By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Bob Donnan-USA Today Sports
UNC ended their ACC title hopes in the hands of Duke Blue Devils on Friday night in the semifinals, 74-71.
The Blue Devils didn’t have Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown, but this team is loaded with talent. Kon Knuppell led the Blue Devils with 17 points, and Khaman Maluach grabbed nine rebounds.
Jae’lyn Withers got hit with a lane violation after Ven-Allen Lubin’s free throws. Lubin led the Tar Heels with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
“I mistimed the shot. I was just trying to make sure I crashed hard,” Withers said.
It was great to see Davis and Withers side by side, supporting one another after a tough loss. This shows authentic leadership.
“We’re a team,” Coach Hubert Davis said. “It’s the University of North Carolina basketball team. We win together, we lose together as a team, and the great thing about this group is we do it together, and I didn’t think I could be more proud of the group than I was before this game.”
It’s easy to point out Withers as to why the Tar Heels lost a heartbreaking game after trailing by 24 in the first half, but that’s unfair.
After the Tar Heels lost to Clemson, they were dead in the water. The Tar Heels don’t go on a six-game winning streak and reach the semifinals of the ACC Tournament without Withers.
Many things cost the Tar Heels the game against the Blue Devils. RJ Davis had just 8 points.
Coach Davis could’ve called a timeout when the Blue Devils went on a 15-0 run to slow down the momentum. Ian Jackson had zero points. Jackson is struggling, but we don’t know if Coach Davis is using him correctly, if Jackson isn’t ready, or if he has a confidence problem.
Elliot Cadeau impressed many of us with his offensive explosion in the second half. He held the Tar Heels together and made big shots from the three-point line. Cadeau finished with 15 points and five assists.
The same could be said about Seth Trimble. Trimble was aggressive, attacking the rim and drawing fouls. He added 14 points.
Will the Tar Heels make the NCAA Tournament?
Selection Sunday is today at 3:15 p.m. EST. The Tar Heels, Indiana, and Texas are in a bubble. Carolina is in a tough spot because it went 1-12 in Quad One games this season.
The team needed to win the ACC tournament to book a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. If UNC fails to make the tournament, this will be the most Tar Heels win-season team not to make the tournament.
Carolina won 22 games this season. Regardless of the outcome, Carolina should carry this momentum next season.
We should credit the Tar Heels for answering and battling against the Blue Devils in the second half. They did it twice this season, and those are signs of great things to come for this program.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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