He’s heard the questions about the North Carolina men’s basketball team’s supposed lack of toughness. He watches SportsCenter and listens to analysts critique the Tar Heels for the same thing.
And as he sat at the Smith Center podium on Monday, hearing another question about toughness and his team’s label as “a bunch of nice kids,” the subtle sophomore tilted his head back and laughed.
“I’ve learned over this season and last season to not worry about what all of that is ...” the UNC wing said of the criticism. “We’re not trying to prove people wrong and that we’re a tough team, or that we’re tougher than that game. We’re just trying to do whatever we can to win.
“And whether that’s being ‘tough’ or whether that’s just playing defense and winning the game, whatever we have to do to win, that’s what we’re going to do.”
At times this season and in years past, a lack of toughness or intensity has doomed the Tar Heels in close games. And entering this week’s ACC Tournament as the No. 1 seed, those elements — however they might be defined — could be even more vital.
“The quality of the kids we have is fantastic, but everybody seems to get more enthused when tournament time comes,” Coach Roy Williams said. “If we’re not going to have some toughness and intensity now, it’s not going to do any good to go play.”
In many ways, UNC exhibited a level of toughness it hasn’t shown all season in Saturday’s 76-72 win at Duke — the team’s first victory in Durham since 2012.
Despite leading by double digits twice in the first half, North Carolina allowed the Blue Devils to tie the game at 49 with 11:56 left in the second half.
