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Have The Heels Been Shooting Too Many 3-Pointers?

CHAPEL HILL – The issue of North Carolina attempting so many 3-pointers in Tuesday win over Clemson was the main topic in Roy Williams’ weekly press conference Friday.

Really, it was just that the Tar Heels shot 31 from beyond the arc versus the Tigers, it’s each game, as they are simply launching more from the outside than any time in recent seasons.

A little perspective on the actual numbers:

•The 31 attempts were the second most ever by a Williams-coached team and tied for the ninth most ever by a Tar Heels team.

•The Heels converted on 48.4 percent of those 31 attempted 3s, which is the second highest percentage of makes ever for the program with at least that many 3s attempted.

•Carolina actually attempted just 51 shots on the night, thus 31 (60.8 percent) of it field goal attempts were from behind the 3-point line. It was the first time the Heels have attempted more perimeter shots than 2-pointers this season.

•It was also the first time in the Williams era the Tar Heels attempted more 3s than 2s.

•It was also the first time UNC shot more 3s than 2s since an NIT win versus DePaul in 2003.

So, Williams was asked several questions about the team’s perimeter shooting. Here is that segment of his presser in Q&A form:


On comfort how many 3s taking especially if open looks…

“If they go in, I’m a lot more comfortable. The other night, we had taken 11 3s in the first 9 or 10 minutes of the game, (and) I think that’s too much for me. The big guys we don’t have, we don’t have the Tyler Hansbrough, Tyler Zeller, the Sean May that we’re throwing it into and trying to make sure they get 20 shots, we don’t have that that we’ve had in the past.

“But, you’ve got to get the ball inside by throwing it in there and giving them a chance or by driving it in there. I just don’t think you can win consistently shooting 30 3s a game. I can’t. Maybe some other people can, and probably the stats would prove me wrong. It’s just the way I feel about the game.

“If we could make 15 out of 25 I could live with that for sure. We’ve got good shooters, but I still think you’ve got to have a little bit better balance than we have right now.”


But with the current composition of the roster, and the fact that they don’t have the interior presence of most previous UNC teams, can Williams live with the fact that they have to launch a little bit more from the perimeter?

“Live with it is probably a good way to put it, but we what we try to do is emphasize taking it in by driving. Theo taking the ball to the basket, Luke riving to the basket, Joel driving it to the basket. I don’t think I’ll ever feel very comfortable shooting 35 or 40 of them, I just don’t see that.”


Of the 31 they took Tuesday night, how many were not up to par?

“I know I didn’t like it early and then we started making some in a row. You tend to like those that go in a lot more than those that don’t. I think the other coach likes it, I don’t want to do what he wants, I want to do what I want. That’s the whole thing with me.”

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