Going Strong With an 8–0 Undefeated Streak in the ACC, Can the North Carolina Win the NCAA Championship?

The North Carolina Tar Heels clobbered up the Wake Forest Demon Deacons by an 85-64 margin on Monday at the Dean Smith Center. While during the first half, the fans witnessed a neck-to-neck competition, it was in the second that the Tar Heels went on an absolute rampage. During the first half, the Deacons edged past the Tar Heels by a 34-33 margin. The match could have gone either side from there on.

But the Tar Heels showed their high gaming acumen, blasting the Wake Forest team by a 52-30 stat. Ultimately, the Tar Heels shone on the final scoreboard by a blowout margin. Not surprisingly they have an 8-0 streak in the ACC.

How did the Tar Heels perform?

Their guard RJ Davis played the most imminent role in this win, besotting a career-high 36 points. He also contributed by nabbing 4 rebounds and supporting with 2 assists. He took a decent advantage of the field goal chances given to him with 14-for-23 field goals. Additionally, he smashed 50% three-pointer percentage and an 80% free throw percentage. Thus, Davis amped up his skills in this game and made it clear that he was the alpha of the team.

Other than Davis, the Tar Heels’ guard Elliot Cadeau and Cormac Ryan soused 14 and 11 points. They played the second and third players in offense. The game was a moderately high-scoring one from the Tar Heels’ end. And it wasn’t as if the Wake Forest weren’t attacking.

The opponent’s offensive tactics were neutralized by the Tar Heels’ forward Harrison Ingram who grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds as he besotted 10 points. Thus he smashed a double-double. All these factors led to the Tar Heels winning the game. With this the Tar Heels registered their seventh straight ACC win in double figures. Their secret recipe has taken them on a roll.

What is the Tar Heels’ recipe?

They have a record to boast with 8-0 win in the ACC and a 16-3 tally in the regular season. Credit should go to their defense because they have contained all these seven ACC opponents at 70-pointers or less. The Tar Heels overall have nabbed 785 rebounds with 112 steals and 91 blocks. This is a testament to their brilliant defense. 

The top contenders for the Championship title are the University of Connecticut Huskies, and the Purdue Boilermakers. Apart from them, one of the outstanding teams is the UNC. The UNC’s chances of winning the tournament will be dictated by how well they play defense.

If they are able to continue their formidable defense then it will exponentially increase their chances of winning the coveted Championship title. Ryan is trying to impress all with his shooting skills whereas Ingram is playing his role. All the UNC need to do is continue their on-song performance. 

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Another thing that adds to the Tar Heels’ credibility is that they can lock their opponents under difficult circumstances. They put the Wake Forest under much pressure at the 45th point for a long time. This was one of the prime reasons that shifted the game in the UNC’s favor. But this much advancement wouldn’t have been possible without their brightest freshman.

Who have amped up their chances?

Furthermore, Cadeau has also improved in this NCAA season. He has learned to play defense without fouling much. Thus the UNC are set to take things a notch higher up than what they were at the beginning of the season. He has also learned how to use his agility, slide in front and use his hands. 

Cadeau is not given enough credit but he deserves a lot more. Since he is only a freshman and plays with a certain speed. He has demonstrated the maturity of an experienced player just in his first year. And it would be tough to imagine the UNC without the services of Cadeau.

Another thing that will come handy for the UNC is Cadeau’s ability to control the pace. He can turn it fast and slow at his own will. With his inclusion in the team, the UNC have also gotten another advantage. Their star player Davis can play in his position because he knows there is someone to back him up on the field. And Cadeau does seem to have some influence on Davis’s play which is getting better match after match.

The other player who deserves much spotlight is their forward Armando Bacot. Bacot plays closer up and maintains that pressure on his opponents. They are bringing Bacot to the perimeter where they can use their speed with Davis. Ryan has been the floor spacer for them.

The only thing that might trouble this UNC team is their depth. Once the game goes past their guard Seth Trimble and forward Jae’Lyn Withers, then the UNC are in trouble. Their forward Jalen Washington and guard Paxson Wojcik cannot be relied upon much. But their first seven are worthy of winning the national championship if they care for one thing.

Can the UNC win the national title?

If the UNC take care of their depth then it will be an easy season for them. The only thing that pushes them on the backfoot is their lack of depth. Their opponents can capitalize on the chances by containing their key players, and once it is done, the UNC might try to rotate them to stay on track.

And that is where things might get difficult for this team. They need to prepare their players for tough situations that can arise in the NCAA tournament and if they are somehow able to avert the situation or their eighth and ninth players also contribute then the UNC will be a force to reckon with.

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