Harrison Ingram
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Lucas: Alabama Rapid Reactions
March 28, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the Sweet 16 matchup.
By Adam Lucas
1. Disappointing ending to a memorable season, as Alabama ends the UNC year, 89-87, in the Sweet 16.
2. Carolina took a three-point lead with 90 seconds left. But much like last season in Portland, the Tar Heels couldn't close the game out. The key possession was a rushed errant three-pointer from Jae'Lyn Withers with under a minute to go when Carolina had the lead. On the next possession, down two with 35 seconds to go, it turned into too much watching RJ Davis, who couldn't create a basket or get to the line. Davis finished 4-for-20 from the field and 0-for-9 from the three-point line. It was the first game this season in which he didn't make a three-pointer and snapped a streak of 41 straight games with a three.
3. That was part of an overall poor offensive second half that saw the Tar Heels go 10-for-40 from the field, a figure of 25 percent. They were also just 2-for-16 from the three-point line. Nothing was going in, including a missed dunk with under seven minutes to play that would have provided a five-point lead. If you watched it, these numbers won't surprise you. The 25 percent was the program's worst performance in a half in an NCAA Tournament game since shooting 22.6% in the second half against Kansas in the 2012 Elite Eight. It ties the third-lowest shooting percentage in an NCAA Tournament half in UNC history.
4. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, couldn't get a defensive stop when they needed it. Alabama got baskets on both their non-fouled possessions in the final 90 seconds and then watched the Tide ice the game at the free throw line with 7.6 seconds remaining. Grant Nelson had 24 points, including the clinching free throws, that were part of a backbreaking 7-0 Alabama run. Nelson scored 13 points in the final 7:05 of the game.
5. Armando Bacot's 19-point, 12-rebound double-double was the 87th of his career. That ties Tim Duncan atop the all-time ACC list, and he and Duncan finish tied for second on the all-time NCAA list. That also marks Bacot's eighth NCAA Tournament double-double, tying him with Antawn Jamison atop Carolina's career NCAA Tournament double-double list. Bacot's 19 points led Carolina, and Cormac Ryan added 17, including five three-pointers.
6. The Tar Heels shared the ball very well in the first half against an Alabama defense that has struggled at times this year. The Tar Heels assisted on 14 of their 20 first half field goals, consistently turning down somewhat open attempts to get an even more open look. How much did the offense change in the second half? They had just three assists on ten field goals as they simply weren't able to knock down looks.
7. A racehorse first half saw Carolina sink ten three-pointers, four of which were by Ryan, which you might have expected. What you probably didn't expect was Elliot Cadeau making two of them and Seth Trimble adding two more. Trimble also swished a couple of free throws, and his production was a big part of Carolina holding a 10-0 edge in bench points in the first 20 minutes.
8. Another area that was a big part of enabling Carolina to put up 54 points in the first half was points off turnovers. Alabama committed seven miscues, and the Tar Heels turned them into 13 points.
9. Paxson Wojcik quietly had some important minutes in the last two games. Wojcik played six first half minutes and used them to contribute two rebounds--one offensive--and an assist. He was a team-high +13 in the first half. That earned him more minutes in the second half, when he made a three-pointer and forced Alabama to guard all five players on the court rather than backing off Cadeau, as had clearly been the game plan. Cadeau played just 13 minutes in the game and had one assist and one turnover. In the end, the Tide gameplan dictated the UNC personnel. But personnel didn't decide the game. Missed shots, and one of the all-time worst shooting halves in Carolina's NCAA Tournament history, did.
10. A host of West Coast Tar Heels were in attendance in Los Angeles. Former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was on hand, as was Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer James Worthy. Danny Green was in the crowd, where he greeted Roy Williams with a giant hug before the game. K.J. Smith was also seated behind the Tar Heel bench.
11. Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell did not play after suffering a head injury early in the second round game against Grand Canyon University.
12. College sports in the year 2024: as the final seconds ticked away in Clemson's upset of Alabama, the Tiger fans on hand began cheering, "ACC! ACC!" Clemson currently has an active lawsuit against the league.
13. Carolina won't be sad not to come back to Los Angeles anytime soon for postseason action. The Heels are now 5-7 in LA overall and 0-2 in this building, both of which came in the NCAA Tournament.
14. A lot to be decided in the weeks to come. For now, though, this was a fun team to watch that gave us a host of memorable victories. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the game, even the most fun seasons usually end with a loss like this.
