With apologies to Bob Seger, the Tarheels seemed like they turned over a new page in their 2015-16 basketball season with the return of senior guard Marcus Paige. He missed the first six games of the season in a freak accident during practice and he has scored 33 points in the two games since his return, a win over #2 Maryland and a blowout win over Davidson.
Paige has mostly played point guard throughout his career with North Carolina but now he is able to play more shooting guard than anything because of he valuable experience Joel Berry II and Nate Britt gained at the point during Paige's absence. Berry II has shown the ability to run the Tarheel offensive machine and Britt may be turning into the best sixth man in the ACC. He scored 17 points in 16 minutes against Davidson and has also turned into one of the deadliest three point shooters on the team. He shoots with confidence and he can also slide over to the point.
Showing posts with label Nate Britt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nate Britt. Show all posts
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Inside Strength
In the North Carolina Tarheels first three basketball games of the season, they have had an obvious advantage on the inside in experience and length with big men Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks coming off the bench but they have not always taken advantage of it. The Tarheels did not force the inside against a smaller Fairfield team that played mostly zone and the 'Heels settled for medium and long range jumpers much to the dismay of head coach Roy Williams.
Wofford pulled to within 50-47 when the defense of Nate Britt, Joel Berry II, and Brice Johnson took over. Steals and blocked shots led to several breakouts by North Carolina and finished with a 28-11 run that gave them a hard earned 78-58 win over Wofford. Swing man Theo Pinson had the shot of the night but it was also his only basket. Meeks and Johnson both had 16 points and Hicks had a season high 12.
The outside duo of Joel Berry II and Nate Britt has proved to be formidable so far this season as Britt has provided the outside shooting and Berry II has provided a scoring touch that has them both averaging in double figures. Their play has opened up the possibility of going to a three guard offense whenever Marcus Paige does return from injury.
Wofford pulled to within 50-47 when the defense of Nate Britt, Joel Berry II, and Brice Johnson took over. Steals and blocked shots led to several breakouts by North Carolina and finished with a 28-11 run that gave them a hard earned 78-58 win over Wofford. Swing man Theo Pinson had the shot of the night but it was also his only basket. Meeks and Johnson both had 16 points and Hicks had a season high 12.
The outside duo of Joel Berry II and Nate Britt has proved to be formidable so far this season as Britt has provided the outside shooting and Berry II has provided a scoring touch that has them both averaging in double figures. Their play has opened up the possibility of going to a three guard offense whenever Marcus Paige does return from injury.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
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.
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.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Always The Coach
There is a habit among coaches that probably goes back to the days of James Naismith and that is you cannot let your team feel to good about what they just accomplished. The North Carolina Tarheels beat the Temple Owls 91-67 in the opener for both teams and Coach Roy Williams was not exactly a happy man after the game.
Junior big man Kennedy Meeks had a career high 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocks but Coach Williams said after the game that he was not ready to "anoint" Meeks because he was facing much smaller Temple players and indicated that Meeks should have had a pretty good game. He also said that Junior Isaiah Hicks "did not play worth a dang" after scoring only six points and four rebounds.
Senior Brice Johnson also had a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) but was involved in an incident towards the end of the game that resulted in Nate Britt getting ejected from the game. Johnson had a rebound dunk and he hung on the rim and a Temple player took exception to the fact that Johnson's legs were wrapped around his neck and shoved him to the ground. Nate Britt left the bench to prevent the altercation from escalating, resulting in Britt's automatic ejection.
As far as I know, hanging on the rim is still a technical foul and the only exception is a player can hang on the rim to avoid injury. Now players hang on the rim to rub it in the other team's face and call a few technical foul's and the problem might go away.
Britt played a great game, 15 points and three for four from the three point line) and Roy Williams did credit Britt with being a catalyst off the bench. Coach Williams did punish the whole team by making them dress up for the trip back to Chapel Hill thanks to Britt's lack of better judgement.
Junior big man Kennedy Meeks had a career high 25 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocks but Coach Williams said after the game that he was not ready to "anoint" Meeks because he was facing much smaller Temple players and indicated that Meeks should have had a pretty good game. He also said that Junior Isaiah Hicks "did not play worth a dang" after scoring only six points and four rebounds.
Senior Brice Johnson also had a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) but was involved in an incident towards the end of the game that resulted in Nate Britt getting ejected from the game. Johnson had a rebound dunk and he hung on the rim and a Temple player took exception to the fact that Johnson's legs were wrapped around his neck and shoved him to the ground. Nate Britt left the bench to prevent the altercation from escalating, resulting in Britt's automatic ejection.
As far as I know, hanging on the rim is still a technical foul and the only exception is a player can hang on the rim to avoid injury. Now players hang on the rim to rub it in the other team's face and call a few technical foul's and the problem might go away.
