Zags Have Heels' Full Attention

CHAPEL HILL – Gonzaga is deep, talented, experienced and employs many dimensions in its quest to win basketball games, something it almost always does.

The Bulldogs are ranked No. 4 in the country after losing the top ranking following last Sunday’s narrow loss to Tennessee, a game that was played in Phoenix. Coming off a loss or not, however, this is a significant challenge for the twelfth-ranked Tar Heels, and they know it.

“(They’re) very difficult for us as a staff to prepare for,” UNC Coach Roy Williams said Friday at the Smith Center. “They remind me of some of our really, really good teams. Who knows what’s going to happen by the end of the year, but I think they’re better than their team in ’17. They may not go as far, they may win the whole thing.”

How are these numbers if you’re looking for well roundedness: The Zags are No. 3 nationally in scoring at 94.1 points per game, No. 3 ion field goal percentage (52.3), No. 6 in assists (19.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.76), No. 20 in scoring margin (17.8), No. 35 in rebound margin (6.7) and No. 116 in field goal defense at 41.6 percent, which is just behind UNC’s 41.3 percent.

The Zags’ best scorer – 6-8 forward Rui Hachimura – average 22.2 points and perhaps its best player, Josh Perkins, leads the nation in assists and averages more than 8 per game. He also started the last time these programs met, which happened to be the 2017 national championship game, in which Carolina won.

According to Williams, Gonzaga can do just about everything.

“They can score inside, they can score outside, they can score in the half court, they can push the ball and score in transition, the defend you man-to-man, they defend you (in a) zone, they rebound the ball, they stop you from rebounding the ball,” he said.

“They’re shooting over 50 percent, they’ve made more free throws than their opponents have attempted. They’re holding people (field goal percentage) to the low 30s. We’ve had some teams like that, some teams that were really good, and it’s a good feeling to really have that you don’t have any weaknesses.”

Gonzaga is entertaining, too.

Williams was particularly impressed with Brandon Clarke’s block against Tennessee. The highlight of the play did pretty well going viral for good reason.

“Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen many like that,” UNC’s coach said. “That was one of the most amazing blocks I’ve ever seen.”

One of Carolina’s strengths heading into this contest is that it can play small or big, which it will need against the Zags. Gonzaga’s bigs can move and use a lot of the court to generate success, is this a game where being able to play small and big can help a lot?

“We hope so, we’ll try to find out,” Williams said. “We’ve got to see how we can match up with them because they all cause you problems, and hopefully some things might be a little bit of an advantage on our end as well.

“One of the advantages we have is Luke as a four-man is going out on the court, but their guys go out there and guard you, because they’re very athletic.”

Gonzaga has also moved well beyond the realm of skepticism in how the nation views Mark Few’s program. Perhaps that final straw came two years ago when it reached the national title game. As for this year’s team, beating Duke gets people’s attention nationally, and particularly along Tobacco Road.

The Zags did that in November in Hawaii.

This is a really big game for UNC, and it’s even more so considering how the Tar Heels played two weeks ago at Michigan. But regardless of how that game went, this one was big from the moment it appeared on the schedule.

“The opportunity to prove a point, the opportunity to get a top-five win on our court before Christmas is a big-time opportunity,” Tar Heels’ forward Cam Johnson said. “Everybody loves playing in big games. You come to Carolina and you expect to play in big-time games and this is one of them.”

This is indeed a big game because the Heels need a noteworthy win, to show itself it can play with a top team, and because Gonzaga has become one of the it programs. And it has the Tar Heels’ full attention.