Lessons Learned from North Carolina's triumph over Georgia Tech

The UNC basketball program doesn't have the best track record in Atlanta, especially when it's still cold outside. Better teams than this one, including the 2017 national championship squad, have lost in McCamish Pavilion. So on a snowy Saturday afternoon, what could the Tar Heels do in Atlanta after a week off since beating UVA in Charlottesville?

If you're the Twin Towers of Power, the only answer was to show out in front of Caleb Wilson's hometown crowd. Wilson and Henri Veesaar combined for 42 points and 18 rebounds, powering the Tar Heels to a 16-point win, and a first-half lead that was insurmountable for the Yellow Jackets.

Let's dive into some lessons learned from UNC's second ACC road win in a row.

Freak in the Home of Freaknik

Caleb Wilson wasn't even born when Freaknik was still a thing in Atlanta (no sand, no beaches, just sweet Georgia peaches!), but that doesn't mean he can't show up and show out in the ATL. Once again, he was UNC's leading scorer, but more impressive than the volume of his scoring was the manner of it.

Wilson absolutely punished the rim, per usual. He hit silky smooth turnarounds. He hit a corner three. And he caught this iffy alley-oop from Kyan Evans:

I mean, what are we even talking about here??? The extension, the flush, the gentle landing. This guy is half Martian. Roy Williams always liked to get his seniors a hometown game when able. Hubert Davis is only getting Wilson for one year at most, so it's fortuitous that UNC played Georgia Tech this year.

Getting to play this well in front of your friends and family is so amazing. No real analysis here, I just need to gush in admiration for one of my all-time favorite Tar Heels.

Limiting Turnovers

North Carolina only out-rebounded Georgia Tech by one (39-38) in the game, so how did they win by such a healthy margin? Turnovers. The Tar Heels only had two (an over-eager travel by Wilson, and an out-of-bounds call on Derek Dixon when he was on the baseline floor and the ball touched him) Georgia Tech had 12.

UNC's turnovers were dead balls. North Carolina scored 18 points off of Georgia Tech's miscues. The Tar Heels had 19 more shots than Tech thanks to their ball security. That kind of assuredness will be put to the test against better teams, but it's good to show that capability, especially while UNC's backcourt is under a state of transition between starting point guards and shooting guards.

Sharing is Caring

North Carolina had 21 assists on 36 made field goals. More impressive than the raw number is the spread amongst the team. Ten players played against Georgia Tech. Eight had at least one assist. Seven had at least two. And Caleb Wilson led the team with five.

This is offense in its flow state. The ball was moving, not sticking. The right players (Wilson, Veesaar, Trimble, and Bogavac) were taking the most shots, with all of them shooting over 50%. And even though point guard Derek Dixon had a poor shooting night (1-for-7 on the night), he didn't let that detract from his overall game, where he had three assists against just one turnover (and as previously mentioned, it was a real cheapie), and a steal.

You know what you're going to get with this North Carolina team. Punishment in the post. Good ball movement. And even though the three-point shooting was poor (8-for-31, 25.8%), they did make 11 of 12 free throws. You'll take that any night! Especially next Saturday!