UNC Basketball: Black wins back-to-back “Tar Heel of the Game” awards

For the second consecutive contest, UNC basketball senior Leaky Black is our “Tar Heel of the Game” recipient.

Wednesday night’s contest against Boston College was not pretty. In fact, you could make the case that it was the worst shooting performance from the UNC basketball program so far this season.

The Tar Heels connected on just 29.1 percent of their shot attempts. Wednesday night marked the first time in program history that North Carolina has won a game while shooting under 30 percent from the floor.

It was an ugly performance for sure, but hey, a win is still a win. Sometimes it won’t be pretty, but you’ll take the wins regardless of how they come.

In games where North Carolina struggles offensively, it’s very difficult to name a “Tar Heel of the Game.” Usually, we get at least one strong offensive output, but unfortunately, the main core of guys essentially all struggled in this one. However, there is one player who deserves some more recognition, as he continues to not only fill up the stat sheet but also provide some much-needed offense.

After scoring in double-figures for the first time this season against Virginia Tech, senior Leaky Black followed it up with another solid performance against the Eagles. The Concord, North Carolina native got the Tar Heels on the board right away with a wide-open corner three-pointer and was involved in multiple facets of the game throughout.

Overall, Black finished with eight points on 2-of-3 shooting. He also knocked in three of his four free throw attempts. While adding some key buckets, the senior forward also recorded five assists, four rebounds and three blocks.

It’s often mentioned how much of an impact Black makes defensively, and that was on display in this game. Black helped North Carolina hold Boston College to just 33.3 percent from the floor, including an abysmal 6.3 percent from three-point range. The Tar Heels’ effort on the defensive end of the floor was a huge factor in the final outcome of this game.

Through 18 games, Black didn’t earn any “Tar Heel of the Game” awards. Now, in back-to-back contests, the senior guard is our recipient of the award and is well-deserving of the recognition. Even though we’d all like to see a better overall performance from Hubert Davis’ team, it’s nice to see Black continue to provide the hustle and effort that we’ve seen throughout his career in Chapel Hill.

Leaky Black and the UNC basketball program are back in action at the Dean Smith Center on Saturday afternoon, as they’ll host in-state rival NC State. Can Black make it three games in a row in which he’ll earn “Tar Heel of the Game” honors, or will one of his teammates dethrone him? Check back with the Keeping It Heel team to find out!

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Leaky Black and the rest of the UNC basketball program.