After Larry Drew II’s game-winning layup fell through the basket Saturday, there was a conspicuous absence from the postgame stat sheet.
North Carolina was missing its usual allotment of turnovers.
With only 11 giveaways on the day, the Tar Heels didn’t let their offense stall. Mississippi State didn’t bury the Tar Heels with a killer run as so many teams have this season.
In fact, UNC has quietly cleaned up its act in its last three games.
For the season, UNC is averaging 15.1 turnovers per game — 273rd in the NCAA. But in its last three games, one a loss in the ACC Tournament and the others two NIT wins, the Tar Heels are averaging 10.7 turnovers per game.
The only question is what UNC changed.
“I wish I could answer that,” UNC coach Roy Williams said in a teleconference Monday. “That is a big worry; we’ve emphasized it all year long.”
The Tar Heels’ turnover decrease is one reason they’ve reached the third round of the NIT despite a No. 4 seed and a 16-16 record before the tournament.
“I think we have been more confident and have played better in the last three weeks,” Williams said. “I wish we hadn’t waited such a long time.”
Williams and his team will face the No. 2 seed in their bracket, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, in yet another road game Tuesday night.
If the Tar Heels win, there’s a trip to Madison Square Garden, where UNC played in the 2K Sports Classic earlier this year, waiting for them. The final two rounds are played in New York City.
But first looms a game against the Blazers and their aggressive, turnover-forcing defense. UAB induces opponents into 14 giveaways per game.
“That’s the thing that jumps out at you is how effective they are defensively,” Williams said. “They get after you with a lot of defensive pressure.”
UAB also allows only 60.4 points per game, good for the second-best scoring defense in Conference USA. The Blazers will test UNC’s newfound ball protection skills.
The Tar Heels might have to play without Tyler Zeller. The sophomore forward received five stitches above his left eye Saturday after taking an elbow from a Mississippi State player. Zeller was cut and sustained a mild concussion.
Williams said he was unsure if Zeller would play today.
“It’s just how he feels this afternoon, it’s a gut feeling,” Williams said Monday. “And how he feels when he wakes up tomorrow.”
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
