Lack of voice in UNC men’s basketball leads to defensive collapse against Alabama

Not only are the Tar Heels missing these defensive players, but Davis is also still working on finding these replacements for the two players. He submerged At almost every media timeout, I tried to find a group of five that could get stops and show that emotion.

Despite all that, North Carolina seemed to have changed in the first few minutes.

The Tar Heels forced the Crimson Tide to shoot after the shot clock disappeared to five seconds. During Alabama’s second offensive possession, junior center Jalen Washington fought desperate for possession. Alabama turned around the ball goes past on the next attempt.

UNC players were active. They talked. They applied pressure.

“I didn’t feel like Alabama felt us,” Davis said said. “I think they played the first two and a half to three minutes of the game. I felt like we had a good defensive presence, a physical presence on the ball. Our communication was really good, and it just tapered off from there.”

As soon as UNC started, obvious changes returned to the same old routine. Flashes of greatness but nothing consistent.

After Cadeau missed for a while Drive With 15 minutes left in the first half, the Tar Heels tried to get back in transition. Alabama guard Mark Sears attacked the basket. Graduate from Guard RJ Davis and Ian, the first year security guard Jackson miscommunicated regarding reporting. Sears scored unhindered and gave the Crimson Tide the lead five Points.

And it only went downhill from there.

“I don’t think it has to be a single voice or even two people,” RJ Davis later said add“All five of them are on the pitch. So it has to be a collective communication effort by the group.”

It was the last time the Tar Heels fell behind by 10 points or more in the first half four consecutive games. Eight minutes before the end of the first frame, North Carolina confronted a 13-point rise. The Tar Heels have held The lead lasted less than 19 minutes against the five quality opponents they faced this season.

After four games of constant misunderstandings, Jackson taken into account which is the voice of the team watching the game. He asked if there was even a defensive player.

“We have to find one,” Jackson said. “We need to find a voice in defense to drive us on that side of the field and we will find one. We have a lot of talented people who are more than capable of doing this.”

But it is clear: there is no voice. The team is not loud. There is no personality. UNC’s performance was the opposite of what the head coach expected from his players.

“You can talk about Xs and Os, but you can’t even get there until you have that sustained will, that desire, that energy and effort,” Davis says said. “Technology has nothing to do with it if you can’t get there.”

@_emmahmoon

@dthsports | [email protected]