CHAPEL HILL - As North Carolina continues taking steps forward, one of the main points of emphasis is not just being good overall defensively for 40 minutes, but also slowing down the opposing team’s leading scorers.
Finally, the Tar Heels achieved that Wednesday night against California standout Andrej Stojakovic.
In its last five wins, the Tar Heels’ have struggled doing so, as their opponent’s leading scorer entering those games was the team’s leading scorer on three different occasions. In the other two instances, the opponent’s second-leading scorer posted a team-high against the Tar Heels.
UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting in Madison Square Garden, Campbell’s Colby Duggan poured in a career-best 32 points, and Notre Dame’s Markus Burton added in 23 points inside Purcell Pavilion, including a 9-of-10 performance from the free throw line.
Add in Chuck Harris’ 18 points for SMU in the Smith Center on January 7 and Marcus Hill’s 20 points for NC State on Saturday, and it had become a consistent trend for UNC opponents.
That’s why when California and Stojakovic, who entered as the ACC’s leading scorer in league play at 24.2 points per game, visited the Tar Heels, they had their defensive sights set on the 6-foot-7 wing.
Stojakovic, who had scored 30, 23, and 24 points in each of the last three games, respectively, was silenced by the UNC defense, tallying just six points on 3-of-13 shooting in the 79-53 loss. His scoring output was a season-low and the first time all season he was held to single figures.
“That’s something we have talked about, leading scorers coming in, we want to do a good job on them defensively,” said UNC Coach Hubert Davis. “In the past, the team's leading scorers, they lead the team in scoring [against us].”
The son of 3-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic missed his first six shot attempts and finished 1-for-8 from the floor in the first half, his lone basket coming on a dunk attempt following a blown defensive assignment.
“(Cal) is up there, in the 300s in assists in the entire nation, so we know they’re a team that doesn’t run all of these sets to create looks for other guys,” said junior guard Seth Trimble. “We knew they’re a team that plays through guys, and Stojakovic was their main guy. He’s an incredible player, but we took pride today [in playing defense].”
Part of Stojakovic’s calling card is his ability to get to the free throw line. He has attempted four or more free throws in 15 of the Golden Bears’ 17 games this season, and leads the ACC with 133 attempts at the charity stripe, good for 6.6 per game.
Against the Tar Heels, he was unsuccessful in getting to the foul line for the first time in the last eight games.
It was part of UNC’s plan, as it focused on getting the ball out of the former McDonald’s All-American’s hands.
“He’s one of the best players in the country. He does a great job of getting fouled and getting to the free throw line,” said Davis. “I thought we did a good job when he tried to post up, we doubled, [and] got the ball out of his hands. We didn’t give any open looks really from three, and we defended him without fouling.”
For the Tar Heels, the defensive duo of Drake Powell and Seth Trimble provided a consistent presence on Stojakovic. His performance marked the third time this season in which he did not convert a 3-point attempt and his 23.1 percent success rate from the floor was his second-lowest on the year.
“That’s as good as you can get,” said Davis. “Drake and Seth, both of those guys, they’re just gifted athletically, especially on the defensive end.”
Still reintegrating back into the lineup following a three-game absence due to a concussion, Trimble looked closer to his former self in the win.
And with the nation’s 12th-best leading scorer on the other side, the junior guard found excitement in the challenge.
“He’s an incredible offensive player and it really excites me when I get to play guys like Stojakovic,” said Trimble. “I got to play Dalton Knecht last year [and] he had 37 [points], but I tried to take the challenge.”
Trimble and the Tar Heels passed the defensive test, one that had perturbed them as of late, even in victories. Shutting down an opponent’s leading scorer, particularly one that posed an offensive threat as dynamic as Stojakovic, was the next step for UNC and its defense.
It’s on the right path as it possesses a season-long four game winning streak, having held the last three opponents to 67 points or less.
As Stojakovic and California exit Chapel Hill, Stanford and Maxime Raynaud, the ACC’s leading scorer at 20.5 points per game, await on Saturday, giving the Tar Heels a chance to take another step on the right path.
