Looking to build off their win over Notre Dame, the Tar Heels did just that, in arguably their best performance of the season, in an 82-67 win over SMU last night, to improve to 10-6 on the season, and 3-1 in the ACC. SMU entered the game as the highest-scoring team in the conference but was shut down from the beginning, only scoring 24 points in the first half, a season-low for the Mustangs, and the fewest allowed by Carolina in the first half. SMU’s offense has been use to functioning at a high level, but that wasn’t the case last night, as they shot just 33% from the field, well below their 49% season average, and an even worse 22% from behind the arc, again well below their 38% season average, adding up to Carolina’s most dominant defensive effort of the 2024-25 season.
For the first time against a power conference opponent, Carolina’s offense was fueled by its defense, as Carolina scored its 82 points, on 47% shooting from the field, and 50% from behind the arc. RJ Davis was the leading offensive catalyst, scoring 26 points, on 8-15 shooting, and 3-6 from behind the arc, in his best game since the loss to Florida in the Jumpman Invitational. While he ended up being the leading scorer, the offense was sparked by a freshman, but not the freshman you’d expect. Drake Powell scored 17 points, including 14 in the first half, as he was 6-13 from the field and 4-6 from three, and was the guy that shot SMU out of their 1-3-1 zone. Ian Jackson had a quiet night, and still finished with 18 points, on 5-11 shooting, while going 3-7 from behind the arc, and 5-6 from the foul line.
After being without Seth Trimble for the previous three games, Trimble was back in the lineup for Carolina last night, playing 26 minutes off the bench, but failed to score a point. His return was more important than the boxscore would indicate, because after Elliot Cadeau picked up his second foul before the under-16 timeout, Carolina had another guard they could turn to, and that wasn’t an option the last couple of games, which made it harder on Hubert Davis to manage his rotation when his team got into foul trouble. Who knows if Trimble will return to the starting lineup, but it felt good to have arguably Carolina’s best defender back, and another scoring option in the backcourt.
After the win over Notre Dame, Hubert Davis said his team was building confidence because they are starting to figure stuff out on the court, and is finally forming an identity. Last night was the best this team has played from start to finish against a power conference opponent, and for the first time, this season is on the verge of building legitimate momentum. Here’s what to takeaway from a dominant performance in the Dean Dome:
Half-Court Defense: Carolina’s defense has been up and down this season, as they entered last night, second to last in points allowed per game, but that wasn’t the case last night. Carolina held the highest-scoring team in the league to 67 points, on 33% shooting from the field, and 22% from behind the arc. In addition to playing great team defense, Carolina’s rim protection was once again on display, as they blocked 7 shots, on a night where they only allowed 26 points in the paint. Hubert Davis didn’t have to press last night, because his team applied the pressure in the half-court, making it hard for Boopie Miller, SMU’s leading scorer to get clean looks from the field. The 24 points allowed in the first half, were the fewest allowed in the opening frame of any game this season.
Davis Delivers: After not scoring the ball the way that we’re used to seeing him do, RJ Davis looked like the All-American he is last night, scoring 26 points, on 8-15 shooting, including 3-6 from deep. Davis is adjusting to playing off Ian Jackson, who has emerged as the best offensive weapon, but it has opened the floor for Davis, who got clean looks from the midrange, and beyond. This team needs him to return to the production and the efficiency we saw from him last year, lets hope last night was the turning point for him
Freshmen Shine: When you have an All-American on your roster, and a reclassified freshman, who is now a five-star on your roster, it’s hard to believe that two incoming freshmen could be the most talented players on the roster, but that’s the case given the emergence of Ian Jackson, and potentially Drake Powell. Jackson had a “quiet” night, but still scored 18 points, on an efficient night from the field, and behind the arc. Last night, it was Drake Powell, who scored 17 points and was 4-6 from three, all while playing high-level defense, grabbing rebounds, and contesting shots at the rim. The two have started every game since Campbell, and they only continue to grow and get better every time on the floor. Their talent, and athletic ability, takes this team to another gear and helps them compete despite not having the size they are used to having. Their continued development might determine the ultimate ceiling of this team.
Competed on the Glass: SMU is the best rebounding team in the ACC, and last night Carolina held its own, winning the rebounding battle in the first half, 25-19, before ultimately losing the battle of the boards, 41-39. Ian Jackson led the team with 7 rebounds, proving he’s committed to becoming the best all around basketball player he can be. The Mustangs also entered the game, top-10 in offensive rebounding, and while they did grab 15 offensive rebounds, they only scored 10 second-chance points, in another display of their offensive woes. The Tar Heels don’t have the size that we are used to seeing them have, but last night was proof that they can rebound with the best this conference, and the sport has to offer.
Perimeter Offense: Carolina entered the game shooting just 31% from behind the arc, but erupted from deep, going 11-22 last night. SMU threw out a 1-3-1 zone to start the game, and Drake Powell shot them out of it, going 4-6 from deep. It wasn’t just him, RJ Davis was 3-6, and Ian Jackson was 3-7. Better floor spacing, and the ability to have multiple guards drive and kick, created better looks from deep, and the team was able to convert on those chances. You can’t expect this team to shoot 50% from deep in every game, but if they can get to around 37% or 38%, they’ll become even guarder to hard.
Frontcourt: Just like the Notre Dame, there wasn’t a dominant effort from a big man, but the total team effort was more than enough to get the job done. Both Ven-Allen Lubin and Jae’Lyn Withers scored 7 points to pace the scoring, but Jalen Washington was impressive without even scoring. Washington grabbed 3 rebounds, and altered many shots at the rim, on his way to a 4-block performance. This is what this group has to do to overcome the deficiencies that currently exist, and if they could handle their own against a team like SMU, they should be fine moving forward in ACC play.
Up Next: Carolina hits the road on Saturday as they travel to NC State, with the game set to tip at 4 PM on the ACC Network.
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