12/5/2021 - UNC @ GT

joehamiltonfan14

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
445
Carolina was just better than us today, not going to win when they are playing like that. Not as upset as I was after Wisconsin. Gotta win the 50-50 games
 

AUFC

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,848
Location
Atlanta
That game went about how I expected. Bacot dominated down low and their guards shot the lights out. Love and Davis just blew by our defenders to the basket. Pastner didn't even dare to try the 1-3-1 until it was yolo time, wherein UNC found easy looks from 3 and Manek drained everything. This is a bad matchup for us and we need to win the next 2 in the worst way.
 

awbuzz

Helluva Manager
Staff member
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12,103
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Marietta, GA
We had eight rebounds in the second half, 8! Granted North Carolina didn't miss too many shots, but we missed plenty and had more than ample opportunity for a lot more rebounds. Made a big difference in the game.
 

Jacketman99

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
962
Not really surprised by the result. UNC is a bad match-up for us this year. We could not compete on the interior and they shot lights out. They are extremely talented. We got nothing from the 5 position in this game and got abused on the boards. We were going to need a huge game from Devoe to have a chance to win and we did not get that. At least Coleman and Moore were able to provide something offensively. Hopefully that carries over to the next game.
 

JDjacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
634
I assume I missed anything about him but is Meka hurt again or not able to pass Howard/Seba? I just remember before he got hurt last season he was supposed to be the next man up after Moses.
 

gte447f

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,085
Just not enough contending ACC talent on this roster. Pastner better hit the portal hard this offseason or it’s going to be very ugly. I don’t see a single likely returning player that I am confident can start at this level yet.
Debo Coleman will be just fine. I would like to see more from Kelly, but I think he will be good for us too.
 

MWBATL

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,526
For those who complain about the lack of fan support, this may be poorly timed, but many former fans don't yet believe that we are "back". One flash in the pan season, when we were aided by covid, and had the ACC POY and DPOY, and still barely made the Dance, does not convince skeptics that we are "back". We are CERTAINLY much better than we have been recently, that is clear. And Pastner has us moving forward. But this team (I think everyone agrees) is another borderline tourney team (at best). And we aren't getting the likes of Kenny Anderson or Mark Price or John Salley in our recruiting.

Pastner needs to have multiple years of success before the rabid fan base returns. Give him time, he may get there, it has been a tough road for him. But give the fans time as well to regain confidence after a LONG drought.
 

gte447f

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,085
My thoughts from being at the game. I thought we played a pretty good first half. 31-31 tie at half. We were shooting the lights out early on and at one point we got up by 9 with about 8 minutes to go. At one point well into the half the score board said we were shooting 80 something percent. UNC was shooting around 50% at that time. UNC really had to work to claw back that 9 points and just barely tie it at the half. At the half both teams were shooting even at about 46%, and we were 5-8 on threes. Neither Bacot nor Malik were really hurting us down low in the first half. Bacot was playing extremely physical and that may have gotten to us and worn us down in the 2nd half.

We continued to shoot 46% in the 2nd half, but we were 1-8 on 3’s which hurt. Unfortunately they were shooting the lights out at 65% in the 2nd half mainly on the strength of 7-9 from 3. Most of their 3’s were wide open. In my opinion they beat us from the inside out. Because of Bacot’s size and physicality our perimeter players seemed to be over helping (too much in my opinion) which left their shooters wide open, and they didn’t miss. I would have preferred to let Howard fend for himself more against Bacot. I thought he did a decent job against him defensively (but not rebounding).

Of course they outrebounded us. That’s one of their calling cards always playing with 2 legit bigs on the floor. Surprisingly, it only resulted in a 5 point advantage in 2nd chance points and we actually had more transition/fast break points, which is another of their calling cards.

Bottom line, like several others have said, I guess this is a tough match up for us because of their size down low, but I don’t think it had to be a loss. That being said, I think we lost it mainly on the defensive end of the court.
 

lv20gt

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,580
For those who complain about the lack of fan support, this may be poorly timed, but many former fans don't yet believe that we are "back". One flash in the pan season, when we were aided by covid, and had the ACC POY and DPOY, and still barely made the Dance, does not convince skeptics that we are "back". We are CERTAINLY much better than we have been recently, that is clear. And Pastner has us moving forward. But this team (I think everyone agrees) is another borderline tourney team (at best). And we aren't getting the likes of Kenny Anderson or Mark Price or John Salley in our recruiting.

Pastner needs to have multiple years of success before the rabid fan base returns. Give him time, he may get there, it has been a tough road for him. But give the fans time as well to regain confidence after a LONG drought.

I'm sorry but this is a problem if the fan base thinks like this.

It shouldn't take 5 years of NCAAT appearances to get a rowdy home court against UNC of all teams. Two top 5 finishes and an ACC championship should get that. Now there are plenty of valid reasons people can have to miss it (for instance I live 7 hours away with limited transportation opportunity so I can rarely make a game). However, if we have fans who are looking at it like it's an investment that needs assurances that they aren't getting "fooled" into supporting a bad team then we'll never have the home court advantage we should. Great fan support could help the team get a big win to get back to the dance, or help convince great recruits to come here.
 

gte447f

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,085
For those who complain about the lack of fan support, this may be poorly timed, but many former fans don't yet believe that we are "back". One flash in the pan season, when we were aided by covid, and had the ACC POY and DPOY, and still barely made the Dance, does not convince skeptics that we are "back". We are CERTAINLY much better than we have been recently, that is clear. And Pastner has us moving forward. But this team (I think everyone agrees) is another borderline tourney team (at best). And we aren't getting the likes of Kenny Anderson or Mark Price or John Salley in our recruiting.

Pastner needs to have multiple years of success before the rabid fan base returns. Give him time, he may get there, it has been a tough road for him. But give the fans time as well to regain confidence after a LONG drought.
I think there is probably a lot of truth to your idea that the old school fan base doesn’t yet believe that GT basketball is back. I hope we get there sooner than later. In my dream world, I would love to spend season after season amongst a full house of McCamish maniacs!
 

gte447f

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,085
I'm sorry but this is a problem if the fan base thinks like this.

It shouldn't take 5 years of NCAAT appearances to get a rowdy home court against UNC of all teams. Two top 5 finishes and an ACC championship should get that. Now there are plenty of valid reasons people can have to miss it (for instance I live 7 hours away with limited transportation opportunity so I can rarely make a game). However, if we have fans who are looking at it like it's an investment that needs assurances that they aren't getting "fooled" into supporting a bad team then we'll never have the home court advantage we should. Great fan support could help the team get a big win to get back to the dance, or help convince great recruits to come here.
Truth. Preach brother. I love the way you think on this one.
 

GT11

GT Athlete
Messages
341
I'm sorry but this is a problem if the fan base thinks like this.

It shouldn't take 5 years of NCAAT appearances to get a rowdy home court against UNC of all teams. Two top 5 finishes and an ACC championship should get that. Now there are plenty of valid reasons people can have to miss it (for instance I live 7 hours away with limited transportation opportunity so I can rarely make a game). However, if we have fans who are looking at it like it's an investment that needs assurances that they aren't getting "fooled" into supporting a bad team then we'll never have the home court advantage we should. Great fan support could help the team get a big win to get back to the dance, or help convince great recruits to come here.
Well said. Not only can it, but it does. The product on the court now will be competitive in the ACC this year and deserve to be supported. These kids give everything that have. They have played games this year with players sick when most people would have gotten out bed. Why? Because the want to win and represent your school. I feel sore for people can’t support student athletes like. These young men don’t make excuses and a lose hurts them more than it does you
 
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