UNC at GT 12/31/16

DC Bee

DC Bee

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
630
Location
Springfield, VA
I haven't watched as full BB game in about 5 years. I tried watching an early game last year but became disheartened watching GT have a solid 1st half lead that completely folded in the 2nd half. I knew nothing about CJP when he was hired, but when I saw his credentials and his mentors I became very excited. I'm glad I decided to watch yesterday's gave live and the bowl game on replay. GT played very tough yesterday and was poised in the stretch. They made a lot of mistakes but obviously did more things well. What an opener. The future looks damn promising.
 
CuseJacket

CuseJacket

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
19,564
WOW. Where to start. Just finished watching the replay after watching the box score from Jacksonville during the bowl game.

We were 18 point dogs. UNC should have been able to win with their 2nd string just by rolling the ball out there on the floor. We have 1, maybe 2 players who even break their rotation (Lammers, Okogie). We shot 41% (not bad, not great), turned the ball over 16 times, and beat the #9 team in the country by 12 without a true home court advantage.

I watched the replay knowing the outcome. The question I wanted answered as I watched was, "How does anything we've done so far this year in the first 12 games translate to a win vs. #9 UNC?". Few new observations and some to reiterate:
  • I thought early on we made more buckets around the rim than we've typically shown the ability to convert. Several conversions by our guards and Q that I thought we don't normally convert at as great a clip with defenders around.
  • We got in the open court and looked GOOD. We outran UNC at their own game. I am the first to admit I thought this would be counterproductive playing UNC at their own game.
  • We are better coached offensively AND defensively this year. We've lost nothing in that regard from the CBG regime. I struggle to figure out the best way to say how impressed I am with our defensive discipline and choices all year with mixing m2m, 2-3, 1-3-1, matchup zone, and sometimes switching with 15 sec on the shot clock. Not many teams in the country do this as well as us. The players know where to be and don't simply use the zones as a breather like we saw with CBG.
  • The referees were surprisingly unbiased for a UNC game (or a Duke game). We got the benefit of a couple bad calls in the 2nd half - the block/charge and lack of And 1 for Meeks. The refs tried to offset it by giving UNC 1 or 2 50/50's after, but overall the refs weren't noticeable. UNC lack of aggression in general vs. us helped. This is why some complained about refs in CBG years despite the UNC/Duke factor - we weren't the aggressor.
  • We still have physical shortcomings and lack of depth, and I think this has been managed exceptionally well this year, far above my expectations. It's still going to limit the number of W's we earn, but everything will be earned.
  • Mandatory Roy Williams shot... this was exhibit A on why I think he's a terrible gameday coach
    • Offensively his players just play. This is no different than past years. No effort to isolate their strengths or get their top scorers shots. Frankly this should have been a game where it shouldn't matter, but when the going got tough, he just let the team play with few if any sets. I don't recall a single force feed to a big or attempt to get Berry/Jackson the ball more often. Horrible.
    • Defensively... LOL. His guards extended m2m beyond the 3 pt line vs. Moore, Jackson, Okogie, etc. Did UNC even attempt a scouting report? This is why Moore was able to get to the basket, Lammers was able to find cutters who otherwise can't shoot from deep, etc. We took advantage, so I don't want this to sound like I'm taking away from our W, but it was a disaster by big-time coach standards. Rewatch if you haven't... there is a very easy way to defend our perimeter and Roy either didn't see it or didn't coach it.
  • I am so happy for our team and coaches. As I watched the box score live, I thought about how heartbreaking a loss of this type would be if UNC pulled it out late. Instead this springboards our program in a big way. I will take this win with a UGA loss without hesitation, vs the opposite in terms of what this does for program recognition and recruiting.
It was an awesome day to be a Jacket. We run New Year's Eve as far as I'm concerned.
 
AE 87

AE 87

Helluva Engineer
Messages
13,027
CuseJacket said:
WOW. Where to start. Just finished watching the replay after watching the box score from Jacksonville during the bowl game.

We were 18 point dogs. UNC should have been able to win with their 2nd string just by rolling the ball out there on the floor. We have 1, maybe 2 players who even break their rotation (Lammers, Okogie). We shot 41% (not bad, not great), turned the ball over 16 times, and beat the #9 team in the country by 12 without a true home court advantage.

