Auburn's defense was a killer
Nothing came easy for North Carolina.
Auburn's size advantage throughout its line-up caused the Tar Heels problems, starting in the backcourt. The Tigers extended their perimeter defenders past the three-point line, pressuring UNC's ball handlers and bothering passing angles. They were successful in forcing guards to drive alone into the paint, sometimes with their roller jammed up.
Auburn doing a good job of jamming up everything that UNC is trying to run on offense by denying passes, jamming up handoffs, pushing the DHO hubs further out, etc.
— Trevor William Marks (@twmarks_) November 27, 2024
Twice out of North Carolina time-outs, Auburn went away from their man-to-man defense and into a 1-3-1 zone, and what looked like a 2.5-2 kind of hybrid zone. Someone smarter than me will have to explain it. It buffudled UNC, and in both instances, UNC's possession out of a timeout ended in a turnover.
The Tar Heels had no answer for big man Johni Broome. The senior forward was a menace, bothering guards driving to the cup, and preventing Jalen Washington from finding any joy in the paint. Broome had three of Auburn's seven blocks, and the Tigers had seven steals against only eight turnovers. You'll take that kind of production from aggressive defense any day of the week.