North Carolina Basketball: Youth Is Still UNC's Achilles Heel

Nothing this season has been more satisfying than watching UNC beat teams they are capable of beating—a feat that last season's team failed to capitalize on—on countless occasions. 

But nothing has been more frustrating than watching this year's team's complacency with big leads almost, and sometimes succeeding in, costing them the game.

Amidst losing 13 players in two years, the dismissal of who would have been one of the two seniors on this year's roster and a starting five that consists of two freshman and two sophomores, I turn to one aspect for which I blame 80 percent of the team's shortcomings—youth.

Youth, that as a whole, connects on only 31 percent of their attempted three-pointers; that's plagued by turnovers, hovering around the 14 per game mark; and that depends on a 65 percent free-throw percentage, one that can be all but trusted in late-game situations.

The same youth blew a 16-point lead against ACC powerhouse and arch-rival Duke, who fought harder, longer and ultimately came out on top; let Wake Forest back into the game after commanding a 19-point lead in the second half; and just recently let the Eagles of Boston College claw their way back from a 15-point deficit, losing by only two points.

"I think one of the hardest things to do in basketball is to play with a lead," UNC freshman point guard Kendall Marshall said after the BC game.  "I think we had got [our lead] up to 15 points and, at that time, it's hard to judge what's a good shot and what's a bad shot, working the clock, and things like that. Our time management wasn't that great."

"Wasn't that great," is right.  It's not the first time it's happened, either.

"It's very disappointing because, at this point in time, we have become a good team," freshman forward Harrison Barnes added.  "We've got a lot of good wins underneath our belt. But we almost threw it away tonight."

From what I've gathered so far this season, UNC can play with anyone.  However, they can't always play with them for the entire game.  I chalk it up to inexperience catching up with them at the worst possible times—during an opponent's run or their own offensive drought.

I'm not one to write an entire article bashing my favorite team.  I'm not cynical; I'm just a realist. 

UNC has shown flashes of a veteran team this season, such as coming back and winning against Miami (Fl.) after the Hurricanes jumped out to an 18-4 lead.  Most teams would have rolled over—not UNC.

Against Kentucky in the first half, UK rolled to a 10-point lead, but UNC played their way back into the game and eventually into the win column.

There is one way, though, this UNC team can turn those flashes of brilliance into a consistent way of life, and faster than just letting "time run its course."  And that way is by practicing discipline. 

Discipline in practice, in games and in the classroom.  Discipline everywhere.  Discipline is what keeps you in the driver's seat with a lead—big or small—regardless of the competition.  It's what makes you grow up—fast.  It's what prepares you to play at the next level. 

It's what this UNC team desperately needs.

Not knowing a "good shot" when it's there is a discipline issue as is knowing it's a "bad shot" before you take it. Bad time management, especially with a lead, is a discipline issue, same with committing silly turnovers by passing too much or too little. Shooting 65 percent from the free-throw line is a discipline—and a practice—issue.  Leaving defensive assignments or missing defensive rotations is a discipline issue.

As you can see, this Carolina team has plenty of discipline issues.  They say "time heals all wounds," but these wounds can be healed a lot faster with just a little discipline.