Quick Hitters - North Carolina vs. Kentucky (CBS Sports Classic)

Isaac Schade presents Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 98-69 loss to Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in the CBS Sports Classic.

Author:
Isaac Schade
Dec 19, 2021 2:38 AM EST

Quick Hitters from North Carolina’s 98-69 loss to Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in the CBS Sports Classic.

Highlights:

Condensed Game:

Well, what can you say? A Carolina team that had been playing better of late went out and got thoroughly dismantled by Kentucky in Las Vegas.
Let me go ahead and stop us all before we resort to, “But the Tar Heels hardly had any time to prepare for Kentucky.” Save it. Also, keep in mind, the Wildcats were working off essentially the same time frame and scouting disadvantage.
Credit to UK’s Sahvir Wheeler. He was undeniable in the game and had his way early and often against RJ Davis. While a height disadvantage for Davis is a typical explanation, such was not the case against Kentucky. Wheeler (5’9”) is even smaller than Davis (6’0”). The former Georgia Bulldog looked impressive as he shot 12-15 from the floor, dished out eight assists, and had four steals.
Carolina has been a second half team thus far so there was reason for halftime optimism after the Heels cut UK’s once-18-point first half lead down to 11 at the break. Unfortunately, the Wildcats pushed back out to a 16-point lead in less than a minute in the second half and back to 18 before the first media timeout.
One of the most alarming realities of the game is how non-competitive it was. Kentucky pushed the lead to double-digits for the first time just over seven minutes into the game. Carolina never got the deficit back to single digits. Kentucky led by 11 or more points for the final 32:55. Percentage-wise, that means the Wildcats led by double-digits for 82.3% of the game.
Another troubling sign – Carolina assisted on 39.1% of their made baskets, the first time under 40% this season. The Heels have achieved double-digit assists in every game, save two. Any wild guesses on which two opponents those assist-deprived displays came against? That’s right: Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Tar Heels had 30 rebounds or more in each of the first 10 games this season, but walked away with just 26 today. To make matters worse, the most rebounds Carolina had allowed was 38, against the Vols. Kentucky becomes the first opponent to cross the 40-rebound threshold, finishing with 44.
The last time Carolina lost by 29 or more? Not last year’s 18-11 team or the 14-19 squad the season before that. The most recent loss of 29 or more is the one you’re likely thinking of: at Florida State on January 14, 2012. The team that eventually fell a Kendall-Marshall-injury short of a potential national championship run lost to the Seminoles by 33 points that day, 90-57. I'll say a name and hopefully it won't trigger too many of you: Deividas Dulkys. Dulkys had a career-high 32 points that day. Other than that performance against Carolina, the Lithuanian broke 20 just one other time in his four years as a Seminole (22 against FIU).
Lithuanian scored more than 20 points just once in his Seminole career (22)
A positive: UNC had 28 free throw attempts and made 22. Kentucky had just 17 attempts.
The Tar Heels have had at least one 20-point scorer in each of the first 11 games this season. Today it was Armando Bacot, who scored 22. Bacot’s performance was Carolina’s 15^th 20-point scoring effort this season and fourth individually (tied for the most with Caleb Love).
Bacot now has seven double-doubles in 11 games this season after adding 10 rebounds to his 22 points. On a night when just about every Tar Heel struggled, Bacot stood out in a positive light.
Carolina scored 72 or more points in each of the first 10 games of the season before being held under 70 against Kentucky.
Caleb Love had zero assists and four turnovers. It’s the first time this season that Love hasn’t recorded an assist and the four turnovers tie a season high. It’s a small sample size, but Love has shot just 27.8% in the last two games.
Kerwin Walton hasn’t scored in five straight games and six of the last seven. The sophomore hit double-digits in two of the first three games and has just 10 total points since.
Anthony Harris (15:34), D’Marco Dunn (9:18), and Dontrez Styles (6:56) each set a new season high in minutes played. Dunn has now played in three straight and five of the last six.
Moving away from the traditional two-big lineup, it’s all the more incumbent upon all five players to rebound. That said, when Leaky Black and Brady Manek combine to register one total rebound, it’s safe to say you’re in for a long night.
This gang rebounding reality is especially true against Kentucky who came in atop Division I in offensive rebounding percentage. That trend certainly continued against Carolina. Just two Tar Heels (Bacot and Dawson Garcia) corralled offensive rebounds for UNC while eight different Wildcats had at least one.
I had been asked multiple times this week why Carolina still wasn’t ranked. The basic truth is that the lasting image many AP voters have is of the games in Uncasville where, yes, the Heels were competitive against Purdue, but ultimately lost by nine and then were subsequently blown out at the hands of Tennessee. Following those performances, it takes building up a few weeks of trust before many voters will vote for your team again. A win against Kentucky today following the Furman victory would have certainly put the Heels in the top-25 next week. Unfortunately, losing by 29 on CBS won’t help curry any national favor. The lack of a spotlight now gives Carolina the opportunity to regroup in the national shadows and start reeling off wins come ACC play following the final non-conference game of the season on Tuesday against Appalachian State.

Box Score

Hubert Davis postgame press conference

Armando Bacot & RJ Davis postgame press conference

Remember to check in for Quick Hitters after every North Carolina basketball game. Next up is the final scheduled non-conference game of the season at home against Appalachian State on Tuesday, December 21. Tip is at 7:00pm ET on ACC Network.

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