Without Seamless Teamwork, UNC Basketball at a Tipping Point

The North Carolina Tar Heels finally ended their string of away game losses—with a home court loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

It was Georgia Tech’s first time winning at the Dean Smith Center since 1996.  Moreover, the Yellow Jackets beat both Duke and North Carolina in a span of eight days.

UNC (12-6, 1-2) has lost three of their last four games, and it faces another stiff test at Chapel Hill against unranked conference foe Wake Forest tonight at 7 PM.

Despite a late second-half rally, the final outcome of the game had been decided long before Georgia Tech (13-4, 2-2) almost blew a 20-point lead. The Tar Heels last-ditch effort was too little too late. If they don't address their weaknesses and show a marked improvement during key moments, a successful, let alone a winning season, could be over in a hurry.

Will Graves scored a career-high 24 points, but his 30-foot desperation attempt at a game winner not only fell short, but perhaps it sums up the current state mental state of North Carolina’s players: there is a sense of desperation slowly creeping into their psyche.

Unlike the NBA, rarely can regular, stellar performances—career-highs included—by a single player overcome glaring weaknesses and a double-digit deficit, even against lower-ranked opponents. College basketball still revolves around teamwork, which creates a different level of parity. Unfortunately for UNC, no one else matched Graves’ level of play or played up to potential, thus, undoubtedly derailing plans for conference wins at home.

North Carolina’s perimeter shooting continues to be dismal, as Larry Drew II, Dexter Strickland, and Marcus Ginyard combined for a paltry 2-for-14 from the field. This trio has also handled the ball rather sloppily, contributing to an average of 20.3 turnovers in the Heels’ last three losses—perhaps the most worrisome sign, as UNC’s offense depends on its guards controlling the tempo and setting up quick plays with easy assists.

Ginyard’s struggles continued against the Yellow Jackets. In 27 minutes, Ginyard contributed just two points and one rebound. Still recovering from an ankle injury, which sidelined him for three games, Ginyard is not only having trouble finding a rhythm but encountered more than he could handle in trying to guard Georgia Tech’s Iman Shumpert, who scored a game-high 30 points. As the team’s foremost defensive specialist and experienced senior, Ginyard’s lingering subpar play is a concern.

Carolina’s big men, most notably Ed Davis and Deon Thompson, still have not established themselves in the paint—detrimental to a team still trying to find its range at the perimeter.

This year’s freshmen seem to have a steeper learning curve. Because underclassmen comprise the team’s majority, failure to mesh, work cohesively, and eliminate careless errors will only further put the Heels at a disadvantage.

Moreover, younger players tend to have more fragile mentalities. The more losses that add up, the more the mental armor will continue to crack, as shown by the recurring late-game meltdowns, where inattentive, inexperienced play is most conspicuous.

North Carolina currently stands at a tipping point. As the ACC is particularly evenly matched, vital home wins are staple to a successful season. Yet, home wins could come few and far between if the Tar Heels continue to play poor, unorganized basketball and not as a team.