UNC Basketball Random Observations: Virginia Win

UNC Basketball picked up another important win on Saturday night beating Virginia 71-63. These are some random observations.

Welcome back Pete Nance! We have all been pretty critical of the 5th year senior but you have to feel great for him tonight. He has taken a lot of fire. His leadership from the jump ball tonight until the very end was great to see. Congratulations!

I think it’s mandatory with this team that we always say that everything looks better when the ball goes in the basket.

I have been very critical in these observations so let’s keep it positive. Let’s start with the contributions and substitution pattern with Puff Johnson. Coach Hubert Davis is clearly locking in on the role that Puff plays in a three-man rotation with Nance and Armando Bacot.

We also got early looks at Jalen Washington, Seth Trimble, and D’Marco Dunn. We didn’t see them again but it appears that Coach Davis likes to give a few minutes early in the first half to the bench. If they are contributing, they return. We can debate that strategy another time.

Tyler Nickel once again did not play.

Bacot was driven and determined to attack each touch he got. A different kind of leadership but still doing his part.

Games like this are reminders that this team can be really good. We saw it last season too.

One thing that has been true all season is that strangely this team does not close well or extend leads. It’s odd after last year’s experience and run. The urgency is something I don’t think any of us thought would need to be coached.

Monday is obviously another huge win but can this team start to string together consistent, all-out effort each half and each game? We’re out of time. It has to happen now.

It’s not even March and I am tired of hearing about bubbles and bracketology.

Play hard. Play smart. Play together.

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