UNC Basketball: 3 keys to beating Florida State to start ACC play
3) Get to the free throw line
A huge aspect of Carolina’s win over Tennessee was its ability to not only get to the free throw line in abundance, but to knock down a high percentage once there. UNC went 32-38 against the Volunteers, good for an 84.2% clip. Not only did this allow them to build such a big lead in the first place, it helped them close things out as Tennessee tried to extend the game late.
Armando Bacot needs to be mentioned for his notable improvement in this area. The big man has always earned frequent trips to the line, but whereas his previous four years in Chapel Hill never saw his free throw percentage rise above 67%, he’s been money from the charity stripe this year, shooting 82.9% through seven games.
Florida State has struggled with fouls in the early part of the season, and they’re currently ranked 338th out of 362 Division I teams in allowing teams to get to the line. Carolina is not the team you want to face right now with a profile like that, as the Heels rank 23rd in the nation in getting to the line, and as a team they’re shooting a superb 76.9%.
Carolina is oozing confidence right now, and one of the surest markers of that confidence is how aggressive they’ve been on offense. UNC teams in recent years have struggled from the line, and it showed in how they attacked (or didn’t attack) the basket. RJ Davis is slashing his way to the basket. Cormac Ryan is making cuts off the ball. Harrison Ingram is backing his man down. And of course Armando Bacot is throwing his weight around on the offensive glass and in the post.
This has all led to an offense that yields a lot of easy points. Carolina needs to continue this style of play, and if they do then home matchups against mid-level ACC squads should pose little to no trouble at all.
Next. Ranking the final 18 unbeaten teams of the season. dark
Everything we’ve seen from the Tar Heels in this young season has been cause for encouragement. Even though they lost to Villanova, the Heels didn’t back down, battling the Wildcats and the whistle-happy refs to nearly steal the win. They then bounced back in a big way by knocking off two surefire NCAA Tournament contenders in Arkansas and Tennessee. The next step is taking care of business when they’re expected to win. That all starts Saturday in Chapel Hill.