UNC vs. Indiana: Three Things to Watch

Nov 29, 2022 - 2:00 PM

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The Tar Heels have now lost two straight after a crazy four-overtime thriller against Alabama. It was largely a frustrating trip to Portland, but it’s a long season, and this team knows that as well as anybody. They now face a tough road test with the Indiana Hoosiers in what should be seen as a must-win game. Here are three things to watch as Carolina tries to right the ship in Bloomington.

Armando Bacot’s ankle

After putting in a valiant 39 minutes through regulation and two overtimes, Bacot sat the final two overtimes with an ankle injury. He put up 20 points and 10 rebounds on 7-12 shooting (6-6 on free throws) before exiting the game towards the end of the second overtime.

In his postgame interview, Bacot told reporters he’s going to try his hardest to play at Indiana. At the time of this writing, his status remains up in the air. However, given his history with similar injuries and his importance to this team, I doubt Hubert Davis wants to take any chances. If Bacot is anything less than 100%, I don’t expect him to suit up for this one.

The Tar Heels actually managed fairly well when Bacot went to the bench. Pete Nance made some incredible defensive plays, specifically when switched on to Alabama’s quick and athletic guards. Still, there were moments where Bacot’s absence was felt, most notably when Charles Bediako got a wide open layup in the final overtime to give the Tide the lead for good.

If Bacot isn’t able to go, Coach Davis must get creative with his lineups. It’s possible we could see more of Will Shaver, who scored his first points of the season against Alabama. Management of the big men minutes will surely be something to monitor. Given that Bacot is typically the focal point, the Heels will have to find other ways to ignite their offense.

The rise of Puff Johnson

There really isn’t anything bad you can say about the way Puff Johnson played against Alabama. Recording 48 minutes off the bench, he made himself known in every facet of the game. Whether it was a tipped pass, a timely assist, or an offensive putback, Johnson simply made plays.

Johnson’s effort and intensity were the driving forces behind his solid afternoon. On multiple occasions, he was seen diving on the floor to help extend possessions for Carolina. His energy was contagious and a big reason for some of the Heels’ positive momentum swings. Notching 10 points on 4-5 shooting, Johnson also added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block. While he didn’t necessarily light it up from a scoring perspective, every single one of his buckets came as a result of maximum hustle.

With the aforementioned Bacot potentially sitting out, Johnson could see his role grow even more against Indiana. Regardless of Bacot’s status, he’ll presumably be a bigger factor moving forward. It will be interesting to see how Johnson responds to what will certainly be a raucous crowd at Assembly Hall. For a guy with his skills who works as hard as he does, I expect a concerted effort to get Johnson more looks against the Hoosiers.

Moving the ball

Don’t get me wrong, I have immense trust in Caleb Love and RJ Davis. However, when those two combine to take 60 shots in one game, something is wrong with the way the offense is being run. Granted, they did essentially play an extra half of basketball, but 60 is simply too high, as it accounted for nearly two-thirds of Carolina’s attempts.

At times, the Tar Heels got some movement on offense and got open shots as a result. For the vast majority of the game, it was about getting the ball to Love or Davis, giving them a ball screen, and letting them go make a play. As we’ve seen plenty before, this kind of offense can be effective, but it’s not sustainable over the course of an entire game.

If we go back to last year’s NCAA tournament, the plays that stand out are the ones that these two made off the dribble. However, those plays are made possible by getting those guys, especially Love, clean looks so they can develop a rhythm. For instance, I don’t believe Love hits that dagger three to knock Duke out of the Final Four if not for the previous layups and open threes set up by his teammates to get him going.

Against Indiana, I expect Coach Davis to run more set plays. With so many scoring weapons, opposing defenses have plenty to worry about. The Tar Heels must use that to their advantage with decisive cuts, clean passes, and some semblance of an offensive game plan. This team must be more successful in the half court if they want any chance of escaping Bloomington with a victory.