CHAPEL HILL – It isn’t often that someone scores just 2 points in a basketball game but is also one of his team’s most valuable players in the contest. For Luke Maye, however, that’s exactly what happened Saturday.
Maye, a 6-8 sophomore, was forced into extended playing time because of foul trouble once again afflicting the Tar Heels’ veteran big men, Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks. But Maye also logged a season-high 25 minutes in North Carolina’s biggest game because he was playing exceptionally well.
Now, Maye scored just 2 points in the No. 11 Tar Heels’ 96-83 victory over No. 9 Florida State, but he also grabbed 15 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive end fighting off taller, larger, and in many cases, more experienced Seminoles.
But he got the job done on an afternoon his team was in serious need for him to step up.
“He was huge for us, and he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever coached,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “I need him to use that intelligence on the basketball court too, and a couple of those easy chippers he can make, but he has a feel for rebounding the basketball and he was huge for us today.”
Compounding the foul issues Meeks and Hicks were dealing with was that 6-9 freshman Tony Bradley was unavailable after suffering a concussion in Wednesday’s win at Wake Forest. So Maye, who is usually the team’s fourth big man, was the Heels’ third. Comfortable away from the basket as well as in the lane, Maye had to play bigger than usual Saturday.
No problem, though.
“I’ve gone against Joel (James) and Brice (Johnson) all last year, Isiah (Hicks) and Kennedy (Meeks) pretty much all this year and Tony’s (Bradley) really tough in there, he’s long,” Maye said. “It’s different in a game scenario, but it’s definitely helped me a lot.”
Interestingly, Hicks, who scored 22 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, did his damage in just 22 minutes. Meeks played only 13 minutes. So the tone inside that may have been set by the older Heels early in the contest was maintained and even added to by Maybe and 6-5 junior Theo Pinson, who snared 10 boards on the day.
In fact, they were so good the Tar Heels dominated the glass, 56-34, including a 21-9 advantage on the offensive boards. FSU’s 7-1 center Michael Ojo didn’t grab one rebound on the day.
“Coach (Steve) Rob (Robinson) has been on me about boxing out, boxing out,” Maye said. “I’m a little undersized for a 4, and I just really wanted to go meet my guy and box out, and the ball, it felt like, just kept falling in my hands.”
Maye also handed out a par of assists, one a length-of-the-court pass to Hicks for a wide open slam. But the play almost never happened, as Maye initially appeared to make a move to pass the ball to Kenny Williams, who was had just begun to break but was well in the backcourt, maybe foul line extended and in front of the FSU bench. Then, Maye changed his mind and completed one of many key plays in the contest.
“I was, and I saw so many Florida State guys in front of me, so I was like, ‘This can’t be right,’” Maye said about FSU collapsing on Williams. “Then I saw Isaiah just running free, and I felt like I was back to my quarterbacking days throwing that long pass. Isaiah made a great catch and converted.”
Maye acknowledged the chippies he missed around, hence his 1-6 shooting performance, but also embraced what he did well. Rebounding is almost as important as scoring to Maye’s Hall of Fame coach, and on this afternoon the Charlotte native was a star on the glass.