1. Disappointing ending to a memorable season, as Alabama ends the UNC year, 89-87, in the Sweet 16.
2. Carolina took a three-point lead with 90 seconds left. But much like last season in Portland, the Tar Heels couldn't close the game out. The key possession was a rushed errant three-pointer from Jae'Lyn Withers with under a minute to go when Carolina had the lead. On the next possession, down two with 35 seconds to go, it turned into too much watching RJ Davis, who couldn't create a basket or get to the line. Davis finished 4-for-20 from the field and 0-for-9 from the three-point line. It was the first game this season in which he didn't make a three-pointer and snapped a streak of 41 straight games with a three.
3. That was part of an overall poor offensive second half that saw the Tar Heels go 10-for-40 from the field, a figure of 25 percent. They were also just 2-for-16 from the three-point line. Nothing was going in, including a missed dunk with under seven minutes to play that would have provided a five-point lead. If you watched it, these numbers won't surprise you. The 25 percent was the program's worst performance in a half in an NCAA Tournament game since shooting 22.6% in the second half against Kansas in the 2012 Elite Eight. It ties the third-lowest shooting percentage in an NCAA Tournament half in UNC history.
4. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, couldn't get a defensive stop when they needed it. Alabama got baskets on both their non-fouled possessions in the final 90 seconds and then watched the Tide ice the game at the free throw line with 7.6 seconds remaining. Grant Nelson had 24 points, including the clinching free throws, that were part of a backbreaking 7-0 Alabama run. Nelson scored 13 points in the final 7:05 of the game.
5. Armando Bacot's 19-point, 12-rebound double-double was the 87th of his career. That ties Tim Duncan atop the all-time ACC list, and he and Duncan finish tied for second on the all-time NCAA list. That also marks Bacot's eighth NCAA Tournament double-double, tying him with Antawn Jamison atop Carolina's career NCAA Tournament double-double list. Bacot's 19 points led Carolina, and Cormac Ryan added 17, including five three-pointers.
6. The Tar Heels shared the ball very well in the first half against an Alabama defense that has struggled at times this year. The Tar Heels assisted on 14 of their 20 first half field goals, consistently turning down somewhat open attempts to get an even more open look. How much did the offense change in the second half? They had just three assists on ten field goals as they simply weren't able to knock down looks.
7. A racehorse first half saw Carolina sink ten three-pointers, four of which were by Ryan, which you might have expected. What you probably didn't expect was Elliot Cadeau making two of them and Seth Trimble adding two more. Trimble also swished a couple of free throws, and his production was a big part of Carolina holding a 10-0 edge in bench points in the first 20 minutes.
8. Another area that was a big part of enabling Carolina to put up 54 points in the first half was points off turnovers. Alabama committed seven miscues, and the Tar Heels turned them into 13 points.
9. Paxson Wojcik quietly had some important minutes in the last two games. Wojcik played six first half minutes and used them to contribute two rebounds--one offensive--and an assist. He was a team-high +13 in the first half. That earned him more minutes in the second half, when he made a three-pointer and forced Alabama to guard all five players on the court rather than backing off Cadeau, as had clearly been the game plan. Cadeau played just 13 minutes in the game and had one assist and one turnover. In the end, the Tide gameplan dictated the UNC personnel. But personnel didn't decide the game. Missed shots, and one of the all-time worst shooting halves in Carolina's NCAA Tournament history, did.
10. A host of West Coast Tar Heels were in attendance in Los Angeles. Former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was on hand, as was Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer James Worthy. Danny Green was in the crowd, where he greeted Roy Williams with a giant hug before the game. K.J. Smith was also seated behind the Tar Heel bench.
11. Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell did not play after suffering a head injury early in the second round game against Grand Canyon University.
12. College sports in the year 2024: as the final seconds ticked away in Clemson's upset of Alabama, the Tiger fans on hand began cheering, "ACC! ACC!" Clemson currently has an active lawsuit against the league.
13. Carolina won't be sad not to come back to Los Angeles anytime soon for postseason action. The Heels are now 5-7 in LA overall and 0-2 in this building, both of which came in the NCAA Tournament.
14. A lot to be decided in the weeks to come. For now, though, this was a fun team to watch that gave us a host of memorable victories. Unfortunately, because of the nature of the game, even the most fun seasons usually end with a loss like this.