North Carolina Basketball: 5 Musts for UNC to Make a Final Four Run
The other night I was watching SportsCenter and a segment featuring the upcoming NCAA tournament came on. Mr. Bracketologist himself, Joe Lunardi, talked about his top one through four seeds from each side of the bracket. I was on my laptop facebooking during his assessment, with the show mostly serving as ambiance.
Until I heard him mention "North Carolina" as his one of his four (4) seeds.
My eyes flew to the tube and I listened intently to every word he said. Among them was a sentence that in and of itself prompted this story. Lunardi said, "I've had one ACC coach tell me North Carolina is a Final Four team."
I rolled my eyes at first (forgive me, Tar Heel nation), but then I got to thinking: This team has lost only 6 games, and mostly to competition that will travel with them to the tournament.
Lunardi isn't the only one who sees this potential future for UNC, though. Former Duke standout guard Jason Williams said this during halftime of the UNC-FSU game: "North Carolina is a dark horse team for me to be a Final Four contender...depending upon the bracket they get in."
As it stands, I think UNC is still a ways away from making a Final Four. However, I came up with five things UNC must have/do if they're going to make a five-to-six game run come mid-March.
Improved Shooting
1 of 5My goodness, have you seen some of the shots UNC has taken this year? Some of them are what I'd expect to see in a middle school game from young kids who just don't know any better.
Yeah, a lot of this roster is made up of young kids in regards to experience at the college level, but that's hardly an excuse for some of the shots I've witnessed this season.
UNC shoots 31 percent from behind the arc and 65 percent from the charity stripe. The NCAA tournament has a history of providing close games; this year will be no different.
The Tar Heels need the ability to erase deficits and put some distance between themselves and their opponents. That can't happen unless those numbers are improved—fast.
It should be noted that the player who struggles most from the free-throw line and is featured in this video, John Henson (43 percent), made all his free throws in three consecutive games before shooting 5-6 from the line against Florida St. on March 2.
Play Above Class
2 of 5
North Carolina starts two freshmen and two sophomores, but they can't play like it during the NCAA tournament.
This team features only one senior (by standing, not years at Carolina). Justin Knox is a veteran, mind you, but has spent no more time in a Carolina jersey than Harrison Barnes or Kendall Marshall.
Because of the noticeable youth, Carolina must play above their class. Everyone needs to step up, know their role, do their job, and grow up a lot quicker than expected if this team is going to challenge for a Final Four run.
The easiest way to achieve this is by not committing silly mistakes. Mistakes like getting into foul trouble–especially with their heavily depleted roster–turnovers, bad shot selection, impatience, and so on, that can lead to easy baskets for their opposition and put Carolina behind in a hurry; something they cannot afford.
Fortunately, UNC, although young, is a mature bunch. Tie that in with a great coach—who year in and year out gets the most out of his players—and these problems are improvable.
Energy
3 of 5
North Carolina is probably at their most vulnerable state when they become stagnant in their offense. When they aren't getting up and down the floor or they're struggling to score, it seems to set them all the way back to the beginning of the season when they were just learning the ropes of everything (or still had Larry Drew II running the show).
North Carolina is most dangerous is when they're playing aggressively and assertively. When their tough defense leads to steals and subsequent fast break points, this team shows shades of vintage Carolina. Vintage Carolina that has made Final Four runs and hung championship banners.
Those teams had something in common: they had energy, and they were willing to work for the win.
So, is this team willing to take that charge against the forward barreling down the court at 100 mph? Do they dive on the floor for loose balls? Do they run back on defense harder than they would run toward a fast break? Do they run through the offensive sets with the same high-level of intensity each and every time?
These kinds of efforts are what separate you in close games; what gives you that slight edge. What wins you NCAA tournament games.
With the devastating news of freshman guard Reggie Bullock missing the remainder of the season with a knee injury, the remaining eight Carolina scholarship players will need to dig deep and see what they're really made of.
That doesn't mean they should exert less energy since there is a noticeable lack of depth down the bench. If anything, they'll just have to play even harder now, staying out of foul trouble in the process.
.png?w=256 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
Roy Williams-esque Coaching
4 of 5
Roy Williams was seemingly ready to be run out of town by Carolina faithful after last season in culmination with the two early losses this season to Minnesota and Vanderbilt.
But one Larry Drew II transfer and the recognition of Kendall Marshall's true ability later, UNC holds a strong chance of winning the ACC regular season title and a high seed in the NCAA — not the NIT — tournament.
It took Roy Williams awhile to make the adjustment from Drew II to Marshall (I have NO idea why), but at the end of the day he made the switch and North Carolina is infinitely better now because of it, too.
Great coaching decisions like that have given Roy Williams his respected status. That same coaching ability must be evident and in full force in the tournament if Carolina has a fighting chance at a Final Four.
This isn't Williams' first rodeo; he's done this before. However, a number of his roster hasn't. Of his entire rotation, only two players have experienced in the NCAA tournament. The others, well, the NIT is a far cry from the "real thing."
Williams, as mentioned before, is known for getting the best out of his players. And for Carolina to make a deep run in the tournament, he will have to do just that.
Harrison Barnes
5 of 5
North Carolina is 8-0 when Harrison Barnes scores 17 points or more. In their six losses, Barnes averaged only 10.1 points per contest. In the month of February, plus his game against Florida State, Barnes averaged 17.1 points per contest and UNC lost only one game to then-ranked no. 5 Duke at Duke.
Moral of the story?
Harrison Barnes is the make-it-or-break-it player for UNC, whether he, you, your mother or the media likes it or not. When he plays well, UNC's chances are promising. When he doesn't, their chances aren't so promising.
Kendall Marshall, in my humble opinion, has been the most surprising player this season, but I wouldn't be so quick to say he's been the most important. He has undoubtedly made Barnes—and the rest of his team—better, getting them the ball in prime-shooting position and where they can be the most effective. But at the end of the day, Barnes has been UNC's go-to-guy down the stretch.
And that can't change in the NCAA tournament.
Barnes needs to ride what he's been accomplishing in the past month (average 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game) right into March Madness. He needs to play with this unshakable confidence that's been on display ever since he dropped a then-season high against N.C. State. He needs to continue leading by example. Simply put, he needs to keep being Harrison Barnes.
I think Barnes finally "gets it" again. I think he's known it all along, but it got lost amidst the hype and expectations that made him lose sight of what was really important. I think as long as he stands by what he said after his game-winner against FSU, he, and UNC, will be just fine come tourney time.
"You can't really second-guess yourself. You have to go with the first instinct."
- Harrison Barnes
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
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