Man Down

The North Carolina Tarheels have already started out the 2015-16 college basketball season with their best player, Marcus Paige, out for a month. The last time I can remember this happening was 2008-09 when Tyler Hansbrough was out to begin the season for North Carolina and that turned out pretty well for the Tarheels as they won the National Championship.

In the Tarheels second game of the season against Fairfield Coach Roy Williams said the Tarheels showed "a lack of execution" and "a lack of effort" in the first half and only took an eight point lead into halftime. Kennedy Meeks scored six of his eight points in the first ten minutes and then it seemed like the Tarheels decided to settle on perimeter jumpers. Brice Johnson scored 16 but his best work came on the offensive glass, Justin Jackson scored 11 but all of his damage came on the fast break and his game seems to be struggling when the Tarheels have to go to a half court offense.

Nate Britt came off the bench to score 17 including four of six from the three point line and he has probably been the Tarheels MVP through their first two games (if their is such a thing). Marcus Paige replacement, Joel Berry II, had 15 points, all of the jump shot variety (three of eight from the three point line), and the zone defenses employed by other teams still seems to give the Tarheels fits.

Theo Pinson has stepped up to fill J.P. Tokoto's stat stuffing role and scored a career high 11 against Fairfield with eight assists and zero turnovers. I can't wait to see what he can do over a full season after missing most his freshman season and this summer's workouts with a foot problem.

After the first couple of games of the season, the Tarheels have shown that they are much better when they run the court versus a half court game because their big men can get up and down the court and the basketball world has not someone that can make the outlet pass like Kennedy Meeks since the days of Wes Unseld in the 1960's and '70's. The Tarheels outside shooting has improved (15-35) even without arguably their best outside shooter. I see the Tarheels as a top five team right now but their held on number one may be tenuous.