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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina checked off a gigantic box Wednesday night when the Tar Heels rode the fuel of criticism to a resounding victory over Michigan at the Smith Center.
Every aspect of what Carolina struggled with over its first six games was highlighted, articulated by local and national media, and used as determinations about who and what this UNC team is all about. Only that the Heels themselves rejected those notions.
But, was that thorough performance a one-off, or might it be the early stages of the team connecting all of its dots?
That could be answered Sunday afternoon at McCamish Pavilion when the Heels (5-2) visit Georgia Tech (5-2).
Not only is this the first ACC game of the season, it comes at a time when human nature would allow for the Tar Heels to feel a bit fat and happy coming off the 21-point romp of the Wolverines. And North Carolina Coach Hubert Davis’ biggest task heading in is getting his club into a similar game-time disposition it held versus Michigan.
“Well, that's one of the things that I talked to them about after the game on Wednesday night,” Davis said during a zoom with the media Friday. “I will continue to send that type of message… in our preparation for our game on Sunday against Georgia Tech.
“We need to, in order to validate a win (over Michigan), you have to play as well, and you have to win the next game. So, in terms of validating our effort, and our attention to detail, how well we played on both ends of the floor.”
UNC certainly re-set its season Wednesday. Some subpar home wins over mid-majors were concerning to some degree, but losing twice at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut raised multiple huge red flags. Notably was the manner Carolina was shredded by Tennessee, and that the Volunteers and Purdue combined to score 96 points in the paint had the hoops alarm blaring in Chapel Hill.
The Tar Heels haven’t been their usual selves since the 2018-19 season, which seems like forever ago. The Luke Maye, Cam Johnson, Coby Bryant Heels earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, something UNC has done more than any other program.
Since, however, Carolina hasn’t exactly been Carolina, which is why Davis’ mission in having his team connect performances, such as Wednesday’s, is more than just saying the right words and rolling the ball out onto the court. An enormous part of his process in getting UNC back on its rightful perch is doing Sunday in Atlanta what it did Wednesday in Chapel Hill.
Or at least close to it.
“You validate that by the way that you play against Georgia Tech,” he said. “After the Georgia Tech game, you validate yourself by the next game, and so that's the message that I spoke to the team after the game on Wednesday. And I will continue to send that message through the next couple of days leading up to Georgia Tech on Sunday.”
Perhaps the most crucial component to connecting those dots is how sophomore point guard Caleb Love performs versus the Yellow Jackets.
Love’s game has clearly grown from a year ago. He is averaging 16.1 points per contest, as opposed to 10.5 a year ago, and he is handing out 4.1 assists versus 3.6 last winter, and Love has elevated his field goal shooting percentage from 31.6 percent as a freshman to 45.7 percent so far this season.
He is defending better, rebounding more, managing the game better, making significantly better decisions – his turnovers are down 1.1 per contest – and just looks like a different guy out there. And he is coming off a 22-point, four-assist, fanny smacking effort versus the Wolverines.
Getting Love to be in that neighborhood in Atlanta and each time the Heels take the court would be a boon for the Heels.
“Caleb has gotten so much better from last year to this year in so many different areas,” Davis said. “Against Michigan, I was so pleased and so excited and happy for everybody to see the development of Caleb and how much he’s grown on both ends of the floor. You can see his ability to be able to score; he can create his shot any time he wants to on the offensive end, but he can also create (shots) for his teammates.
“His passing has gotten so much better, his decision making – I think he’s the only player on our team that has a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, and he’s doing a terrific job of taking care of the basketball.”
Love, Davis, and the Tar Heels have a big test Sunday, as well as a thread-weaving task. The mission is to connect the stellar performance from Wednesday to taking the court Sunday. That is the next step in Carolina’s quest at returning to its seat above the ACC.
