UNC Basketball: Tar Heels struggle again in loss to Georgia Tech

The UNC basketball team continues to struggle, as they dropped their second consecutive ACC contest on Wednesday night.

Roy Williams tried to spark his team by making some drastic lineup changes. However, the result on Wednesday evening remained the same. The UNC basketball program picked up their second straight ACC defeat in a 72-67 loss to Georgia Tech. The loss puts the Tar Heels at 5-4 heading into the new year.

Before the game, the Tar Heels announced a new-look starting five, one that featured three freshmen. This marked the first time that Williams has started three freshman in the same game since 2007 (Lawson, Ellington and Wright). The new-look lineup looked like this:

R.J. Davis
Andrew Platek
Kerwin Walton
Day’Ron Sharpe
Armando Bacot

Platek replaced freshman Caleb Love in the back court, while Walton took over the starting role of junior Leaky Black. For the first time since his freshman season, Garrison Brooks was not in the starting lineup, as freshman Day’Ron Sharpe took over his starting spot for the contest.

The lineup was definitely different, but the Tar Heels continued to be hampered by the same miscues that have haunted them all season long. Aside from 10 first-half turnovers, the Tar Heels took a six-point lead heading into the half. Through the first 20 minutes of play, Roy Williams’ team made all seven of their free throw attempts, and out-rebounded Georgia Tech 20-11.

However, the second half was a totally different story. There are a few key elements to look at in regards to this game (most of which are common denominators in regards to Tar Heels losses this season): After struggling a bit in the first half, the Yellow Jackets started hitting their shots in the second half.

As a unit, the team shot 61.5% from the floor in the second half, including 66.7% from beyond the arc. Yes, credit Georgia Tech for their ability to hit open shots. However, the Tar Heels’ defense did a poor job of closing out and contesting open shooters on the perimeter. It’s rather simple: when you give shooters a ton of space, they are often going to knock down their shots, and that’s exactly what the Yellow Jackets did over the final 20 minutes of play.

The Tar Heels did shoot the ball at a decent rate (they made 40% of their three-point attempts, which is good for a team who has mightily struggled from beyond-the-arc this season). However, the team got ice cold down the stretch, making just one of their final seven shots.

To make things worse, Williams’ team struggled at the free throw line in the second half — another common theme of this team. The Tar Heels made just two of their seven free throw attempts over the final 20 minutes of the game, and ultimately hurt them in their effort to make a late comeback.

Wednesday night’s contest was yet another sloppy performance for the Tar Heels. Overall, the team coughed up 18 turnovers, which provided Georgia Tech with ample opportunities to keep the game close.

When you look at the lead times from this contest, you would think that North Carolina won the game. Over 40 minutes, the Tar Heels led for 30:52, and the game was tied for an additional 5:13. That means that Georgia Tech led for just 3:56, and held the lead for when it mattered the most.

In terms of good performances, Armando Bacot once again led the Tar Heels in scoring. The sophomore big man tallied 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, and also hauled in five rebounds. If you’re looking for a bright spot, look no further than Bacot, who has improved tremendously from his freshman campaign.

Black was the only other Tar Heel to score in double-figures. The junior wing scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting, as his removal from the starting lineup may have sparked the veteran a bit. Walton had another good shooting night, as he scored nine points on 3-of-4 shooting. Brooks finished just one point shy of a double-double, as he ended the game with nine points and 11 rebounds.

This game ends 2020 on a bad note, but the Tar Heels will look forward to the continuation of their ACC schedule in 2021. Williams’ team will be back on the court on January 5, as they travel to Miami for a nationally televised contest.

Without a doubt, this team has a lot of work to do in order to get better. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll see what Williams and his staff decide to do in order to get this team back on track.

Will we see more starting lineup adjustments? Can the Tar Heels “mix-and-match” until they find the right solution? Will Williams continue to rely on the freshmen, and have his veterans play a lesser role off the bench?

Only time will tell.

One thing is for sure. Roy Williams and his staff definitely can’t be happy with the Tar Heels’ performance over their first nine contests.

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