Roy Williams says it was frustration that led him to substitute a
completely new unit for minutes into the second half against Duke. Duke
had reeled off 12 straight points, expanding its five point halftime
lead to 52-35. UNC's second unit sparked a 22 point turnaround. Once
down 17, the Tar Heels actually led by five at one period of the game.
UNC played ten against seven for the final sixteen minutes. The Tar Heel
depth nearly overcame some terrific play by the Duke starters.
North Carolina overwhelmed Duke on the backboard. It isn't often you see
a team get 22 offensive rebounds and still lose. The Tar Heels also shot
more free throws than Duke, a team reknowned for making more foul shots
than its opponent attempts.
For all its success on the backboard and at the free throw line,
Carolina did not shoot well. Duke did. Duke has J.J. Redick.
When trying to assess why Duke survived yet another upset attempt, look
first at Redick's stat line: 35 points. 12 of 22 field goal attempts. 5
of 10 three point field goals. 6 of 6 from the line. OK, Redick turned
the ball over in the final minute. But he also forced UNC turnovers-four
of them.
Carolina exposed some problem areas that could give Duke difficulty in
the late stages of the NCAA Tournament: Rebounding, depth, and some
carelessness with the basketball against good defeensive pressure. But
it's hard to imagine Duke seeing a more formidable challenge during the
regular season than what the Blue Devils overcame Tuesday night. This
team appears poised to run the table in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
