One: Duke gets a big win
The Blue Devils still have a lot to figure out as a team. Their offense is dependent on Matthew Hurt making a lot of very tough shots, their defense has been inconsistent and their relative lack of size is concerning on the rebounding front. But Duke’s 75-68 win Tuesday night over Georgia Tech was impressive. The Blue Devils survived a second half charge from a very experienced Yellow Jackets team, which was led by a 26-point, five-assist game from crafty senior point guard Jose Alvarado. Unlike in recent games, however, Duke was finally able to stay out of foul trouble, and Hurt got some help in the scoring column from freshmen DJ Steward and Jalen Johnson. The latter is the key to the Blue Devils getting their season back on track, as he’s got the ability to put the team on his back. Johnson had a monster performance in the 79-73 loss to Pittsburgh (24 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks), and scored seven crucial points (out of his 18 total) in the final four minutes against Georgia Tech. If Johnson can become a consistent force for the Blue Devils, they could be a scary team in the NCAA tournament, but if they fall into another rut like the three-game losing streak they snapped on Tuesday, they’ll have a hard time making it there at all.
Two: UNC rounding into form, and not a minute too soon
The Tar Heels played their best game of the year on both sides of the ball Saturday in an 86-76 win over N.C. State. Improved shot selection was reflected in Carolina’s best shooting performance of the year (54 percent from the field; more than six percentage points better than the team’s next best game). Freshman Caleb Love finally showed an ability to drive to the rim, and this dribble penetration really opened up the Tar Heel offense. Combine that with the newfound post moves showcased by Day’ron Sharpe and Armando Bacot, and Carolina gave us a glimpse on Saturday of the team they could be. Then on Tuesday against Pittsburgh, they largely kept up their strong play from Saturday. Naturally, Tuesday’s win against a stronger opponent in the Panthers wasn’t as pretty, but the Tar Heels weathered a poor three-point shooting performance thanks to a dominant outing from Bacot (21 points and 10 boards). UNC has looked like a different team over the past two games, but the hardest part of the Heels’ schedule is just beginning. They still have games against each of the top four teams in the ACC standings, and four of their other six scheduled games will be on the road. We’ll learn a lot about Carolina over the next couple of weeks.
Three: Time to be realistic about State
While the Wolfpack managed to get five players in double figures on Saturday, they couldn’t ever seem to hit the big shot to get back in the game. The Tar Heels held N.C. State under 10 assists for just the second time all season. Freshmen Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore, who oozed with potential early in the season and tallied 24 points in the Wolfpack’s win over Carolina in December, have seemingly regressed, combining for just two points in their second time facing the Heels. To make matters worse, the Wolfpack’s -3.4 average rebounding margin ranks 285th in the nation. N.C. State has struggled to stay healthy, endured two COVID-19 related pauses, and now lost four games in a row. Unless the Wolfpack can recapture better shooting, they’re just a middle-of-the-road ACC team, which means in this down season for the conference, N.C. State doesn’t appear headed to the Big Dance.