Britt played a great game, 15 points and three for four from the three point line) and Roy Williams did credit Britt with being a catalyst off the bench. Coach Williams did punish the whole team by making them dress up for the trip back to Chapel Hill thanks to Britt's lack of better judgement.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Survive And Advance Part II
North Carolina made it through the Second Round and this game epitomized doing whatever you have to do to win. Coach Williams instinctively put in three Point Guards-Paige, Britt, and Berry II- with about 15 minutes to go in the game to help break down the Arkansas pressure. Marcus Paige scored 20 of of 22 points in the last 13 1/2 minutes to put Arkansas away 87-78.
Arkansas's game plan came straight from the the pages of the Tarheel playbook except it is a little more amped up with the full court pressure. That was a very fun game to watch. It was end-to-end, full court action, with both teams' athleticism on display. When the 'Heels won, it made it more fun, but it was still very entertaining.
Arkansas's game plan came straight from the the pages of the Tarheel playbook except it is a little more amped up with the full court pressure. That was a very fun game to watch. It was end-to-end, full court action, with both teams' athleticism on display. When the 'Heels won, it made it more fun, but it was still very entertaining.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
A Freshman Steps Up
The North Carolina Tarheels crushed Georgia Tech again last night for the second time in two weeks, this time on the road by the score of 81-49. The Tarheels only had two players in double figures, Joel Berry II with 15 and Justin Jackson with 13.
The play of the Tarheel Freshmen has been inconsistent this season as it is with most Freshmen. Joel Berry II has earned more playing time over the past couple of weeks and his play has been much improved. He has battled illness and injury the majority of the season but his 15 points included 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and the Tarheels need to add another consistent outside scoring threat. His improved play has bumped him ahead of Nate Britt on the depth chart.
The Tarheels bench is also finally getting healthy as Freshman Theo Pinson saw action for the first time in 12 games. He only played 3 minutes but scored 5 points and it was more important for him to see some court time. The Tarheels also got some playing time in for backup Point Guards Stillman White and Luke Davis and it is good to get the starters a little bit of rest and the players on the bench a little bit of playing time.
The play of the Tarheel Freshmen has been inconsistent this season as it is with most Freshmen. Joel Berry II has earned more playing time over the past couple of weeks and his play has been much improved. He has battled illness and injury the majority of the season but his 15 points included 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and the Tarheels need to add another consistent outside scoring threat. His improved play has bumped him ahead of Nate Britt on the depth chart.
The Tarheels bench is also finally getting healthy as Freshman Theo Pinson saw action for the first time in 12 games. He only played 3 minutes but scored 5 points and it was more important for him to see some court time. The Tarheels also got some playing time in for backup Point Guards Stillman White and Luke Davis and it is good to get the starters a little bit of rest and the players on the bench a little bit of playing time.
Monday, January 5, 2015
The Tarheel Depth
The 2014-15 North Carolina basketball team probably has more depth on it than any Tarheel team in recent memory, maybe ever. They have nine players averaging double figures in minutes per game with a tenth, Joel James, averaging about 9 minutes a game. Usually by the start of ACC Conference play, the Tarheels rotation has weeded itself out to where only about eight players are getting minutes. Eleven players on the roster have played in all 14 games with a twelveth, Jackson Simmons, having played in 12 of the contests.
Over the past couple of seasons, Head Coach Roy Williams, has had to try non-traditional lineup combinations ("small ball", for example, from a few seasons ago). He has tried that same type of combination this season with Theo Pinson, Nate Britt, and Marcus Paige all being on the floor at the same time. North Carolina has a guard heavy roster. If they could all hit three-pointers that would be great but they are more ball handlers and putting on defensive pressure than they are shooters. Britt is probably the best on the ball defender on the team.
The Centers on North Carolina's team- Kennedy Meeks, Joel James, and Desmond Hubert- all get playing time. Meeks is the only true offensive threat of the three but James' game is developing nicely. He can occasionally hit a mid-range jumper and throw in an old school Sky Hook to keep the other team off balance. Hubert is good for a few rebounds and an ESPN highlight worthy block shot per game.
Over the past couple of seasons, Head Coach Roy Williams, has had to try non-traditional lineup combinations ("small ball", for example, from a few seasons ago). He has tried that same type of combination this season with Theo Pinson, Nate Britt, and Marcus Paige all being on the floor at the same time. North Carolina has a guard heavy roster. If they could all hit three-pointers that would be great but they are more ball handlers and putting on defensive pressure than they are shooters. Britt is probably the best on the ball defender on the team.
