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UNC Basketball: Random Observation NC State Loss

By Aaron Conrad

RALEIGH, NC - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels listens to official Pat Driscoll during the first half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at PNC Arena on February 19, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Hubert Davis of the North Carolina Tar Heels listens to official Pat Driscoll during the first half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at PNC Arena on February 19, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball continues its poor play and loses to NC State 77-69 in a Sunday game at PNC Arena. With the season very much on the brink, these are my random observations. 

Let it out UNC basketball fans, because I am about to. This is a safe space.

I mean this in all sincerity, what positive thing can we say about this Tar Heel team every game offensively or defensively? I am struggling to find anything beyond Leaky Black locking up his opponent and Armando getting a double-double.

I was told this week on Twitter that this team has “an entire book of plays.” I watched intently today to see if I could find or discern them. I didn’t. What I watched was a screen up top from a big and then freestyle with whatever happens next.

Transition defense is one of the many glaring issues with this team and everyone they play knows it. A program that used to run teams out of the gym is now getting run out of the gym on what made them great.

The five on the floor attempted to push the pace and were erratic, careless, and made awful offensive decisions. It resulted in turnovers and layups on the other end.

Jalen Washington never took off his warmup jacket the entire game. Not once.

Tyler Nickel was inserted it the game and given no offensive sets, screens, or plays. He wasn’t recruited for his defense so what in the world is the plan for his development?

Once again D’Marco Dunn and Dontrez Styles didn’t play. Seth Trimble saw limited minutes.

At this point, the program needs to be turned over to the future. Before you argue that these guys have draft aspirations, I will respond that they certainly have not helped those all season. At this point, most of their stock is gone.

Congratulations to NC State. They were not the better team, they are the team that played better.

There needs to be a lot of answers this off-season about how a team that was pre-season number one will likely be in the NIT. A historic failure.

Next. Can UNC Make the Tournament?. dark

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