LAWRENCE, KS - North Carolina’s frontcourt found itself at the forefront of the Tar Heels’ question marks entering the offseason. And, just two games in, it appeared that the concerns were manifesting into legitimate worry Friday night inside of Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas, sporting big men Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams, and Flory Bidunga, flexed its muscles down low against the Tar Heels in the first half of the top-ten matchup inside the Jayhawks’ hallowed hall.
Adams converted seven of his nine field goal attempts in the first half, leading the Jayhawks with 14 points at the break. Dickinson, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, added in seven points and five rebounds, while Bidunga, off the bench, notched six points and seven boards.
The trio combined for 27 points and 13 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes, dominating UNC’s frontcourt in a plethora of statistics. KU’s lead reached 20 points twice before the intermission.
As a team, Kansas shot 59.5 percent from the floor, an impressive number in its own right. Yet, the frontcourt’s numbers alone dwarfed those of the team as whole, shooting 66.7 percent through 20 minutes.
“We weren’t playing defense. I mean, they shot 60 percent against us in the first half,” said UNC Coach Hubert Davis. “I really felt like in the first half, they were getting everything. Dickinson was getting the ball right underneath the basket. Everybody else, they were getting lobs.”
The Jayhawks scored 30 of their 53 first-half points in the paint, recording nine layups and four dunks.
“Their bigs are big. They’re really talented, not only scoring around the basket but getting positioned close to the basket,” said Davis. “One of the things that we always talk about is you got to play defense before you play defense, and if you start playing defense when they’re already on the block or posting up, it’s just too late for those talented types of players.”
Even when Kansas failed to execute its offense, it was successful in drawing fouls in the paint and on the block against North Carolina.
Four of the five Tar Heel big men who saw action in the first half committed at least two fouls, while Ty Claude was whistled for three. In total, they combined for 13 fouls before the break.
Conversely, the Tar Heels’ defensive shortcomings translated to the offensive end, combining for just six points and 11 rebounds in the first half. A lack of interior presence not only hindered the frontcourt’s impact, but prevented UNC’s guards from effectively spacing the floor.
Struggling on both ends of the floor, Davis challenged them, looking to invoke the will and want needed to orchestrate a comeback.
The Tar Heels answered, rising to the occasion on defense.
While Dickinson notched 13 points in the second half, Adams and Bidunga combined for just two points and two rebounds.
Kansas shot 38.5 percent in the final 20 minutes, scoring just one point per possession.
“It’s your will and your want to and I felt like in the second half those guys competitively fought better than they did in the first half,” said Davis.
The competitiveness on defense ignited a once stagnant offense, helping the
“It all ties back to defense,” said Davis. “Our transitioning from defense to offense is real, and in the second half we were able to get back to that.”
UNC’s offense often begins with success on the defensive end, turning a missed basket from the opposition into a field goal on the other end in a matter of seconds.
With Jae’Lyn Withers’ and Jalen Washington’s ability to connect from 3-point range, UNC used that to its advantage. The Tar Heels spread the floor and emptied the lane, also helping move the Jayhawks’ front court further up the court via on-ball screens.
The pick-and-roll aided the aggressive offensive approach, allowing the North Carolina guards to attack the basket and get to the free throw line, while giving the backcourt high-percentage looks down low.
Over the final 20 minutes, the Tar Heels’ frontcourt combined for 24 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 69.2 percent from the field. They amassed 20 points in the paint and averaged 1.342 points per possession.
Ven-Allen Lubin would foul out in just 14 minutes of action, but Withers and Washington combined for just three fouls in the second half.
There are no moral victories, and UNC still left Allen Fieldhouse with its first loss of the season, but it did so with a much different outlook than it did entering halftime.
“What we lack in size, we make up for in heart. We’re fighters, man. We’re competitors,” Washington said. “People can say what they want about us having size and strength, but it doesn’t matter. We play hard.”
As Kansas served as a litmus test for the likes of Withers, Washington, Lubin, and Claude, it is likely to pay dividends as North Carolina continues nonconference play.
