With their NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance, and a chance to build legit momentum, the Tar Heels instead went on the road and got run out of the gym by the Clemson Tigers, 85-65, in a game that wasn’t even that close. Carolina actually held a 23-21 lead in the first half, before a 17-4 Clemson run effectively put the game away in the first half. The Tigers scored their 85 points on 50% shooting, including going 12-25 from behind the three-point line. Viktor Lakhin was the best player on the floor for either team, scoring 20 of his 22 points in the first half, as he connected on four three-pointers. He was one of three Clemson players to reach double figures scoring, as Chase Hunter added 19 points, and Jaeden Zackery, the Boston College scored 16. The 20-point margin of victory is tied for the tied biggest margin of victory ever against UNC.
There’s not a lot of positive things to say about the way Carolina played last night, as they lost by 20, all while shooting 45% from the field, 21% from behind the arc, and 45% from the foul line. RJ Davis continued his high level of play as of late, as RJ scored 18 points on 8-14 shooting, including going 2-5 from behind the arc. Elliot Cadeau also reached double figures, scoring 11 points, but he had 6 turnovers to go along with his 6 assists. Seth Trimble was the only other Tar Heel to score in double figures, adding 12 points, on 5-11 shooting.
To match the size of Clemson, Hubert Davis changed his starting lineup, opting to start veteran Jae’Lyn Withers over Ian Jackson, ditching the four-guard lineup, for a lineup with more size. It didn’t make a difference, as Clemson raced out to an 11-3 edge on the boards, including grabbing 6 offensive rebounds, on their way to bullying UNC 41-28 on the glass. Last night marked the 25th game that Carolina has played this season, and that was the first time that Hubert Davis opted for the starting 5, and it was the sixth different starting lineup used this season.
After the game, Hubert Davis expressed his disappointment and frustration with the lack of urgency and fight he saw from his team, and he has a right to feel that way, but it’s also time for Davis to look in the mirror, and take the blame for where things are, and how they’ve gotten there.
Turnovers: It’s hard to win on the road when you turn it over the way Carolina did last night and has done all season long. UNC turned it over 13 times, and it led to 15 points for Clemson. Elliot Cadeau turned it over 6 times, including 4 times in the first half, as his decision-making really makes you question what he’s trying to do on the floor. Every starter committed at least one turnover, and once they started, it was like an avalanche, leading to Clemson points going the other way. How Hubert Davis trusts Elliot Cadeau to run the offense at this point is beyond me, because he has regressed in terms of running the offense, and until that changes, the turnovers won’t stop.
Perimeter Defense: Clemson entered the game with six players that shot 38% or better from behind the arc, but you wouldn’t have known it the way that Carolina opted to guard the perimeter. Viktor Lakhin was 4-4 in the first half, in large part because Carolina had Ven-Allen Lubin playing drop coverage, giving him plenty of room to get off quality looks from the outside. Not only did Lakhin have a big night from the outside, but so did Chase Hunter who was 4-8 from the outside. In the second half, Hubert Davis switched to the 2-3 zone, but to no avail, as Clemson consistently made shots against it.
Jackson Out: After the way he looked, and conducted himself on the court last night, it’s fair to say that Ian Jackson hasn’t just it a freshman wall, but is checked out. Jackson was benched in favor of Jae’Lyn Withers, and in his 16 minutes, he failed to score the basketball but also failed to compete on either end of the floor, being careless with the basketball, and not competing defensively. At this rate, it’s hard to see Jackson being a part of the rotation moving forward, because if he can’t put the ball in the basket, there’s not a lot of value to him being on the court.
Free Throws: After going 8-15 from the foul line in the win over Pitt last weekend, UNC followed that up by going 5-11 from the charity stripe, and not that it played a big role in the result, it’s just another example of how mediocre this team is, and how they struggle to do the little things.
Road Woes: Last night was the fourth straight loss on the road, joining losses at Wake Forest, Duke, Pittsburgh, and now Clemson. Carolina is now just 3-6 away from Chapel Hill in a true road environment
RJ Davis: What’s hard to swallow is that Carolina’s season is going sideways, while RJ Davis has found his groove. He continued his improved level of play last night, scoring 18 points, on 8-14 shooting, as he was the only player that competed from start to finish. Everyone has pointed to RJ as the player to step up and lead Carolina out of the mess they’ve put themselves in, and even though he’s done his part, his teammates haven’t.
Up Next: It’s another road game for UNC, as they travel to take on Syracuse on Saturday at 6 PM, on ESPN.
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