Lessons Learned from the UNC basketball program's much needed win over SMU

The Mustangs love to run, but they'll limp back to Dallas after a start-to-finish whooping from North Carolina.

SMU v North Carolina
SMU v North Carolina | David Jensen/GettyImages
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Drake Powell is finding his spots

Drake Powell, Chuck Harris
SMU v North Carolina | David Jensen/GettyImages

What a night for the freshman!

Drake Powell was sensational, scoring 17 points, one shy of his career-high against Michigan State in Maui. He shot 4/6 from three and looked very comfortable shooting on the right wing. You can easily see him trailing on the fast break with UNC's guards driving to the rim, ready to catch a pass to fire in transition.

One issue that needs sorting is his proclivity for dribbling into the paint on exploratory drives, rather than intentional drives to the hoop. Powell was dispossessed three times when he dribbled.

One other notable play that (fortunately) did not come back to bite him was when he got whistled for his second foul. After ripping the ball loose for a steal, Powell chased after the loose ball, but tried to control it to dribble towards the basket. Unfortunately, he was a beat late and got whistled for a foul after colliding with B.J. Edwards.

If Powell had just dived on the ball, he could have gained possession and saved himself a foul. Fortunately, he only finished the night with three, but this sort of decision making can make or break his night in a tighter game.

Schedule

Schedule