UNC 83, Hawaii 68: The day after
North Carolina began its Great Hawaiian Adventure of 2016 with an 83-68 victory at Hawaii on Friday night – or early Saturday morning, North Carolina time – and if you stayed up to watch it then, well ... you’re a better fan than I am a beat reporter.
I did have an excuse, though, for getting some rest: There’s some long travel ahead before arriving on Sunday to join the Tar Heels in Hawaii in advance of the Maui Invitational, which starts on Monday. Some quick thoughts off of UNC’s victory on Friday:
On UNC’s success without much from Joel Berry …
Five Tar Heels scored in double figures on Friday but none of those players was Joel Berry, who during the first three games averaged more than 20 points per game. He finished 1-for-9 for the field, and 0-for-5 from behind the 3-point line, and scored two points. And yet UNC still won by 15 points.
On the Tar Heels’ ability to respond when challenged in the second half …
Hawaii won 28 games last season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Rainbow Warriors, though, lost four starters, including Big West Conference Player of the Year Stefan Jankovic. Still, Hawaii gave UNC some trouble on Friday. It cut UNC’s lead to three with 16½ minutes to play, and then the Tar Heels extended it to 13 points a couple of minutes later. Hawaii hung around and tried to get back in it, cutting its deficit to eight with about 6½ minutes to go. And then, again, UNC quickly extended its lead, this time to 16 points with 4½ minutes to go. And so, when threatened, the Tar Heels quickly eliminated the threat.
On Isaiah Hicks and fouling …
I’ve written a decent amount in the early season about Isaiah Hicks and fouls and that’s because it’s paramount that he stays on the floor as much as possible – and thus avoids the kind of foul trouble that sends him to the bench. Hicks has done a good job with this so far. He didn’t commit more than three fouls in any of UNC’s first three games. But he had that many during a five-minute span late in the second half on Friday, and finished with four fouls. Hicks remained in the game after his second (overall) and third fouls, but then exited with about four minutes to play after picking up his fourth.
On Tony Bradley …
He finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds and continues to be one of the greatest positives for UNC early in the season. Bradley has now scored in double figures in all four of his college games. The last UNC freshman to do that? Brandan Wright 10 years ago, at the start of the 2006-07 season. Bradley has a ways to go to match Wright’s streak. Wright scored in double figures in his first 18 college games. Bradley’s 13 rebounds were the most by a UNC freshman since Kennedy Meeks finished with that many against Iowa State in the 2014 NCAA tournament.
So there you have it. See you in Maui …
This story was originally published November 19, 2016 at 9:18 AM with the headline "UNC 83, Hawaii 68: The day after."