UNC Basketball: Keys for Tar Heels Round of 64 opener against Iona

2. Let It Fly

The Iona Gaels cannot defend. No matter how you want to phrase it, they just can’t No matter the stage of the game, the play call, or the spot on the floor where shots are going up, the Gaels are seemingly physically incapable of preventing opponents from waltzing to the rim or firing up uncontested three-pointers game after game. Opposing teams probably face more contestation and resistance in layup lines and shoot-arounds than in actual games against the Gaels.

I wish this were hyperbole, but it’s not.

Iona ranks 275th defensively according to KenPom, allowing opponents to shoot an effective field goal percentage of 52.3, which ranks in the bottom third of the country. According to Synergy Sports, the Gaels allow opponents to score 0.918 points per possession, which ranks in the 30th percentile. Iona is so bad at defense that they’ve switched back and forth between man-to-man (1149 possessions) and zone (911 possessions) defenses throughout the season to no avail, with neither schematic adjustment leaving much of an impact on that end of the floor.

Iona’s biggest weakness on that end of the floor, other than the aforementioned weak defensive rebounding? Spot up defense.

The Gaels allow opponents to score 1.034 points per possession on spot up attempts (fourth percentile), which just so happens to be the play type that opposing teams use the most when attacking Iona. Basic stats tell the same story, with Iona ranking 298th in the nation in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 36.8 percent from downtown. The Gaels just can’t get stops on the perimeter.

UNC’s strongest area on offense? You guessed it — spot ups.

Scoring 1.091 points per possession (97th percentile) on spot up attempts, the Tar Heels have thrived all season long with their assortment of perimeter threats, and given their matchup on Saturday, the hot-shooting should continue.