Off the cuff: Before I talk about the game itself, if you've following my writings over the years, you know I have a problem with the way ESPN manages the game schedule. It was especially frustrating with this game.
They schedule games to last two hours with State-Wake at 2 pm and Carolina-Virginia at 4 pm. The State-Wake game ran long without even going into overtime.
By the time ESPN2 joined the UNC game, more than five minutes of the game had been played and Carolina was up 15-2. So Carolina fans actually only saw the Tar Heels score two more points than Virginia.
I still yearn for the days of CD Chesley and Jefferson Pilot when the announcers in the arena talked about the game before and after, and you didn't miss any of the action. Scheduling games for two and a half hours would allow for that but ESPN won't ever do it. The reason has to be money.
Anyway, by now you know that Carolina has settled in on a two big man starting lineup that includes Jae'lyn Withers and Ven-Allen Lubin. And it seems to be working.
While Elliot Cadeau did start the game, the new philosophy seems to be affecting his playing time as much as anybody. Or maybe it's simply that he has become turnover prone - especially unforced turnovers.
Cadeau played just 22 minutes and scored just two points but he did have six assists. Seth Trimble, off the bench, contributed five points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. With those two on the court, UNC outscored Virginia by eight points.
Meanwhile with Withers, Lubin and Drake Powell on the court, those three averaged a 15-point margin over the Cavaliers.
Withers has always had the talent but he has made some bad decisions and wild plays in the past. That applies more to Cadeau now.
"I kinda woke up," Withers said after the game. He said one of the managers told him that "Whatever It Takes" is "WIT" for short so he's kinda taken up that mantra.
Withers said he played in a nonchalant manner at the first of the year and Coach Davis (who he calls HD) evidently finally got through to him to play with more energy. He says he's taken on more of a leadership role as well.
He hinted that there may have been something off the court that has weighed on his mind. He said he now lets everything go when he's between the lines of the court.
Carolina 81, Virginia 66 Hot Tar Heels streak past Cavaliers
(Photo by UNC Sports Information.) A hot-shooting North Carolina team dominated early, getting out to a 21-2 lead, and put down every Virginia push to win 81-66 in Chapel Hill. (2/22)
It was the third game in a row that the Tar Heels have never trailed. It was also the first time that a Carolina team has scored more than 80 points against a Virginia team in the last 20 games between the two teams.
Five Tar Heels scored in double figures, with recent starter Jae'lyn Withers scoring 16 points and first-man-off-the-bench Ian Jackson matching that total. The two were seven of nine from beyond the three-point line with Withers stroking four and Jackson hitting three.
Both Withers and Jackson hit threes during a 15-0 Carolina run that took the lead from 6-2 to 21-2.
"They were ready to go from from the start," UNC coach Hubert Davis said of his team, adding that except for some self-inflicted errors it was a flawless first half.
After the big Carolina start, a flagrant foul on Jalen Washington and a technical foul on Withers for taunting helped the Cavaliers go on a 7-0 run.
From that time on, the lead generally hovered in the 12 to 17 point range, with the Tar Heels getting their biggest lead on an old-fashioned three-point play by Jackson with 6:10 to go that made it 77-57.
Over the last five minutes, with mixed results, the Tar Heels burned clock and waited until late in the clock to attempt to score. RJ Davis, who managed 12 points, had an off night shooting as he missed all four of his three-point attempts and went just three of 14 from the field.
"I feel like we're playing better as a team - one that doesn't rely on RJ to have a huge night," Coach Davis said, adding that everybody who plays is contributing.
One of those is Withers, who has averaged more than 14 points over the last three games and led the Tar Heels with 11 rebounds against Virginia. "When JWit is on the floor and he plays well on both ends of the court, he completely changes our team for the good," Coach Davis said.
The Tar Heels hit 9-for-16 from beyond the arc (56.3 percent) and outrebounded the Cavaliers 32-21 on the way to improving their record to 17-11 and 10-6 in the ACC.
Isaac McKneely's 17 points led Virginia, which falls to 13-14 and 6-10 in the conference.
It's a quick turnaround for Carolina, who travel to Florida State Monday night.
