UNC Basketball Moments After – UNC vs Alabama 94-79 Loss

UNC Tar Heels Basketball Team Plays Lackluster and the Tide Cruises to Victory

by Derrick Clyburn

The North Carolina basketball team faced off against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the ACC-SEC Challenge on Wednesday night. They continued to struggle with slow starts by allowing Alabama to go on a 24 to 10 run opening up a 14-point lead on the Tar Heels. North Carolina looked sluggish and played with no intensity allowing the Tide to get whatever they wanted. The defense was none existent stopping the drives to the basket and kicking for threes. They didn’t rotate on defense and didn’t communicate on switching which gave Alabama confidence to play comfortable basketball all night.

The Tar Heels struggled offensively with the 3-guard line-up. They missed easy baskets and everyone was going isolation on every possession. North Carolina was ice cold shooting 1-17 from three and they got very little help from the frontcourt players. Ian Jackson was the only bright spot playing efficiently on offense. He had 11 points in the first half and the Tar Heels were down by 9 points going into intermission.

In the second, North Carolina tried to pick up the intensity but had three turnovers that led to easy baskets for Alabama which allowed the lead to extend to 14 points. The Tide was able to keep a 12 to 16-point stiff-arm for the rest of the game. The Tar Heels would get no closer than 8 points in the second half and the cold shooting continued. They shot 17.9% from the 3-point line for the game and ironically outrebounded the Tide 42-40. Elliot Cadeau struggled mightily with 1 point and 4 turnovers. RJ Davis had 18 points but it took him 24 attempts to get it. Ian Jackson had one of his best games as a Tar Heel scoring a career-high 23 points. North Carolina would lose in lackluster fashion 94-79.

UNC Game Stats

Final

	1	2	T
ALA	43	51	94
UNC	34	45	79

UNC Bright Spots  

Ian Jackson had a career-high 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. 

RJ Davis had 18 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 4 steals. 

Seth Trimble had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. 

Needs Work  

The Tar Heels need to start games with more energy, effort, and intensity on both ends of the floor. This was the fifth time in eight games that the Heels have gotten off to a slow start and had a double-digit deficit in the first half, which is unacceptable. Those slow starts allow teams to get confidence early in games and put them at a disadvantage against their opponents.  

The Tar Heels must be better defensively in all facets. They are getting blown by on the perimeter and are struggling to protect the rim and paint against their opponents. Their effort, intensity, and attention to detail on defense have not been to the level needed to disrupt the opposing offense.

Coach Hubert Davis must do a better job of running plays for the Bigs, incorporating them more in the offense for more than just setting screens and rolling and crashing the offensive glass. Jalen Washington and Ven Allen Lubin are skilled enough offensively to have specific plays designed just for them. Jalen Washington had 3 points in this game. That should never happen. Emphasizing getting them involved offensively will make them a more consistent offensive threat that opposing defenses will have to account for and it will make it easier for the guards and wings to get more quality shots at the rim and on the perimeter. 

Coach Davis’s in-game adjustments must be better. When the team is struggling defensively and to rebound, you must insert your bigs into the lineup instead of going small and make them more of a priority because you will not beat the best teams all the time going small. Coach Hubert Davis also needs to mix in different defenses when the regular man-to-man defense is not working and they are failing to get stops. A Zone defense and full-court press will throw the opposing team out of rhythm offensively and it will create better opportunities for your team to get extra possessions.  

Final Observations 

The Tar Heels fall to 4-4 on the season. They have not fared well against the top-ranked teams. RJ Davis has struggled all season shooting the ball and is a liability on defense. The 3-guard line-up was 11-41 from the field which is totally unacceptable. Hubert has been depending on them to carry the offense. He must work on integrating more inside-to-outside schemes and more motion offenses to get easier baskets. Right now everyone is going one-on-one and the ball sticks with few assists.

It’s not time to hit the panic button but Hubert and his staff must help this team to become more of a cohesive unit playing for one another and just falling in love with the game. They don’t look like they are having fun right now. It is a long season and they must make the best of it by working on the fundamentals on both sides of the ball. Next up is Ga. Tech at 2 pm on Saturday on ACCN.