Teel: Virginia’s ill-timed shooting slump continues in setback at North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Twice this season Virginia has traveled to confront an opponent whose NCAA event expectations had been on life assist. Twice the Cavaliers have failed to resist the predictable and determined flurry.

Saturday’s 71-63 defeat at North Carolina was the newest instance, just like a loss at Virginia Tech earlier this month.

Virginia by no means led in both contest, ruined by breakdowns at each ends of the ground. Primary fundamentals akin to defensive rotations and, sure, layups escaped the Cavaliers.

“I maintain hoping one in all lately we’ll escape of [this] little taking pictures droop,” UVa coach Tony Bennett stated. “It’ll occur.”

Coming into the common season’s ultimate week, time is brief.

Of their first 24 video games this season, the Cavaliers shot lower than 40% twice. Since, they’ve been under that bar in three consecutive outings, a victory over Notre Dame and setbacks at Boston School and UNC.

“I believed we ran good, laborious, powerful offense and produced just about high quality pictures,” Bennett stated.

Virginia’s incapability to complete on the rim in opposition to the Tar Heels’ size and athleticism was obvious. Pete Nance and Leaky Black blocked 4 pictures every and together with Armando Bacot altered a number of others. However most of the Cavaliers’ misses had been on them.

Bennett stated Virginia (21-6, 13-5 ACC) “fought like loopy” within the second half, however a 16-point deficit at intermission proved insurmountable.

At tipoff, Carolina was 345th nationally in 3-point accuracy at 29.8%. Furthermore, the Tar Heels had made a meager 2 of 23 past the arc Wednesday at Notre Dame.

Some development to the imply was most likely inevitable Saturday, and when Caleb Love hit an excuse-me financial institution from deep on the left wing within the opening minutes, it felt like UNC’s afternoon. However a lot of the Tar Heels’ 9 first-half triples had been open appears, and so they completed 10 of twenty-two from lengthy vary.

A 6-foot-11 switch from Northwestern, Nance was 4 of 4 past the arc and scored a game-high 22 factors, not the kind of scoring this inside-out, transition-oriented bunch is accustomed to.

Certainly, Carolina didn’t have a single fast-break level and grabbed solely three offensive rebounds. Plus, Virginia received the paint scoring battle 26-20.

“You’d like your probabilities,” Bennett stated of that method.

February funk however, Virginia is definite to make the NCAA event. Ranked No. 1 in preseason North Carolina (18-11, 10-8) just isn’t.

Previous to UNC’s victory at Notre Dame on Wednesday, the Raleigh Information & Observer’s C.L. Brown prefaced a query to teach Hubert Davis by mentioning that the Tar Heels had misplaced 4 of their final 5 video games.

“5 out of six,” Davis interjected.

And that’s Davis. He’s clear, understands and embraces this system’s requirements and owns his group’s shortcomings.

UNC’s 3-point accuracy has cratered from final yr’s 35.8%, and when gamers shoot poorly, they usually wilt defensively, a pure inclination the Tar Heels haven’t resisted sufficient.

A part of that is the departure of Brady Manek, who final season as a senior was the group’s finest deep shooter. His fast launch and fearless strategy had been main causes Carolina reached the NCAA ultimate.

However a bigger a part of that is incumbent guards Love and RJ Davis, their dips a mirrored image of shot choice and insecurity.

When groups aren’t assembly expectations, drama away from the courtroom/discipline is nearly positive to observe.

“I feel there’s been numerous noise round our group this yr, and an excessive amount of,” Davis stated earlier within the week. “All the time, individually and as a group, making an attempt to show down that noise, wherever it’s coming from — the cellphone, the household, the chums, the followers or wherever. But in addition perceive that … we might be scarred and disenchanted and upset, however we nonetheless have a possibility to compete.

“We nonetheless have a possibility and time to develop into the group that I feel we are able to develop into. Our guys have all the time gotten again up and all the time competed and all the time fought, regardless that at instances it’s troublesome, our guys have all the time stepped as much as the problem, and so they’ll do it once more.”

They did so Saturday, and now it’s Virginia’s flip Tuesday at house in opposition to Clemson.

“You simply maintain knocking and attempt to make little changes,” Bennett stated. “We’ll get after it, and maintain looking for methods.”