I watched the replay knowing the outcome. The question I wanted answered as I watched was, "How does anything we've done so far this year in the first 12 games translate to a win vs. #9 UNC?". Few new observations and some to reiterate:
  • I thought early on we made more buckets around the rim than we've typically shown the ability to convert. Several conversions by our guards and Q that I thought we don't normally convert at as great a clip with defenders around.
  • We got in the open court and looked GOOD. We outran UNC at their own game. I am the first to admit I thought this would be counterproductive playing UNC at their own game.
  • We are better coached offensively AND defensively this year. We've lost nothing in that regard from the CBG regime. I struggle to figure out the best way to say how impressed I am with our defensive discipline and choices all year with mixing m2m, 2-3, 1-3-1, matchup zone, and sometimes switching with 15 sec on the shot clock. Not many teams in the country do this as well as us. The players know where to be and don't simply use the zones as a breather like we saw with CBG.
  • The referees were surprisingly unbiased for a UNC game (or a Duke game). We got the benefit of a couple bad calls in the 2nd half - the block/charge and lack of And 1 for Meeks. The refs tried to offset it by giving UNC 1 or 2 50/50's after, but overall the refs weren't noticeable. UNC lack of aggression in general vs. us helped. This is why some complained about refs in CBG years despite the UNC/Duke factor - we weren't the aggressor.
  • We still have physical shortcomings and lack of depth, and I think this has been managed exceptionally well this year, far above my expectations. It's still going to limit the number of W's we earn, but everything will be earned.
  • Mandatory Roy Williams shot... this was exhibit A on why I think he's a terrible gameday coach
    • Offensively his players just play. This is no different than past years. No effort to isolate their strengths or get their top scorers shots. Frankly this should have been a game where it shouldn't matter, but when the going got tough, he just let the team play with few if any sets. I don't recall a single force feed to a big or attempt to get Berry/Jackson the ball more often. Horrible.
    • Defensively... LOL. His guards extended m2m beyond the 3 pt line vs. Moore, Jackson, Okogie, etc. Did UNC even attempt a scouting report? This is why Moore was able to get to the basket, Lammers was able to find cutters who otherwise can't shoot from deep, etc. We took advantage, so I don't want this to sound like I'm taking away from our W, but it was a disaster by big-time coach standards. Rewatch if you haven't... there is a very easy way to defend our perimeter and Roy either didn't see it or didn't coach it.
  • I am so happy for our team and coaches. As I watched the box score live, I thought about how heartbreaking a loss of this type would be if UNC pulled it out late. Instead this springboards our program in a big way. I will take this win with a UGA loss without hesitation, vs the opposite in terms of what this does for program recognition and recruiting.
It was an awesome day to be a Jacket. We run New Year's Eve as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...

I think your Roy Williams shot was the biggest factor. He and his staff took the game off.

He got away with it vs CBG, sometimes barely.
 
Peacone36

Peacone36

Helluva Engineer
Messages
10,503
Location
Maine
CuseJacket said:
WOW. Where to start. Just finished watching the replay after watching the box score from Jacksonville during the bowl game.

We were 18 point dogs. UNC should have been able to win with their 2nd string just by rolling the ball out there on the floor. We have 1, maybe 2 players who even break their rotation (Lammers, Okogie). We shot 41% (not bad, not great), turned the ball over 16 times, and beat the #9 team in the country by 12 without a true home court advantage.

I watched the replay knowing the outcome. The question I wanted answered as I watched was, "How does anything we've done so far this year in the first 12 games translate to a win vs. #9 UNC?". Few new observations and some to reiterate:
  • I thought early on we made more buckets around the rim than we've typically shown the ability to convert. Several conversions by our guards and Q that I thought we don't normally convert at as great a clip with defenders around.
  • We got in the open court and looked GOOD. We outran UNC at their own game. I am the first to admit I thought this would be counterproductive playing UNC at their own game.
  • We are better coached offensively AND defensively this year. We've lost nothing in that regard from the CBG regime. I struggle to figure out the best way to say how impressed I am with our defensive discipline and choices all year with mixing m2m, 2-3, 1-3-1, matchup zone, and sometimes switching with 15 sec on the shot clock. Not many teams in the country do this as well as us. The players know where to be and don't simply use the zones as a breather like we saw with CBG.
  • The referees were surprisingly unbiased for a UNC game (or a Duke game). We got the benefit of a couple bad calls in the 2nd half - the block/charge and lack of And 1 for Meeks. The refs tried to offset it by giving UNC 1 or 2 50/50's after, but overall the refs weren't noticeable. UNC lack of aggression in general vs. us helped. This is why some complained about refs in CBG years despite the UNC/Duke factor - we weren't the aggressor.
  • We still have physical shortcomings and lack of depth, and I think this has been managed exceptionally well this year, far above my expectations. It's still going to limit the number of W's we earn, but everything will be earned.
  • Mandatory Roy Williams shot... this was exhibit A on why I think he's a terrible gameday coach
    • Offensively his players just play. This is no different than past years. No effort to isolate their strengths or get their top scorers shots. Frankly this should have been a game where it shouldn't matter, but when the going got tough, he just let the team play with few if any sets. I don't recall a single force feed to a big or attempt to get Berry/Jackson the ball more often. Horrible.
    • Defensively... LOL. His guards extended m2m beyond the 3 pt line vs. Moore, Jackson, Okogie, etc. Did UNC even attempt a scouting report? This is why Moore was able to get to the basket, Lammers was able to find cutters who otherwise can't shoot from deep, etc. We took advantage, so I don't want this to sound like I'm taking away from our W, but it was a disaster by big-time coach standards. Rewatch if you haven't... there is a very easy way to defend our perimeter and Roy either didn't see it or didn't coach it.
  • I am so happy for our team and coaches. As I watched the box score live, I thought about how heartbreaking a loss of this type would be if UNC pulled it out late. Instead this springboards our program in a big way. I will take this win with a UGA loss without hesitation, vs the opposite in terms of what this does for program recognition and recruiting.
It was an awesome day to be a Jacket. We run New Year's Eve as far as I'm concerned.
Click to expand...