The Centers on North Carolina's team- Kennedy Meeks, Joel James, and Desmond Hubert- all get playing time. Meeks is the only true offensive threat of the three but James' game is developing nicely. He can occasionally hit a mid-range jumper and throw in an old school Sky Hook to keep the other team off balance. Hubert is good for a few rebounds and an ESPN highlight worthy block shot per game.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
East Carolina
As a true Tarheel blue fan, I am glad the Tarheels play East Carolina in basketball as well. After some let down losses to Butler and Iowa, the Tarheels bounced back with a 108-64 win over East Carolina. They raced out to a 48-29 halftime lead and improved to 6-2. Brice Johnson had a double-double in the first half and finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds, J.P. Tokoto had 19 points and 8 assists, and Kennedy Meeks also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Nate Britt was the only other double figure scorer with 10 points.
The Tarheels need to quit playing during Carolina Panthers games on Sundays. I was busy watching the Panthers destroy the Saints 41-10 in the Superdome to put themselves back in the NFC playoff picture so I only caught the highlights of the East Carolina game. I also religiously poured over the stats like I normally do and 60% shooting and 17-22 at the free throw line was Light Years ahead of what they shot against Iowa. The focus in the East Carolina game was on getting the ball inside as they only shot 7 three-pointers (only hitting 1) after only going 4-23 against Iowa. According to Roy Williams, the overall play was going to be better and it was. Sometimes a team just needs the proper motivation.
The Tarheels need to quit playing during Carolina Panthers games on Sundays. I was busy watching the Panthers destroy the Saints 41-10 in the Superdome to put themselves back in the NFC playoff picture so I only caught the highlights of the East Carolina game. I also religiously poured over the stats like I normally do and 60% shooting and 17-22 at the free throw line was Light Years ahead of what they shot against Iowa. The focus in the East Carolina game was on getting the ball inside as they only shot 7 three-pointers (only hitting 1) after only going 4-23 against Iowa. According to Roy Williams, the overall play was going to be better and it was. Sometimes a team just needs the proper motivation.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Project Players
Dean Smith used to always have on his teams at least one "project player". These players were not that highly heralded coming out of high school but had some potential to turn into a valuable starter or a key reserve off the bench by the end of their four years. Warren Martin, Kevin Salvadori, and Hubert Davis come to mind. Warren Martin couldn't catch a pass without traveling when he was a Freshman but by the time he was a Senior, he was averaging about 10 points and a couple of blocked shots a game.
This years team has several project players with tons of potential but probably shouldn't be starting and/or logging 20 to 30 minutes a game. J.P. Tokoto probably has the most upside of these projects. He is probably the most athletic player the Tarheels have had since Vince Carter. He glides up and down the court and he is definitely the highest flyer they have had since Vince Carter. He is working hard on expanding his basketball skill set and may already be the best passer on the team.
Joel James is probably the biggest project. He is listed at 6'10" and 280 pounds but he only played 2 years of high school basketball before coming to UNC. He takes up a lot of space in the middle and also needs to work on his basketball skill set.
The Point Guard position has always been the toughest to play at UNC and since Roy Williams started his tenure at UNC, the position has been amped up a little bit to run the Supersonic engine that is the Tarheel offense. Nate Britt was brought to UNC as an under study to Marcus Paige but got thrust into the starting role when Paige had to slide over and assume P.J. Hairston's position. Britt needs to develop an offensive game to go with running the show.
All of these projects will probably all be good players by the time they finish their four years. The climate of college basketball has changed as the McDonald's All-Americans are only staying one year now. Teams need these project players to perform a lot sooner than usually expected and their learning curve gets very steep as a result.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Twilight Zone
Watching the 2013-14 version of the North Carolina Tarheels basketball team has been like watching an episode of The Twilight Zone. They lose to mid-Major teams Belmont and Alabama-Birmingham, games they easily should have won, and yet they beat #3 Louisville and last night defeated #1 Michigan State on the road in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, 79-65. After the loss to UA-B, they even fell out of one of the Top 25 polls. The 'Heels had five players in double figures led be Freshman Kennedy Meeks 15 points and 7 rebounds in only 18 minutes, Brice Johnson 14, Marcus Paige and Nate Britt 13, andf J.P. Tokoto 12 points and 10 rebounds. If the Tarheels want to go very far into the NCAA's this season, they have some fundamental problems that can be fixed. They have problems at the free throw line (22-48 against Belmont), they have a lack of an outside threat besides Marcus Paige (he has hit 18 out of the 21 Tarheels three-pointers this season), and they have a hard time guarding against dribble penetration. The 'Heels resume this season has the two biggest upsets in college basketball thus far, but two bad losses tempers that and with the ACC super conference this season, it should be a very interesting rest of the season.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Men's Basketball Preview Versus Oakland
The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies come to Chapel Hill tonight for only their second ever meeting. Oakland presents matchup problems for the 'Heels the biggest of which is three-point bomber Travis Bader. He averaged over 22 points a game last year and is only 101 three-pointers short of Duke alum J.J. Redick's career record of 457 three-pointers. It could be a problem if the 'Heels have to match him three pointer for three pointer. He also has a size advantage over Marcus Paige and will be able to shoot over the top of him. The 'Heels have had a problem guarding the outside shooters for several seasons.
