots from the Perimeter and Falls to Michigan St.
by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn
The North Carolina basketball team played their second game in Fort Myers against Michigan State on Thursday night. It was a back-and-forth game in the opening minutes with both teams coming out and playing with a lot of intensity and energy on both ends of the floor. UNC forward Caleb Wilson and Michigan State forward Coen Carr both had two ferocious dunks each, showing off their elite athleticism and getting the crowd off their feet early in the first half. About midway through the first half, the score was 17-15 before the Tar Heels went on a 7-0 run, holding Michigan State scoreless for over three minutes due to some excellent ball pressure and making them take tough contested shots. Their defense fueled their offense and allowed them to get out in transition for easy baskets.
The Tar Heels had great success getting into the paint for baskets, and it led to quality shots on several offensive possessions. Caleb Wilson was the catalyst for their success in the paint with 12 points, with 8 of those points coming off dunks. Late in the first half, Michigan State would respond with their own run, outscoring 18-6 to go into halftime with a five-point lead as Carolina started to spiral with taking ill-advised, tough shots, playing sloppily with the ball, struggling to defend in transition, and keep Michigan State off the offensive glass. The Tar Heels capped off their worst shooting half of the season with 33% from the field, and needed to find some answers going into intermission.
Coming out of halftime, Henri Veesaar returned to the North Carolina lineup after dealing with foul trouble for most of the first half and scored the Tar Heels’ first 7 points. However, on the other side of the floor, Michigan State center Carson Cooper was trading baskets with Veesaar to keep the Spartans in front of the Heels. UNC would need consecutive stops if they were going to overcome their deficit, but Michigan State was just getting whatever shot they wanted offensively, whether that be in the paint or on the perimeter. Michigan State shot over 55% in the second half as Carolina just looked lost defensively against their potent offensive attack. There would be instances where the Tar Heels would get it within three or four points, but Michigan State would make timely shots after shots to keep them ahead.
North Carolina just wasn’t aggressive enough attacking the basket, getting paint touches, or getting it inside to their bigs as they should’ve been because their outside shots were not falling, and they continued to shoot them. The Heels shot 38% from the field, including 4/23 from three, had just 9 assists, and just couldn’t match Michigan State’s energy, effort, and intensity on either side of the floor late. North Carolina’s backcourt didn’t help matters, shooting a combined 6-26 from the field, keeping their offense stagnant and unproductive, and couldn’t keep Michigan State’s guards in front of them either. It just wasn’t Carolina’s night, and Michigan State took full advantage, delivering the Tar Heels their first loss of the season.
UNC Stats
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| 16 North Carolina 6-1 | 28 | 30 | 58 |
| 11 Michigan St. 7-0 | 33 | 41 | 74 |
| Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| C. Wilson | 18 | 7 | 1 | 6/13 | 0/3 | 6/7 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| H. Veesaar | 13 | 6 | 0 | 6/9 | 1/2 | 0/1 | 3 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| L. Bogavac | 11 | 1 | 5 | 4/12 | 1/6 | 2/3 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Stevenson | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2/5 | 1/3 | 2/4 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| K. Evans | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1/7 | 0/5 | 2/2 | 1 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| J. Powell | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1/5 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Z. High | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D. Dixon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| J. Brown | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| J. Young | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| I. Denis | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| I. Matlekovic | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| E. Davis | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| J. Holbrook | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| E. Smith | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 58 | 27 | 9 | 21/55 | 4/23 | 12/17 | 14 | – | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| J. Fears Jr. | 19 | 5 | 7 | 8/10 | 1/1 | 2/3 | 2 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| C. Cooper | 14 | 6 | 1 | 6/10 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 3 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| J. Kohler | 10 | 11 | 2 | 4/8 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| C. Carr | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4/10 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 4 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| T. Fort | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1/7 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| C. Ward | 11 | 2 | 0 | 4/7 | 0/0 | 3/4 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| K. Teng | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3/4 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D. Ugochukwu | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| J. Scott | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. McCulloch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D. Wojcik | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| N. Sanders | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| C. Walton | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| B. Walton | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 74 | 33 | 14 | 31/60 | 5/10 | 7/9 | 17 | – | 2 | 4 | 10 |
UNC Bright Spots
Caleb Wilson had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist.
Henri Veesaar 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.
Luka Bogavac had 11 points, 5 assists, and 1 rebound.
Needs Work
The Tar Heels have to do a better job on the defensive glass. They are allowing too many offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities. There has to be a better effort in that area for this team because it’s starting to become a trend that must be addressed.
The Tar Heel must also be better at moving the ball offensively. First, they need to play inside out more, making sure they are getting more paint touches, getting the ball inside to the bigs, and using dribble penetration to create advantages offensively. It’s too easy to defend if you are just passing it around the perimeter and settling for jump shots. When you get downhill, attack the basket, and get two feet in the paint, it allows you to find better shots offensively. It starts with the guard play, who have to be aggressive offensively, be better at initiating the offense and getting the best possible shots on each possession.
Final Observations
The Tar Heels lost their first game of the season and fell to 6-1 on the season. This game was a learning experience for the Heels. Their shots weren’t falling, and they played a very good defensive team that matched their physicality. It’s hard to win when you shoot 38% from the field, 17% from three, and your guards shoot 6-26 from the field. The guards have to be better with their shot selection, getting the bigs more involved in the offense, and being more aggressive, getting downhill and into the paint. If their shots are not falling, they must find different ways to help their team win. Not only did the guards shoot the ball poorly, but they weren’t good defensively either, keeping their man in front of them or forcing them into tough shots.
Seth Trimble was sorely missed in those areas with his dribble penetration, elite on-ball defense, and leadership on the court. For the first time all season, this team went through some true adversity with things not going their way. They didn’t handle it well, but it is still early, and they must learn how to win those types of games. Michigan State couldn’t stop them from getting into the paint and had trouble stopping Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar inside, so they should’ve kept attacking and feeding them inside. The Tar Heels just weren’t consistent enough with getting shots in the paint and putting pressure on Michigan State’s defense, and it cost them.
Hubert Davis and his staff need to do a better job of settling the team down during the other team’s runs and communicate to them the type of shots they need to get when their perimeter shots are not falling. Coach Davis also needs to learn how to take some chances. He may have to switch it up defensively and give the opposing offenses different defensive looks, whether that be zone, full-court pressure, or half-court pressure, to help give your team a spark and disrupt the opponent’s flow. If the backcourt players aren’t playing up to the standard you need, you may have to go deeper into the bench and play guys like Jaydon Young or Isaiah Denis just to see if they can give some type of spark when your top guys are struggling. With Seth Trimble out, you need to find out who you can trust in big games, depend on in the biggest moments, and also build out depth that will help you later in the season. Next up is Kentucky on Tuesday, December 2, at 9:30 P.M. on ESPN.
Point guard play, defensive, and 3 pt shooting were non-existent in this game for the Heels, especially in the 2nd half. There has got to be a point where we can get to beating these top 10-15 teams. Mich. State shot 62% in the second half.