One thing you didn't mention. And, it truly pains me to say this. Josh Heath was the man in the 2H. On defense, on the line, even had a prayer answered at the shot clock buzzer and I can't remember any egregious turnovers. He played that half like some expected him to play the entire season.
 
CuseJacket

CuseJacket

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
19,564
Peacone36 said:
One thing you didn't mention. And, it truly pains me to say this. Josh Heath was the man in the 2H. On defense, on the line, even had a prayer answered at the shot clock buzzer and I can't remember any egregious turnovers. He played that half like some expected him to play the entire season.
Click to expand...
Definitely helped. His 3 from 26 feet helped offset the Nate Britt nonsense.
 
awbuzz

awbuzz

Helluva Manager
Staff member
Messages
12,106
Location
Marietta, GA
Finally watched the game. I don't remember so many backdoor cuts that we were effective with in long time. In CJP's post game with Randy, I liked his comment about "violent" cuts and how hard they are to defend.
 
CuseJacket

CuseJacket

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
19,564
Beehive

Beehive

Banned
Messages
75
I think this team is better than a lot of people are giving em credit for! Our center is one of the better ones in ACC . QS has become a complete player. Jackson has All ACC written all over him and okogie is one heck of a player! Moore and Heath handle the ball well at point. We have a very good coach, best since Bobby. This won't be the last ACC game we win!ll
 
Peacone36

Peacone36

Helluva Engineer
Messages
10,503
Location
Maine
Beehive said:
I think this team is better than a lot of people are giving em credit for! Our center is one of the better ones in ACC . QS has become a complete player. Jackson has All ACC written all over him and okogie is one heck of a player! Moore and Heath handle the ball well at point. We have a very good coach, best since Bobby. This won't be the last ACC game we win!ll
Click to expand...

Easy. We were 18 point home dogs for a reason. QS play in this game was not his best. Lammers, Heath and Okogie were the stars here
 
COJacket

COJacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
794
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
coolhaji33 said:
There going to come out fired up tomorrow...Moore is an absolute gamer and will have them believing they can beat UNC...Okogie will be in attack mode,hoping his aggressive nature along with Heaths and Moore's ability to penetrate can get Q and TJ going on some nice kick outs.
The bottom line will be if Ben can stay out of foul trouble going up against Hicks and Meeks,there going to bang and be his biggest challenge this far...I think he'll step up and play well.AD and Obongda need to come alive and rebound.I think our best bet is to stick to the original script...play up tempo heavy ball movement attacking style with Ben as the focal point offensively....play aggressive defensively and win the 50/50's.This could be a breakout game for Okogie...think he'll have no fear and go for 20+
Click to expand...
Great prophetic post(y)
 
coolhaji33

coolhaji33

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
411
Peacone36 said:
One thing you didn't mention. And, it truly pains me to say this. Josh Heath was the man in the 2H. On defense, on the line, even had a prayer answered at the shot clock buzzer and I can't remember any egregious turnovers. He played that half like some expected him to play the entire season.
Click to expand...
:)
 
Techster

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
18,238
Peacone36 said:
One thing you didn't mention. And, it truly pains me to say this. Josh Heath was the man in the 2H. On defense, on the line, even had a prayer answered at the shot clock buzzer and I can't remember any egregious turnovers. He played that half like some expected him to play the entire season.
Click to expand...

I've always been a Heath fan, and thought he was capable of more than what we've seen. To me, it felt like he just wanted to defer to his teammates. I'm not saying he needs to jack shots up at will or take it to the basket whenever he has the itch, just he's a more capable player than he's given credit for.

I think he can give us 8-12 points a night and around 5 assists.
 

RamblinRed

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
5,870
Got to watch the game tonight. What a wonderful effort. I don't expect to win many ACC games, but i'll take anyone we can get.

Heath, okogie and Lammers were the stars for this game with a big shoutout to Q as well.

Heath and okogie both had the best games of their GT careers imo in this game.

Lammers had a fairly typical game for him, which is great given the competition. 11 pts, 11 boards, 4 assts (and Moore blew a layup for a 5th) with no TO and 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Q didn't shoot well overall, but made a couple of big shots and really played great defense and rebounded well all game long.

Okogie played his best all around game of the year. Easily better than Tulane,

Very proud of the players and staff. These are the game you treasure in rebuilding years.
 
Top