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Even before the first game, fifth-year player Armando Bacot was queried about comparisons between his fifth Tar Heel team and last season’s disappointment. “We’ve flushed last year,” Bacot said in his descriptive manner.
Those comparisons are officially irrelevant because, one, it is a completely different team makeup with five experienced transfers and, two, a retooled chemistry that is bubbling while the 2023 beaker is broken on the lab floor.
After the 103-67 blowout of Syracuse and sixth straight win overall, let’s count the ways:
The soon-to-be top five Tar Heels, obviously, have better players who are collectively in their 27th season of college basketball, from sixth-year graduate transfer Cormac Ryan to true freshman Elliot Cadeau. And that’s just among the five starters. The other six scholarship players have another 17 or so seasons of experience.
They all stepped onto the big stage with a hunger higher than current NIL deals or professional aspirations. In a word, they all play like they want to WIN now more than anything else in their lives. They are also physical and aren’t afraid to dive on the floor in a way that makes devotees of George Karl and Joel Berry smile.
They are better coached by the same man who, this season, has options to prove his various points. Hubert Davis sat down his All-American center after Bacot bumped a 3-point shooter for his second foul and did not return until the second half — while the Tar Heels still built a 52-30 lead at the break, their largest of the season. It was the third straight half opponents have shot less than 30 percent and fourth time in the last six halves foes have misfired for below 30.
Bacot was honored before the game for eclipsing 2,000 career points. He played 17 total minutes, which was enough for him to record his eighth double-double of the season (10 points and 11 boards) and 76th of his college career, which is the most in UNC history and third-most ever in the ACC. Those 11 rebounds bumped his Carolina all-time mark to 1,507.
UNC’s Armando Bacot receives the game ball from when he scored his 2,000 career point during Wednesday’s game against NC State. Tar Heel legend Phil Ford shakes his hand. (Photo via Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro)
The veteran trio of Ryan, R.J. Davis and Harrison Ingram had 27 points in a combined 49 minutes of the first half before an excited packed house for the Saturday matinee. Ingram went on to pull down double-figure rebounds for the third time in four games, including 15 at Pitt and 19 at N. C. State. It was the first time this season that Ingram (11 and 10) and Bacot both had double-doubles.
While R.J. was the high scorer with 22 points (his 10th 20-plus game of the season) and four 3-pointers, the other starters plus Jalen Washington all scored before Davis made his first basket.
Davis may hunt his shot, but he also maintained his 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, second only to point guard Elliot Cadeau (53-26). It marked the 13th consecutive game that Davis has canned multiple 3-pointers, two behind UNC leader Justin Jackson’s 15 in the NCAA championship 2017 season. Besides moving into 24th place on the list of UNC’s all-time scorers, Davis also tied his career high with 5 steals.
Would the far-away national media please pay attention!
Hubert Davis played 10 men in the first half, clearly committed to the old Dean Smith philosophy of getting everyone into the game early who may be needed situationally in the second half. Besides Bacot’s 16 points and Ingram’s 11, J-Wash and J-Withers both played double-figure minutes and were double-figure scorers.
First-year Syracuse coach Adrian Autry has moved away from Jim Boeheim’s zone-always defense and started in man-to-man, which Carolina shredded with 51 percent shooting in the first half. He went back to the 2-3 zone to begin the second half and got the deficit down to 15 before the Tar Heels figured it out and went on a 16-2 run to put the game away.
After Jae’Lyn Withers followed a Paxson Wojcik miss, putting UNC up by 37 with 11 minutes left, Autry called a timeout and took his white board into the huddle.
What did he write? “Plane for home leaves at 6 pm.”?
“The zone was good for us,” Hubert Davis said afterward. “We haven’t faced a zone very much and had to adjust to it. We have bigs who can score in the paint and guards who can get to the basket. So it allowed us to play inside out.”
UNC head coach Hubert Davis speaks with Jalen Washington on the sidelines during Carolina’s game against Syracuse. (Photo via Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro)
Here are the salient stats and numbing numbers from the win:
- Five Tar Heels scored in double figures for the third time this season.
- 13 steals that resulted in 23 points off 17 Orange turnovers.
- UNC out-rebounded its opponent for the fifth straight game.
- A 53-30 advantage and plus-23 on the boards are both season highs.
- UNC led 19-7 on the offensive glass, resulting in 22 second-chance points.
- Outscoring the ‘Cuse 58-32 in the paint (even without Bacot for most of the game).
- Sixth-straight opponent held under 70 points.
- Holding the Orange to 36.5 percent from the field, the fifth consecutive opponent to shoot below 40 percent for the first time since 2020.
- Ryan was a plus-35 while on the court, most for a Tar Heel in an ACC game this season.
- A season-high 13 steals, most since 13 pilfers against Wake Forest in 2019.
- 20 fast break points after getting zero at Pitt, four games ago.
- UNC bench outscored Syracuse subs 39-19, largest margin in an ACC game this season.
- 103 points and 36-point margin largest ever against the Orange.
- Carolina is 17-6 all-time against Syracuse, including 7-0 in Chapel Hill.
- Carolina is 5-0 in the ACC for the first time since starting 8-0 in the 2015-16 Final Four season.
- The 103 points are the most in a conference game since a 113-96 win over State in 2019.
“It’s been an emotional schedule,” Coach Davis said. “We had those three intense road wins, and there is a lot of excitement how this team is playing. We want to celebrate right after but get locked in for the next game.”
That comes up Wednesday night back in the Smith Center for a 9 p.m. tip against Louisville, which is 6-10 and 1-4 in the ACC after a loss at State. The 13-3 Tar Heels are one game ahead of second place Duke, FSU, State and Wake Forest (all 4-1) and two up on 3-2 Miami. The Blue Devils and Clemson are the only other ranked teams in the ACC, which means wins against any others are good — but losses would be bad…really bad.
Featured photo via Todd Melet/WCHL & Chapelboro.
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