After Saturday’s 80-69 victory over N.C. State, UNC head basketball coach Hubert Davis insisted he was not worried about the team’s record. With a Tuesday visit to Syracuse, Davis’ focus likely remains the same: keep getting better.
“One of the things I always think about is making sure we’re improving,” Davis said. “And at the end of the day, the results will take care of themselves.”
UNC’s recent run may justify Davis’ view, as the win over N.C. State marked UNC’s ninth win in 11 games. Davis liked several things the team did well against the Wolfpack, which must carry over if the team wants to earn a road victory against the Orange.
Beating the 2-3 zone
Under head coach Jim Boeheim, Syracuse has long favored the 2-3 zone defense. The Orange’s zone places a frontline of two defenders above the 3-point line and a backline of three defenders across the baseline — two near the corners and one hovering in the paint.
The zone is designed to deny entry passes into the low post, the kinds of passes off which UNC center Armando Bacot thrives. Feeding the star senior in the post more and running fewer pick-and-rolls sparked the Tar Heels’ hot streak, but they will likely need to find another way to attack against Syracuse.
In a Monday ACC media Zoom conference, Davis said Syracuse excels at protecting the paint and stopping teams from getting shots in rhythm. The Orange average the most blocked shots per game in the ACC and house the conference’s leading shot blocker, center Jesse Edwards.
Davis believed UNC would need high shooting accuracy — particularly from beyond the 3-point arc — to keep the offense chugging, but good shooting might not be the Tar Heels’ only solution.
When the ball is caught on the wing, a corner defender in the Orange’s line of three will stunt to discourage a drive. If an opposing player is also in the corner when the stunt occurs, that player has a split moment to cut to the basket and receive a pass. For this role, UNC has graduate transfer forward Pete Nance.
