Off the cuff: It was some great Motown songwriter I suppose who wrote that a one-man band plays all alone. After the Cole Anthony Show in the opener, it was good to see newcomer Justin Pierce get in on the action, along with Garrison Brooks. UNC-W was hanging tough with the Tar Heels but Pierce kept Carolina in it with 13 first-half points and then Brooks put the Heels on top for good. UNC coach Roy Williams seemed a bit surly talking to reporters after the game. He wants to have these games against former players and assistants. Seahawks' coach C.B. McGrath was both. But he doesn't enjoy those games. Couple that with Carolina's injury woes causing a short bench and Coach Williams isn't enjoying the start to the season. Armando Bacot went out with an apparent concussion in the first half and there was no Sterling Manley to turn to, who is still out. Brandon Huffman figures to see some time early in the season unless the Heels abandon the return to pushing the ball inside to the big men as the best option. With the three-point line further out this season, you'd think relying on the triple would be a bad thing. After all, one off night shooting from long distance could spell doom. Carolina has shot fewer threes than its first two opponents but the Heels are still 18 of 45 on the young season. Anthony has taken 22 of them, connecting on 10. After two games last season, the Tar Heels were 16 of 46 so little has changed as far as jacking up the threes. When Bacot is back, I suspect the number of threes will go down a little but it seems the game has just changed, no matter how far out they put the three-point line. |
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