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Published Jan 18, 2024
Film Review: How a Good Tar Heel Team is Supposed to Look
David Sisk  •  TarHeelIllustrated
Staff Writer

We saw the good and the bad from North Carolina on Wednesday night against Louisville. The Tar Heels dominated the first half, and went to the locker room with a 46-29 lead.

A fat and sassy team took the floor out of the break. That can be expected when the first 20 minutes was that easy against an overwhelmed opponent. But the sharpness and focus wasn't there by any rubric whether it be the score, stats, or the eye-test.

The Cardinals scored in 10 out of 11 possessions, and eventually sliced the lead to 55-50 with 12:39 remaining. That is a 21-9 run by Kenny Payne's troops. The Tar Heels found their inner animal again, and went on a 31-18 sprint of their own. Try a 16-6 Tar Heels advantage over the last six minutes until Louisville had the last score of the game.

North Carolina was initially considered one of the best offenses in the country, but the same couldn't be said on the other end of the court. But starting with a win against Oklahoma, the Heels have taken on a personality of a rugged, blue-collar group that hangs its hat on defense.

So why not do both? Take away that seven and a half minute burst by Louisville, and North Carolina outscored them 77-49.

What did that type of team look like? Let's take a closer look.

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