Defensive dominance
UNC has been impressive defensively this season, holding opponents to an average of 65.6 points per game through the first seven games.
Junior Joel Berry thinks experience has been key to the strong start.
“We have veterans and returners from last year that knew that once we stepped up our defensive game, we were able to win games,” he said.
Though certain facets of the defense — like Berry’s job on the ball after picking up the point guard in the backcourt — have been excellent, Williams and Berry agree there’s room for improvement.
Williams noted the lack of an interior shot blocker, a role Brice Johnson played a season ago.
“Brice erased a lot of mistakes,” Williams said. “We don’t have the shot blocking Brice gave us.”
Berry said closing out on shooters and defending drives down the middle of the lane still need work. But he added it’s hard to be upset with the defensive effort so far.
“We’ve done a good job trying to stop teams from scoring and not just trying to outscore teams all the time,” he said.
First true road test
The matchup is UNC’s first true road game of the year against a top-25 opponent, and Assembly Hall has a reputation as one of the toughest venues in the country.
Williams thinks the team’s games at Hawaii and Tulane, in addition to the Maui Invitational, will make the tough road environment a little easier than usual for his first-years. But he knows those crowds are very different from what the Tar Heels will encounter in Bloomington.
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“We’re facing a different animal,” Williams said.
Berry said these big games are what college basketball is about.
“That’s what we come to college for,” Berry said.
“We want to play in an atmosphere like this.”
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