The UNC basketball program needed a statement victory, one they secured on Wednesday night in Chapel Hill.
North Carolina never trailed en route to a double-digit victory over the visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The win snaps the UNC basketball program's two-game losing streak.
Yes, Notre Dame isn't the best team on the Tar Heels' schedule, especially without star guard Markus Burton. However, you need to take care of the business in front of you, something that the Tar Heels were able to do.
Improvements
Notre Dame connected on six three-pointers in the first half but made just two over the final 20 minutes of play. Given that essentially every ACC opponent has knocked down 10+ threes against them, this is a major step in the right direction.
The Tar Heels also made it a focal point to get the ball in Caleb Wilson's hands, and boy did it pay off. Wilson led all scorers with 22 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists. His passing stood out the most, as the freshman forward was able to find the open man on multiple occasions as he worked out of consistent double-teams throughout the ball game.
Henri turns up in the second half
After scoring just three points in the first half, Henri Veesaar turned it up in the second half. He poured in 12 points (most of which came at the beginning of the second half), helping North Carolina essentially pull away for good. His 15 point, 12 rebound performance marked his 10th double-double of the season.
Another starting lineup change
Jaydon Young was added to the starting lineup, giving the UNC basketball program four different starting lineups over the last five games. Young was hampered by foul trouble in his first start as a Tar Heel, scoring just three points on 1-4 shooting.
Bench Production
The UNC basketball program got a combined 26 points from the trip of Luka Bogavac, Kyan Evans and Jarin Stevenson. Jonathan Powell also chimed in five points in just under 20 minutes of action.
Derek Dixon
In his second career start, Dixon played a big role in the win, He scored 11 points over 27 minutes of action, providing some timely makes from beyond-the-arc.
What's Next?
After this positive step in the right direction, the UNC basketball program hits the road for a top-25 showdown with the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon. We'll have to wait and see if the Tar Heels can build some momentum off this victory over the Fighting Irish.