Fellow Oakland Guard Duke Mondy led the NCAA in steals last year at 3.02 per game and with the 'Heels problem with turnovers in their exhibition game and Freshman Nate Britt opening at the Point, UNC will need to take care of the basketball and not give Oakland any more posessions. Oakland also has two transfers, Tommie McCune from West Virginia who led Oakland with 7.5 rebounds per game in two exhbition games, and former Dayton Flyer Ralph Hill.
Oakland can almost match Carolina's size and experience in the middle definitely favors the Golden Grizzlies. Depth in the middle should favor UNC and any of the three- Desmond Hubert, Joel James, or Kennedy Meeks- could start for Carolina and they do have 15 fouls to give.
James Michael McAdoo needs to have a big game for the 'Heels. Sophomore Brice Johnson and Freshman Isaiah Hicks are the "X Factors" for the Tarheels. They do not have a proven outside threat and need to dominate down low and one the those players needs to step up and become a scoring option.
Oakland Coach Greg Kampe favors a fast paced game and the 'Heels should thrive in that type of environment and the 'Heels big men can run. If the Tarheels can limit their turnovers, dominate the inside, and if any of the "X Factors" can step up, the 'Heels should be able to pull away at the end. The 'Heels cannot lament over who is not playing and as the old saying goes, "you have to race what you brought to the track."
Men's Basketball Home Opener Versus Oakland
The opening of the Men's Basketball season used to be such a rush for me. The 'Heels were usually a Top Ten team (usually top five) and the only thing a Tarheel fan had to worry about was who was going to go pro at the end of the season. Until then, and it was usually after a deep run into the NCAA's, you got to watch a veteran team with a few McDonald's All-American Freshmen sprinkled in to the lineup.
This season has a different feel to it. The 'Heels are opening up their season without all of their starting pieces. P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald are going to miss at least the home opener against Oakland due to problems with the NCAA. Hairston's saga has gone on for at least four months and should have a definitive resolution to it by now. The NCAA was able to resolve the Johnny Manziel situation at Texas A & M in about two weeks. That suspension was for half a game. He has acted like a jerk ever since then. The NCAA couldn't have the reigning Heisman Trophy winner being suspended for any length of time. Leslie McDonald's problems have been going on for a lot less time but the effects are just the same.
Hairston and McDonald's situation greatly alters the 'Heels starting lineup. Marcus Paige moves into the starting Shooting Guard position (he is a natural Point Guard) and Freshman Nate Britt moves into the starting Point Guard position. The only other two "guaranteed" starting positions are J.P. Tokoto and James Michael McAdoo. It looks like the 'Heels will open with a three-headed monster at Center with Desmond Hubert, Joel James, and Kennedy Meeks all getting playing time until one separates themselves. That is also 15 fouls to give from the Center position. Desmond Hubert is the best defensive player of the bunch, Joel James has a lot of upside, and Kennedy Meeks has the most polished offensive game to this poing. All three have the size that the Tarheels lacked last year so hopefully, Coach Roy Williams three guard experiment is over except for maybe small stretches during games.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Exhibition Play
UNC beat UNC-Pembroke the other night in an exhibition game 82-63 and it is hard to read too much into that. I remember a few years ago Kentucky lost an exhbition game to a Division III school and went on to do pretty well that season. The 'Heels went into the game minus three players (Hairston, Tokoto, and McDonald) that are expected to log major minutes for the 'Heels. All three will miss regular season games this year and the NCAA has to decide how many. I won't get started on the blatant unfairness of the NCAA and their regulatory body. Starting Point Guard Marcus Paige took over at Shooting Guard, Freshman Nate Britt took the Point, and McAdoo, James, and Johnson rounded out the starting five. The 'Heels had a serious height advantage over Pembroke but turnovers, all 23 of them, killed them. Turnovers were a big reason why Pembroke pulled to within 7 points in the second half. James Michael McAdoo (19) and Freshman Kennedy Meeks (11) were the only two in double figures, McAdoo and Brice johnson had 10 rebounds a piece, and Britt led the team with 6 assists. The Tarheels were only 3 for 15 from the three point line but did hit 23 of 27 free throws. It was an exhibition game. Coach Williams and the 'Heels have their work cut out for them. They should be much better by the end of the season than they are at the beginning.
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