Ven-Allen Lubin wrinkle for all-switching defense
The North Carolina basketball program essentially had a bye week after the Duke game, with no midweek game to play before Pitt. This gave Hubert Davis time to tinker with the team.
The starting lineup did not change, but he did add some wrinkles on how the offense attacked switch happy defenses like Pitt and Duke. When Pitt switched on defense, UNC moved around until they could isolate Ven-Allen Lubin, their only post player on the floor, against a smaller guard. The Tar Heels didn't just feed Lubin on the block like they would Armando Bacot or Tyler Hansbrough. They slipped him, rolled him, and lobbed over guards trying to deny post feeds.
Lubin responded by scoring nine of UNC's first 12 points. For the game he scored 17 points, his best in a Carolina uniform. This type of production from Lubin will be critical as Jalen Washington works back to full health after spraining his knee. Washington was starting to show some of his best stuff before going down in the Boston College game. If Hubert Davis can get consistent production from his two posts, UNC may be able to pick up some key wins down the stretch to make the NCAA Tournament.