3 takeaways from UNC Basketball’s loss to UConn in Jimmy V Classic

2) Cormac Ryan needs to find his shot

I love Cormac Ryan’s game. He plays hard on defense, he cuts hard to the basket, and he seems to be a great teammate. His outside shot, though, is currently non-existent, and Carolina needs him to figure it out.

The Tar Heels were neck-and-neck with the Huskies all game, but each time they closed the gap, they could never quite get over the hump. Ryan had several open looks from three that could have changed the game, but each one clanged ineffectually off the rim. He finished the game 0-6 from outside, which dropped him to 25.5% on the year, by far the lowest percentage of his career.

Looking at the stats, it surprises me that UConn finished the game only 10-31 from three, because it seemed like every time they had an open look, they made it. Take Ryan’s six misses away and Carolina was an outstanding 7-14.

We wrote before the game that the way to beat UConn was to bomb it from deep. Kansas handed the Huskies their only loss by going 9-14 from three, with senior guard Kevin McCullar, Jr. draining a trio of clutch threes in the last six minutes. Ryan’s inability to do the same cost Carolina a chance at stealing a win. For the Tar Heels to reach their full potential, they need Ryan to get his shot back.