Keeping It Heel
Fansided

Lessons Learned from the UNC basketball program's bounce-back win over American

The Tar Heels only had one game between the Kansas game last Friday and the Hawaii game next Friday. They showed up in a big way.

By Michael McKay

Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Forcing Tempo

Elliot Cadeau
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Early in the second half, American dictated the tempo by running its patented slow offense and some zone defense. It was helpful that they were hitting threes at a typical "small school's first visit to the Dean Dome pace, allowing them to run back and set their defense without a transition attack.

Hubert Davis had about enough of that with about 11 minutes left in the first half. To counter the pace trap American set, Davis deployed a full-court press to speed up the Eagles, and UNC ratcheted up the defensive pressure, forcing turnovers for fast break points and trips to the free-throw line.

North Carolina's guard-heavy line-up will necessitate a lot of open court magic to win games this season, so we can expect a lot of American's tactics going forward. Imagine a more gifted team like Virginia enacting this game plan. The Tar Heels need to be able to force tempo like they did in the first half.

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