Off the cuff: Considering the Tar Heels' impressive 26-point halftime margin, UNC coach Roy Williams was a bit of a Debbie Downer in the post-game interview. "There was a lot of negative stuff out there," he said. Coach Williams, perhaps playing a mental game with the players, is certainly correct that there is plenty to correct. And his emphasis on improving the defense is warranted. But the Tar Heels overpowered the Cardinal in the first half. They shot well and aggressively went to the hoop. Scoring came from a lot of sources. So there are areas that looked good. Ten players scored and seven of them scored eight or more. In addition to the double figure scorers, freshmen Coby White scored nine, Nassir Little scored eight and Leaky Black scored nine. Black especially looked good hitting all four of his shots and picking off two steals. Despite the areas to improve, the future is bright for the Heels. It's fine for Coach Williams to be critical to get the most out of his players. My ongoing gripe with Coach Williams is not allowing the subs to play at the game's end. While the team is well ahead, those guys in at the end of the game don't get to play much and there is really little excuse to have them dribbling out the clock the last 15-20 seconds rather than getting the opportunity to score. |
|