UNC Basketball: Takeaways from Wake Forest

On Wednesday night, the No. 15 North Carolina Tar Heels traveled to Winston-Salem, and beat the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 87-71. Brice Johnson had his best game since the win over Ohio State on December 20, scoring 19 points, to go with his six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Wake Forest’s Codi Miller-McIntyre scored 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the Demon Deacon loss.

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The Tar Heels (15-4 overall, 5-1 in ACC play) put yet another balanced scoring attack on display, as four of the five starters scored in double digits, and all but one of the six bench players scored at least once. The Tar Heels continued their hot shooting as well, shooting 60.3 percent from the floor. Wake Forest (9-10, 1-5) had much tougher luck, shooting only 40 percent from the floor.

Jan 21, 2015; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) goes up for a shot during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. North Carolina defeated Wake Forest 87-71. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY

After struggling as a team in the first half, and Kennedy Meeks in foul trouble, it is easy to see where this Tar Heel team may continue to struggle if they find themselves in a similar situation against better competition. Marcus Paige’s nagging foot and ankle injuries have clearly limited him from driving effectively, and the Tar Heel big men have to be particularly dominant on the offensive end to win games. Johnson’s great night, along with a strong second half from Meeks (12 of 16 points scored in the second half), proved this point perfectly. Isaiah Hicks also continues to offer flashes of talent coming off the bench, and will need to become a reliable option down the stretch of ACC play.

The aforementioned injuries to Paige are also now even more important after the game than they were before. This is not because the injuries necessarily got worse, but the depth UNC has at the guard position is deteriorating immensely. Joel Berry II has already been sitting out due to a groin injury, and the remaining point guards, Luke Davis and Stilman White, are both out with foot injuries of their own. Theo Pinson also bruised his left foot early in the game and did not return. Bret Strelow, Fayetteville Observer reporter, tweeted: “Pinson wearing walking boot as he exits,” but the severity of his injury is still uncertain.

The mounting injuries for the Tar Heels could prove to be a serious problem, and will begin to put much more pressure on guards, Nate Britt and Justin Jackson.

Jan 21, 2015; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard/forward Justin Jackson (44) shoots the ball over Wake Forest Demon Deacons center Andre Washington (31) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. North Carolina defeated Wake Forest 87-71. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY

The worst kept secret in college basketball is UNC’s struggles on the perimeter offensively. While Jackson has played extremely well lately, including 17 points in this game, the level of ACC competition will only increase in the coming weeks, and he will have to continue to play lights out in the event that Paige’s injuries worsen, or the other guards cannot recover efficiently from their injuries.

While it was a very strong second half by the Tar Heels, who have shown much more effort and ability in ACC play, the first half was surely sloppy enough to leave a sour taste in the mouth of Roy Williams. Having only lead by four points at the end of the second half, UNC will have to come out much stronger in the face of adversity in Chapel Hill against Florida State on Saturday.

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